I bought it originally for reproductive purposes, since I often professionally abfotografiere paintings. To this end, in particular four things are important: sharpness, low distortion and a natural color and contrast reproduction. A low minimum focusing distance and a fast autofocus, however, were not buying criteria for me. The results with this camera-lens combination were the first attempt at impressing: Manual via live Wiew exactly focused on the pixel and stopped down to f / 8 to result in the outer corners super sharp, undistorted images with professional finishing, including . Color Management provide absolutely excellent results!
So did this objective for some time as a reliable workhorse his service, in my camera bag it came, however, rare. Too bulky and inflexible the focal length to slow autofocus - I thought. Until I got to the holiday but had a good piece of time outdoors and some portraits of my children have done so. Madness, as I had only without great to waste a thought, can use my 16-85 mm Nikkor than all-purpose weapon? No, 16-85er is not bad, quite the contrary, but who throws zoom with Primes in a pot, has not understood something fundamental! This was now clear to me, when I saw the portrait and detail shots at apertures of f / 1.8 - had spotted f / 2.8 in Lightroom: Another World opened, the soft bokeh, super-sharp details and a completely different feeling photographing.
Sure, it's not perfect:
The autofocus is gaining in fact any speed or precision rate. But as long as you want to do any sports shots or pictures of raging dogs (for the focal length would anyway not optimal), you can take the slightly higher committee but still very good way, I think. Only the rotating focus ring disrupts then but something more a matter of getting used to, however, is how to hold the camera with this lens. Ah yes owner of a entry-level DSLR with no built-in focus motor can only focus manually, which I consider (similar no split image) due to the smooth-running focus ring, the small with these models viewfinder image and for such purposes poorly suitable ground glass as a rather impractical. Exception: With Live View from the tripod from focusing.
The Plastkgehäuse is also a small damper. It is smooth and feels somewhat like a thick-walled yoghurt pot on. Nevertheless, everything is stable and well-made, this also applies to the somewhat smooth focus ring to. So, a high-quality-looking haptics is certainly different, but considering the price I can live with it better than if Nikon would have saved elsewhere!
A bit strange seeming contrast is the lens hood made of metal. Why metal? And why the screws and no bayonet connection? It does not matter, at least one case (hi Canon ...).
The minimum focusing distance coincides with 85 cm from quite high, what has bothered me ever to make a detailed report from the trial. On the other hand - who has what so often before, is better off with a macro anyway.
The Bokeh. Oh, now it is subjective. In most cases, I am quite pleased with it. In my opinion, it makes but only between f / 2.2 and f / 4 fun, but this is of course dependent on the background. Bright highlights do not particularly like this lens apparently, so should be avoided as water in midsummer in the background. It may be that the 85 mm f / 1.4 as performing better, but Nikon also requires a rod more money!
Speaking of light: the high midday sun in July is not a good good time to bring this device out of his pocket. I had previously ever found, as I wanted to test the sharpness of performance against a flower in a garden with different aperture settings. The pictures were, despite Geli, consistently outshined and could therefore miss contrast and detail.
Nevertheless, I give this lens the full five stars, even if the previous paragraph sounds rather negative. There are two simple reasons: first, the image quality is generally top notch. Basically, I have just called the extreme situations in which the lens can not play to its full capacity - in all other situations, however, this tool excels in every aspect! It is perfect for portraits, landscapes and reproduction. The second reason would be the price-performance ratio. For this money you really get no more sharpness, contrast, undistorted images.
Who can find a faster autofocus, low minimum focusing distance and a softer Bokeh is important the have to just make friends with it, to invest at least twice - if that 85 1.8D but not good enough, the whines already at very high levels. In my opinion, almost every amateur and also the one or other professional with this instrument is well served!
