So I’m still experimenting with the new camera. It passed last week’s jobs with flying colours – no lost images, so lots to choose from. The colours out of the camera are very good and needed a lot less adjustment to get them to proofing stage.
Lots of image to choose from, so I’m now cropping with no concern for data shortage.
My big concern with all that extra resolution was that my older lenses wouldn’t be able to resolve to the detail of the sensor.
Indeed only one of my current lenses is on the ‘best lenses for’ list of the new camera. Two of my main lenses are on the ‘just about OK but think about upgrading to the newer one’ list.
And there is no 50mm lens on either list. The new Sigma will definitely cut it but not any of the older ones and none of the Nikons.
But rather than going off and splashing on new lenses as well. I decided to try it and see.
Not withstanding this article, which makes a lot of sense (and the reason I upgraded in the first place was that my expectations of my body had supassed my old model). Remember I shoot portraits, most of which end up on web sites, that much detail isn’t really necessary.
In fact I recently had a client asking for lower resolution images to hide all the skin detail on their staff.
So I’ll upgrade the 50mm(s) in due course (might sell some stuff first). For now they are still much better than expected – especially stopped down a little.
The big unknown was the 85mm f1.4 AF-D. Formerly the ‘cream machine’ of pro film glass. I have moved to the 105 for headshots these days because it’s sooo sharp and has VR. But the 85 is handy for some circumstances and the really wide open look is stunning.
Mine is pretty beaten up cosmetically but perfect inside. It produced beautiful images at 12MP but it’s an older body focus model and at f1.4 focus is pretty critical (in fact I generally shot it at f2). The newer 85f1.8G would probably serve me well but before I go spring for that, how exactly would the old 85 get on at 45MP?
Pretty good. Still lovely to use. Still lovely and creamy in the backgrounds.
But is it sharp? Does it focus accurately?
Yep, pretty good. It is possible to pick on this and certainly the 105 is a tad sharper but hang on – who wants or needs all this detail in a portrait image?
I’ll keep the 85f1.4D for now and keep saving for a new 50mm.