Amazing and thank you for this in-depth review. This justifies my switch to the Z system. I couldn't care less about losing all my 1.4G primes as these new 1.8S series are actually performing better.
Go ahead and blow your money. If you’re an amateur you’re basically starting over and losing hella money on your old glass. Before these S lenses came out people were still taking awesome photos. Let that sink in, especially if you’re going to post process anyways😆😆
Thanks for a very well presented and explained comparison - this certainly confirms that Nikon's recent lens design brings some very impressive improvements. I wonder how well the 1.8S compares with Sony's much less expensive but highly regarded FE 85mm f1.8. Now that my Techart Pro adapter has eventually arrived (after a two month wait!), I have that option to consider.
Thank you Ian! Interesting thoughts about comparing to the Sony 85 1.8. I will see if I have a chance to test it. And yes i think it confirms the Z mount allows Nikon to have more freedom and results in better lens design. Oh how come you are waiting so long for the Techart adapter? I heard people receive them like just a week after placed the order?
@@TheRealRichardWong I was told that somehow my order had been placed on hold - but when I enquired, they sent it immediately by FedEx from HK to UK, which only took four days to arrive (and no customs fee!)
I’ll be keeping my 1.4. Post processing and saving my hard earned money is a much better trade off than blowing money on glass with a focal length I already have. Most people are going to post process their photos anyway so everything can be corrected in a couple of clicks.
I thought exactly the same way, until I photographed a wedding where the groom and grooms men wore purple. Trying to correct the purple fringing around the bride and then masking out the groomsmen, so they wouldn't be effected by corrections certainly became irritating. Although I loved the character of the 1.4g, it soon went after that. The purple fringing it produced was just awful unless I had a bad copy. Before the 1.8S came along, you just learned to live with the fringing and control it as best as you can. Now I don't have too, and it certainly speeds up my work flow with less editing in post. Like anything, I suppose it depends on your style/genre of photography and the demand on your post editing. For me, I never looked back.
Thanks for watching Weezy G.! No worries about the dislike. I can't really control what other people want to do. But if you guys enjoy this video, please support me by giving it a like :)
I used your video and another fellow UA-camer as a deciding factor on picking up the new Nikon 85 mm F1.8 S lens. And I couldn’t be more happier with my decision. No it’s not i’ll glamorous like the F1.4 or the F1.2 lenses that the other brands have but I’m telling you why this lens is super sharp at f1.8. I have been using all F mount lenses adapted to my Z6 since I purchased it in May and had great success with them. Where as another Guy on UA-cam said these new Nikon lenses are an investment into the future of what Nikon has to offer and they are truly some sharp glass. The eye auto focus is better trying to find the eyes quicker and giving you the option to choose from which eye you want to focus on. After six months of owning the Z6 I finally picked up the new Nikon 50 mm F1.8 S and now the new 85 mm and I am really happy with these lenses. Some might say they’re not made from the best materials but to me it’s how they perform. Keep up the great work and thank you for going into such great details on all these lenses and showing us how good these new Nikon lenses really are
Given how relatively cheap you can pick up a (used) 85/1.4G, I'd have a really difficult time buying that 85/1.8S. I personally think I'd be waiting for the 85/1.2S.
The f1.2 may be useful for full length portraits, but apart from that most people won't use f1.2 anyway. This is at f2: www.flickr.com/photos/inmoduslux/26102759637/in/dateposted-public/
Regards the chromatic aberration comparison, I wonder if " in camera " corrections are applied to the S lens automatically to the RAW files, thus why it shows almost zero CA? Such corrections would not be applied to either of the G lenses ( which would require lens correction in LR for example )
Hey there, I have actually tested that and with my test photos I also see Virtually no CA after strap out the lens profile from the raw file. Distortion is also very similar (but a little bit more)
Looks like I wanna add this to my 35 and 50 S lenses eventually. Although the 85 1.8 G which I also have might actually give some nice flare to photos and videos, I don’t always want to eliminate the flare completely, it can add to the image. I guess that might be the case more often for video though
At 12:24 I would buy this lens just for the better chromatic aberration alone. I have the 1.8G and I’m always cleaning up green and purple hair from having the sun backlight my subject’s hair.
Thank you RIchard, for your very thorough review. So helpful for us who are trying to make a decision where to spend our money. The new 85mm 1.8 S looks so good I may have to buy one soon!
Thanks for this superb comparison. I have the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art and delivers exquisite results with the FTZ adapter. I don’t have the Z85F1.8S yet, so I can unfortunately not contribute a comparison to the Sigma to complement your video. The Sigma is one of the solely lenses, optical resolution can serve pixel pitch of D850. And I also have only a Z6 and no Z7 yet... If you can probably get hands on the Sigma, it would be great, if you could do a comparison of the Sigma 85mmF1.4 vs Z85mmF1.8.
Im keeping my 85mm 1.8G. I always took such marvelous photos with it, Im not a pro photographer and the chromatic aberration is fixable in post easily.
I second that. Why he compared the 1.4 wide open to the other two makes it an unfair comparison to the other two. Especially because the 1.4 stopped down to 1.8 will be sharper and have less chromatic aberration.
