Picked up a Nikkor AI 85/2 in good user condition

[mudman]

Good lens. Here's my favorite shot with my 85 f2 AIS.



My only problem with the lens is that at the wrong distance, the bokeh is extremely nervous.

i.e. here

[kivis]

I'm liking both images.

[dynachrome]

I have the 85/2 AI Nikkor and I like it. At greater than portrait distances it is quite sharp even wide open. I don't like the look of a portrait with too little depth of field. The speed of the 85/2 is more for ease of focusing for me. It's decent enough at f/2 even close up and very good at f/2.8. If the light is better I will use a 105/2.5. I like both versions of this lens.

[Ronald Moravec]

I have the 85 1.8 AF and 85 2.0 MF. optical performance is the same for both, but evidently there are some bad 2.0 ones out there. I can`t complain about mine and they are the same as the three 105 2.5`s, 135 2.8 and 3.5. So maybe I have a better than average sample, I don`t know.

[elekm]

Was this still based on the Carl Zeiss Sonnar (f/2.0 85mm)? I know that Nikon's early lenses were based on Zeiss designs, but I don't know if the design was changed after that.

[Ap507b]

Have heard that the 85mm F2 can be prone to getting oil on the blades. Don;t have one, but am on the hunt for one to fill a gap in my lineup of primes. Have seen some lovely images from them posted online.