> The 105mm 2.0 DC and slightly older 135mm 2.0 DC [...]
I almost never change the defocus control on the 135/2.0 from neutral, yet I believe the lens makes it almost impossible to take a bad portrait. The only reason to keep a DSLR around instead of a mirrorless is that this lens has an old-school camera driven auto-focus, which Nikon's F-to-Z adapters don't support. While manually focusing that lens can be done, the shallow depth of field makes it very challenging for moving subjects.
I almost never change the defocus control on the 135/2.0 from neutral, yet I believe the lens makes it almost impossible to take a bad portrait. The only reason to keep a DSLR around instead of a mirrorless is that this lens has an old-school camera driven auto-focus, which Nikon's F-to-Z adapters don't support. While manually focusing that lens can be done, the shallow depth of field makes it very challenging for moving subjects.