{"id":7614,"date":"2017-04-20T11:13:21","date_gmt":"2017-04-20T10:13:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=7614"},"modified":"2026-03-24T13:36:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T12:36:06","slug":"review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Introduction<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7685\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7685\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7685 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_title.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_title.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_title-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_title-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7685\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII + Voigtlander VM-E close focus adapter + Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Many people today might not even know Nikon (and also Canon) produced rangefinder cameras and lenses in their early days. Thanks to a reader I got the chance to review not one but three of these rather exotic Nikkor rangefinder lenses from the 50&#8217;s. The first one is the Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 portrait tele.<\/p>\n<h1>Sample Images<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7617\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7617\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7617 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_3.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_3.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_3-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_3-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7617\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 | f\/4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7622\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7622\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7622 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_8.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii \" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_8.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_8-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_8-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7622\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 | f\/2.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7763\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7763\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7763\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor_85_2.0_portrait.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii bokeh comparison jupiter-9 jupiter 9 85mm 2.0\" width=\"800\" height=\"494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor_85_2.0_portrait.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor_85_2.0_portrait-300x185.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor_85_2.0_portrait-768x474.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7763\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 | f\/2.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>You can find most of the shots in this review in full resolution <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/140854680@N04\/albums\/72157679474059083\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h1>Specifications \/ Version History<\/h1>\n<p>If you are interested in the history of this lens and it&#8217;s many versions you might want to have a look at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mir.com.my\/rb\/photography\/companies\/nikon\/nikkoresources\/RF-Nikkor\/RF85mm\/index2.htm\">this page<\/a> which contains quite comprehensive information. The lens I got the chance to review has the following specifications:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Diameter: 57 mm<\/li>\n<li>Field of view: 29\u00b0 (diagonally)<\/li>\n<li>Length:&nbsp; 68 mm + adapter<\/li>\n<li>Weight: 425g + adapter<\/li>\n<li>Filter Diameter: 48&#215;0.5 (not M48!)<\/li>\n<li>Number of Aperture Blades: 10 (rounded)<\/li>\n<li>Elements\/Groups: 5\/3<\/li>\n<li>Close Focusing Distance: 1.0 m (~0.7 m with <a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-voigtlander-vm-e-close-focus-adapter\/\">VM-E helicoid adapter<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Maximum Magnification: 1:10 (~1:6.7 with <a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-voigtlander-vm-e-close-focus-adapter\/\">VM-E helicoid adapter<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Mount: M39 \/ LTM<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>You can try getting one of these used from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/items\/?_nkw=nikkor+8.5+cm+2.0&amp;_sacat=625&amp;_ex_kw=&amp;_mPrRngCbx=1&amp;_udlo=&amp;_udhi=&amp;_sop=12&amp;_fpos=&amp;_fspt=1&amp;_sadis=&amp;LH_CAds=&amp;rmvSB=true\">ebay.com<\/a>\/<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ebay.de\/sch\/items\/?_nkw=nikkor+8,5+cm+2.0&amp;_sacat=625&amp;_ex_kw=&amp;_mPrRngCbx=1&amp;_udlo=&amp;_udhi=&amp;_sop=12&amp;clk_rvr_id=1200439813699&amp;rmvSB=true\">ebay.de<\/a> starting at <strong>300$\/600\u20ac<\/strong><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"text-decoration: none; border: 0; padding: 0; margin: 0;\" src=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/roverimp\/1\/707-53477-19255-0\/1?ff3=9&amp;pub=5575156171&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;customid=&amp;uq=canon+ef+135mm+2.0+l&amp;mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]\"> (advertisement\/affiliate links<strong>).<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h1>Handling \/ Build Quality<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7682\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7682\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7682 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_handling.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_handling.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_handling-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_handling-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7682\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On first sight the Nikkor<strong> looks very similar to the <a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-jupiter-9-85mm-2-0\/\">Jupiter-9 85mm 2.0 <\/a><\/strong>from the same era, but there are in fact<strong> many differences<\/strong>: while the Jupiter is made from lightweight aluminium the Nikkor is made from heavier chrome\/brass. To my surprise the Nikkor even features (full stop) <strong>click stops on the aperture ring<\/strong> (the Jupiter doesn&#8217;t). But unfortunately <strong>the Nikkor&#8217;s whole front barrel rotates<\/strong> (including filter thread and aperture ring) <strong>when you focus<\/strong> it, so when adjusting the aperture you will probably change focus even if you don&#8217;t want to and using a polarizer isn&#8217;t very straightforward either (the Jupiter features a more complex design where filter thread and aperture ring do not rotate).