85L with DLO

[rs]

I am considering buying an 85L II, and I was wondering if anyone out there processes their 85L images with DPP using DLO?

The reason I want this lens is the way it renders images; there's simply nothing like it. A very minor secondary concern for me with a lens like this is sharpness. While I know it's sharp wide open, its not bristling with detail like my 16-35/4 IS, 24-70 II, 70-200 II or 100L. They're all so technically good I see very little improvement with DLO and my FF Canon lenses.

Does anyone out there have experience using DLO with the 85L II, and what effects it can have?

 

[tolusina]

I have absolutely no idea.
I'm posting because (almost) no thread deserves to go un-replied.

 

[rs]

I have absolutely no idea.
I'm posting because (almost) no thread deserves to go un-replied.

;D

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

The lens is very sharp in the center, but falls off more toward the edges. Many portrait lenses do this so its not altogether bad.

It really does not need help. DLO can make subtle improvements, but nothing that reaches out and grabs me, except for the file size.

 

[chromophore]

I assume by "DLO" you mean the "Digital Lens Optimizer" feature in DPP.

I use DPP 4 and use this feature when I process my images from the EF 85/1.2L II and EF 35/1.4L. I mostly shoot with primes and these two lenses comprise the bulk of my shots.

My observations are as follows:

[list type=decimal]
[*]Achieving accurate focus is still critical. DLO does not correct for missed focus.
[*]The overall visual impact of DLO varies from photo to photo. Assuming correct focus, sharpness improves most when the point of focus is somewhat off-center (i.e., not in the extreme corner but also not at the image center, where aberrations are optically minimal). The impact also varies with the subject and contrast.
[*]DLO seems to correct minor aberrations reasonably well, but it is not the entire extent of one's processing workflow if the goal is to maximize image quality. Longitudinal chromatic aberration (axial color) is slightly corrected in some cases, as is some of the comatic aberration.
[*]DLO is slow, but on modern computers running DPP 4, it is not excessively slow. Still, I only use it on the images that I plan to process further in Photoshop. Most photographers, I think, would prefer to use Lightroom + PS.
[*]The EF 85/1.2L II is sharp in the image center at f/1.2, but only for yellow-green wavelengths. The red portion of the spectrum tends to be blurriest. DLO only slightly compensates for this. It's not a miracle cure.
[/list]

 

[scyrene]

I assume by "DLO" you mean the "Digital Lens Optimizer" feature in DPP.

I use DPP 4 and use this feature when I process my images from the EF 85/1.2L II and EF 35/1.4L. I mostly shoot with primes and these two lenses comprise the bulk of my shots.

My observations are as follows:

[list type=decimal]
[*]Achieving accurate focus is still critical. DLO does not correct for missed focus.
[*]The overall visual impact of DLO varies from photo to photo. Assuming correct focus, sharpness improves most when the point of focus is somewhat off-center (i.e., not in the extreme corner but also not at the image center, where aberrations are optically minimal). The impact also varies with the subject and contrast.
[*]DLO seems to correct minor aberrations reasonably well, but it is not the entire extent of one's processing workflow if the goal is to maximize image quality. Longitudinal chromatic aberration (axial color) is slightly corrected in some cases, as is some of the comatic aberration.
[*]DLO is slow, but on modern computers running DPP 4, it is not excessively slow. Still, I only use it on the images that I plan to process further in Photoshop. Most photographers, I think, would prefer to use Lightroom + PS.
[*]The EF 85/1.2L II is sharp in the image center at f/1.2, but only for yellow-green wavelengths. The red portion of the spectrum tends to be blurriest. DLO only slightly compensates for this. It's not a miracle cure.
[/list]

While I haven't used this software, I would echo - correct focus is likely to make a much bigger difference than any PP solution. f/1.2 is stunning, and this lens is a dream for portraits - BUT it's easy to get the focus on the eyelashes but not the pupil, etc. It's unforgiving at 100%. Note the chromatic aberrations too - quite strong wide open. Lightroom works well, but not if you have lots of green/red-purple in your subject, as it will indiscriminately desaturate edges.

 

[rs]

Thanks for all the replies. I didn't need much encouragement, but your replies have helped convince me to place the order. Hopefully it'll be here in the next couple of days

 

[scyrene]

Thanks for all the replies. I didn't need much encouragement, but your replies have helped convince me to place the order. Hopefully it'll be here in the next couple of days

Awesome! Have fun I'd still have mine, but I had to trade it in for a new laptop.

 

[mackguyver]

I have found that DLO doesn't make a huge difference on fast lenses or lenses shot wide open, but it's always worth a try if you have the time and feel you need it, especially for large prints.

With the 85 and other lenses between f/1.2 and 1.4, I find that calibrating AFMA makes a huge difference in both sharpness and CA levels.