Will a Nikon 85mm f/1.4D work well on a Nikon D60 if it won’t autofocus?
Asked 9/22/2011
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I use a Nikon D60 and want to upgrade from the kit lens. I’m considering the Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D, but the lens listing says autofocus is not supported on D40 and D60 bodies. Can I still use this lens effectively by focusing manually, or would this be a poor match for the D60? I’m also new to photography, so I’d like to know whether this focal length is practical on a DX body.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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Manual focusing a f/1.4 lens on a DX body is a pain because:
- the viewfinder magnification is quite small
- if you open past f/2.8, the viewfinder does not capture the extra light (see the question Why is the depth-of-field preview in the optical viewfinder of my Canon 500D inaccurate?)
Therefore, unless you replace you focusing screen by a new one specifically dedicated to manual focus, it will be very hard to get good focus at full aperture, especially in low light. And if the full aperture is not usable, then there is no point in buying the f/1.4 when the f/1.8 is good and so much cheaper.
I would recommend you buy 85/1.4 AF-S instead. If you really want the AF-D, then buy a camera that can autofocus it, or replace your focusing screen (not sure it is possible on the D60).
BTW, both 85/1.4 are awesome for portraits with softly blurred backgrounds.
Originally by user1730. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1730
14y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes, the 85mm f/1.4D will mount and can be used on a D60, but it will be manual-focus only. On a D60, that’s usually not an ideal pairing.
The main issue is usability: manually focusing an 85mm f/1.4 on a DX body is difficult because the D60 viewfinder is relatively small and its focusing screen isn’t really optimized for precise manual focus at very wide apertures. That makes it hard to reliably nail focus, especially in low light or at f/1.4 where depth of field is very thin.
Also, on the D60’s DX sensor, 85mm gives a field of view similar to about 135mm on full frame, so it’s quite tight and mainly suited to portrait use.
If you want autofocus on the D60, look for Nikon AF-S lenses or third-party lenses with a built-in motor. If you specifically want an 85mm, an AF-S version would be a better fit. If you want a more budget-friendly upgrade from the kit lens for portraits, a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 or 50mm f/1.4 is often a more practical choice on DX.
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