<br \/>\nNone-withstanding this design issue the Nikkor still feels like a better made lens with tighter tolerances.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7681\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7681\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7681 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_comparison.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_comparison.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_comparison-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_comparison-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7681\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Comparison: Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF and Jupiter-9 85mm 2.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h1>Vignetting \/ Colorcast<\/h1>\n<p><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7689 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/vignetting_nikkor-p_RF_85mm_2.0.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii vignette vignetting\" width=\"800\" height=\"651\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/vignetting_nikkor-p_RF_85mm_2.0.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/vignetting_nikkor-p_RF_85mm_2.0-300x244.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/vignetting_nikkor-p_RF_85mm_2.0-768x625.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Wide open<\/strong> there is signiffican&nbsp;<strong>vignetting of about 2.3 EV<\/strong>, stopped down to f\/2.8 this improves to still noticeable 1.5 EV, at f\/4.0 vignetting is only 0.7 EV and at <strong>f\/8.0 unnoticeable 0.3 EV<\/strong>. This is in line with similar lenses.<br \/>\nThere are <strong>no color cast issues<\/strong> towards the edges on the A7s and A7rII.<\/p>\n<h1>Sharpness<\/h1>\n<p><em>infinity<\/em><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7757 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Sharpness_nikkor_p_85mm_2.0_rf.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii \" width=\"800\" height=\"2201\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Sharpness_nikkor_p_85mm_2.0_rf.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Sharpness_nikkor_p_85mm_2.0_rf-109x300.jpg 109w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Sharpness_nikkor_p_85mm_2.0_rf-768x2113.jpg 768w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Sharpness_nikkor_p_85mm_2.0_rf-465x1280.jpg 465w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><br \/>\n<strong>Wide open when focused near infinity the whole image is soft and hazy<\/strong> with low contrast but the resolution is actually quite high, no smeared corners or something like that and with some post processing definetly usable. Stopped down to<strong> f\/2.8 everything is improved<\/strong> and the center starts to look quite good.<br \/>\nAt<strong> f\/8.0<\/strong> the lens <strong>looks best regarding across the frame sharpness<\/strong>, but this is not a lens that outperforms the 42mp sensor.<\/p>\n<p><em>close focus (100 cm)<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7687 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Sharpness_close_Nikkor_RF_85mm_2._100cm.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii sharpness close \" width=\"800\" height=\"1734\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Sharpness_close_Nikkor_RF_85mm_2._100cm.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Sharpness_close_Nikkor_RF_85mm_2._100cm-138x300.jpg 138w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Sharpness_close_Nikkor_RF_85mm_2._100cm-768x1665.jpg 768w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Sharpness_close_Nikkor_RF_85mm_2._100cm-591x1280.jpg 591w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>close focus (70 cm with VM-E helicoid adapter)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7767 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Sharpness_close_Nikkor_RF_85mm_2.0_70cm.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii sharpness resolution contrast\" width=\"800\" height=\"1734\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Sharpness_close_Nikkor_RF_85mm_2.0_70cm.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Sharpness_close_Nikkor_RF_85mm_2.0_70cm-138x300.jpg 138w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Sharpness_close_Nikkor_RF_85mm_2.0_70cm-768x1665.jpg 768w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Sharpness_close_Nikkor_RF_85mm_2.0_70cm-591x1280.jpg 591w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>At the <strong>native minimum focus distance of 100 cm<\/strong> the lens really <strong>struggles wide open<\/strong>, as do many legacy lenses without a floating elements design. It <strong>needs stopping down to f\/4.0 for very good performance<\/strong> on the 42mp sensor.<br \/>\nIf you reduce the minimum focus distance <strong>with a helicoid adapter<\/strong> (like I did here with the<a href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/2gdF9sI\"> Voigtlander VM-E close focus adapter<\/a> (affiliate link)) the situation is pretty much the same: <strong>soft at f\/2.0 and f\/2.8 but sharpness improves considerably on stopping down to f\/4.0<\/strong>. Keep in mind the lens was never intended to be used at these focus distances by the designers.<\/p>\n<p>I also had to refocus the lens stopped down because of <strong>significant focus shift,<\/strong> see the corresponding section farther down this review.<\/p>\n<h1>Flare resistance<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7631\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7631\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7631 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_ghost.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_ghost.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_ghost-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_ghost-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7631\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 | f\/8.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Performance against bright light is often a weak spot of very old lenses and the Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 is no exception to that rule. <strong>With the sun in the frame the loss of contrast is noticeable and you can catch obtrusive ghosts quite easily.<\/strong><br \/>\nTo my surprise the lens handled scenarios with backlighting better than expected, albeit there is still some loss of contrast with the sun just outside the frame.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7629\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7629\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7629 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_backlight.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_backlight.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_backlight-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_backlight-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7629\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 + VM-E close focus adapter | f\/2.