Great video. It covered basically everything I'd want to see, except one thing. The coma (or lack of it) with pinpoint lights at night. Most of the time there are bat wings in the corner expecially at the max aperture. The f/1.4G is great with this aspect because it's very minimal and the reason why I purchased the lens to begin with.
The new 85 mm is my favorite lens I own. I use the 85 mm all the time it would be on my camera 75% of the time before I bought this new lens. Now I have a feeling it’s going to be on my camera 90% of the time. It’s that good
Superb video. The info is so well presented Richard. Thank you. I own both the f1.4 and recently the f1.8S. I love my f1.4 and I am yet to use my new f1.8S. Cheers, Antoine
You are a great reviewer . So many details and aspects in subject . I enjoyed this. All what I wanted to know about these lenses, I found in this movie, even a size with ftz. Thank you. Respect from Russia. Kindness and peace for all of your family. Sorry if i made a mistakes , english is not my strong side ))
Dear Richard, with gratitude + compliments, for you have invested much time; and for your objective expertise backed up with what the full range of image makers seek - proof in your practical life images.
I have the 1.8G and 1.8s... I've given up on the comparisons... however the S lens is just a little better. sadly I cannot use it on my D850 and my 1.8G can be used on both systems...
Actually it's not surprising at all the F1.4G has the weakest edge sharpness when shoot at F1.8 when compare to other F1.8 lens, it's almost the case for all F1.4 vs F1.8 primes I have ever used in my last 20 years. but as you said, edge sharpness is never a important factor for a [portrait lens, in fact, I prefer the lens with softer edge sharpness for portrait, but I hate Cat's eyes Bokeh ball effect very much so I personally will avoid the two F1.8 lenses and go with the 1.4 version if I have pick one out of these three. But the CA is one big issue for the F1.4 also, so I guess I will pass all three and wait for the 85 1.2S which is already announced.
HI Richard I am a Z6 user and I love your review. I am thinking to get a set of Wide/35/85 and sadly I can only afford one S Mount lens while I will need to use G lens for other range. Which X mount lens would you prefer to buy first? 1) S14-30 + 35.8G + 85.8G 2) 20.8G+ S35.8 + 85.8G 3) 20.8G + 35.8G + S85.8
I am about to publish my next review which includes the s14-30 and I can tell you I am also quite impressed by that lens. Because of that I would recommend you go all S lens but maybe get one less lens instead? Then save up and get more S lens in future. I really feel the s lenses are so much better than the DSLR counterparts
honestly the 20mm 1.8 is an amazing lens, 35S is better than the 35G. And it looks like the 85s is way better than the 85G too. I only have experience with the 20G, 35 S&G, 85G
I have tried the 85.8S today and I have already fell in love with it. The overall performance is sooooo good. I think I will get the 85.8S and 20.8G first.
I sold my Zeiss Milvus 85mm/1.4 to get the Z 85mm/1.8 S if that tells you anything. The bokeh and micro contrast are very similiar, but the Zeiss does exhibit CA at wide apertures. The Z85 does not plus it has AF.
Taking test shots and worry about vignetting and some optical resolition issues in the corner? I am not sure that if one's mind is fully of such worries that one has enough time to go out taking real photos for real use.
For the AF speed, Did you adjust the AF speed(only in movie mode) to the fastest? Because for the F lenses it can not adjust the speed at all(it would fastest all the time) BTW thanks a million for this video^^.
Hi Richard. First let me thank you for such a comprehensive and detailed comparison between these 3 Nikon lenses. Though I do have prior experience with Nikon, and currently using Fuji's X-T3 (with some stellar Fujinon XF lenses), I was strongly considering going the Z7 route, but just concerned with Nikkor S lens availability, as I shoot primarily wide (24, 35), macro/micro (80), and occasional short telephoto (200-300). I know the Sony System has some quite good optics in those ranges, but not sure about Nikon's roadmap availability (and obviously unknown image quality) of, say, the S 105 Micro-Nikkor, and how that would compare to the known stellar Sony 90 f/2.8 Macro G OSS lens. That said, I do love the ergos and body sealing of the Z7 as well as the stellar reviews I've seen of the Nikon S 50 f/1.8 in terms of image sharpness. But at the end of the day, I'm most concerned about image sharpness and detail retention when printing large. I'm thinking both systems would satisfy in that regard, but please correct me if I'm wrong. Thank you sir!
Hi Steve, thanks for watching the video! Re nikon z lens lineup, at this stage Sony has much bigger native lens lineup. But all the new nikkor S lenses are amazing (at least all the one I have tried) and nikon has released a lot of lenses within just 18 months or so and will continue to release lens in similar pace in the near future so probably in 18 months time there would be a great native lens lineup for nikon z users as well.
Thanks for a good review! But in the size comparison you had the rear lens cap on the 1.8S but not on the other (not even with the FTZ) ... I guess that means that even the 1.8G+FTZ is taller than the 1.8S ... Also you should ad the weight off the FTZ to the weight of the G-lenses ;)
Good question!! I wondered too.. but if you look at my brick wall comparison photo at 13:15. Those were all shot on exact same place you can see the field of view is pretty much the same.
