DxOMark proclaims Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G as the best 85mm prime lens

DxOMark has unveiled its review for the Nikkor AF-S 85mm f/1.8G prime lens. Nikon’s lens has become the best lens in its category, even though it is not as expensive as its counterparts.

Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G proclaimed the best 85mm prime lens by DxOMark

DxOMark is an image processing test developed by DxO Labs. It is worth noting that the company is testing the image sensors and is giving ratings based on how well cameras and lenses are performing under certain conditions. The Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G gathered the highest amount of points in its category despite its price tag, which is a lot smaller than those of its biggest competitors.

Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G history

This Nikkor lens was introduced back in January 2012, as a prime lens that was supposed to offer “great focal length” and “wide maximum aperture” capabilities. The lens was marketed as a great lens for taking photos in low-light conditions and when used in combination will all Nikon cameras, regardless of DX / FX format.

The telephoto features an integrated autofocus motor that improves camera performance in DSLRs which do not have such an option. DxOMark’s review states that this prime behaves very well on APS-C sensor cameras when taking portrait photos, despite its 1.5x crop factor that rises focal length up to 127.5mm.

Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G overall score

According to the DxOMark ratings, the Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G achieved an overall score of 35. This represents an impressive rating as the average DxOMark “overall score” is about 28, in the 85mm prime lenses category.

The lens metric scores include sharpness, transmission, distortion, vignetting, and chromatic aberration. According to the test results, the Nikkor lens fared close to perfection when handling chromatic aberration and distortion.

The Nikkor AF-S 85mm f/1.8G lens achieved an average sharpness of 17-megapixel, 1.9TStop transmission, 0.1% distortion, -1.7EV vignetting, and 4µm lateral chromatic aberration.

Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G and its competitors

The biggest enemy of the Nikkor AF-S 85mm f/1.8G is Nikon’s AF-S 85mm f/1.4G prime lens, which features an overall score of 34, while the Sigma 85mm F1.4 EX DG HSM for Nikon cameras has an overall rating of 30.

The winner also has the edge when it comes to pricing, as it is available for around $500, while the f/1.4G version is available for about $1,650, depending on retailers.