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Distortion<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7680\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7680\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7680 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/DSC09831.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii distortion barrel pincushion\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/DSC09831.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/DSC09831-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/DSC09831-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7680\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Distortion characteristics of Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Distortion is<strong> pretty much non existent.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1>Bokeh<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7615\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7615\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7615 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_1.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii \" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_1-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7615\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 | f\/2.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Like many 85mm 2.0 lenses from that era this seems to be also based on Zeiss&#8217; Sonnar design which usually translates to smooth bokeh, also in the often difficult transition zone.<br \/>\nNevertheless in my shooting I found it to be <strong>quite a bit of a mixed bag.<\/strong> If you take a look at the second sample image on top of this review the highlights on the mountain are<strong> a bit too busy for my taste<\/strong> and same is true for the transition zone when focusing near the minimum focus distance (see the following sample).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7625\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7625\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7625 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_11.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii \" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_11.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_11-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_11-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7625\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 | f\/2.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For my taste the <strong>bokeh of this lens works best at medium distances<\/strong>, as in this example:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7628\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7628\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7628\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_13.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_13.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_13-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_13-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7628\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 | f\/2.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7630\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7630\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7630\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_bokeh.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_bokeh.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_bokeh-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_bokeh-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7630\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 | f\/2.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Bokeh compared to Jupiter-9 85mm 2.0<\/h2>\n<p><div class=\"twentytwenty\" class=\"twentytwenty-container\" style=\"display: none; max-width: 100%; width: 800px; height: 534px\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/bokeh_nikon_85mm_2.0_RF.jpg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/bokeh_jupiter-9_85mm_2.0.jpg\"\/><\/div><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #666666;\">Sony A7rII | Before: Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF @ 2.0 | After: Jupiter-9 85mm 2.0 @ 2.0<br \/>\n<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Apart from the<strong> differences in color rendition<\/strong> (Nikon warmer than Jupiter) and <strong>contrast<\/strong> (Nikon more contrast) what&#8217;s really interesting are the borders, as<strong> the Jupiter looks much more out of focus<\/strong> here. The<strong> Jupiter-9 is a pretty stellar performer when it comes to mechanical vignetting<\/strong> and it&#8217;s deterioration of light circles (cat&#8217;s eye effect), <strong>which leads to more blur<\/strong> here compared to the Nikon lens.<br \/>\nYou can also see the differences in this comparison:<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"twentytwenty\" class=\"twentytwenty-container\" style=\"display: none; max-width: 100%; width: 800px; height: 450px\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor_85_2.0_bokeh.jpg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor_85_2.0_jupiter.jpg\"\/><\/div><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #666666;\">Sony A7rII | Before: Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF @ 2.0 | After: Jupiter-9 85mm 2.0 @ 2.0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h1>Sunstars<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7766\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7766\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7766 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor_85_2.0_sunstars.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii bokeh comparison jupiter-9 jupiter 9 85mm 2.0 sunstar sunstars blende diaphragm\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor_85_2.0_sunstars.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor_85_2.0_sunstars-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor_85_2.0_sunstars-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7766\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 | f\/8.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This lens features <strong>10 rounded aperture blades which will yield 10-pointed sunstars<\/strong> around point light sources. They are actually quite well defined and I like them, but as this is a highly subjective topic you might want to have a look at <a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/best-lenses-for-sunstars\/\">this article<\/a> and decide for yourself what you prefer.