Howdy! I came up with the brilliant idea to blog about equipment that I use the most when doing shoots in an attempt to show that I know what I am doing/talking about. This is going to be a weekly occurrence and hopefully I’ll be able to keep up with it more than I have lately. I’ll continue to blog on stuff that I am doing in the photo world but this tech area is new and I am excited to do it.
So the first piece of equipment that I want to talk about is the Nikon 85mm f1.8 prime lens. The best way to describe this lense would be the Napoleon Complex. It is a pretty tiny lens, standing at about 3 inches tall and 2.5 inches wide and weighing in at 13.4 oz. The minimum focal length is 2.8 ft. This lens works great on full-frame (fx) camera bodies such as the d700, d3, d3s, and d3x. It also works great with crop-censored bodies, the fx capabilities of this lens doesn’t diminish in quality or production when used on a dx camera.
With the f1.8, there is a very shallow depth of field and shooting with this lens, you have to be careful. If you shoot at f4 or f8, you have more wiggle room on selecting where the focus point will rest. When shooting people with the 1.8, use caution and try to always put the focusing spot on the eye of the person. If there is one that could ruin a portrait is if the eyes are sharp. When doing a straight portrait, the eyes are key. They need to be crisp and clear. The eyes are the story of a straight photograph. So when using the 1.8, make sure that you know where your putting the focusing dot in the eye piece, generally the eye is the sweet spot.
When I’m shooting portraits and use this lens, I mostly stay in one spot and dictate what I want the lens to look at by moving the subject around. So with that said, using this lens on the run, you will not be able to zoom because it is not a zoom lens. This is a prime lens, meaning there is one focus length. If you want to get something bigger, you’re going to have to move your feet and get closer. Like the great war photographer Robert Capa once said, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough.”
This is my number one lens right now and I love it. It produces great photographs every time and the f1.8 is amazing and great for shallow depth of field. I bought the lens at B&H Photo Video out of NYC for the price of $450 (give or take a few bucks). This lens is worth every penny that I spent on it. I suggest if your doing portraits, this lens becomes part of your gear bag. You’ll love like I love it, guaranteed!
Michael,
Thank you for your kind mention of B&H Photo. Please accept our warm thanks and deep gratitude for your patronage. We look forward to earning your trust and continued business for many years to come. I invite you and your readers to check out our new informative and entertaining blog at http://www.bhinsights.com
Hershel K. Waldner
B&H Photo, Video, Pro Audio