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karijoyful
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Registered: Feb 1, 2021
Location: United States
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Feb 1, 2021
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $400.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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I love this portrait lens. It's my favorite, creating beautiful bokeh and great portraits, especially in harsh light. I love the compression of this lens and always have it on!
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Cons:
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I accidentally bump the meter ring often and it shows up as an error on my camera not allowing me to take a photo until i adjust it. Sometimes the focus is soft.
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I love this portrait lens. It's my favorite, creating beautiful bokeh and great portraits, especially in harsh light. I love the compression of this lens and always have it on!
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 Feb 1, 2021
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Paul_K
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Registered: Jul 22, 2010
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 820
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Review Date: Mar 5, 2020
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Wonderful image rendering wide open, excellent (sharp) IQ when stopped down, built as a tank
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Cons:
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No AF on the Z6
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Superb image rendering used wide open despite/thanks to the then ultra shallow DoF. Stopped down ultra sharp, excellent IQ.
Due to the 1.4 perhaps a little heavy for some (not me) but that's no issue when used handheld
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Mar 5, 2020
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BSPhotog
Online
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Registered: Mar 7, 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 3369
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Review Date: Feb 22, 2018
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $600.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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It is just big enough to bludgeon someone with, but not so big that you don't want to bring it with you. Built like a tank, bokeh is somewhere between yummy and delicious. Stopped down, it is a really well behaved, sharp lens for studio portraits.
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Cons:
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It's biggest sins are lacking weather sealing and flare, but that is even debatable because it handles flare rather gracefully.
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I've owned this lens for years and it was a bargain when I bought it. With the recent fast portrait glass released form Sigma and the updated Nikon 105E, the used prices of this legend are continuing to fall. If you like creamy goodness in your OOF areas and aren't afraid of an older AF-D design, this might be for you.
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Feb 22, 2018
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esquire1954
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Registered: Jun 23, 2015
Location: United States
Posts: 275
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Review Date: Feb 25, 2016
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $625.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Bokeh, build quality, reliability, bokeh, 1.4 ability...
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Cons:
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very little
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The Nikon 1.4D is a very nice lens, when it hits critical focus it is sublime. Lack of weather sealing is not necessary for a portrait lens.
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Feb 25, 2016
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Mark K
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Registered: Feb 15, 2003
Location: China
Posts: 823
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Review Date: Jul 15, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,099.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Sharpness, inexpensive, good bokeh
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Cons:
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Can be more contrasty
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This is a one of a kind lens. When you want a fast 1.4 portrait for your new FF Nikon, this is the only original Nikon branded one.
Comparing to my new 85/1.4G, the only difference is colour and contrast.
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Jul 15, 2013
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f8andshowup
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Registered: Jan 4, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Apr 23, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,300.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Incredible sharpness, excellent AF accuracy, near-perfect bokeh, lenses do not get much better than this.
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Cons:
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Longitudinal CA wide-open, not as well-built as the AF-D, sharpness can be a bit much for portraits
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Nikkor AF-S 85mm f/1.4 G review:
I'm posting here because there is no other place to do it.
I love this lens. I tried the AF-D first, but found the focus to be just good, not great (even after AF fine-tuning). Also, there was the focus noise issue.
Everybody knows that this lens is one of Nikon's best for bokeh, probably second only to the 200mm f/2. The creamy backgrounds are unbelievable.
Another great feature of this lens is it's razor sharpness (yes, even more so with the new version). It the the sharpest Nikkor I have shot, besides the 300mm f/2.8 AF-S, which is saying a lot. On a tripod with a D800, you will see *everything* with this lens. When used for portraits, this lens will require lots of post processing on the skin, unless you subject is a baby.
This is one of those lenses that makes magic, but at a huge price.
Good news for those who can't afford this lens: The 85mm f/1.8 AF-S is about 90% as good, lacking only a little bit in smoothness of bokeh.
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Apr 23, 2013
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phiggys
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Registered: Apr 7, 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 25
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Review Date: Apr 16, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Build quality, optical quality, it's simply a dream lens for portraits and weddings.
This is my third copy if you include the MF Ais version I had.
I started using a couple of zooms to lighten the load but there is something a little special about this lens.
The opportunity came along to get another copy so I did a straight trade for a new Nikon AFS105mm f2.8 VR macro I had sitting in the cupboard.
It simply produces quality and Bokeh to die for IMO.
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Cons:
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IMO nothing I still prefer it to my friends new AFS version.
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Apr 16, 2013
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paparazzinick
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Registered: Jan 8, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 7895
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Review Date: Nov 12, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $500.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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sharp, colors
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Cons:
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heavy
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This is one of my all time favorites in the nikon lens lineup. This lens is very fast and gives you a nice creamy background. A must have in your bag. I shoot weddings in Pittsburgh and this lens is used 50% of the time. I like a nice tight shot with creamy backgrounds. Check out some samples on my site taken with this lens. http://nbombichstudios.com
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Nov 12, 2012
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pc168
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Registered: Mar 9, 2007
Location: China
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Aug 17, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Pros:
Excellent build quality with metal outer barrel and metal hood
Excellent bokeh.
