85 mm pc as portrait or landscape lens

[El Diablo]

Fully agreed. The right gear for achieving a particular visual and
emotional impact is depending on so many factors that there's no
need to prove that someone has a wrong preference.

Not in dispute - but the original question asked about feedback on
usefulness.
No-one can deny that having total depth of field of less than half
an inch with an 85mm at f1.4 can be useful, but half an inch dof is
less than useful for what the vast majority of photographers and
customers regard as normal portraiture. Similar the special effects
that cam be obtained by shift can be useful in portraiture but
again the vast majority of photographers and customers accept that
for normal portraiture a manual aperture slow to set up and verify
T&S lens is a long way from the front of the grid for usefulness.
--
Leonard Shepherd
Good photography has more to do with the pictures you take than the
equipment you own.

Leonard.

I think you are making a mistake. The 85 pc is a 2.8 lens. Not a 1.4
I have been using this lens sevaral times for portraits.
Just rely on the green spot in the viewfinder. Works just great.
It's easier to handle than most of the people say. Just give it a try

alex

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[CorvusX]

I guess Leonard is referring to the real life usefulness of shooting 84/1.4 wide open(=difficult) as the great majority of people find such a very limited DOF unpleasant. That's why at 85mm regardless of the lens speed, apertures in the range f/2.8-5.6 or even f/8 are often used. Many viewers would prefer having the entire subject in focus and only the background blurred.

One easy way to use 85/2.8PC for portraits is to shoot it at f/2.8 (= no metering issues or need to fiddle with the button) and use tilt to place the plane of focus in the desired position - like both eyes in focus even if the model is facing left or right of camera. The ears and back of head will be out of focus, but the entire face will in focus.

 

[eanx]

Did you use a tripod? What I would like to know if, according to you experience, is possible to use tilt function for portraits hand handling the lens.

 

[CorvusX]

What are your concerns about hand holding?

If it's about metering according to Nikon's recommendation, I'm hand holding the 28/2.0 AiS even if there's no metering at all with the D70. Histogam is the rescue.

If it's about manual focus, you'll just need to upgrade your focusing screen. If that's something you don't want to do, you're better off with an AF lens like your 85/1.4. This has nothing to do with hand holding - equally important for tripod shots too. Nor has this anything to do with this particular MF lens either.

If it's about the various views expressed in this forum - they are just opinions. And everyone's got one. Only you can finally judge, if the features lacking from this lens are offset by the acheivable pictorial results. It's mostly about the shooting you do and secondly about you as a photographer. You are not likely to get a consensus on this or any other specialty lens.

Good luck with you quest and sorry for intervening. I know you did not ask the question from me.

 

[El Diablo]

Did you use a tripod? What I would like to know if, according to
you experience, is possible to use tilt function for portraits hand
handling the lens.

yes it is possible to use the lens hand holding, but it needs some practice.

--

 

[El Diablo]

What are your concerns about hand holding?

If it's about metering according to Nikon's recommendation, I'm
hand holding the 28/2.0 AiS even if there's no metering at all with
the D70. Histogam is the rescue.

If it's about manual focus, you'll just need to upgrade your
focusing screen. If that's something you don't want to do, you're
better off with an AF lens like your 85/1.4. This has nothing to do
with hand holding - equally important for tripod shots too. Nor has
this anything to do with this particular MF lens either.

--

You can not compaire the 85 pc lens with a normal 85 1.4

You will need some extra pratice such as for the tilt function and the button to close or open diafragma. But it can be handhold .