Battle of the 85mm Lenses: Canon 85mm f1.8 vs Nikon 85mm f1.8

by Chris Gampat on 03/25/2012

I was recently able to test fire and show a couple of sample images with the new Nikon 85mm f1.8 on my D5100, however I also was able to get my hands on a D700. Being a Canon 5D Mk II and 85mm f1.8 USM owner, I decided to put the two lenses in a non-scientific and totally practical test using all available light at around 7pm in NYC and only shooting at f4 and wider for a portrait.

So how did the two lenses perform?

Gear Used

Ergonomics

Both 85mm f1.8 lenses are very similar. The new Nikon 85mm f1.8 is far newer than the Canon version: which actually dates back to the film days. Nikon’s front filter thread is just a bit larger than Canon’s and the overall feel of the lens is a bit less plasticy. However, I’ve always generally felt that Nikon gear feels more rugged; but that’s just my personal opinion.

Interestingly, both lens focusing rings feel identical.

Both lenses focus extremely fast, though in real life practice I felt that Canon’s 85mm f1.8 is still the current champ. Indeed, it has often been touted as the company’s fastest focusing lens. A known problem with it though is the color fringing wide open; but this is also a problem that plague’s Nikon’s optics as shown in the previous test.

At this point though, I’d like to remind all the forum readers and people that like to generally sit there and bitch about minor problems like this that those issues are generally easily fixed in post-production software. Still though, I’d be doing an injustice if I didn’t report on it.

Process of the Test

I tried to shoot this test during the golden hour. Most of New York City is covered in buildings, and therefore needed to shoot at ISO 800 because of the diffused shadow lighting around the area.

I set both cameras to aperture priority and focused on the same spot of Dennis’s eye. Though their meter readings were very slightly off in aperture priority, it should be noted that in general, Canon and Nikon do have slightly different metering algorithms and this is just part of how they work.

Typically portraits like this are shot anywhere from wide open to f5.6. I stopped at f4 for this test.

The images were then brought into Lightroom 4 Beta and had the clarity and sharpness adjusted the exact same amount for each image. In the export process, they were resized to 1.5MB on export and 300DPI.

Image Samples

Nikon

f1.8

f2.8

Canon

f1.8

f2.8

So what are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.

Please Support The Phoblographer

We love to bring you guys the latest and greatest news and gear related stuff. However, we can’t keep doing that unless we have your continued support. If you would like to purchase any of the items mentioned, please do so by clicking our links first and then purchasing the items as we then get a small portion of the sale to help run the website.

Tagged as: 5d Mk II, 85mm f1.8, canon, comparison, d700, nikon, sharpness

Frans Ma

Nikon! pics explain ‘em all
http://www.livingsmart.dk Kenneth WedMore Lund

I like the Nikon-shots the best, but why are the Canon pics so dark?

Is everything else equal or did the cameras also add to the differences?
- ChrisGampat
  
  I noticed that when I brought them into Lightroom. Could I have made the exposures the same? Absolutely. But in general, Canon tends to underexpose at a given exposure level. Nikon’s metering is better. For this reason when I’m using my Nikon cameras, I always usually set the camera to be -1/3 and Canon I overexpose by around 2/3 of a stop.
  
  But in this test, I let the cameras do all the work at Aperture priority to simulate their metering methods in real life as well. The Canon images may be darker and therefore also have a perceived better sharpness, but it’s not really true.
  - Ncarnick
    
    It’s not really a lens test then. I’m curious how the 85′s compare but you don’t gt that result by shooting outdoors at diiferent times on different digital bodies at different angles at varied metering. I don’t own either lens but bet you would produce much more valuable lens comparisons if both shot on the 5d ii in studio. And while I think you did make a good point that the Nikon out of he box works better as a system, f that is corrected in part by a simple exposure change you might as well yes each at best.
    - Ncarnick
      
      Yes each at best = test each at best … If I’m too lame to check my iPad post for spelling issues before posting possibly it is fair to completely invalidate my point
      - Djrocks
        
        Agreed. Try framing the pictures the same next time. I would like to see how the Nikon looked with that much sky in the background as compared to the Canon. I think it would have been underexposed as well.
    - Samson779
      
      There are adaptors to fit Nikon G lenses to Canon EOS bodies, which should equalize everything …
Herr_Synnberg