Accurate AF even at wide open.
Sharp at F1.4 and very sharp when stop down 1 to 2 f-stops.
Not heavy and relatively portable.
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Cons:
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The M/A switch is the only thing that I dislike.
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Comparing this pro grade lens against my 16-35 VR, the Nikon classical pro grade design (built like a tank) is better than the modern ones.
85mm is not limited to portrait. Stop down a little it can be a general purpose lens. Indeed I use it as my D700 kit lens.
Value for money when we compare it against the new G version.
Highly recommended!
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Aug 17, 2011
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Digital Gold
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Registered: Apr 17, 2011
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Apr 17, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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mega sharpness, great contrast, build quality, amazing bokeh.
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Cons:
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a bit soft wide open, expensive for an 85mm prime lens.
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For weddings and portraits one of our photographers ALWAYS equipped with this bad boy. It's one of the sharpest lenses I own and it never disappoints. I've also used this lens for low light conditions like night time concert photography. It's our go to lens for shooting people.
To see some examples of photos taken with this lens please visit my website and photography blog: http://digitalgoldphotography.com
Feel free to reach out to me with any specific questions.
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Apr 17, 2011
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dves
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Registered: Jan 19, 2009
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 5
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Review Date: Jun 6, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,400.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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85 1.4 is a nice aspect
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Cons:
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shadow detail
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I have used this lens extensively in available, flash, & fluorescent light. I have shot wedding, portrait, fashion & product with it. Wedding & portraiture it is fantastic as good as canon's 50mm f1.4 FD mount lenses which I have owned as well. It's one let down in comparison to my 50mm 1.4 summilux leica optics is in shadow rendering, there is a lot of missing data which is frustrating when shooting dark textures like hair & skin tone, so I sold it. I will try the Zeiss Makro-Planar 50mm f/2.
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Jun 6, 2010
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84FJ60
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Registered: Sep 20, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 324
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Review Date: May 25, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $900.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Mystifying Bokeh
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Cons:
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Screwdriver autofocus
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Without a doubt, this is the best portrait lens I've ever used. I also love it for indoor sports such as volleyball or basketball.
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May 25, 2010
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Kliff
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Registered: Nov 24, 2009
Location: N/A
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Jan 28, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,300.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp from wide open,pleasant bokeh, accurate AF
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Cons:
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none
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Excellent lens for portraiture
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Jan 28, 2010
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jlnewland
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Registered: Dec 12, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 10
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Review Date: Dec 12, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,200.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Gorgeous bokeh, sharp without stopping down, renders great skin tones, small and light for a portrait lens, old-school perfection.
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Cons:
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Some color fringing in high-contrast transitions between dark and white. Love the metal hood, but it prevents the standard lens cap from seating firmly back on the lens. Once you shoot with this lens, though, you probably won't care.
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I keep coming back to this lens for portraits. It really shines for work in an outdoor or non-studio environment, where the bokeh can really be appreciated. The smooth bokeh makes the subject really pop, and this lens has an almost magical touch with fine detail and skin tones. A classic that's worth every penny.
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Dec 12, 2009
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KrazyYak
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Registered: Apr 26, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 30
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Review Date: Oct 23, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,000.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Amazing sharpness, build quality, weight, bokeh. Balances perfectly on a D300.
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Cons:
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Slow to focus in certain situations.
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This lens is fan-freaking-tastic for portraits. It throws the backgrounds into a very pleasing blur and keeps the subject super sharp. I've joked with my friends that they need to do a better job of cleaning their pores after retouching portraits of them.
It balances wonderfully on my D300, and I am usually hesitant to take it off.
Only downside is that it is quite slow to focus on quickly moving subjects (I suspect this is due to the older AF-D style focus drive). This is especially true for subjects moving towards you. By the time it focus and snaps the shutter, the subject has moved too much to remain in focus.
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Oct 23, 2009
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FatBoyAl
Offline
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Registered: Sep 4, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 689
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Review Date: Jul 28, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,025.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Build, f1.4, included metal hood, sharpness, IQ - everything!
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Cons:
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perhaps cost
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What can I say that hasn't been said? It's a well-made, fast AF, excellent IQ addition to anyone's kit. Like my purchases of the 35/1.8 and 50/1.8, this was to complete my low-light glass to allow for a wedding for a friend. I'm so glad I agreed to do it.
This lens isn't cheap and despite it's age, it's difficult to find. I got a great deal on a refurb and I couldn't be happier. Like I said, it's built like a tank, comes with a metal hood and is just sharp sharp sharp. You gotta love it in low-light and even in great light. Some large aperture lenses are only sharp stopped down. Well, what's good about that?? This is great from 1.4 on and only gets better.
Worth it all the way around.
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Jul 28, 2009
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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47
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160499
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Feb 1, 2021
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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98% of reviewers
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$959.52
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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9.74
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8.95
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9.7
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