> Why would you want a sharp portrait lens anyway ? Well, ~I~ like sharp portraits, as a rule. My subjects don't always like 'em, so I have to be flexible. However (as has been said here before on the PDML when discussing portrait lenses), you can always soften a sharp lens, but you just can't sharpen a soft lens. I would never consider a "softish" lens as anything more than a secondary (although often useful) portrait lens.
Fred
