Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Nikkor 85mm f1.4 G
#1
Hello Thomas/Markus, this new lens has been reviewed in other sites, but when do we get ours? It seems, if you read Ken Rockwell, that it is something quite extraordinary in terms of boukeh and ability to extract the zone of DOF from the rest of the image. Me would like one...! Kindly Vieux Loup
#2
Well, not sure when the review is done, but I just placed an order for the lens. I hope to have it early next week.



We also had offers for two loaners, but frankly I prefer to spend a little more time with such a lens than loaner units usually allow.



Couldn't order earlier, since availability was rather poor ... especially at the dealers I usually prefer to order from.



-- Markus
Editor
opticallimits.com

#3
Good news <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='Rolleyes' /> We all look forward to your excellent review!! Kindly VL
#4
The 85mm f1.4 does not have great bokeh, for such a lens... a distinct nisen bokeh effect. Of course, it does blur a lot due to f1.4. But great or "creamy" bokeh? Not really.



But the Sigma 85mm f1.4 does not offer creamy or very smooth bokeh either, so the choice for the Nikon mount is a bit limited.



Subject separation-wise, of course, both are great. It is just the quality of the bokeh that fails to impress.



For Nikon, bokeh quality wise, I think I would look at the Nikon AF 85mm f1.8 D instead. Bokeh can still have a bit of nisen quality to it, but I find the rendering more pleasing (as far as I can tell). And it is a lot cheaper, this lens.



Anyway, your friend in determining the bokeh quality of a lens:

http://www.pixel-peeper.com . Here you can clearly find the Nisen bokeh from the Nikons.



Explanation about nisen bokeh:

http://www.sony.ca/html/uf/microsite/Cap...ite/2.html



Bokeh example Nikon 85mm f1.8 D showing double lines, making for busy nisen bokeh in the background:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zenyo/44394...otostream/



Bokeh example Nikon 85mm f1.4 D (old version) showing double lines and all over restlessness in the background rendering:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8563769@N05/3917242167

Annoyingly, pixel-peeper does not (yet?) make a distinction between the old and the new version. But on flickr a search gives enough examples that show the bokeh of the new AF-S G version:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ase23210/4938463678/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45595397@N03/4989101766/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/misteroy/54...87209@N24/



Bokeh eamples Sigma 85mm f1.4 EX DG HSM (not yet in pixel-peeper, so do a search in flickr):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidkilloc...464365@N22

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]@N22

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]@N22

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chipkrieger...464365@N22



My unscientific rating of all 3 lenses, I would rate the Nikon f1.8 and Sigma f1.4 higher than both Nikon f1.4's, even though they all are not true bokeh-stars (for 85mm lenses).
#5
[quote name='Brightcolours' timestamp='1299181483' post='6480']

My unscientific rating of all 3 lenses, I would rate the Nikon f1.8 and Sigma f1.4 higher than both Nikon f1.4's, even though they all are not true bokeh-stars (for 85mm lenses).

[/quote]



According to what I saw here:

http://neilvn.com/tangents/2010/10/26/bo...few-notes/

the Canon's 85/1.8 is even better.



Btw, I have made an article about bokeh here: http://jtra.cz/stuff/essays/bokeh/index.html
#6
[quote name='Vieux loup' timestamp='1299148189' post='6466']

It seems, if you read Ken Rockwell, ...

[/quote]

We can read Ken Rockwell, but can Ken Rockwell read?





[quote name='Vieux loup' timestamp='1299148189' post='6466']

that it is something quite extraordinary in terms of boukeh and ability to extract the zone of DOF from the rest of the image. Me would like one...! Kindly Vieux Loup

[/quote]

It's extraordinary compared to the 85 1.4D which had dog bokeh with bright highlighted rings around the OOF circles.



GTW
#7
[quote name='Brightcolours' timestamp='1299181483' post='6480']

The 85mm f1.4 does not have great bokeh, for such a lens... a distinct nisen bokeh effect. Of course, it does blur a lot due to f1.4. But great or "creamy" bokeh? Not really.



But the Sigma 85mm f1.4 does not offer creamy or very smooth bokeh either, so the choice for the Nikon mount is a bit limited.



Subject separation-wise, of course, both are great. It is just the quality of the bokeh that fails to impress.



For Nikon, bokeh quality wise, I think I would look at the Nikon AF 85mm f1.8 D instead. Bokeh can still have a bit of nisen quality to it, but I find the rendering more pleasing (as far as I can tell). And it is a lot cheaper, this lens.



Anyway, your friend in determining the bokeh quality of a lens:

http://www.pixel-peeper.com . Here you can clearly find the Nisen bokeh from the Nikons.



Explanation about nisen bokeh:

http://www.sony.ca/html/uf/microsite/Cap...ite/2.html



Bokeh example Nikon 85mm f1.8 D showing double lines, making for busy nisen bokeh in the background:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zenyo/44394...otostream/



Bokeh example Nikon 85mm f1.4 D (old version) showing double lines and all over restlessness in the background rendering:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8563769@N05/3917242167

Annoyingly, pixel-peeper does not (yet?) make a distinction between the old and the new version. But on flickr a search gives enough examples that show the bokeh of the new AF-S G version:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ase23210/4938463678/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45595397@N03/4989101766/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/misteroy/54...87209@N24/



Bokeh eamples Sigma 85mm f1.4 EX DG HSM (not yet in pixel-peeper, so do a search in flickr):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidkilloc...464365@N22

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]@N22

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]@N22

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chipkrieger...464365@N22



My unscientific rating of all 3 lenses, I would rate the Nikon f1.8 and Sigma f1.4 higher than both Nikon f1.4's, even though they all are not true bokeh-stars (for 85mm lenses).

[/quote]



I am very glad to read this.



Two months ago I bought the 85 1.8D. I choosed 85 1.8D instead of the 85 1.4D with the thought "I do not care much about bokeh quality so 85 1.8D is good enough for me and it is a lot cheaper". Regarding the extra 2/3 f-stop, I thought that at least for me the f1.4 with 85mm would be rarely used.



It seems that I had made a right decision.



Frank
#8
Good news, lens already arrived today.



-- Markus
Editor
opticallimits.com

#9
[quote name='mst' timestamp='1299272356' post='6517']

Good news, lens already arrived today.



-- Markus

[/quote]





I´m looking forward to your review very much, too. <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='Smile' /> Especially if the "sombrero effect" of the sharpness at f1.4, which slgear.com wrote about and showed in a graph, is going to be confirmed by you... or not. There was much discussion about it in forums.



( http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showprodu...357/cat/12 - you have probably seen to, though...)
#10
Not sure if I can see such an effect directly, since I measure at 3 spots only. Maybe the DX measurement will give some indication.



A similar thing might be present in the AF-S 35. The lens shows surprisingly poor border and corner performance on the D7000 (at large apertures).



-- Markus
Editor
opticallimits.com

  


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread:
1 Guest(s)