Carl Zeiss Planar 85mm f/1.4 for landscapes on Nikon D810:is it a right choice?

[Jedi]

If you must have a Zeiss, take a look at the Makro Planar 100mm, it is highly rated for landscapes as well as for closeups, and similar in AOV as the 85mm. Unless you want to go all the way to the APO Sonnar 135, you cannot go wrong on that one if you like Zeiss' rendering, but it is significantly longer than 85mm.

No, thanks, I preferred my Nikkor AF-S 105mm f/1.4E, because for portait i want AF; for portraits it is a monster, to the infinity a great, great lens, also if I regret a little my old Nikkor AF 105mm f/2 Defocus Control, for its natural color and pastel tones.

[Jedi]

If you must have a Zeiss, take a look at the Makro Planar 100mm, it is highly rated for landscapes as well as for closeups, and similar in AOV as the 85mm. Unless you want to go all the way to the APO Sonnar 135; you cannot go wrong on that one if you like Zeiss' rendering, but it is significantly longer than 85mm.

I seek an 85mm.....

[simsurace]

So, I think we have narrowed it down then. I think the only lens that fits all criteria that you mention is Milvus 85mm, except for the weight.

[Jedi]

The Milvus does alright according to DxO, 5th for sharpness and 4th overall:
https://www.dxomark.com/lenses/launched-between-1987-and-2017/focal-from-85-to-90/launch_price-from-0-to-13000-usd#hideAdvancedOptions=false&viewMode=list&yDataType=rankDxo

The classic ZF2 hovers somewhere near the bottom of the heap, there's btw also no Nikkor present in the top half 

But sharpness is overrated

I have seen the high score of the Sigma 85mm f/1.4, but I don't trust Sigma

[Nasos Kosmas]

get the new Tamron or the new Sigma Art

check the Nikon 85 1.8 at infinity here
https://4.img-dpreview.com/files/p/TS7360x4912~sample_galleries/5499370516/3885053047.jpg

[Jedi]

So, I think we have narrowed it down then. I think the only lens that fits all criteria that you mention is Milvus 85mm, except for the weight.

You're right.

[simsurace]

get the new Tamron or the new Sigma Art

check the Nikon 85 1.8 at infinity here
https://4.img-dpreview.com/files/p/TS7360x4912~sample_galleries/5499370516/3885053047.jpg

This is impressive. If you can live with the flare/ghosting issues, the 85/1.8 is a great lens in a light package.

[pluton]

What the world needs now...in my opinion...is for  Zeiss to issue a new version of the [now ancient] 85/2.8 Sonnar made for the Contax RTS.  I had one in the film days, and man-oh-man it was small.
http://www.zeissimages.com/mtf/cy/Sonnar2.8_85mm_e.pdf
http://slrlensreview.com/web/reviews/carl-zeiss-lenses-swhorizontalmenu-172/zeiss-telephoto/407-carl-zeiss-sonnar-t-85mm-f28-cy-lens-review
It was about the size of a Nikkor 50/2 Ai with about 1 cm added to the length.
I also owned the Zeiss ZF 85/1.4 in the digital age (used on Nikon D3) and while mine wasn't as bad a Bjørn's copy seems to have been, it's renditions failed to excite me.  I later acquired an old Nikon 85/1.8 K/Ai, which I like a lot for it's better handling and old-style rounded imaging.

[simsurace]

I agree, either that, or Zeiss should give us landscapers an all-new 85 or 90 f/2 APO! 😛

[bjornthun]

Zeiss has already made the manual focus Loxia Sonnar 85/2.4 for Sony mirrorless fullframe cameras. For the big DSLRs it's the big Milvus series lenses.

[Jan Anne]

What the world needs now...in my opinion...is for  Zeiss to issue a new version of the [now ancient] 85/2.8 Sonnar made for the Contax RTS.  I had one in the film days, and man-oh-man it was small.

They have, it's called the Zeiss Loxia 85/2.4 Sonnar

I played with one during the Photokina last Sept, its very cute indeed

[simsurace]

Zeiss has already made the manual focus Loxia Sonnar 85/2.4 for Sony mirrorless fullframe cameras. For the big DSLRs it's the big Milvus series lenses.

I hope they have a more nuanced view and will expand the Milvus line some more.

[Erik Lund]

Just post a sample of this please, Thank you.

,,,,,, No samples?,,,,,


While waiting for this 'Not sharp image at distance' from the 85mm AFS 1.4G from Jedi,,, is anyone arable to show a bad image from this lens stopped down at distance on a D810,,, I think not!


In this thread
http://nikongear.net/revival/index.php/topic,4483.0.html like this
_EGL7385 Panorama by Erik Gunst Lund, on Flickr
 there are a lot of my images with the lens stopped down landscape at distance on D810; sharp to the corner no vignetting,,, if these are not good enough or your copy is a Lemon, just buy a Zeiss or a Sigma and enjoy photography,,,    But don't let people believe that lens is a portrait lens only, since nothing could be more misleading!

[bjornthun]

I hope they have a more nuanced view and will expand the Milvus line some more.

I agree completely, which is why I eventually went mirrorless. JA's image may betray the real weight of the Zeiss 85/2.4 though. It actually weighs in at 594 grams.

[Akira]

If you would go for Sony E mount, Zeiss also has Batis 85/1.8 now, and you can use ZM Tele-Tessar 85/4.0 via adapter.