Originally posted by Rondec That's very odd. I think that the consensus would be that the 85 f1.4 would have hands down better out of focus rendering than the 24-70.
Obviously, as you have demonstrated, there is no arguing over taste, but I would argue that I would much prefer the qualities of the DFA *50 when shooting. In the end, the question comes down more to the skill of the photographer than the lens itself and what he or she makes of it. I guess it is good that you have immunized yourself against lenses like this. You've probably saved a bundle of money in the process.
I don't say 24-70/2.8G is the bokeh king. What I stressed on is that the Sigma's bokeh is too dull. Actually, not only the bokeh was dull but images as a whole. It's hard to describe but they look something like this -
The D FA* 50 may be a little bit better than the Sigma 50 Art but there are similarities between them. Images don't look natural, they look vapid.
As for the 85/1.4G, yes, its bokeh was smoother but also in a way like the Sigma. images from FA*85 look much much better. Some say that one of the reasons for this is because there are too many lens elements in them. Too much glass is not good for micro-contrast, 3D-pop, and rich color.