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1>Chromatic aberrations<\/h1>\n<p><em>longitudinal<\/em><\/p>\n<p><div class=\"twentytwenty\" class=\"twentytwenty-container\" style=\"display: none; max-width: 100%; width: 800px; height: 508px\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_loCA_2.0.jpg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_loCA_4.0.jpg\"\/><\/div><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #666666;\">Sony A7rII | Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF | 40% crop | before: f\/2.0, after: f\/4.0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>You can see<strong> slight<\/strong> green <strong>outlining<\/strong> behind the plane of focus and purple outlining in front of it wide open, but the <strong>correction is actually pretty decent<\/strong>, there are many modern lenses which perform considerably worse. Stopping down naturally&nbsp; further improves the performance, as can be seen in the example above.<\/p>\n<p><em>lateral<\/em><\/p>\n<p><div class=\"twentytwenty\" class=\"twentytwenty-container\" style=\"display: none; max-width: 100%; width: 797px; height: 532px\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/DSC05062-2.jpg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/DSC05062.jpg\"\/><\/div><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #666666;\">Sony A7rII | Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF | f\/8.0 | 100% crop from corner | before: no correction, after: corrected<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Lateral CAs are certainly present<\/strong>, but can still be<strong> easily corrected<\/strong> e.g. in Lightroom.<\/p>\n<h1>Focus shift<\/h1>\n<p>Most (old) Sonnar designs are plagued by focus shift and unfortunately the Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 is no exception here. Focus shift describes the effect of the plane of optimal focus shifting on stopping down. This is actually <strong>less of an issue with the A7 cameras<\/strong> as you will most of the time stop down first and focus after that, but <strong>more of a problem with most Leica rangefinder cameras<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, the focus shift between f\/2.0 and f\/2.8 is pretty much negligible, but when stopping down to f\/4.0 you should definetly adjust the focus. With the rotating front barrel design it is pretty hard changing the aperture without having to adjust focus after that anyway.<\/p>\n<h1>Alternatives<\/h1>\n<p>When it comes to fast<strong> ~85mm legacy lenses there are much to choose from<\/strong> and I can&#8217;t cover them all, so I will only name a few I have actually experience with or Phillip or Jannik have reviewed.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-jupiter-9-85mm-2-0\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><em>Jupiter-9 85mm 2.0:<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/a><br \/>\nThis lens is from the same era and looks pretty similar on first sight, but actually these lenses are more different than I thought at first. The Jupiter offers smoother bokeh especially towards the borders while the Nikon gives contrastier and more saturated images. The build quality of the Nikon lens is higher and I like the implementation of click stops, but I didn&#8217;t like the rather basic design with rotating front lens.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-leica-90mm-2-0-summicron-m\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>Leica Summicron 90mm 2.0 pre Asph:<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/a><br \/>\nThis is also a rangefinder lens like the Nikkor-P and the Jupiter-9 and shares their small size. It is a more modern lens and also significantly more expensive. If you are curious take a look at my review.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/rolling-review-zeiss-loxia-85mm-2-4\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>Zeiss Loxia 85mm 2.4:<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/a><br \/>\nThis might be the best 85mm manual focus lens if you are looking for maximum image quality in a still portable package. Nevertheless it is far from cheap and more neutral in its rendering and therefore less of a character lens as the aforementioned ones.<\/p>\n<p>Phillip has already reviewed many legacy 85mm SLR lenses which are usually bigger but also cheaper than the rangefinder lenses:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/tokina-x-macro-90mm-12-5-review\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>Tokina AT-X Pro 90mm 2.5 Macro<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-minolta-mc-rokkor-85mm-11-7\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>Quick-Review: Minolta MC\/MD 85mm 1.7<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/85mm-comparison-minolta-tokina-canon-samyang\/\">85mm comparison: Tokina, Samyang, Minolta<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Now there is also a rather decently priced native FE 85mm 1.8 with AF from Sony available, check out Jannik&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-sony-fe-85-mm-1-8\/\">review<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h1>Conclusion<\/h1>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>good<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">contrast from f\/2.8 onwards<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">sunstars<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">build quality<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">correction of longitudinal CA<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">distortion<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">size<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td><strong>average<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>bokeh<\/li>\n<li>correction of lateral CA<\/li>\n<li>flare resistance<\/li>\n<li>vignetting<\/li>\n<li>weight<\/li>\n<li>price<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td><strong>not good<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">contrast<br \/>\nwide open (at infinity<\/span><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">handling (front barrel rotates)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Given the<strong> similar outer apperance<\/strong> and the comparable age I assumed that the Nikkor&nbsp;would&nbsp;behave very similarly <strong>to the Jupiter-9 85mm 2.0<\/strong>, but to my surprise this was not the case.<br \/>\nThe <strong>Nikkor 85mm 2.0 shows unexpectedly high contrast<\/strong>, more so than many other legacy lenses I have used so far and seeing click stops on the aperture ring of a more than 60 years old lens was a nice touch as well. Even the<strong> sunstars are very well defined<\/strong>, something I can&#8217;t say about any of the Jupiter lenses (and many Leica lenses) for sure.<br \/>\nUnfortunately when it comes to the important <strong>bokeh<\/strong> category I am not entirely happy: At<strong> head-shot distances everything is alright<\/strong>, but being a bit <strong>farther away from your subject<\/strong> may result in more <strong>nervous backgrounds<\/strong> than I prefer.<br \/>\nNevertheless, I quite <strong>enjoyed shooting with this lens<\/strong> and in case you can find one which is decently priced and get around the<strong> rotating front barrel<\/strong> it may prove to be a nice and small short tele you can throw at many shooting situations, from portraiture over landscape to cityscapes.