Sharpness at 85mm

Our sharpness tests are carried out by photographing a real-world subject rather than a test chart. The Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S lens was attached to a Nikon Z7, which in turn was mounted on a sturdy tripod. Self-timer mode was activated to steady the camera completely. Any slight tonal changes you may see across the crops are a result of slight changes in natural light during the shooting session.

The full frame at 85mm

At the widest aperture, f/1.8, centre sharpness is good, but rises to excellent from f/2.0, being the absolute sharpest between f/2.8 and f/8. Sharpness drops off ever so slightly at f/11, before showing the softest results - which are still very good - at f/11.

The overall impression of sharpness is great throughout the aperture range. At the edge of the frame, sharpness is best between f/8 and f/16.

Aperture	Centre Crop	Edge Crop
f/1.8
f/2
f/2.8
f/4
f/5.6
f/8
f/11
f/16