Thanks Guys!!! @birdman59, I don't own an FA lens. I thought about getting the FA 85mm 1.4, but it was just too expensive used on ebay. That was about 7 months ago, and since then the price has gone up even more. It's ridiculous, really, but to own one is a blessing
Currently, I use 3 different lenses for all the portraits I take: Sigma 85mm 1.4 (for my pentax k-x), Tamron 70-200mm 2.8 Macro (for my pentax k-x) and the 85mm 1.4 D for m Nikon D90 and D300. I don't list the lens used since there can be several used for any posting. I know it's probably a Cardinal Sin for posting anything taken with a Nikon product, but I like pentaxforums. I call this home, since I started out with the K-x and still use and love the camera and love the vibe here in the forum. I think the picture and technique offers valuable insight (perhaps) and may be just as important as the model of equipment used which is another reason I post regardless of the lens/camera used. The Sigma 85 is an incredible lens. It's arguably among the sharpest 2 or 3 85mm primes available (center sharpness) and gives a cleaner looking image than the nikon 85mm 1.4 D. Between the Tamron 70-200 2.8 and the Sigma 85, it's a toss up. They're both fantastic pieces of engineering and I can't tell the difference in sharpness between the two with the naked eye. The Nikon 85mm 1.4 D lens, however, has more prominent, larger bokeh and a noticeably greater 3D effect than the Sigma 85mm, which is one reason why it's one of my favorite lenses to use for portrait photography. Nikon cameras render substantially greater "micro contrast", "contrast" or "Pop", whatever you want to call it, than pentax does between raw files. Eyes look and lips look incredibly wet and skin shines with brilliance. The way each manufacturer and model renders the file, regardless of lens used makes a big difference (personal opinion). Pentax cameras render raw files more "toned down". I thought about getting the FA 77mm 1.8 at one time, but went with the Tamron 70-200 2.8 macro instead. I have absolutely no regrets...
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