<\/p>\n<p>Still, there is<strong> much competition in the segment of fast 85mm lenses<\/strong>, count in the 90 and 100mm lenses and there is even more, so <strong>what makes this lens stand out?<\/strong><br \/>\nCompared to the many legacy SLR lenses with just 6 aperture blades it yields very <strong>nice sunstars<\/strong> and at the same time the <strong>bokeh still looks decent stopped down<\/strong>, I haven&#8217;t seen many lenses that are able to accomplish this.<br \/>\nFurthermore there is the <strong>size advantage<\/strong>: I still highly prefer using small lenses with short adapters handling wise.<br \/>\nBut if this is worth the<strong> premium you have to pay over the legacy SLR lenses<\/strong> is a question only you can answer for yourself.<\/p>\n<p><em>You can try getting one of these used from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/items\/?_nkw=nikkor+8.5+cm+2.0&amp;_sacat=625&amp;_ex_kw=&amp;_mPrRngCbx=1&amp;_udlo=&amp;_udhi=&amp;_sop=12&amp;_fpos=&amp;_fspt=1&amp;_sadis=&amp;LH_CAds=&amp;rmvSB=true\">ebay.com<\/a>\/<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ebay.de\/sch\/items\/?_nkw=nikkor+8,5+cm+2.0&amp;_sacat=625&amp;_ex_kw=&amp;_mPrRngCbx=1&amp;_udlo=&amp;_udhi=&amp;_sop=12&amp;clk_rvr_id=1200439813699&amp;rmvSB=true\">ebay.de<\/a> starting at <strong>300$\/600\u20ac<\/strong><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"text-decoration: none; border: 0; padding: 0; margin: 0;\" src=\"http:\/\/rover.ebay.com\/roverimp\/1\/707-53477-19255-0\/1?ff3=9&amp;pub=5575156171&amp;toolid=10001&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;customid=&amp;uq=canon+ef+135mm+2.0+l&amp;mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]\"> (advertisement\/affiliate links<strong>).<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<h1>Sample Images<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7620\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7620\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7620 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_6.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_6.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_6-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_6-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7620\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 | f\/8.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7624\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7624\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7624 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_10.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii \" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_10.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_10-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_10-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7624\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 | f\/2.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7623\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7623\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7623 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_9.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_9.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_9-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_9-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7623\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 | f\/5.6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7619\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7619\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7619 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_5.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii \" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_5.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_5-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_5-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7619\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 | f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7626\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7626\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7626 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_12.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii \" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_12.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_12-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_12-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7626\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 | f\/8.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7618\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7618\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7618 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_4.jpg\" alt=\"nikon s nikkor rangefinder nikkor-p 85mm 2.0 rf sony a7 a7rii \" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_4.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_4-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikon_85mm_2.0_s_rf_4-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7618\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 | f\/8.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You can find most of the shots in this review in full resolution <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/140854680@N04\/albums\/72157679474059083\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h1>Further Reading<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/best-lenses-499-sony-a7-series\/\">The best lenses below $499 for the Sony a7 series<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/user-guide-ultra-wideangle-lenses-sony-alpha-7-series\/\">User guide to Ultra Wideangle lenses for the Sony Alpha 7 series<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/olympus-om-100mm-12-0\/\">Review: Olympus OM Zuiko Auto-T 100mm 1:2<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>Support Us<\/h1>\n<p>Did you find this article useful or just liked reading it? Treat us to a coffee!<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=3K9EJRRQVXT4J\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-40345 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/donate2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"103\" height=\"29\"><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/en_SE\/i\/scr\/pixel.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\"> <span style=\"color: #999999;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/en_SE\/i\/scr\/pixel.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\"><em>via Paypal<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>This site contains advertisement\/affiliate links. If you make a purchase using any of the links marked as advertisement\/affiliate links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support the creation of future content.