Originally posted by dgaies Comparing the 85/1.4 lenses, a more fair comparison might be to the screw driven 85/1.4D of the same vintage as opposed to the much newer 85/1.4G with the built in AF-S motor.
Nikon 85/1.4G $1700 new, $1400-1500 used
Nikon 85/1.4D $800-900 used
Pentax FA*85/1.4 $1200-1400 used
Comparing the 70-200/2.8 options, again I would argue that the 70-200/2.8 VRI is the closer comparison to the 80-200/2.8, and they are about the same price used. Then don't forget the VRI has a silent and fast built in motor and VR.
Nikon 70-200/2.8 VRII $2400 new, $1800-2000 used
Nikon 70-200/2.8 VR1 $1300-1500 used
Pentax FA*80-200/2.8 $1400-1600 used
I feel that the optical stabilization vs sensor stabilization is a wash. There's arguments for each.
Now the silent focusing is something, but short of dredging back up that argument, There's plenty here that strongly dislike SDM, so I feel for some, that is also a wash. Personally, I'd rather have the silent focusing, but I'm not interested in the price difference to Nikon's gear.