In preparation for the 2010 Photokina in Cologne, Germany next month, Nikon is announcing three new lenses for their FX and DX-format DSLRs. All three are fairly large lenses that use 77mm filters, which is now standard for higher-end Nikon lenses.

While I hope to create a full Nikon 85mm f/1.4G AF-S Lens, my first priority is to include results from this lens in the lens comparison tools available on the site. This page currently exists because it is required by the database and content management systems for me to post information and...

A wide aperture short-telephoto lens with a silent focusing motor and Nikon's latest Nano Crystal lens coatings.

Good resolution performance; Beautiful out of focus blur; Excellent build quality; Negligible levels of CA; Good resistance to flare and ghosting; Maybe a touch pricey; but you get what you pay for

Good resolution performance; Beautiful out of focus blur; Excellent build quality; Negligible levels of CA; Good resistance to flare and ghosting; Maybe a touch pricey; but you get what you pay for

Nikon's flagship wide aperture portrait lens receives a facelift, gaining a silent-wave focusing motor and Nano Crystal Coatings to reduce ghosting and flare. Here, Gary Wolstenholme takes a look at how it performs.

Good resolution performance; Beautiful out of focus blur; Excellent build quality; Negligible levels of CA; Good resistance to flare and ghosting

Maybe a touch pricey; but you get what you pay for

So this is a tough one. There is a lot to like in the new Nikon 85mm ƒ/1.4G. The addition of nano-crystal coating will help to contend with flare issues that were something of an issue with the previous 'D' version of the lens.

The classic 85mm f/1.4 – a long-admired and respected lens in any mount, and especially renowned as the Nikon AF-D, introduced in 1995. As part of their recent push to update all their fast primes – and introduce a few new ones – Nikon's new 85mm f/1.4G AF-S with Nano Crystal Coating represents a...

I was hesitant to get this lens as I wasn't convinced that it would be worth the extra cost over the 85mm f 1.4D that I already own. After the first shooting session I was convinced!

Better edge-to-edge focus; Consistent Output; Fast / accurate auto-focus; Nice Bokeh; Quiet focus; Silent Wave Motor; Strong Construction

Excellent lens on the D3, portraits, night/indoor photography. Love the way I can isolate the subject.

Consistent Output; Fast / accurate auto-focus; Nice Bokeh

The price tag might not suit everyone's budget, but this optic's performance is hard to argue with

Solid MTF figures

Hefty price

There is no way of avoiding the fact that, at £1,500, this is a very expensive lens. Readers with smaller budgets may prefer to consider the £900 previous-generation (non-G) f/1.4 alternative, or even the sub-£400 f/1.8 version. However, if you have the money then this is a really stunning lens.

Solid MTF figures

Hefty price