Should I sell my 70-200L vii for the 85mm 1.2?

[Dylan777]

i have the 70-200 v2 and bought the 85 1.8 returned it and just received the 85 1.2 L today . i would recommend renting it to see if you like it. It's slow to focus in low light even with my 1Dx. The 85 1.8 would focus much faster and cheaper and lighter. Like the 70-200 L2, this thing is heavy. Thinking about returning it and get the 24-70 V2

What is the reason made you return the 1.8? thx

[dirtcastle]

i have the 70-200 v2 and bought the 85 1.8 returned it and just received the 85 1.2 L today . i would recommend renting it to see if you like it. It's slow to focus in low light even with my 1Dx. The 85 1.8 would focus much faster and cheaper and lighter. Like the 70-200 L2, this thing is heavy. Thinking about returning it and get the 24-70 V2

I also find the 85mm f/1.2 AF to be slow. But what I noticed is that if I "pre-focus" before I compose, it is much quicker to achieve the final focus when I need it. And now that I pre-focus habitually, I almost never notice how slow the AF is. But that's just me. And I tend to compose rather carefully and I'm not shooting sports and trying to focus back-and-forth between all sorts of distant a close-up objects.

[treyconnally]

I've looked nonstop at portraits for the past 3 days from the 85 1.2 & the 70-200 and I'm always drawn to the 85mm.  I think I'll ditch my 24-70 as well, and get the 135mm with that.

Thanks my friends!

[birtembuk]

Got both and use both but obviously for pretty different photo styles. I'll sure keep 'em both but I admit that this 85/1.2 is too good to be true. So, if I really had to make a choice, it would be utterly Cornelian but in the end I'd give back the 70-200. Sigh ...     

[treyconnally]

Got both and use both but obviously for pretty different photo styles. I'll sure keep 'em both but I admit that this 85/1.2 is too good to be true. So, if I really had to make a choice, it would be utterly Cornelian but in the end I'd give back the 70-200. Sigh ... 

I put an add up for my 70-200mm.  After looking at photo after photo... After photo... I'm convinced that even though it's slow focusing, I'll love the way the pictures turn out.

I just hope I don't lose too much money selling my 70-200.  I bought it when it was released for $2499. (At the time a good deal) because of the price spikes after the earthquake reached the upwards of $2,999 for the lens.

[tphillips63]

Since you have decided what to do, just don;t sell it for the first low ball offer, take your time with it and get what you want determine is a good fair price.

It does sound like you prefer the primes so I am sure you be be delighted when you get them.

[Bosman]

I know that these lenses are completely different, but I have the 35L and it almost never comes off of my body.  I love it. 

I shoot wedding, portraits, street photography... etc. etc.  The 70-200 is great and all, I just never use it...

Should I sell it and get the 85mm 1.2 and then have the 35L, 85L & 24-70mm?

I'm open minded.  Just looking for some opinions

I'm shooting a 5DMKii & 1vHS.

It sounds like you figured it out but id like to weigh in on my thinking. First i have owned all lenses mentioned, the 24-70, the 50L, the 70-200L and LII, the 35, the 135, the 85LI. My style has changed over time i'd say. Some time ago i have sold all of them, sold the 85LI for the 50L to have the F1.2 and the focus speed. I have had the 24-70 and it was my go to workhorse lens for weddings. I rarely used the 35 because of the 24-70. The 135 is a headshot lens, while the lens was incredible in every way i never had the desire to find places to shoot where i could back up enough for the full body work. The 70-200 image rendering was amazing and it had that quick focus and flexibility i enjoyed about the 24-70. I sold the 135. For some time with weddings when trying to shoot primes and having way too many lenses i was swapping lenses out left and right at weddings meaning more chances to drop something or get a dirty sensor. The 24-70 on my 1dm3 and the 70-200 or 50L on my 5d handled my wedding work for a few years. I got many many great images with the combo. Before this season started I got it in my head that i want dreamier images and im going to shoot wide apertures. I looked at my data and a large percentage of my shots on the 24-70 were at 24 on my 1dm3. So i bought a 24. Then i thought man, i want 2 5dm3's which would mean the effective focal range of the 1dm3 at 24 was almost 35. I was thinking, what did i do, i shoulda got the 35. Since i couldn't afford another $3500 to be dropped on another 5dm3 I decided the 24L should go on the 1dm3 and the 50 on the 5DM3 and I shot that way all this year. On occassion i shot the 70-200 for the bokeh and focal length, 200mm at F2.8 is pretty darn nice! For me the 70-200 was never meant to be a wedding lens it was my sports lens. By far focus reliability among all lenses goes to the 70-200 either version. Well I unloaded a 5D, my 24-70, 50L, 1.4x extender for the 70-200, the 15mm fisheye this week and i have been looking at 85LII images for the past couple months and I decided to go to the store the other day and look at the 85 sigma and the 85 Canon version. I knew of course focus would be slower but like someone mentioned and like my version ! of the lens if you prefocus or you subjects are all within a 5ft range of each other focus is decently fast. Although i have read so much about the Sigma and have seen samples when in the store i didnt judge my decision on price i decided on how my test images were looking and the 85 ruled the sigma in my opinion. the sigma had tons of purple fringing on black text the canon not so much. I understand there will be, thats the nature that this type of lens has.
All that to say the 5dm3 gets the 85LII and the 1dm3 gets the 24L and the 70-200 when needed. This means things are super simplified. I think my experience has allowed me to shoot more prime work these days. I will miss the 24-70 most so maybe that is a future purchase, because the 24-70 is very good for shooting marathon finishline work.
Ok that's a lot but philosophy and having things played out tends to help people maybe consider what works best for them. I vote go with the 85LII. I am thinking since you don't use the 70-200 much i agree with Nuero, sell it. I for one find mine to be indispensable for wedding ceremonies where i have ot stay back and yet get a better look at the ring exchange and the kiss. I also find it useful at toast so i can get out of peoples way. Perhaps you can get most of those things with the 85 but a crop body may help with that. I could probabaly go on and on but would love to hear about what you land on and when you get it. I am stoked because my 85LII locked on the focus everytime even at F1.2. Love it!

