📸 Why Some Might Call It “Cheating”

• Distance & Detachment:
  • An 85mm lens lets you stand further back, avoiding the intimacy and risk of close‑up encounters.
  • Critics argue street photography should be about immersing yourself in the flow of public life, not sniping from afar.
• Portrait Bias:
  • The lens isolates subjects with shallow depth of field, producing images that look more like studio portraits than candid street shots.
  • Purists say this shifts the genre away from its documentary roots.
• Aesthetic Control:
  • With creamy bokeh and sharp subject isolation, the 85mm f/1.8G can make almost any scene look “artful.”
  • Some feel this undermines the raw, chaotic authenticity that defines street photography.

🌍 Why It’s Not Cheating

• Street Photography Is About Vision, Not Gear:
  • Henri Cartier‑Bresson used a 50mm; Garry Winogrand often shot wider. But the genre has never been bound to one focal length.
  • What matters is the decisive moment and the photographer’s intent.
• Different Perspective:
  • An 85mm lens compresses space, offering a unique way to frame gestures, expressions, and interactions.
  • It can highlight individuals within the crowd, turning anonymity into intimacy.
• Practicality:
  • In places where close interaction may be culturally sensitive or unsafe, longer focal lengths allow respectful distance.
  • In Phnom Penh, for example, using 85mm could let you capture warmth without intruding.

⚖️ Advantages of 85mm Street Work

• Subject isolation and expressive portraits.
• Quiet SWM autofocus — discreet in public.
• Lightweight and portable compared to f/1.4 primes.

📊 Comparison: Nikon 85mm f/1.8D vs 85mm f/1.8G

Feature	Nikon 85mm f/1.8D (1994)	Nikon 85mm f/1.8G (2012)
Focal Length	85mm	85mm
Maximum Aperture	f/1.8	f/1.8
Optical Design	6 elements in 6 groups	9 elements in 9 groups (modern coatings)
Autofocus System	Screw‑drive AF (requires motor in camera)	Silent Wave Motor (SWM) built into lens
Manual Focus Override	No	Yes (M/A mode)
Minimum Focus Distance	0.85 m	0.8 m
Diaphragm Blades	7 straight blades	7 rounded blades (smoother bokeh)
Weight	~380 g	~350 g
Build Quality	Metal/plastic mix, solid feel	Plastic barrel, lighter, not weather‑sealed
Filter Size	62 mm	67 mm
Release Year	1994	2012

⚠️ Disadvantages

• Less context — backgrounds blur, reducing environmental storytelling.
• Risk of voyeurism if used without engagement.
• Narrower field of view makes spontaneous wide scenes harder to capture.

✨ Conclusion

Calling the 85mm f/1.8G “cheating” in street photography reflects a purist mindset that equates authenticity with proximity. In reality, it’s just another tool — one that shifts the genre toward street portraiture, where clarity and ambiguity coexist. The ethical weight lies not in the lens, but in how you use it: whether you engage, respect, and frame responsibly.