The 85mm focal range is arguably one of the best lens lengths for portraits, Nikon makes two 85mm primes that most people look at when looking to buy an 85mm. The questions of the day is which lens is right for you?
The Difference in Price
This is probably the biggest factor that has nothing to do with quality when deciding on a lens. The Nikon 85mm f/1.8 retails for around $500, the Nikon 85mm f/1.4 retails for a little over triple that at around $1700. This will likely be one of the biggest deciding factors when you are looking into one of these lenses. So just make a note.
The Difference in Quality
The difference in quality between these two lenses is very apparent, but is it worth an extra $1200 to you? According to the video I am going to share below an 85mm 1.8 is about 90-95% as good as the 85mm 1.4 in both build and image quality. So you are paying $1200 for an extra 5-10% better performance.
That being said, the 85mm 1.4G is a gorgeous lens. Bokeh like butter and images as sharp as a tack are its hallmarks. Check out the video below to learn more about these two lenses and see which one is best for you.
