When Nikon made the jump from the F mount, with all it’s years of history, to the new Z mount, it promised that the larger mount and shorter flange distance would allow for better lens designs.
I’ve had the Nikon AF-S 85mm 1.8G (hereafter 85mm 1.8G) for close to 10 years now, and I managed to get my hands on a loan copy of the Nikon 85mm 1.8S (85mm 1.8S) for the Z mount.
The loan was from Nikon Experience Hub Singapore, but the thoughts are my own (I am not sponsored by anyone, would love to get a sponsorship though).
Here, I wanted to compare the difference between the Nikon AF-S 85mm 1.8G F mount and the Nikon 85mm 1.8S Z mount, and see if it is worth upgrading when you already have the older lens.
Bigger, better? Lens handling explored
The 85mm 1.8S is longer than the 1.8G, but once you add the FTZ adaptor on the G lens, it becomes heavier and longer. The 1.8G is also fatter.
Ergonomically, the 1.8G has a smaller focus ring, though for videographers, the focus ring is coupled to the mechanism, allowing for actual, precise manual focusing on the fly.
The 1.8S has a larger focusing ring, it is smooth, but being focus by wire, some people may not like it. Personally, I prefer the focusing ring on the 1.8G but that’s just me being old fashioned. Focus by wire works fine in practice for my needs.
If you are using filters and you’re upgrading from the G to S version, there’s no issue here. Both lenses have a 67mm filter thread. Personally, I use a protective filter from B+W on the front of the lens just in case of dust or sand exposure in the field.
On my Nikon Z7II, the AF-S 85mm 1.8G feels well balanced, even with the FTZ adaptor. According to online specs, the combined weight is 485g (350g + 135g). In comparison, the 85mm 1.8S weighs 470g just for the lens.
In field usage, I doubt if anyone will really feel the weight difference.
In terms of overall handling, mounted on the same Nikon Z7II body, both lenses feel good in hand.
Autofocus
In this blog, I am not able to show the speed of the AF in both combinations, so you’ll need to take my word for it. I don’t see major differences in speed between the two. During work, the AF-S 85mm 1.8G suffices in terms of AF speed on my Nikon Z7II.
The stepper motor on the 1.8S might be nice for people doing automatic focus pulling in camera (you can control the autofocus speed in the movie settings) but since I prefer manual focus when focus pulling anyway, there is no incentive here for me to upgrade.
Image Quality Comparisons
Sharpness
For my usage, the most important aspect of the lens is sharpness, contrast and bokeh.
The screenshots are from lightroom at 100% zoom.
You can see that there is an overall significant improvement in sharpness from the 85mm 1.8 S compared to the 1.8G. There is greater “bite” in the images, especially when you look at the outlines of the buildings.
Also, I noticed that there is chromatic aberration along areas of high contrast in the 1.8G which is absent in the 1.8S.
For the 1.8G, sharpness improves dramatically once you stop down beyond f/2.8. For the 1.8S the sharpness is already there wide open, the additional improvements won’t matter to most people in the field.
Purple Fringing Present?
In this image, you can see the difference even further. The leaves on the trees for the 1.8G shot are blurred, while the leaves remain crisp on the picture taken on the 1.8S. I am also noticing purple fringing on the edges of the white painted building.
Bokeh
When comparing the bokeh, I’m not seeing any major differences between the two. Ideally, I would prefer to have a model to shoot with but I will have to make do with my fat cat plushie. For my use, bokeh would not be something I would consider when thinking about whether to upgrade to the S version.
Price
In Singapore, as of July 2024, the price difference between the G and the S versions is about 2-2.5 times at pre-loved pricing. You might be able to get a 85mm 1.8S for about SG$750-800, while the 1.8G will cost you between SG$300-$450 depending on the condition. Brand new, shops are the selling the 85mm S lens for slightly under SG$1000.
I would not buy the AF-S 85mm 1.8G new in 2024. If budget is a big issue but you still need to shoot native Z mount, the Viltrox 85mm 1.8 might also be worthy of consideration (I wish I had a copy to test though).
Conclusion, Buy the Nikon 85mm 1.8G or Z 85mm 1.8S?
For my own usage, given that I don’t need absolute sharpness in my work in corporate event shoots and casual photoshoots where the output is mainly social media, I’ll stick to the Nikon AF-S85mm 1.8G with the adaptor. The weight and size differences are minimal and acceptable for me.
Being able to save the extra $400 bucks for other equipment that can make a significant difference in my services to clients (a drone, for eg.) rather than the much better sharpness and lower chromatic aberration, make more sense to me.
However, if you need native Z mount, and can appreciate the superb sharpness, smooth focusing of the stepper motor and a less fiddly 85mm solution, go for the Nikon 85mm 1.8S, it’s an outstanding lens that is worth your money.
Looking for a 50mm for your Z mount camera? Check out my thoughts on the 50mm 1.8S here.
If you’re a fan of something wider, I also talk about the Nikon Z 35mm 1.4 here.
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