Nikon 85mm f/1.4 NIKKOR AIS Manual Focus Lens {72}

Model #220996
  • $427.00

Select Gear Grade
Our Grading System
New in box complete with manufacturer's USA warranty. Not previously owned or used.
Essentially new with no signs of use. “Open box.” In manufacturer's packaging with original accessories and instructions. 180-day warranty.
Barely used with virtually no traces of wear. Only the closest inspections will reveal slight use. Lens glass could contain light dust or debris. Excellent picture quality. Accessories usually not included, unless noted in listing. 180-day warranty.
Lightly used with limited signs of wear. Exceptionally nice but may have slight wear on finish visible. Lens glass could contain light dust or debris. Excellent picture quality. Accessories usually not included, unless noted in listing. 180-day warranty.
Noticeably used with average signs of wear. Shows moderate wear for the age of the item, with the possibility of blemishes and/or minimal dings. Lens glass may have average dust and zoom/focus ring tension may have slight looseness or tightness overall, but will not affect picture quality. Accessories usually not included, unless noted in listing. 180-day warranty.
Frequently used with above-average wear. May have dents, dings, or finish loss. Lens glass may have small scratches, dust, and blemishes, and zoom/focus ring tension may have moderate looseness or tightness overall, but should not affect picture quality. Accessories usually not included, unless noted in listing. 180-day warranty.
Heavily used with extensive visible wear. Equipment is rough, with multiple impressions in the finish, excessive finish loss and brassing. Glass will have marks, fungus and/or heavy/cloudy haze which could affect picture quality. Accessories usually not included, unless noted in listing. Not covered under KEH warranty.
Non-functional or damaged. Equipment will not work. Usable for parts. Not covered under KEH warranty and non-returnable.
BN Bargain
With Caps and Hood
$461.00
Only 1 left!
BN Bargain
With Caps
$427.00
Only 1 left!
Free 180 Day warranty on all purchases
FREE SHIPPING OVER $75 + FREE 21-DAY RETURNS

The Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 AIS is a top of the line short telephoto lens for Nikon 35mm film SLR and higher end digital SLR cameras.  It's a legendary professional lens that takes incredible images.

With a relatively narrow field of view the 85mm is in the portrait focal length range well suited for framing head and shoulders photography at a distance that yields flattering perspective.  The 85mm f/1.4 AIS uses a tremendous amount of high quality glass to provide an incredibly large f/1.4 maximum aperture making it both bright and able to produce very shallow depth of field putting backgrounds and foregrounds largely out of focus.  This beautiful selective focus at maximum aperture makes this lens ideal for people pictures.  It's a very sharp contrasty lens but the ultra shallow depth of field can produce something more, an additional impression of sharp focus simply from the dramatic difference between in and out of focus areas, which works even when using soft focus filters.

The ocean of aperture also makes the 85mm f/1.4 adept at available light shooting where the extra viewfinder brightness and access to faster shutters speeds can make all the difference between got it and missed it. 

The Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 AIS was the first telephoto lens to employ Nikon's Close-Range Correction (CRC ) floating lens element system, ensuring high resolution down to a close focusing distance of 36 inches. The 85mm f/1.4 Nikkor AIS was the fastest telephoto in the Nikkor line at the time of it's introduction in 1981 (excluding the rare Repro-Nikkor 85mm f/1.0) and it remains as bright as it's younger siblings the 85mm f/1.4D AF and 85mm f/1.4G AF-S.  Other solid 85mm f/1.4 offerings exist but none have quite the same authentic feel as the original.

Key Features

  • Top tier ultra-bright manual focus short telephoto portrait lens
  • Provides brightest possible viewing, even under dim light conditions
  • Amazing background blur possible at f/1.4
  • Classic Nikon color coded depth of field scale
  • Infra-red focus mark
  • Uses the popular 72mm filter size
  • Mechanical aperture control allows use on broad range of cameras and adapters

Available accessories include HN-20 Lens Hood, and 72mm filters.

Brand Name Nikon
Filter Size 72mm
Focus Type Manual focus (only)
Lens Mount Nikon F Mount Ai-S
Lens Type Telephoto / Long
Max Focal Length 85mm
Min Focal Length 85mm