Nikon 85mm 1.8 Any Good

[Alastair Brown]

I'm just about to spring for an extreme. I have a Nikon 50mm 1.4 and a Canon 135mm F2 at the moment. Was wondering about the Nikon 85mm 1.8 as a budget option.The 85mm 1.4 is too pricey for me at the moment. Anybody used this setup?

[Ola Christoffersson]

Maybe this can help:
Medium Long Lenses For Nikon 'F' Mount

[Chris Barcellos]

Actually, the Nikon Series E F2.8 will be great, for a budget lens.

[Bob Hart]

The Nikon f1.8 85mm lens has been fine by me and has been also used on two projects which can be found on YouTube, "Antistatic - The Coping Mechanism"


YouTube - Antistatic - The Coping Mechanism

though mostly this was shot using the 14mm f2.8


but used more on this one

YouTube - JVC GY HD100 - MINI35 FLAMENCO CLIP PRELIM VERSION

[Lee Wilson]

Originally Posted by Bob Hart

The Nikon f1.8 85mm lens has been fine by me and has been also used on two projects which can be found on YouTube, "Antistatic - The Coping Mechanism"


YouTube - Antistatic - The Coping Mechanism

though mostly this was shot using the 14mm f2.8


but used more on this one

YouTube - JVC GY HD100 - MINI35 FLAMENCO CLIP PRELIM VERSION

Excellent stuff.

When directing people to YouTube videos I always direct them to the high quality version (that same address as normal but with &fmt=18 on the end of the address) - it's a pity to produce such good footage only to show people the low quality version.

Compare:
(open these both in two browser windows and run side by side to really see the difference - the little logo in the top right hand corner really shows the contrast.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aabJj2EED38

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aabJj2EED38&fmt=18


http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/7705/meyk5.jpg




Or even better, use Vimeo ! :)

[Bob Hart]

Lee.


Thanks for the hint on YouTube image quality.

For higher quality, I have been uploading to ExposureRoom - Providing Exposure & Opportunity for Talent when I want to demonstrate a techical aspect.

I have to contain my impulses relating to costs of being on the internet (sounds nicer than "Hart you are sohh cheap"), so have not reposted existing YouTube clips to another higher quality site.

There are also some 85mm shots with the same lens in the trailer to be found on the www.congoro.com website.

I can't claim credit for the Flamenco clip or the Antistatic clip. Another behind-the-scenes of the Flamenco clip on Youtube was shot by me and also included a 85mm lens.

YouTube - AGUS35 FILMS MINI35

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu46tmYmRY0&fmt=18

It is not the most inspired piece of camerawork as I had to stay out of the way of the production camera.

[Lee Wilson]

Originally Posted by Bob Hart

I have to contain my impulses relating to costs of being on the internet (sounds nicer than "Hart you are sohh cheap"), so have not reposted existing YouTube clips to another higher quality site.

You have to pay to go on the internet ?

I think I have heard of this, it is an Australian/American thing where you get your ISP for free but pay whenever you are connected ??

Here in the UK we pay a monthly fee to our ISP and are permanently connected to the internet (24 hours a day) on a very fast 10mb line, pretty cheap too.

Very nice footage by the way :) I am going to rob a bank one day to afford the Mini35.

[Bob Hart]

Our ISP has a variety of plans these days. It is not a 10mb line up here on the hill. The last 200 metres is an oeverhead copper pair landline attatched onto the power poles.

This clip was done with a mix of two AGUS35s on Sony Z1s and two Sony Z1s direct-to-camera. One of the lenses was an 85mm f1.8 an older metal barrelled one. It was edited and assembled in SD but was originated in HDV 1080 50i.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eOPz08uLcI