05-18-2011, 12:32 PM
I think the discussion was about "a gap" in lens line-up... I don't believe that there exists any kind of a "decision authority" as a common sense for such a case... Photographic choices are always subjective. But there are some objective facts also... If one needs a shallow DoF, in general one must get a bigger sensor + faster primes (or APS-C sensors + by all means faster primes). And if one does not need shallow DoF in portraits, this is a subjective choice, which OTOH cannot overrule a simple fact that he /she would better check why portrait photographers use faster primes with less spherical aberrations.
I don't know the Sony compatible lens line-up. But when it comes to Nikon, I don't understand why posters all stick to 85mm FL... Is it the only choice for portraits? There are affordable manual focus 100mm, 105mm, 135mm secon hand choices (f/1.8, 2.5 or 2.8 Ai & Ai-S and even pre-Ai models), with which you can get tack sharp results at wide open with very pleasant background blur. Also not to forget the older AF 85mm f/1.8 (non "D" version) as a cheaper auto focus alternative...
So my point is, it is really hard to find a "gap" in a lens line up, which can be accepted by all (FL, price for new / second hand, f-stop, MF vs. AF, bokeh, etc...)... Furthermore, it is pointless to try to find such a gap, unless one try various lenses with different FLs and speed... E.g. one who never used faster than f/2.8, cannot judge the advantage of having min f-stop of f/1.8 in portraits... or one who never saw the creamy background blur of 90mm f/3.5 APO Lanthar, can be very satisfied with the bokeh of AF 85mm f/1.8D...
Serkan
I don't know the Sony compatible lens line-up. But when it comes to Nikon, I don't understand why posters all stick to 85mm FL... Is it the only choice for portraits? There are affordable manual focus 100mm, 105mm, 135mm secon hand choices (f/1.8, 2.5 or 2.8 Ai & Ai-S and even pre-Ai models), with which you can get tack sharp results at wide open with very pleasant background blur. Also not to forget the older AF 85mm f/1.8 (non "D" version) as a cheaper auto focus alternative...
So my point is, it is really hard to find a "gap" in a lens line up, which can be accepted by all (FL, price for new / second hand, f-stop, MF vs. AF, bokeh, etc...)... Furthermore, it is pointless to try to find such a gap, unless one try various lenses with different FLs and speed... E.g. one who never used faster than f/2.8, cannot judge the advantage of having min f-stop of f/1.8 in portraits... or one who never saw the creamy background blur of 90mm f/3.5 APO Lanthar, can be very satisfied with the bokeh of AF 85mm f/1.8D...
Serkan