Will the Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D be a good fit with the D60, even though it doesn't autofocus?

Question

I've been using a Nikon D60 for over a year now, and thinking about upgrading the stock lens.

I am thinking about this lens: Nikon Telephoto AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D IF Autofocus Lens

But on the page it says "AF not supported by D40 and D60 cameras". As I am still pretty new to photography, I am not sure if this would be a good combination (body + lens).

Answer

Manual focusing a f/1.4 lens on a DX body is a pain because:

• the viewfinder magnification is quite small
• if you open past f/2.8, the viewfinder does not capture the extra light (see the question Why is the depth-of-field preview in the optical viewfinder of my Canon 500D inaccurate?)

Therefore, unless you replace you focusing screen by a new one specifically dedicated to manual focus, it will be very hard to get good focus at full aperture, especially in low light. And if the full aperture is not usable, then there is no point in buying the f/1.4 when the f/1.8 is good and so much cheaper.

I would recommend you buy 85/1.4 AF-S instead. If you really want the AF-D, then buy a camera that can autofocus it, or replace your focusing screen (not sure it is possible on the D60).

BTW, both 85/1.4 are awesome for portraits with softly blurred backgrounds.

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