Usefulness of a 85/1.8 when I have a 80-200/2.8?

[PatrickCheung]

i recently acquired a 80-200/2.8, and i love it as a portrait lens... it's just so versatile and the bokeh at 200mm/2.8 is amazing. however, it's pretty much replaced my 85/1.8 as i usually shoot that thing at f2.8 (images are a bit soft at 1.8... and CAs) anyway... and it's got the ability to zoom. the only times i find myself using the 85/1.8 is when i dont feel like carrying a heavy zoom.

i can get about $400CAN back for the 85/1.8 (i got it for about $450...480CAN, so not too bad)... seems rather tempting since i already have a lens in that focal length, and the wider aperture isn't much of a benefit to me.

is there any reason why a 85/1.8 would come in handy next to being lighter and stealthier than the 80-200? i don't shoot sports indoors, and if im indoors i'm close enough to my that a 50mm or 35mm (i'm shooting DX) would do fine...

i'm thinking that the $400 i get back could be better used towards a 50mm and/or a wide angle zoom (tokina 11-16 anybody?)

if it helps i'm shooting with a Nikon D200!

thanks for your time :]

 

[Montana]

If its something you won't use, I wouldn't hesitate to dump it and buy something you will use. But if you are like me, then its different. LOL I can't hardly get rid of anything no matter how little I use it.

 

[Overread]

I'm a little like Montana in not getting rid of stuff once I've got it - esp if its quality stuff You might want to hold onto it - you yourself still say that it has advantages for being smaller and lighter and the wide max aperture might be of benefit in lower light situations.

I won't sell a lens if I don't use it that often because it means that I lose an option from my setup - case in point I've hardly used my 150mm macro this year; but I've still held onto it for those times that I do need it. Further ones shooting can go in phases of interest - so whilst one season you do only one thing the next you might totally change and be using totally different gear.

However if you yourself feel that you're just never going to use the lens again or that its bonuses are not worth keeping hold of it then do by all means sell it on. Its really a judgement call that you yourself have to make based on your own needs, demands and such.

 

[Ventura Photographer]

Well... The 85mm 1.8 is way faster glass, and if it ain't as sharp as the 80~200 somethings wrong.

 

[orb9220]

Tho I tend to be forced to sell glass I am not using for something I think I will.

Was saddened to have to sell my 80-200 f2.8 AF-D to pay medical bills and missing it. As all I can afford now is my 55-200vr. But the other thing is to consider for money lenses is having something that could come in handy as backup due to theft ,breakage ,etc.. Do you have other lenses to get buy with? As have kit lens as backup in case my tammy 17-50 f2.8 takes a dive.
.

 

[Mike_E]

Being a little soft @ f1.8 isn't necessarily a bad thing if you like the people you shoot. Especially the women.

 

[djacobox372]

Being a little soft @ f1.8 isn't necessarily a bad thing if you like the people you shoot. Especially the women.

Exactly.. it's a very usable lens at 1.8... mine is quite sharp wide-open, and even if it was a little soft, that can be a good thing for portraits.

 

[PatrickCheung]

everything that's been said is pretty true... humm... iunno. i was thinking about it again, and it seems that the 85/1.8 sees the most use on my film cameras due to the focal length, and it might be a useful lens when i switch to FX... thanks for the response guys! i think i'll hold on to it for now and just save up for the 11-16

 

[KmH]

i recently acquired a 80-200/2.8, and i love it as a portrait lens... it's just so versatile and the bokeh at 200mm/2.8 is amazing.

The bokeh of the 85 mm f/1.8 is generally recognized as being better than what the 80-200 f/2.8 can produce at any focal length.

I suspect however that you are using the term bokeh incorrectly here, and actually mean depth-of-field.

I would keep both lenses.

Did you notice? You're the only person in the thread so far that doesn't make the appropriate capital letters, and routinely uses multiple periods at the end of a sentence.

 

[Sachphotography]

The 85mm will be a bit sharper than the 80-200 but I would guess that it wont see much use over the zoom. I would probably let it go.

 

[PatrickCheung]

Did you notice? You're the only person in the thread so far that doesn't make the appropriate capital letters, and routinely uses multiple periods at the end of a sentence.

haha yes, i did notice, i don't see much point in keeping professional when i'm online. kinda takes the fun away from being online, unless i'm in a serious conversation.

The 85mm will be a bit sharper than the 80-200 but I would guess that it wont see much use over the zoom. I would probably let it go.

that's the problem, when i'm taking my time with portraits, the 85 comes in handy, but otherwise the 80-200 sees much more use just because of it's ability to zoom. if i have the 80-200 mounted on a photoshoot i don't see much point in taking it off to replace it with the 85, as the 80-200 has served me well as a portrait lens.