@@osangulon I think that 85 1.8 S focus breathes IN while focusing. IMO that's how that should be done for a portrait lens. So for tight shots it's more of 90 lens so it distorts faces less.
The bokeh comparison were not shot on a tripod so the framing and the position is slightly different between the shots even I tried to keep them as close as possible. The brick wall would be better photo for comparison as the camera was on tripod. And yeah focus breathing could also affect the view angle in the bokeh sample :)
Thanks Richard for the in-depth review of three lenses, great work! The only thing that I noticed that it is still not a like for like comparison as it is tested on Z7 camera which require an adapter for F mount lenses that might make a difference if the two F lenses are mounted to D850. I am interested to know if they are used on F mount cameras will the colour fringing problem occur?
Hi Alan, thanks for watching! Since the FTZ is basically an extension tube with some electronic communication contacts, it should have virtually zero effect on image quality so I would imagine the CA issue would be the same with the D850.
Albu Paul Doesn’t Support smooth focus racking in Video though. The S Lenses smoothly rack focus and you can set the speed in the menu. Most adapted Lenses just snap in focus like in photo mode and the speed settings don’t affect them so they are not usable for video use with AF This was not about focus speed for taking photos.
Albu, when taking photos they are very similar. But when taking video with continuous focus, it's pretty much like what chrispyArt said, the S maybe a bit slower but definitely a lot smoother and virtually silent
Great video! But I was wondering, why is the 1.8s lens the largest in the group? I thought mirrorless, especially with the shorter flange distance and larger mount, was supposed to minimise size, not increase it.
Thanks for the great review! One other thing I am curious about is the transmission of this new lens. I think some of the new S lenses have better transmission than their F mount counterparts even rated for the same speed (aperture). Could you test if the 1.8s in fact does let through more light than the 1.8g?
@@SteveGong haha I wish I can just keep it. No I have to return to Nikon even if I want to order one for myself. The only reason I didn't order one is because I don't really shoot with 85 prime these days. Oh and I don't have the spare money
This lens is €899. The dslr version 1.8G is only €500. Mirrorless is turning out an expensive hobby. And the autofocus seems much slower. But the IQ looks good.
Don't forget you can still buy the DSLR version if you believe it is the better lens for you. There will probably be quite a few people selling their DSLR version so you can find some bargain deal! :)
Richard Wong Yes a giveaway is a good idea, lol! Please, please keep me posted of any, I would greatly appreciate it! Looking for good videos from you as well!
hey Paul, thanks for watching the video and comment. To me, mirrorless isn't really about lighter setup or reduce in size. While the removal of the mirror would result in slimmer body and some of the earlier mirrorless were much smaller as well. It's mostly because a lot of features, build quality, ergonomic design that the DSLR have were missing in those earlier mirrorless cameras. You will see each generation of mirrorless camera is bigger as the manufacturer are adding some of the missing features back. Personally, i think the biggest benefit of mirrorless camera is the electronic viewfinder, much better Liveview implementation, better video mode integration, a much shorter flange distance lens mount, and some other improvement because of these. The new mirrorless lenses are usually much better in terms of image quality (to support the 50MP+ sensors instead of the 10-20MP sensors most DSLR lenses were originally designed for), and with more complex autofocus system to allow smoother AF for video and other new features.
Kind of an unfair comparison if you aren’t stopping the 1.4 down to 1.8 and comparing them all at the same aperture. The 1.4 would obviously be softest at it’s widest aperture. There would also be less chromatic aberration if the 1.4 was stopped down to 1.8. The 1.8S is an awesome lens but the 1.4 was definitely at a disadvantage against the other two because it was compared while wide open at a wider aperture than the other two. The others were also wide open but that’s not the point I’m making.
Hi Harleyrider916, i definitely agree with you it's not fair if i just compare them at the widest aperture. But that's why for the center sharpness, corner sharpness, bokeh, chromatic aberration and vignetting test, they were all shot at f/1.8 for all lenses (yes the 1.4G stopped down to f/1.8). The only two comparison were not done at all f/1.8 was the distortion (as it doesn't matter much) and lens flare (as stop down the lens would introduce some lens flare which would be not fair for the f/1.4 lens)
Actually, David Busch (who writes those details books) confirmed that the Z lenses are “wired focus” a BIG NO GO for cinematic shooting. That means - when you lock in a start and end focus using something like Rhino Focus and turns the ring on the lens (rather than auto focus) you will NOT get the same focus on repetitions... while legacy mechanical lenses still do... and would ie built in prosumer assumption that everything will be shot with autofocus. That rules out using Z lenses.
whats the point in this new Z lenses ??? If you consider the lightweight and size of leica FX lenses or fuji lenses I just do not understand this new style of mirrorless from Nikon, Canon .... You were bitching about the weight and size of DSLR so lets make even bigger and heavier lens for that mirrorless ? :DD They should not step into this hipe and stay in profi line of DSLR ... Have you seen that focus breathing and focusing ? :D its hilarious
This video is not an "In-Depth" review as stated in the title as you consider only the use of this lens for portraiture and not also as a short telephoto for lower light activity or for landscape use. In this context corner sharpness is very important and the new "S" lens again does outshine its siblings. I think when doing a review it is important not to become myopic and consider just your own personal uses for a given product but a full range of possibilities.
lcador9 In my opinion, it was pretty in-depth. I don't think there's a comparison anywhere on the internet right now with the information that Richard has provided. It seems like you're being too demanding, and not appreciative of what this video offers. Oh well, I guess you can't please everyone in this world, right?
