How much does the AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G cost in the UK?

The AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G starts from £479 in the UK, available new at 2 retailers. Prices are tracked live on GearFrame.

Nikon

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G

Name: AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G
Brand: Nikon
Availability: InStock

Nikon's finest value portrait prime for F-mount — the AF-S 85mm f/1.8G delivers stunning subject separation at a price well below the f/1.4 version, with sharpness that rivals it from f/2.8 upwards. On the D850 it provides the classic 85mm full-frame portrait perspective; on the D7500 it reaches a compressed 127mm equivalent, ideal for tighter headshots. Silent Wave Motor autofocus is fast and accurate for portraiture. Works on all Nikon FX and DX F-mount bodies.

GearFrame's Take

The portrait prime most Nikon DSLR shooters end up with — excellent sharpness, beautiful bokeh, and genuinely good value for a professional-quality result.

Starting from

£479 new

Used from £186 (Wex Photo Video)

Available at 2 retailers

Check price at Clifton Cameras

✓ Available at 2 retailers 🔒 No signup needed 📦 UK stock only

RetailerPrice

New

eBay

Lowest Buy It Now · marketplace

£405

Search eBay →

Clifton Cameras

£479

Check on Clifton Cameras →

Wex Photo Video

£479

was £489

On Sale

Check on Wex Photo Video →

Amazon

—

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Used

Wex Photo Video used

£186

Check on Wex Photo Video →

eBay used

Lowest Buy It Now · marketplace

£218

Search eBay →

Prices are synced live from UK retailers. Not every product will be stocked by every retailer; older models may only be available second hand.

Value & Depreciation

£470

Launch price

→

£429

Today

Value drop

Over ~14 years, this lens has cost roughly £3/year to own (buy at launch price, sell today). That's one of the lower cost-per-year lenses in its class.

Core

Released

2012

Focal Length

85mm

Aperture

f/1.8

Compatible Mount

Nikon F-mount (FX / DX)

Dimensions

80mm diameter × 73mm length

Weight

350g

Weather Sealed

Optics & Focus

AF Motor

Silent Wave Motor (SWM) — fast and near-silent with full-time manual override

Optical IS

None (relies on body VR if available)

Min. Focus Distance

80cm minimum focus distance

Select up to 2 cameras to compare against the AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G. It's always pinned as the baseline.

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GearScore™ — Suitability by Genre

Base score — computed from verified specs for an enthusiast shooting photo and video. Camera Match adjusts it for your skill level and priorities.

Portrait

7.3

Street

5.8

Travel

5.0

Wedding & Events

5.8

Filmmaking

4.6

Documentary

4.6

Landscape

4.6

Casual

5.3

Food

4.7

Architecture

4.3

Underwater

4.5

✅ Great For

🧑

Portrait 7.3 Strong on focal length, maximum aperture and autofocus. Classic 85mm portrait perspective on D850, longer 127mm equivalent on D7500 — both excellent for subject isolation.

⚠️ Not Ideal For

🏛️

Architecture 4.3 Held back by focal length and generation.

🤿

Underwater 4.5 Held back by focal length and close focusing.

🌄

Landscape 4.6 Held back by focal length and weather sealing.

📝 How suitability scores are calculated GearScore™ genre scores are calculated from this camera's verified specifications — autofocus, sensor, weight, weather sealing and more — weighted by what matters for each type of photography. Where a spec sheet misses something (e.g. a manual-focus rangefinder for street), we apply a documented editorial adjustment. Scores are not based on customer reviews. See our full methodology →