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction Many people today might not even know Nikon (and also Canon) produced rangefinder cameras and lenses in their early days. Thanks to a reader I got the chance to review not one but three of these rather exotic Nikkor rangefinder lenses from the 50&#8217;s. The first one is the Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 portrait tele. &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Review: Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4708,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,51,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lenses","category-nikon","category-review"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Review: Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF - phillipreeve.net<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Nikon rangefinder lenses are very well made but rather rare, so does it make sense using the Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 on Sony A7 cameras? Find out in this...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Review: Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF - phillipreeve.net\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Nikon rangefinder lenses are very well made but rather rare, so does it make sense using the Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 on Sony A7 cameras? Find out in this...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"phillipreeve.net\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bastian.kratzke\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-04-20T10:13:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-24T12:36:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_title_fb.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"BastianK\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"BastianK\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"17 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/\",\"name\":\"Review: Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF - phillipreeve.net\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_title.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-04-20T10:13:21+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-24T12:36:06+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9b7aa081afe07a6cae2e7d1ea1b476d7\"},\"description\":\"Nikon rangefinder lenses are very well made but rather rare, so does it make sense using the Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 on Sony A7 cameras? Find out in this...\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_title.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_title.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":450,\"caption\":\"Sony A7rII + Voigtlander VM-E close focus adapter + Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Review: Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"phillipreeve.net\",\"description\":\"Sony \u03b1 | Leica M | Nikon Z\/F New articles every week\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9b7aa081afe07a6cae2e7d1ea1b476d7\",\"name\":\"BastianK\",\"description\":\"My name is Bastian and I am your expert here when it comes to ultra wide angle lenses, super fast portrait lenses (ranging from a 50mm f\/0.95 to a 200mm f\/1.8) and I also have reviewed way too many 35mm lenses. Don't ask me anything about macro or wildlife shooting though.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/bastian_k\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bastian.kratzke\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bastiankratzke\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/bastian-kratzke-450636164\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/author\/bastiank\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Review: Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF - phillipreeve.net","description":"Nikon rangefinder lenses are very well made but rather rare, so does it make sense using the Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 on Sony A7 cameras? Find out in this...","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Review: Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF - phillipreeve.net","og_description":"Nikon rangefinder lenses are very well made but rather rare, so does it make sense using the Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 on Sony A7 cameras? Find out in this...","og_url":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/","og_site_name":"phillipreeve.net","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bastian.kratzke","article_published_time":"2017-04-20T10:13:21+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-24T12:36:06+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":675,"url":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_title_fb.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"BastianK","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"BastianK","Est. reading time":"17 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/","url":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/","name":"Review: Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF - phillipreeve.net","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_title.jpg","datePublished":"2017-04-20T10:13:21+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-24T12:36:06+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9b7aa081afe07a6cae2e7d1ea1b476d7"},"description":"Nikon rangefinder lenses are very well made but rather rare, so does it make sense using the Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 on Sony A7 cameras? Find out in this...","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_title.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/nikkor-p_85mm_2.0_rf_title.jpg","width":800,"height":450,"caption":"Sony A7rII + Voigtlander VM-E close focus adapter + Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-nikkor-p-85mm-2-0-rf\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Review: Nikon Nikkor-P 85mm 2.0 RF"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/","name":"phillipreeve.net","description":"Sony \u03b1 | Leica M | Nikon Z\/F New articles every week","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9b7aa081afe07a6cae2e7d1ea1b476d7","name":"BastianK","description":"My name is Bastian and I am your expert here when it comes to ultra wide angle lenses, super fast portrait lenses (ranging from a 50mm f\/0.95 to a 200mm f\/1.8) and I also have reviewed way too many 35mm lenses. Don't ask me anything about macro or wildlife shooting though.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/bastian_k","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bastian.kratzke","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bastiankratzke","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/bastian-kratzke-450636164\/"],"url":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/author\/bastiank\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4708"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7614"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7614\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85798,"href":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7614\/revisions\/85798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}