>> I do not have this lens but AFAIK it has an excellent reputation as a >> portrait lens. I guess it is soft wide open (which is good for >> portrait).
> Thanks for the opinion, it seems a couple of reports were not so > complimentary, I'm thinking of Stan Halpin's lens comment site. I guess > the lens was primarily designed for portrait distances and may not be > that good for scenics etc. I have found this lens to be a superb lens. I also have the A* 85/1.4, which is indeed a bit sharper, but both lenses have their uses (and I wouldn't give up either). Just because it's not super-sharp wide open should not condemn it as a scenic lens - how many scenics does anyone shoot at 85/1.4 anyway ? I have limited experience with it as an autofocus lens (I use it 99% of the time with manual focus), so I can't offer anything useful on the autofocus problem. However, I just had to comment on the optical qualities comment. Fred
