The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 85mm f1.8G and the Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G ED for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G ED is the longer of the two lenses at 79mm. The Nikon 85mm f1.8G with a length of 73mm, is 6mm shorter. On the other hand, the Nikon 85mm f1.8G has a larger diameter of 80mm compared to the Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G ED's 68mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G ED weighs 255g, 27% (95g) lighter than the Nikon 85mm f1.8G's weight of 350g.
Filter Threads
The Nikon 85mm f1.8G has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G ED has a 52mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Nikon 85mm f1.8G:
And these are the 52mm filters that we recommend for the Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G ED:
Lens Mounts
The Nikon 85mm f1.8G has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount whereas the Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G ED has the Nikon F (DX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount and Nikon D3500, Nikon D7500 and Nikon D5600 for the Nikon F (DX) Mount.
Focal Range
Nikon 85mm f1.8G is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 85mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
127.5mm.
On the other hand, the Nikon 55-200mm f4-5.6G ED has a focal range of 55-200mm and 3.6X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 82.5-300mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