Maybe you missed the corner comparison of the 3 lenses which showed the S lens being superior to F lenses in general and certainly better than the 1.8G and 1.4G for the corner to corner sharpness, as expected.
if money is no object, which one of these three 85mm lenses would you buy and why?
The f1.8 S, as it looks to be the best of the three and it'd go well with my Z7.
1.8 S (I have the 1.4 G) ...
You have the best collection!!
I'm going to keep my 1.8g
Will get my 85mm S lens this coming Friday :)
Nikon is killing it with the image quality of the new S lenses.
Great video review thank you so much
Amazing and thank you for this in-depth review. This justifies my switch to the Z system. I couldn't care less about losing all my 1.4G primes as these new 1.8S series are actually performing better.
Thank you Fritz!
Go ahead and blow your money. If you’re an amateur you’re basically starting over and losing hella money on your old glass. Before these S lenses came out people were still taking awesome photos. Let that sink in, especially if you’re going to post process anyways😆😆
amazing comparison , I can definitely say that 85mm 1.8s is the best 85 mm 1.8 lens among all other companies
Thanks for a very well presented and explained comparison - this certainly confirms that Nikon's recent lens design brings some very impressive improvements. I wonder how well the 1.8S compares with Sony's much less expensive but highly regarded FE 85mm f1.8. Now that my Techart Pro adapter has eventually arrived (after a two month wait!), I have that option to consider.
Thank you Ian! Interesting thoughts about comparing to the Sony 85 1.8. I will see if I have a chance to test it. And yes i think it confirms the Z mount allows Nikon to have more freedom and results in better lens design. Oh how come you are waiting so long for the Techart adapter? I heard people receive them like just a week after placed the order?
@@TheRealRichardWong I was told that somehow my order had been placed on hold - but when I enquired, they sent it immediately by FedEx from HK to UK, which only took four days to arrive (and no customs fee!)
@@IanWilkinson oh nice!!! (that they sent it immediately when you enquired)
I’ll be keeping my 1.4. Post processing and saving my hard earned money is a much better trade off than blowing money on glass with a focal length I already have. Most people are going to post process their photos anyway so everything can be corrected in a couple of clicks.
I thought exactly the same way, until I photographed a wedding where the groom and grooms men wore purple. Trying to correct the purple fringing around the bride and then masking out the groomsmen, so they wouldn't be effected by corrections certainly became irritating. Although I loved the character of the 1.4g, it soon went after that. The purple fringing it produced was just awful unless I had a bad copy. Before the 1.8S came along, you just learned to live with the fringing and control it as best as you can. Now I don't have too, and it certainly speeds up my work flow with less editing in post. Like anything, I suppose it depends on your style/genre of photography and the demand on your post editing. For me, I never looked back.
Who the heck will dislike this video, omg FKN people, thanks for the video Richard!!
Thanks for watching Weezy G.! No worries about the dislike. I can't really control what other people want to do. But if you guys enjoy this video, please support me by giving it a like :)
An angry Sony shooteror someone who just paid $1600 for a 1.4G
@@stanspb763 yeah good point 😅😅😅
Fuji fan boys
I used your video and another fellow UA-camer as a deciding factor on picking up the new Nikon 85 mm F1.8 S lens. And I couldn’t be more happier with my decision. No it’s not i’ll glamorous like the F1.4 or the F1.2 lenses that the other brands have but I’m telling you why this lens is super sharp at f1.8. I have been using all F mount lenses adapted to my Z6 since I purchased it in May and had great success with them. Where as another Guy on UA-cam said these new Nikon lenses are an investment into the future of what Nikon has to offer and they are truly some sharp glass. The eye auto focus is better trying to find the eyes quicker and giving you the option to choose from which eye you want to focus on. After six months of owning the Z6 I finally picked up the new Nikon 50 mm F1.8 S and now the new 85 mm and I am really happy with these lenses. Some might say they’re not made from the best materials but to me it’s how they perform. Keep up the great work and thank you for going into such great details on all these lenses and showing us how good these new Nikon lenses really are
Glad to hear you also very happy with the 85 1.8s! Yes it's really a fantastic lens with not much I can complain about
Given how relatively cheap you can pick up a (used) 85/1.4G, I'd have a really difficult time buying that 85/1.8S. I personally think I'd be waiting for the 85/1.2S.
The f1.2 may be useful for full length portraits, but apart from that most people won't use f1.2 anyway. This is at f2:
www.flickr.com/photos/inmoduslux/26102759637/in/dateposted-public/
Thanks Richard for making this comparison video, just in time when I am trying to make the right decision.