The Nikon has much more pleasing bokeh. The Canon ones are pretty alright on their own, but seen alongside the Nikon, they just look way harsher. The non-round bokeh balls once stopped down doesn’t help either.
- ChrisGampat
  
  Agreed
- Das
  
  Completely disagree. The Canon has better (sonnar-like) bokeh. But the Nikon seems to be much sharper — looks like the Canon is not properly focused or needs a micro-focus adjustment).
  - Foo Jiman
    
    Canon is focused much closer (see face is bigger, crop is tighter) that’s why the building in the background is really soft and smooth like cream. But the harsh circles around lights are revealing the truth. I was fascinated at first but then found an explanation.
Engels-foto

The Canon Pics have more sky in the background, for this reason the comparison is difficult and not fair.
- ChrisGampat
  
  How? What’s important is the subject matter in focus?
  - Engels-foto
    
    I think the pictures of Canon for this reason are darker.
    The light sky works like back light and affects themselves naturally negatively.
    The Nikon pictures works more brilianter because no back light effect.
    for this reason I think the comparison is difficult and not fair.
    - ChrisGampat
      
      How? All you’re doing is comparing the subject in focus.
      
      -Chris Gampat
      Editor in Chief
      The Phoblographer
SpoorthyVemula

I am fansinated by how still the guy is in both sets of pics
- Yung_kit
  
  I am kelvin and coming from HK.
  
  It is a very useful refernce. But, it can be further test by a unit Camera.
  
  Therefore, Canon is the only medium.
  
  Use with the same aparture, same shutter speed, two enviroment tests
  (i.e. comparing indoor and outdoor enviroment).
  
  for nikon len, use with adaptor and mounted on Canon camera (such as 5D I /II/III)
  
  More strictly criteria might enhanced the creditabily of the next test.
  
  Thanks
  - Duncan D
    
    The focusing on the Canon is wrong… how come you didn’t check the focusing? the Nikon is spot on the eyes but the canon is on the forehead….. in every single shot… it does makes this test useless when it could have been great….
Theresa Z

I also noticed that the Canon shots were darker but assumed you had taken them after the Nikon shots and it may have been getting darker out. I was looking more for clarity at the f stop you had it on.

Also, I was wondering if you did a test with these on manual for those who only shoot on M.

Thanks, great article. This lens for Canon is on my list.
- ChrisGampat
  
  They are metered differently indeed, Theresa. But that’s because of the camera’s specific systems.
  
  I did these in Aperture priority.
  
  *-Chris Gampat*
  Editor in Chief, ThePhoBlographer.com
  Twitter.com/Phoblographer
  Facebook.com/ThePhoblographer
David

We all pay big bucks for a lens to bring out the fine details in an image and as all can see, Nikon is the clear winner. I feel sorry for those who have spent tens of thousands of dollars on Cannon gear only to see such clear comparisons as this one.
Fchw

wow – now that’s a professional battle/review
the eyes of the canon shots are out of focus and much darker
well – is it the lens or the camera fault?
http://twitter.com/TriArcticPhotos TriArctic Designs

It would be really nice to see these images in two columns with Canon on one side and Nikon on the other so you could really compare them at each stop.
Pingback: Canon 85mm f1.8 vs Nikon 85mm f1.8: A lens-battle | CanonWatch
Pingback: Weekly Nikon news flash #156 | Nikon Rumors
Dan

the canon at 1.8 is not focussed on the eye. perhaps a focussing issue?
- SlovTux
  
  this was the first thing I noticed when I watched the pictures at f1.8 . And also the distance between the subject and the camera seems different.
  And to be honest the better way to compare this lens is to mounted it on the same camera, actually the 5D MkII, with an adapter for the nikon lens, and make the MAP manually with liveview.
Richard

Nikon’s 85mm is one of their latest lenses in 2012 and is 90% as good as the 85mm 1.4G for 1/3 the price..nikon clearly has better bokeh
Guest

is there any way you can re-do the 1.8 version, maybe with a new set of pics? the 1.8 canon shot is back focus about an inch so it’s really impossible do compare. but thanks for doing the test!
Charles

Look at the bokeh of the nikkor , there is no comparison !!
Myepic1

ok that did it im switching back from switching
Nikon is clearly far way way more better !
Bjorn2

