I got balls!

[Basil]

Bokeh balls that is! One of my favorite lenses is my Canon 135mm F2 prime. It's also my brightest "tele" lens. I bought this used from a local guy and it's it perfect condition. This picture is a crystal guitar that was sitting on my kitchen counter with a Christmas tree in the background. This was shot with my Canon 5D Mark IV, the EF 135 at F2 and 1/160th. ISO was on the high side at 6400 due to the shot being in low light (but the 5D4 does a good job with keeping noise down at fairly high ISO).

 

[Basil]

I found that the 135 F2 is a perfect lens for indoor shoots with poor lighting where flash either can't be used or subjects are too far for flash to be effective.

 

[DrEntropy]

The beauty of fast glass!

Just shot these with my old Soligor 135mm ∱2.0.
Kept the ISO at 800 as nothing was moving, camera on Manual. Top shot at ∱2.0, 800 sec. and contrast increased in Lightroom, from a distance of about six feet. Second shot at between ∱5.6 & ∱4.0, 1200 sec. just size reduced to post it. Foreground leaf was about two feet away, the focus point at twenty.

 

[Basil]

That top picture seems to have bokeh balls that are nice and round like in my first shot.

 

[DrEntropy]

The optic and D7200. An interesting difference between the D7200 and D7500: The 7200 has capability to assign one Fn button to preview DoF. The 7500 does not.

 

[Basil]

My 7D2 and 5D4 both have ability to assign DoF to one of the Fn buttons, the default button being the one that is on the front of the camera near the lower right of where the lens mounts. However, I find it isn't all that useful and doesn't seem to give me a good sense of what the DoF will actually be. for that reason, I have assigned that button to switch between single shot drive mode and AI Servo (multiple shots when holding the shutter button)

 

[DrEntropy]

My 7D2 and 5D4 both have ability to assign DoF to one of the Fn buttons, the default button being the one that is on the front of the camera near the lower right of where the lens mounts.

Nice. I'd give up the articulating rear LED screen for a DoF feature on the D7500. IMO Nikon made a mistake there. But I realize it's an APS-C camera, not a "serious" full-frame pro unit. They likely did some serious research into what the pro-sumer target market would prefer.

However, I find it isn't all that useful and doesn't seem to give me a good sense of what the DoF will actually be. for that reason, I have assigned that button to switch between single shot drive mode and AI Servo (multiple shots when holding the shutter button)

Interesting. I use the DoF feature fairly often and miss it on the D7500. Obviously Canon and Nikon do different things in different ways, these things have the multi-frame choices on a dial; S (single frame) CL and CH for continuous low and high speed frame rates. I've set the focus button to the back AE-L/AF-L one, and for now, as "continuous" when holding it down. Still playing with things.

 

[Basil]

On my Canons the DOF function does really seem to give me any meaningful DOF view. It just seems to darken the background.

 

[DrEntropy]

Hmm... does it physically close down aperture or is it an electronic device?

Now I'm curious as to whether any of the mirrorless bodies have a DoF preview feature. And how it is achieved.

 

[DrEntropy]

Did a "deep dive" into all the reviewer's blather on the D7500, most of the articles on first release of the thing were all: "No two card slots" and other whining over what Nikon left off that the D7200 had. One guy even made a leap of faith that there must be a way to assign one of the function buttons to engage DoF preview... NOT!

More recent articles have seemed to mellow somewhat.

In that pile of dissent, one guy's article revealed a way to preview DoF. Awkward as it is, the way to do it is to use "Live View" on the back LED screen. As you open or close the aperture the sensor coupled with the screen will show the DoF. I would rather keep my eye on the viewfinder (crotchety old fart that I am), but if on sticks and with a static subject, the method will be useful. Hand-held "in the wild" I'll have to use my best WAG. Should be close enough from experience but I'd still like to simply push a button for confirmation.