I have a Nikon Z 85 1.8 review coming up in a week or two, i'll compare the Nikon Z 85 1.8S with 3 third party autofocus 85mm f/1.8 lenses for Z
Regards the chromatic aberration comparison, I wonder if " in camera " corrections are applied to the S lens automatically to the RAW files, thus why it shows almost zero CA? Such corrections would not be applied to either of the G lenses ( which would require lens correction in LR for example )
Hey there, I have actually tested that and with my test photos I also see Virtually no CA after strap out the lens profile from the raw file. Distortion is also very similar (but a little bit more)
thanks for posting. The 50mm 1.8S lens is also superb.
Dirk Luchtman I hated the 50mm f1.8G but the new 50mm f1.8S is truly an awesome lens. Super sharp across the whole image
Looks like I wanna add this to my 35 and 50 S lenses eventually. Although the 85 1.8 G which I also have might actually give some nice flare to photos and videos, I don’t always want to eliminate the flare completely, it can add to the image. I guess that might be the case more often for video though
yes it is true sometimes a bit of flare would give you more artistic results. My AF 85 1.4D is great for that haha :D
Nice review . Will eventually get that 85 1.8s .
You'll like it! And thanks for watching the review
Thanks Richard! very good comparison: I was so hesitant to sell my 85mm 1.4... and you convinced me
Haha thank you Julio!
At 12:24 I would buy this lens just for the better chromatic aberration alone. I have the 1.8G and I’m always cleaning up green and purple hair from having the sun backlight my subject’s hair.
Thank you for this video. This helps me a lot…
Glad it was helpful!
Renting the 85 Z lens for a wedding this coming weekend! Thanks for the review! It made me feel reassured that I made the right choice in renting it!
Anthony thanks for watching I am sure you won't be disappointed!
I have started to use it on my z7 and z6 and it is indeed an amazing piece of glass!
Glad you like it too Bernard!
Thank you RIchard, for your very thorough review. So helpful for us who are trying to make a decision where to spend our money. The new 85mm 1.8 S looks so good I may have to buy one soon!
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching Henry!
Thanks for this superb comparison. I have the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art and delivers exquisite results with the FTZ adapter. I don’t have the Z85F1.8S yet, so I can unfortunately not contribute a comparison to the Sigma to complement your video. The Sigma is one of the solely lenses, optical resolution can serve pixel pitch of D850. And I also have only a Z6 and no Z7 yet... If you can probably get hands on the Sigma, it would be great, if you could do a comparison of the Sigma 85mmF1.4 vs Z85mmF1.8.
I wil see if I have the chance to gather all those lenses! :)
Im keeping my 85mm 1.8G. I always took such marvelous photos with it, Im not a pro photographer and the chromatic aberration is fixable in post easily.
I second that. Why he compared the 1.4 wide open to the other two makes it an unfair comparison to the other two. Especially because the 1.4 stopped down to 1.8 will be sharper and have less chromatic aberration.
One of the best reviews I have seen. Very straight to the point with excellent examples.
Thank you Scott !
Great video. It covered basically everything I'd want to see, except one thing. The coma (or lack of it) with pinpoint lights at night. Most of the time there are bat wings in the corner expecially at the max aperture. The f/1.4G is great with this aspect because it's very minimal and the reason why I purchased the lens to begin with.
Yeah I was going to do astro to test the coma but the weather didn't allow :( thanks for watching! :)
I would have enjoyed seeing the Tamron 85 f/1.8 VC compared too. It seems a more worthy competitor.
Great stuff from Nikon
Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S is for sure my number 1 favoritisms, I'm gonna buy it!
It's great, really really great and I don't say things like that very often!
The new 85 mm is my favorite lens I own. I use the 85 mm all the time it would be on my camera 75% of the time before I bought this new lens. Now I have a feeling it’s going to be on my camera 90% of the time. It’s that good
I use the 85 1.8S lens almost daily in my portrait business. I don't feel any "need" for the 1.2, though "want" is another story 😁
😂
Thank you for your very informative Video. I‘ll defenitly pre-Order the 85S
Thanks Felix! Enjoy the new lens
dell.com has the 85mm 1.8s in stocks..just ordered it today,and will be at my door in a week
Great review, thank you Richard!
Thanks for watching
Superb video. The info is so well presented Richard. Thank you. I own both the f1.4 and recently the f1.8S. I love my f1.4 and I am yet to use my new f1.8S. Cheers, Antoine
You are a great reviewer . So many details and aspects in subject . I enjoyed this. All what I wanted to know about these lenses, I found in this movie, even a size with ftz. Thank you.
Respect from Russia. Kindness and peace for all of your family.
Sorry if i made a mistakes , english is not my strong side ))
Thank you so much Roman Diyanov Guitar! Your english is perfect, better than mine :)
Nice video. You swayed me to buy the 85 1.8s. Show this comment to Nikon and get some sponsorship $$$$
Haha I wish I can do that. But glad you like the video Jeremy!
Dear Richard, with gratitude + compliments, for you have invested much time; and for your objective expertise backed up with what the full range of image makers seek - proof in your practical life images.
oh Mary, thank you so much. Glad you like this review :) Happy new year!
is it really so good lens?
Superb video the best on you tube by far regards to the comparisons of the quality of the F mount versus Z mount Nikon lens
Thank you very much!