The Canon bokeh shows cat-eye’s effect in the corner except @ f/4 , has a bit more outlining in its bokeh and shows probably a bit more LoCa (= colour fringing in the out of focus zones) if you look at the highlights in the bokeh. But to compare it you should take different photographs with the same camera, but this test shows very well the bokeh-area… 5DII with adapter 4 Nikon might be an idea Well…both lenses are fine!
Ebay2

It appears to me the Canon meter needs some compensation to get decent exposure. Obviously the Nikon is more nicely exposed, but I would think an experienced Canon user to adjust for this. Still, the Nikon really shines here.
- Dtbrimhall
  
  Agree
- Régis Matthey
  
  There is a much bigger part of -white- sky with the Canon when the background is filled with buildings with the Nikon.
443283

This is a poor comparison. Meaningful tests require as many variables to be kept constant as possible. By shooting these on different sized sensors, with differnent viewpoints, unequal focus points and with differing exposures, you’re not longer comparing like with like. As another has suggested, shooting both of the Canon via an adaptor is really the only way to do this properly.
- http://www.facebook.com/josephlhorvath Joe Horvath
  
  Both cameras were full frame
  - 443283
    
    Oh, well that fixes things then. Anyway, I was refering to MP size.
Novembertag

The body of the canon-lens looks much more cheap – like a kids-lens
Novembertag

The body of the canon-lens looks much more cheap – like a kids-lens
http://slrlounge.com/ Matthew Saville

Thankfully, there is still hope that the Nikon 85 1.8 AFS-G is “on average” much less prone to color fringing than this copy of the lens, based on other reviews. But thanks for the general comparison! I’m glad to know that the lens is snappy to focus, and sharp as a tack even wide open. :-)

=Matt=
Lkj

Looks like Canon 85mm is back focusing to me.
http://profile.yahoo.com/ZV7L73A2FFBEYVA4CZDUTYXMX4 Lars Sonchocky-helldorf

Sadly unprofessionally done “reviews” (it’s not just the lenses that differ but also the distance, the exposures, the viewpoints, then you did not focus properly, wrong “explanations” like your “Canon tends to underexpose at a given exposure level” when the real cause for this is the part of the very bright sky in the Canon shots – to avoid that use “Spot”-metering) like yours still tend to influence people.
MC

This is a terrible comparison. The exposures don’t match, nor does the framing. I see the explanation about differences in metering, but this is a lens comparison, not a metering comparison. I can see the premise that as close to real world use as possible is best, but this comparison presumes that all canon users will always underexpose.

The framing is a huge problem. First, it may be why the exposure is wrong . Second the closer image may give the perception of more detail because it’s magnified compared to the other. Third it changes the DoF which changes the feeling of the photo. Fourth it changes the bokeh because the bokeh will be more extreme in the photo that’s focused closer to the lens.

A natural light test needs to be shot with identical set ups side by side. You can not have an accurate comparison during golden hour light if you are swapping cameras on a tripod – you’d never shoot this hand held right? The light is changing very fast. Most people would shoot this manually or Av. If you do that there will be at least for minutes before the first 1.8 exposure and the last exposure on the second camera which will mean that you’re not comparing the same light.

This photos are shot just close enough to mislead someone into thinking it’s an accurate comparison, but the are so differently shot that they may as well be entirely different images.

Additionally, shooting comparisons in one setting will never give you an accurate impression of the lens quality. This needs to be done objectively and subjectively. You need dual tripod shots side by side and you need to shoot both hand held over a period of two weeks to see what patterns there are in how the lens affects results. If one were significantly heavier, enough to create motion blur at slower shutter speeds, that’s important. There are all sorts of things that become apparent over time that can not be recognized in a single side by side comparison.
MacPaul

Complete crap, Canon f1.8 is not even in focus! And someone like you dare to run a photoblog?!
Pingback: Battle of the 85mm Lenses: Canon 85mm f1.8 vs Nikon 85mm f1.8 – The Phoblographer (blog) | Best of Nikon
Pingback: Review: Nikon 85mm f1.8 G
Ymolad

Another crappy test from the photoblog whatever
Zefa

Unbelievably uncompetent ”tester”. You think Canon is under-exposing when you fill 1/3 of your framing with highly bright sky… Anyway camara exposure has nothing to do with lens test.