Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 vr2 or 135mm f2 DC for portraits?

[hulk2012]

Wonder your reviews on nikkor 70-200 2.8 vr2 vs 135 2.0 DC on portraits work. I'm planning to buy one of them for my d800 and studio/outdoor portraits

 

[D-B-J]

Wonder your reviews on nikkor 70-200 2.8 vr2 vs 135 2.0 DC on portraits work. I'm planning to buy one of them for my d800 and studio/outdoor portraits

70-200 is a solid and versatile lens, but I'd rather the 135 f2 for portraits. I'm a fan of primes. All the way.

 

[Braineack]

I'd love to try the 135mm DC.

 

[Vince.1551]

135 if you are in the studio often

 

[tirediron]

If you're only going to buy one, but the 70-200; the 135 is indeed a fantastic lens, but it is a speciality lens, and is, IMO, limited in application. The 70-200 allows much greater flexibility, and moving back a littler further and using a longer focal length will allow the razor thin DoF that the 135 can provide (which I'm guessing is why you're considering it).

 

[Derrel]

I own both, and other primes as well. The zoom has the upper hand in flexibility, and I think, less chromatic aberration at wider apertures. The 135 is a nifty lens, yes, but flat-out, it's the wrong length 80% of the time, so you cannot shoot fluid,dynamic situations without constantly needing to move the camera. I also prefer an even longer lens length much of the time, so the zoom also offers that important 150 to 180 to 200mm end, as well as the very-useful 70 to 85 to 90 to 105 to 120mm range, where a lot of situations seem to end up being framed at. I shot a long portrait session yesterday outdoors: I took an 85/1.8, deliberately left the 105 and 135 at home, and took the 80-200 AFS. Worked out great. Made 97% of the shots with the 80-200; near the end of the day I did one pose, about six frames or so with the 35mm lens, and one single pose, five frames, with a 24mm.

 

[chuasam]

the 135DC.
I use a 85mm f/1.8D for my portraiture. I also own the 70-200 /2.8 VRII
If it was a single client for a brief shoot that day, i would likely use the 70-200. If it's a whole day of shooting, the lighter lens wins every time.

 

[Tailgunner]

A lot of portrait and wedding photographers I've run across uses the 70-200mm 2.8 VRI/VRII. I own the 70-200mm VRII but I don't do studio or portrait work.

 

[hamlet]

YOu are moving too fast OP. Buy one lens at a time and think things over.

 

[hulk2012]

A lot of portrait and wedding photographers I've run across uses the 70-200mm 2.8 VRI/VRII. I own the 70-200mm VRII but I don't do studio or portrait work.

But I am not everyone and aiming not to become one though.. I want my images to stand out that's why I use only prime and this time around thinking of buying some special lens..

 

[hulk2012]

YOu are moving too fast OP. Buy one lens at a time and think things over.

You right. I do. Time don't wait for no man. I breath by photography nowadays. And that's me coming from corporate world

 

[KmH]

Both.

 

[Derrel]

A lot of portrait and wedding photographers I've run across uses the 70-200mm 2.8 VRI/VRII. I own the 70-200mm VRII but I don't do studio or portrait work.

But I am not everyone and aiming not to become one though.. I want my images to stand out that's why I use only prime and this time around thinking of buying some special lens..

You want a special lens? Buy the 200 f/2 VR. Now that is a special lens. The 135 is just a 135mm prime.

 

[tirediron]

I want my images to stand out that's why I use only prime..

HUh? A'splain this to me Lucy!

 

[Derrel]

I want my images to stand out that's why I use only prime..

HUh? A'splain this to me Lucy!

All the sub-optimally framed shots that the prime lens leads to make the pictures stand out...."Ohhhh, this one I accidentally cut her feet off, but look at the bokeh!!!!!" Yea, it's just a half body shot of the two of them, I had the 135 on and coundn't zoom to get them in all the way, but just LOOK at the pretty background!" "Oh, the green and purple fringes around 3-D objects? Oh, that's the longitudinal color fringing the 135 DC has at f/2....isn't it pretty?"

Somehow people who grew up with no primes seem to think primes somehow magically make photos wonderfully "Better", and seem to think that one, single length of lens leads to "better" photos in some magical way. It's like a mechanic favoring a 12-inch crescent wrench in favor of a full socket set and a vise grip and a set of box-and open-end wrenches. We all KNOW that the best tool is the one-trick crescent wrench!

I'm not so sold on the superiority of a 25 year old prime lens design over that of a modern, high-performance zoom lens.