Nikon PC-E Micro 85mm f/2.8D
- The Nikon PC-E Micro 85mm f/2.8D is a prime lens for Full Frame (FF) format, compatible with Nikon F FF and APS-C cameras (and also mirrorless Nikon Z via adapter).
- This lens is available exclusively in the Nikon F mount.
- The lens is filterable with 77mm filters, there is not the image stabilization and the focus takes place via Manual Focus.
- The lens is out of production (production period: 2008 - 2022).
- Price range*: $$$
- Equivalences**: a 85mm f/2,8 mounted on a Full Frame camera will remain so, mounted on a Nikon APS-C camera it will have a field of view, a Depth of Field and a "out of focus portion" of the image roughly equivalent to that of a 130mm f/4,3 lens on Full Frame.
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*Price range - legend: $: <400$ | $$: 400$ - 1000$ | $$$: 1000$ - 2000$ | $$$$: +2000$
**Equivalences - explanation: the concepts of "equivalent focal length" and "equivalent aperture" were born with the aim of allowing similar photos to be taken (in terms of framing and Depth of Field) with two cameras with sensors of different sizes without changing the distance from the subject (otherwise the perspective would also change) and placing the Full Frame format as a reference in the equivalence. The "equivalent focal length" helps the photographer to understand what field of view it will have (i.e. what the lens + camera combination can see and capture) and consequently what is the equivalent angle of view. The "equivalent aperture" helps the photographer to understand the equivalent Depth of Field (DoF) and how much "out of focus portion" the image will have. The equivalent "mm" are obtained by multiplying the focal length by the crop factor of the camera used [NIKON APS-C: 1.53x] and in a similar way the equivalent "f/" aperture is calculated. It is important to remember that a lens NEVER changes its physical characteristics, a 85mm f/2.8 always remains a 85mm f/2.8, regardless of whether it is mounted on Full Frame, APS-C, Medium Format and so on. ONLY the field of view changes. Exposure is also independent of the sensor format, so regardless of the sensor format of the camera on which the lens is mounted (as long as the lens can be mounted on multiple formats), with the same aperture, the shutter speed and ISO will also be the same.
Specifications
COMPATIBLE MOUNT
Nikon F
Focal length | Angle of view
85mm | 28°
Format
FF
Maximum aperture | Minimum aperture
f/2.8 | f/32
Aperture
9 blades
Minimum focusing distance
0,39 m (15.35″)
Maximum magnification | Reproduction Ratio
0,5x | RR 1:2
Image stabilizer
No
Focus
Manual Focus
Filter diameter
Ø77mm
Optical construction
6 elements in 5 groups
Type
Prime lens
Weather sealing
Yes
Lens hood
Supplied
Tripod ring
No
Extenders
Not supported
Weight | Dimensions (diameter x length)
1.4 lb | Ø3.3″ x 4.2″
Other features
- Tilt ± 8,5°; shift ±11,5 mm
- Rotation for tilting and shifting within the +/- 90° interval (tilt and shift movements are perpendicular to each other and not indipendent)
- Depth-of-field scale + distance scale
- Aperture ring to select manually the aperture values + Available also a minimum aperture lock ("L" on the aperture ring on the lens. You must set it to "L" to be able to control the aperture with your camera if it is a compatible model, i.e. any recent Nikon camera from the D300/D700/D3 onwards. Otherwise the aperture can only be adjusted from the lens and "L" is equivalent to f/32). Please note that the diaphragm control is electronic, therefore energy is needed to adjust the diaphragm and without electrical coupling with the camera the aperture is NOT adjustable.
- x4 knobs: Tilt; tilt lock; shift; shift lock
- Button to reduce the opening of the lens (pressing it reduces the lens aperture from the maximum to a preset value, pressing it again resets the maximum aperture. Please note that with Nikon cameras prior to the D300/D700/D3 the diaphragm is completely manual and pressing the button is necessary to open / close the diaphragm)
- x2 rotation lock release button (one for tilt, one for shift)
MTF chart
The MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) chart is useful for having an objective representation of the contrast and resolution of a lens from the center to the edges compared to an ideal system. Click on the link to view it:
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(remember that the MTF curves are calculated at full aperture, by closing the aperture basically all lenses are fine)
Video-reviews and Reviews
For obvious reasons this is just a selection of the main and most significant video reviews and reviews available online for the Nikon PC-E Micro 85mm f/2.8D.
If you are interested in this lens, I invite you to find out more by reading the reviews in full / watching the video reviews on the websites / YouTube channels of the respective creators linked here:
Review 1
(Well-structured and technical analysis, with samples, of the Nikon PC-E Micro 85mm f/2.8D that examines many aspects: sharpness; chromatic aberration; vignetting; distortion;...)
Review 2
(Well-structured and comparative analysis [old and new model], with samples, of the Nikon PC-E Micro 85mm f/2.8D)
Review 3
(Well-structured analysis with samples of the Nikon PC-E Micro 85mm f/2.8D)
Review 4
(Short analysis, with samples, of the Nikon PC-E Micro 85mm f/2.8D)
Notes:
- Always view / read reviews with a critical attitude, remembering that the various evaluations must be parameterized with each other by the date the lens was tested and with which camera the lens was reviewed. A 20-year-old lens considered excellent on today's dense sensors will probably still be very good, but it is equally likely that in terms of contrast and resolution it has now been surpassed by more modern lenses.
- Reviews, although really useful for getting a general idea of a lens without ever having tried it directly, are not an exact science. If you just look at the numbers and the negatives there are some lenses that with all their flaws appear to be pure rubbish. Some are actually really poor, but for others there may be precise design choices behind them to obtain a certain rendering of the blur or performance / size ratio otherwise impossible to have if the lens were perfectly corrected for vignetting, distortion, Chromatic Aberration, Spherical Aberration, astigmatism and so on.
- The good intention is to keep all the links working, but if that is not the case I thank those who will report the broken ones. Everything on the web is by its nature not lasting. Modifications and deletions of contents are not rare and especially for the older lenses, a lot of history is being lost. Thanks for the collaboration! :)
PROS and CONS
Brief summary of the main PROS (✅) and the related CONS (❌) for the Nikon PC-E Micro 85mm f/2.8D highlighted in the various video-reviews and online reviews:
✅ PROS
Excellent build quality and overall image quality and the Tilt-Shift function inspires creativity
❌ CONS
Demanding weight and price, only 1:2 macro capabilities, but still very good for a tilt-shift lens! The Nikon PC-E 85mm f2.8 D Micro is not compatible with all Nikon cameras (old film SLRs), but compatible with all Nikon digital cameras (DSLR and MirrorLess)