Originally posted by 2351HD Hi all,
I currently have the DFA 90mm, the FA 150mm and the FA80-160mm lenses.
In an effort to strip down weight in my system I have decided that until we see a new DFA 80-160 or 90-180 (180 max being my ideal) lens that is on the roadmap, I want to go back to using just one lens for short tele work (mainly landscape), plus having just one lens in the bag makes one think more about composition rather than "oh I need the other lens out"
I have tested all 3 lenses and can conclude the following:
1. The DFA 90 and the FA150 are definitely sharper than the 80-160, or perhaps they have more contrast, which at the end of the day equates to sharpness anyway in my book. Tested at F8 and F11.
2. I have checked through old photos and most taken with the 90mm have been cropped, at least a similar crop to 120mm.
3. The OS in the 90mm is not very effective. I use a monopod for walkaround 645 work and at critical speeds of 1/40, 1/60 and 1/80, the OS was not offering any benefit being on or off. Same goes for handheld with proper use, given that the monopod could interfere with the OS effectiveness in the same way a tripod can.
So I was thinking of the following: sell the DFA 90 (which is mint) and with the money from that, purchase a FA 120 and the new DFA 35mm (I would very much like the new 35) and probably have some change left over.
Is there anybody in the forum that has compared the 90 to the 120 and can offer an opinion on sharpness, contrast and CA etc?
Your experiences with the 90mm Macro I can not confirm. I find the OS very useful handheld although for landscape I mostly use my tripod. If your photos taken with the 90mm have to be cropped, its not the fault of the lens...
But I agree totally in your effort to go just for two lenses. I very often have just the 2.8/90mm Macro and the FA 3.5/35* in my bag. These two lenses cover 90% of my photographic work. If required I take the FA 2.8/150mm with me, but not very often. With this equipment I feel very lightweight and comfortable even it's MF.
*will be replaced by the new HD 35mm in the next few days...