@@TheRealRichardWong More than welcome
I am a Nikon fan and would love to see a comparison between the Sony Zeiss bâtis lenses and the Nikon S primes
Amazing review - thank you
I have the 1.8G and 1.8s... I've given up on the comparisons... however the S lens is just a little better. sadly I cannot use it on my D850 and my 1.8G can be used on both systems...
Actually it's not surprising at all the F1.4G has the weakest edge sharpness when shoot at F1.8 when compare to other F1.8 lens, it's almost the case for all F1.4 vs F1.8 primes I have ever used in my last 20 years. but as you said, edge sharpness is never a important factor for a [portrait lens, in fact, I prefer the lens with softer edge sharpness for portrait, but I hate Cat's eyes Bokeh ball effect very much so I personally will avoid the two F1.8 lenses and go with the 1.4 version if I have pick one out of these three. But the CA is one big issue for the F1.4 also, so I guess I will pass all three and wait for the 85 1.2S which is already announced.
i appreciate the better CA the most over even the sharpness. Seeing purple fringing is my nightmare and ruins alot of night shots in high contrast
..good test.. 👍
Thank you for this in depth review. VERY well done. Now I know which 85mm I am going to be getting for my new Z6... 👍
Thank you David!
Richard Wong Your welcome! 👍
Great video, thanks Richard! Subscribed.
Thank you very much slideworks!!
You really can't hate on that 1.8G, that thing is so nice for the price. Some of the best portrait shots I've ever see were shot with that lens.
1.8g primes are always a solid and cost effective choice for nikon shooters!
Great review as usual, thank you.
I want the 1.8S but I have additional DSLR bodies digital and analog, so, I need share lenses.
1st class review keep up the good work.thank you.
Thank you David!
HI Richard I am a Z6 user and I love your review. I am thinking to get a set of Wide/35/85 and sadly I can only afford one S Mount lens while I will need to use G lens for other range. Which X mount lens would you prefer to buy first?
1) S14-30 + 35.8G + 85.8G
2) 20.8G+ S35.8 + 85.8G
3) 20.8G + 35.8G + S85.8
I am about to publish my next review which includes the s14-30 and I can tell you I am also quite impressed by that lens. Because of that I would recommend you go all S lens but maybe get one less lens instead? Then save up and get more S lens in future. I really feel the s lenses are so much better than the DSLR counterparts
honestly the 20mm 1.8 is an amazing lens, 35S is better than the 35G. And it looks like the 85s is way better than the 85G too. I only have experience with the 20G, 35 S&G, 85G
I have tried the 85.8S today and I have already fell in love with it. The overall performance is sooooo good. I think I will get the 85.8S and 20.8G first.
I sold my Zeiss Milvus 85mm/1.4 to get the Z 85mm/1.8 S if that tells you anything. The bokeh and micro contrast are very similiar, but the Zeiss does exhibit CA at wide apertures. The Z85 does not plus it has AF.
Yes the z lens does have very little amount of CA!
Wow, I might do the same. I do like the color and contrast from the Zeiss Milvus 85mm F1.4, though. Manual focus is a pain.
EXELLENT Video Richard.
Thanks Michael!
Hi, help me to pick up between sigma art 85mm 1.4 and nikon z 85mm 1.8.?
i would go for Z 85 1.8
@@TheRealRichardWong nikkor Z is more convincing… it seems end of Sigma Art for nikon Z fans
Really great review thank you Richard.
Amazing review. You are the best!
Thanks for watching :)
Taking test shots and worry about vignetting and some optical resolition issues in the corner? I am not sure that if one's mind is fully of such worries that one has enough time to go out taking real photos for real use.
Very deep and interesting review! Very professional! Thank You!
Glad you liked it!
For the AF speed, Did you adjust the AF speed(only in movie mode) to the fastest? Because for the F lenses it can not adjust the speed at all(it would fastest all the time)
BTW thanks a million for this video^^.
Hi Tawan, the camera settings is pretty much all standard when I did the tests. And thanks for watching the video
Hi Richard. First let me thank you for such a comprehensive and detailed comparison between these 3 Nikon lenses. Though I do have prior experience with Nikon, and currently using Fuji's X-T3 (with some stellar Fujinon XF lenses), I was strongly considering going the Z7 route, but just concerned with Nikkor S lens availability, as I shoot primarily wide (24, 35), macro/micro (80), and occasional short telephoto (200-300). I know the Sony System has some quite good optics in those ranges, but not sure about Nikon's roadmap availability (and obviously unknown image quality) of, say, the S 105 Micro-Nikkor, and how that would compare to the known stellar Sony 90 f/2.8 Macro G OSS lens. That said, I do love the ergos and body sealing of the Z7 as well as the stellar reviews I've seen of the Nikon S 50 f/1.8 in terms of image sharpness. But at the end of the day, I'm most concerned about image sharpness and detail retention when printing large. I'm thinking both systems would satisfy in that regard, but please correct me if I'm wrong. Thank you sir!
Hi Steve, thanks for watching the video!