[Zv]

If the 85 1.2 gives u the images you desire then go for it. With the extra wonga left from the sale buy th 135L, most people on this forum would kill to have the holy trinity. Me included! 

[Act444]

As far as I'm concerned you'd have to pry the 70-200 out of my cold, dead hands. lol

I did try the 85 1.2 at the store and found it delivered amazing quality with little effort. However, the focusing was sloooow.

Given a personal choice the 70-200, to me, is MUCH more versatile. The 85 strikes me as a specialty lens (excels at studio/posed portraits, forget about anything moving), but then again, some people need that kind of performance.

[K-amps]

I've looked nonstop at portraits for the past 3 days from the 85 1.2 & the 70-200 and I'm always drawn to the 85mm.  I think I'll ditch my 24-70 as well, and get the 135mm with that.

Thanks my friends!

I was going to suggest the same.... ditch the 24-70 and get a 135 f2 before you ditch the 70-200mk.ii

Try the f1.2 out first (rent borrow etc) it is a studio lens and needs time to work with in the open/ handheld. you will get some nice shots, but some that you will need to chuck due to slow AF and razor sharp doF.

Try is first!

[Zv]

Maybe its just me - but wouldnt it be extremely difficult to take a portrait with an 85mm @ f/1.2? I find f/2 tough - only the eyes and a few strands of hair are ever in focus and if the subject is angled even a bit, one eye will be oof. 

Surely the 70-200 @ 85mm and f/2.8 gives shallow enough dof and excellent bokeh?? I havent used it only speculating.

I find the 85mm f/1.8 is quite good between f/2-2.8 if you want to consider it as an alt?? it focuses super fast too. Then u could keep the 70-200 too!

[dirtcastle]

Maybe its just me - but wouldnt it be extremely difficult to take a portrait with an 85mm @ f/1.2? I find f/2 tough - only the eyes and a few strands of hair are ever in focus and if the subject is angled even a bit, one eye will be oof. 

Surely the 70-200 @ 85mm and f/2.8 gives shallow enough dof and excellent bokeh?? I havent used it only speculating.

Yes, but here are a few techniques for getting focused with the 85mm f/1.2.

1. Autofocus Microadjustments can help when lens AF is not properly calibrated.
2. Shoot multiple shots, pick the best ones.
3. Set a high shutter speed to reduce subject motion.
4. Bump the aperture a bit (f/1.4 to f/2). You will get better sharpness and more blur than you'd get at f/2.8 on a 70-200mm.

[drjlo]

3. Set a high shutter speed to reduce subject motion.

Agreed with the suggestions.  I do often get much sharper results with 85L if I set the ISO a bit higher than auto would.  Although f/1.8-2.8 is easier to shoot, I do find the paritcular magic at f/1.2 difficult to abandon, something not reproducible with any other lens, so I try to brace my body parts on something if possible, i.e. an elbow on table, a shoulder on wall, etc. 

[mhvogel.de]

no. of cause not.

[Zv]

3. Set a high shutter speed to reduce subject motion.

Agreed with the suggestions.  I do often get much sharper results with 85L if I set the ISO a bit higher than auto would.  Although f/1.8-2.8 is easier to shoot, I do find the paritcular magic at f/1.2 difficult to abandon, something not reproducible with any other lens, so I try to brace my body parts on something if possible, i.e. an elbow on table, a shoulder on wall, etc.

If your gonna shoot at f1.8 - 2.8 then whats the point in getting the 85L? I reckon you should only buy it if you absolutely need f/1.2 - 2 othewise your wasting your money.