So, before 365, when I just "owned" a camera, I bought from a colleague at work a fixed, manual 85mm portrait lens, very cheap.
Got it home tried it... what? I have to focus it, and what? manual aperture settings that'll never work.......put lens in drawer, hide it and pretend we never bought it!
This week I have been reading all about everyone's nifty fifty fixed lenses. So.......while no one was looking I uncovered the rather sad and lonely 85mm and whoa.....I love it. It's not ideal clearly it's 85mm not 50mm.....but it does make me want a nifty fifty.
Oh...and there is a series of flower pictures coming up. It's a portrait lens, I know, but the flowers keep still and are more tolerant of my manual "fiddling"!! Besides I fancy a month of nature, since it's June, and it's "busting out all over" and all that!
Yep ideally suited to canvas print as for lens my 50 is manual focus or auto always use on it on manual as you have complete control : quality of image from this 85mm prime is stunning !
Great clarity and colour. Good to find uses for the old equipment. A bit like revisiting old friends in a way. Although much has chagned you are gently reminded why you were firends in the first place. :)
@steviepix yes I know what you mean, but this lens and I were never friends, perhaps I didn't speak its language....thanks to 365, and my joy at learning to turn off the autofocus......we can now communicate. (Fear this discovery may be expensive.......step away from the camera shop!)
Congrats, Nicola, on taking the plunge and enjoying your lens! I'm one who's recently bought a 50mm, so I can relate. It's not good for everything, but for the things it's good for, it's GREAT!!
@nicolaeastwood definitely not too much! The 85mm gives a different kind of bokeh, I think and is such a fabulous lens. I'm surprised it doesn't get as much publicity as the 50mm here on 365. :)