Re nikon z lens lineup, at this stage Sony has much bigger native lens lineup. But all the new nikkor S lenses are amazing (at least all the one I have tried) and nikon has released a lot of lenses within just 18 months or so and will continue to release lens in similar pace in the near future so probably in 18 months time there would be a great native lens lineup for nikon z users as well.
i am terrifyed how better at sharpnes and color are the S series
Leaving out the 1.4S I find the 1.8G much sharper that the 1.4G and ultimately more VALUE for the money !
Well done comparison. Keep up the good work.
Thank you Momchil
Can you do the identical comparison with 50mm lens?
I will see if I have a chance to gather all the 50mm lenses!
Your 85mm 1.4G needs to be dialed in. All of the G lenses suffer from that, and no one addresses it. They corrected the issue on the zed lenses.
Tempted to pick this up, I’m just not sure if I want to wait for the 1.2 or the 105mm.
Thanks for a good review!
But in the size comparison you had the rear lens cap on the 1.8S but not on the other (not even with the FTZ) ... I guess that means that even the 1.8G+FTZ is taller than the 1.8S ... Also you should ad the weight off the FTZ to the weight of the G-lenses ;)
Oh that's true! SanoyNimbus, especially the total weight.
Great comparison and the points were very well covered. Can you please make a comparison of the Nikon S lenses with the Sigma art lenses?
great review man, thanks!
When is that 70-200 z lens coming? I don’t want to adapt lenses. Nice review as always
Family of tech thank you so much! Oh I am waiting for that lens as well!
All the lenses from 2019 lineup are out except 70-200. So I think it’s safe to say we can expect it in November-December.
Thank you very much for the review. Is it possible that the 1.8/85 S has a slightly longer focal length than the 1.4/85 G?
Good question!! I wondered too.. but if you look at my brick wall comparison photo at 13:15. Those were all shot on exact same place you can see the field of view is pretty much the same.
@@TheRealRichardWong
And please look at 9:29 pm, i think the G-lens is a little bit wider.
@@osangulon I think that 85 1.8 S focus breathes IN while focusing. IMO that's how that should be done for a portrait lens. So for tight shots it's more of 90 lens so it distorts faces less.
The bokeh comparison were not shot on a tripod so the framing and the position is slightly different between the shots even I tried to keep them as close as possible. The brick wall would be better photo for comparison as the camera was on tripod. And yeah focus breathing could also affect the view angle in the bokeh sample :)
Thank you for that!
Thanks Richard for the in-depth review of three lenses, great work! The only thing that I noticed that it is still not a like for like comparison as it is tested on Z7 camera which require an adapter for F mount lenses that might make a difference if the two F lenses are mounted to D850. I am interested to know if they are used on F mount cameras will the colour fringing problem occur?
Hi Alan, thanks for watching! Since the FTZ is basically an extension tube with some electronic communication contacts, it should have virtually zero effect on image quality so I would imagine the CA issue would be the same with the D850.
You want to say that the 1.4G is faster focusing even if its not really a native lens?
Albu Paul Doesn’t Support smooth focus racking in Video though. The S Lenses smoothly rack focus and you can set the speed in the menu. Most adapted Lenses just snap in focus like in photo mode and the speed settings don’t affect them so they are not usable for video use with AF
This was not about focus speed for taking photos.
Albu, when taking photos they are very similar. But when taking video with continuous focus, it's pretty much like what chrispyArt said, the S maybe a bit slower but definitely a lot smoother and virtually silent
Excellent review. Thanks.
Thanks for watching Liba Fried!
Great video!
But I was wondering, why is the 1.8s lens the largest in the group?
I thought mirrorless, especially with the shorter flange distance and larger mount, was supposed to minimise size, not increase it.
Minimises the body depth. No one made any promises about the lenses.
@@Tom_UA-cam_stole_my_handle so what is the point of the shorter flang and large mount?
@@StopTheLies12 Superior wide angle lenses. Doesn't make much difference if any above 85mm.
Where did you get that shirt from???
Take a model and lets comparating the lenses one by one. Trust me, you will get more subscribers.
thanks for the suggestion ddn21!
Thanks for the great review! One other thing I am curious about is the transmission of this new lens. I think some of the new S lenses have better transmission than their F mount counterparts even rated for the same speed (aperture). Could you test if the 1.8s in fact does let through more light than the 1.8g?
Hey Steve unfortunately I have returned the lens already but if I get the chance to borrow the lens I will surely test it and let you know!
@@TheRealRichardWong So it wasn't good enough for you to want to keep?
@@SteveGong haha I wish I can just keep it. No I have to return to Nikon even if I want to order one for myself. The only reason I didn't order one is because I don't really shoot with 85 prime these days. Oh and I don't have the spare money
Thanks, great vid! Like the T shirt too...👍
Thank you Brian! Haha yes I love that t-shirt too
This lens is €899. The dslr version 1.8G is only €500. Mirrorless is turning out an expensive hobby. And the autofocus seems much slower. But the IQ looks good.
Don't forget you can still buy the DSLR version if you believe it is the better lens for you. There will probably be quite a few people selling their DSLR version so you can find some bargain deal! :)
Great video.
Thanks! :)
Great video, thanks! Where did you purchase the Nikon T-Shirt you wore in this video?
Thanks Russell, that t-shirt i bought from an eBay shop i think! let me see if I can find the link
Looks like the shop that makes it is no longer making those T-shirts anymore.
