There's no such thing as a bad lens. (Short I)
Whatever you read on the www, including here, do not take it at face value but one thing that is quite clear is that some people need a gym membership or some more Weetabix in the morning.
The first thing is, there are no general use lenses that are too heavy, you'll see it all the time in older lens 'reviews' or Forum posts....Oooh it's too heavy, oooh it weighs more than a tin of beans, really, in what world can a few ounces or even a couple of lbs, in ratio to an average 12st of Human Mass and Muscle, of metal weigh you down, in what world does anyone carry a Camera up to their face constantly or in their hands all day, I would have thought not many and if required in your field of work then it's just part of that job and a skill to learn, like keeping both eyes open, so you can see what is going on outside of the view of the viewfinder, a useful method for Live Stage work as an example and from personal experience, a very useful method to learn.
That's what straps where invented for, geez even when I was trekking around on muddy Festival sites for 12 hours at a time did I moan about the weight of my gear, not really because, one, because I had a decent bag and two, a Camera strap that works to this day (O/T - 1990's) and three, I only took enough equipment to do the job at hand, this is area specific, I've seen some photographers weighed down by gear but that's because they take too much back up gear or just in case gear, but oooh look at that car, the wheels are too round....is funny.
You can take all your ultimately pointless pixel peeping and shove it, look at all the pixels you want, it won't make your pics any better, it won't make you more wise, it won't make you a better person or photographer, there are areas where it might mean something but in the real world, it means absolutely nothing, yet the www is full of tests and charts, it still means nothing when it's on the Camera and being used.
It's knowing your gear and using it within it's capabilities and its weaknesses to your advantage, you can get a good picture with any lens, how it turns out doesn't rely on the tests you've pointlessly, obsessively read, in fact it's not even the Camera you are using as they are a mechanical means to an end, and at the end of the day only perform the 3 main functions, if the idea isn't in your head then no amount of good or 'bad' gear will help you.
For now I'll leave you with some quotes from a Nikon Engineer:
But this is a characteristic of the lens, and cannot be dismissed as an out-and-out defect.
The aperture stop is normally used to control exposure, soft focus effects, and depth of field, but having an idea of the changes in imaging characteristics with variations in the aperture will enable you to get just that little extra from the lens characteristics. One object is to find the aperture which gives you just the kind of image you like.
It seems that every introductory book on photography includes a statement to the effect that: "A 50mm lens is the universal workhorse, that can function both as wide-angle and telephoto. But one could also say that by the very fact of being a universal lens it tends to fall between two stools, and learning to use such a lens to the full is actually rather difficult.
I often think of the 50mm lens as a "short medium-telephoto." Though trying to learn how to use it as a universal lens may be difficult, think of it as just one of a set of interchangeable lenses, and the possibilities remain vastIf you don't understand what these might lead to or encountered such thoughts about your equipment, then I think you're potentially not using your gear to its maximum capabilities, quality or usability....
Otherwise you need to adopt a manual technique. This is one of the difficulties in using vintage glass!
I've nothing against AF at all, it's a feature that is useful and makes some Photographers lives a more relaxing experience and easier when working, but personally I know how to use a lens manually, it's one of the first things I learned and if otherwise by others then becoming reliant on one technique or technology could limit ones progress in demanding situations, it allows a wider working safety net and possibly wider experiences, working in quiet environments is a positive example, and is also the preferred method used in Macro work, even with new AF advances, professionally or amateur, it matters not.
It's not difficult to manual focus at all, it can be a monotone learning curve as repetition is key, knowing your lens is important, there are different levels of need, I can for my needs but not to the level of, let's say, Bird in Flight Photography, I'd get lucky because focusing manually for me feels natural through practice, but not consistant, it would take only a few months though to move up a level as it's a progressive, repetitive method.
Don't get me wrong on not recommending this lens - I don't think it's hopeless, I'm just not sure of it's relevance in the digital age. It's not wide enough to be a proper landscape/wide lens - but of course has no reach either, and because of its f2.8 combined with a not-long 28mm, it doesn't throw backgrounds out particularly easily.
It's relevance isn't relevant, DSLR or SLR it is what it is, whatever the use, want wider landscapes, use a wider lens, plenty of landscape Photographers use a 28mm lens without issue, want reach, everyone knows, want a little reach, I find my Nikkor 85mm f2 is reach enough with a nice soft touch if I need it, without adding more glass, if it's hard to get the results you want then it's either broke, your not using it as it should be to get where you want or it's the wrong lens for the idea, if I want a little less reach then a 50mm f1.8 is perfect.
The older lens also renders pictures with more “character” but this is so subjective because some people either like or hate the look of pictures taken using older lenses and this has been the topic of debates for decades and I hope that this article will show you how this lens performs so you can make your own personal judgement.
You will want to use this with its dedicated lens hood to help protect
the front element. It is also useful in helping to prevent stray light
hitting the front element from an angle and that will prevent any ghosts
and flares from appearing in your pictures. Digital cameras are more
prone to ghosts than film because they reflect more light due to the
protective glass in front of the sensor, this is why many manufacturers
offer digital versions of their lenses some time in the early 2000s.
This lens is one of the best deals in portrait lenses today. This is a
portrait photographer’s secret weapon and the value-to-performance ratio
of this lens is very good. Once you see how this lens performs you will
wonder why you will want to pay a more expensive lens. If you are fine
with manual focusing then this lens will fill your portraiture needs! If
you don’t believe me then please inspect my sample pictures and see for
yourself! (Nikon 85mm f2)
From the experienced mind of Mr Richard Haw and his thoughtful and useful words, it is all personal, you'll be happier recalling this when 'listening' to others opinions and find his words in the last paragraph agreeable with my own opinion of my 26yr old 85/2.
A useful tip and shows he's experienced enough to be using the equipment to get the best out of it, that's important when learning or getting more interested in the more technically or engineering detail of Nikon equipment, the Lens itself is part of a system, designed to work together, always OEM when buying here, for a reason and noted is the limitation of the new technology at the time, knowing how something works is very useful.
If you are a Nikon fan of a certain level of interest you know who RW is and his thoughts are useful to consider when deciding on what one might either need a lens for a certain use or to purchase something for your personal collection.
A Personal Reference Site: https://richardhaw.com/
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I'll leave these here:
"Poor lenses can be used to make fine photographs, but how much more fun is it to use good lenses and not need to find ways around their shortcomings".
David Ruether
Even an average Lens is better than most Photographers....