p.1 #1 · Help me choose my next lens? 90mm vs 50-140mm
I know, they're 2 completely different beasts, but if you could only choose 1, which would it be? I'm not worried about sharpness, both are amazingly sharp. And I'm not worried about weight, considering I'm currently using a Nikon D4 with a 70-200 2.8. I shoot mostly portraits, with the occasional wedding.
I love my Nikon 70-200 2.8 for portraits, (beautiful bokeh, see photo #1), but the Fuji 50-140 just isn't quite there, as far as I can tell. The bokeh can be anywhere from meh/alright to moderately harsh. Does anyone have any examples of fantastic bokeh from the Fuji 50-140?
If the answer is no, then the Fuji 90mm f2 would be my next choice. I lose the versatility of the zoom, and OIS, but it's lighter, cheaper, and seems to have a softer bokeh.
Anything else I should be considering? (Aside from just continuing to use the Nikon rig haha!)
p.1 #2 · Help me choose my next lens? 90mm vs 50-140mm
The 90 is great and the 50-140 is claimed to be great, so hope this helped. ): I don't think you can go wrong with either, it just depends on what and how you shoot.
I own the 90 and ordered the 50-140 today. My kit is complete. Good luck on your decision.
p.1 #3 · Help me choose my next lens? 90mm vs 50-140mm
My strong suggestion is get both Seriously both lenses are superb, and the 50-140/2.8 with 5 stops of OIS is must have lens if you doing portraits. Then the 90/2 and 56/1.2 APD I have all three, and I tend to use the 56 APD the most, while the 50-140/2.8 follows closely behind. The 90/2 tends to be a more specialty length 135mm.
I have had many 70-200/2.8 zoom lenses, both Canon and Nikon and I would have to say the XF 50-140 is my favourite. It was the sole reason why I bought into the Fuji system to begin with. Here are some sample shots immediately I bought the lens on the XPro 2
p.1 #4 · Help me choose my next lens? 90mm vs 50-140mm
Get both. I've had 50-140 for a long time and always thought that I don't need 90 but after trying it one I'm hooked. It's pure magic. Now I try to use that lens as much as I can
p.1 #6 · Help me choose my next lens? 90mm vs 50-140mm
Since you value bokeh, go for the 90/2. Coming from a 70-200/2.8 on a D4, the zoom will have the dof of an f/4 lens. The 90/2 will gove you that lovely shallow dof of the f/2.8 you are looking for.
For me, a major part of my mental framing is bokeh. Since you care about bokeh, you will be thinking in terms of longer focal lengths with shallow dof. The 90/2 will give it to you.
p.1 #8 · Help me choose my next lens? 90mm vs 50-140mm
Fuji has great stabilisation in their lenses and for this reason I would go with what the others have suggested. I recently bought the 55-200mm and was able to shoot an image at 200mm at f8 and 1/25 of a second. I am amazed how well the OIS worked.
Having said that, maybe you should rent both and check them out yourself.
p.1 #11 · Help me choose my next lens? 90mm vs 50-140mm
mregala wrote:
The bokeh can be anywhere from meh/alright to moderately harsh. Does anyone have any examples of fantastic bokeh from the Fuji 50-140?
I actually totally agree with this assessment of the 50-140, with conditions.
That lens's weakness (like any lens really) seems to be close background to a subject, especially specular highlights and/or foliage. The most egregious 'offenders' are subjects with backgrounds about 2-4 feet away with those properties. For whatever reason (maybe because we're used to f/2.8 on FF or the nature of the lens itself) these are the 'worst' examples in bokeh.
Once the background is separated just a bit more, the 50-140's bokeh turns very pleasant to me.
Of course it's not going to touch the 90/2, which seems great in any circumstance, but it's versatility vs. ultimate IQ -- your choice!
p.1 #12 · Help me choose my next lens? 90mm vs 50-140mm
I would buy the 90 and the 55-200 , cover both bases . Have the super creamy bokeh of the 90 wide open , and some stabilized long reach if needed. That being said if i could only chose one , I would go for the 50-140 if price is not an issue, the OIS is amazing.
Edit ... there's more to this question , if you are going to use a tripod and strobes etc , the OIS doesn't really matter , if you have a steady hand and proper technique the OIS again doesn't matter. If you answer yes to these get the 90 .... but if you want to run and gun get the 50-140.
p.1 #17 · Help me choose my next lens? 90mm vs 50-140mm
This is an interesting conversation because I'm evaluating my recently acquired 55-200 to see if I want to keep it or replace it with either the 50-140 or the 90/2.
The OIS is amazing with the 55-200 as I'm sure it is with the 50-140. But I'm enamored by the images I see coming out of the 90/2. When I was shooting Nikon, I only shot with old MF lenses and I rarely went longer than 135mm and of course none of the lenses had stabilization. So, it may be that the 90mm is more than enough for me.
So please keep the opinions coming, I'm learning things.
p.1 #18 · Help me choose my next lens? 90mm vs 50-140mm
as someone who does portraits and is bokeh-sensitive, you should probably go with the 90/2
when i don't know what to expect i bring the 50-140
when i know it'll be a lot of head & head/shoulder shots in good light i bring the 90 (rare for me)
JustShootMe wrote:
I would buy the 90 and the 55-200 , cover both bases . Have the super creamy bokeh of the 90 wide open , and some stabilized long reach if needed. That being said if i could only chose one , I would go for the 50-140 if price is not an issue, the OIS is amazing.
.... but if you want to run and gun get the 50-140.
p.1 #19 · Help me choose my next lens? 90mm vs 50-140mm
I went through the same dilemma. I ended up getting the 50-140 because at the end of the day I know for sure this lens will pay for itself. It also replaces my aging Nikkor VR1. I figure I can pick up the 90 (or 80 Macro) down the line.
Seriously both lenses are superb, and the 50-140/2.8 with 5 stops of OIS is must have lens if you doing portraits. Then the 90/2 and 56/1.2 APD 
I have all three, and I tend to use the 56 APD the most, while the 50-140/2.8 follows closely behind. The 90/2 tends to be a more specialty length 135mm. 