Richard Wong Oh nooooo!!!! What size is yours?? Nah, I’m just kidding! I really like that t-shirt though!
@@russellwright9961 haha should I do a giveaway of my old T-shirt? :D If i see someone making/selling similar t-shirts I'll let you know!
Richard Wong Yes a giveaway is a good idea, lol! Please, please keep me posted of any, I would greatly appreciate it! Looking for good videos from you as well!
Hi Richard, its good in low ligh? thanks @walocortes
Yes I think so. F/1.8 is pretty large aperture.
Thank you. Very good video.
Thanks for watching Christian!
That 1.8s focus speed is painful! For video you can accept that but for still I’d be kicking that down the street!
Better optic quality with this new S lense… really good… but the autofocus is slow?
Mirrorless was about less weight. So why is this new 85/1.8 heavier than the dslr version? Doesn't make sense. Thanks for uploading your findings.
hey Paul, thanks for watching the video and comment. To me, mirrorless isn't really about lighter setup or reduce in size. While the removal of the mirror would result in slimmer body and some of the earlier mirrorless were much smaller as well. It's mostly because a lot of features, build quality, ergonomic design that the DSLR have were missing in those earlier mirrorless cameras. You will see each generation of mirrorless camera is bigger as the manufacturer are adding some of the missing features back. Personally, i think the biggest benefit of mirrorless camera is the electronic viewfinder, much better Liveview implementation, better video mode integration, a much shorter flange distance lens mount, and some other improvement because of these.
The new mirrorless lenses are usually much better in terms of image quality (to support the 50MP+ sensors instead of the 10-20MP sensors most DSLR lenses were originally designed for), and with more complex autofocus system to allow
smoother AF for video and other new features.
Mirrorless from Nikon was not about less weight. It was about better IQ cause of the bigger mount with shorter flange distance.
@@TheRealRichardWong Thanks for the insight!
Tx for test, make same for 50mm from nikkor, sigma etc
If i have the xhange to gather all the lenses, i will definitely do that!
Hello Richard from Tauranga.
I like Nikon, but I cannot afford a Z series camera.
Hello Richard! There will be more affordable z coming soon!
More reviews, please!
More will come, my friend :)
Great explanations
Ah but how cash is it going to drain from my wallet 😨
Kind of an unfair comparison if you aren’t stopping the 1.4 down to 1.8 and comparing them all at the same aperture. The 1.4 would obviously be softest at it’s widest aperture. There would also be less chromatic aberration if the 1.4 was stopped down to 1.8. The 1.8S is an awesome lens but the 1.4 was definitely at a disadvantage against the other two because it was compared while wide open at a wider aperture than the other two. The others were also wide open but that’s not the point I’m making.
Hi Harleyrider916, i definitely agree with you it's not fair if i just compare them at the widest aperture. But that's why for the center sharpness, corner sharpness, bokeh, chromatic aberration and vignetting test, they were all shot at f/1.8 for all lenses (yes the 1.4G stopped down to f/1.8). The only two comparison were not done at all f/1.8 was the distortion (as it doesn't matter much) and lens flare (as stop down the lens would introduce some lens flare which would be not fair for the f/1.4 lens)
@@TheRealRichardWong great video though.
2:45
Actually, David Busch (who writes those details books) confirmed that the Z lenses are “wired focus” a BIG NO GO for cinematic shooting. That means - when you lock in a start and end focus using something like Rhino Focus and turns the ring on the lens (rather than auto focus) you will NOT get the same focus on repetitions... while legacy mechanical lenses still do... and would ie built in prosumer assumption that everything will be shot with autofocus. That rules out using Z lenses.
$ 800 is quite heay right now...
I don’t understand the desire for a lens with zero artistic qualities besides the f stop.
孙正义也来开摄影频道了啊
whats the point in this new Z lenses ??? If you consider the lightweight and size of leica FX lenses or fuji lenses I just do not understand this new style of mirrorless from Nikon, Canon .... You were bitching about the weight and size of DSLR so lets make even bigger and heavier lens for that mirrorless ? :DD They should not step into this hipe and stay in profi line of DSLR ... Have you seen that focus breathing and focusing ? :D its hilarious
This lens has no pop. Micro contrast on this lens is horrible. Renders very flat and has cats eye bokeh. This lens is very disappointing.
This video is not an "In-Depth" review as stated in the title as you consider only the use of this lens for portraiture and not also as a short telephoto for lower light activity or for landscape use. In this context corner sharpness is very important and the new "S" lens again does outshine its siblings. I think when doing a review it is important not to become myopic and consider just your own personal uses for a given product but a full range of possibilities.
Thanks for the feedback!
lcador9 In my opinion, it was pretty in-depth. I don't think there's a comparison anywhere on the internet right now with the information that Richard has provided. It seems like you're being too demanding, and not appreciative of what this video offers.
Oh well, I guess you can't please everyone in this world, right?
Maybe you missed the corner comparison of the 3 lenses which showed the S lens being superior to F lenses in general and certainly better than the 1.8G and 1.4G for the corner to corner sharpness, as expected.
What about speed and Af accurancy?