Opticallimits reviews RF 85mm f/1.2

H. Jones

Photojournalist
Aug 1, 2014
803
1,637
Just dropped a bunch of change on the R5, RF 35 1.8, and RF 70-200, but the next decision I have to make is between the 28-70 f/2 or 85mm f/1.2... Going to be a tough choice. Historically almost all of my portraits are shot with the 24-70mm for environmental portraits, or 70-200 for tighter headshots, so I lean towards the 28-70 F/2 actually having a greater impact on my day to day news portrait work. But I don't have a "real" portrait lens for standard headshots or a fast telephoto prime, so the 85mm is a gap in my gear. Ultimately the choice will probably come down to which I can find a better deal on first though.

I had been considering the 85mm f/2 when it was announced, but I think the RF 70-200 will be perfectly fine and small enough for my travel/vacation telephoto needs, and the 28-70mm f/2 is *so* close to 85mm f/2 at 70mm f/2, so I don't see myself spending money on an 85mm slower than f/1.4.
 
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BeenThere

CR Pro
Sep 4, 2012
1,242
672
Eastern Shore
Just dropped a bunch of change on the R5, RF 35 1.8, and RF 70-200, but the next decision I have to make is between the 28-70 f/2 or 85mm f/1.2... Going to be a tough choice. Historically almost all of my portraits are shot with the 24-70mm for environmental portraits, or 70-200 for tighter headshots, so I lean towards the 28-70 F/2 actually having a greater impact on my day to day news portrait work. But I don't have a "real" portrait lens for standard headshots or a fast telephoto prime, so the 85mm is a gap in my gear. Ultimately the choice will probably come down to which I can find a better deal on first though.

I had been considering the 85mm f/2 when it was announced, but I think the RF 70-200 will be perfectly fine and small enough for my travel/vacation telephoto needs, and the 28-70mm f/2 is *so* close to 85mm f/2 at 70mm f/2, so I don't see myself spending money on an 85mm slower than f/1.4.
Looks like you have it figured out. :unsure:
 
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Jethro

EOS R
CR Pro
Jul 14, 2018
996
1,035
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Just dropped a bunch of change on the R5, RF 35 1.8, and RF 70-200, but the next decision I have to make is between the 28-70 f/2 or 85mm f/1.2... Going to be a tough choice. Historically almost all of my portraits are shot with the 24-70mm for environmental portraits, or 70-200 for tighter headshots, so I lean towards the 28-70 F/2 actually having a greater impact on my day to day news portrait work. But I don't have a "real" portrait lens for standard headshots or a fast telephoto prime, so the 85mm is a gap in my gear. Ultimately the choice will probably come down to which I can find a better deal on first though.

I had been considering the 85mm f/2 when it was announced, but I think the RF 70-200 will be perfectly fine and small enough for my travel/vacation telephoto needs, and the 28-70mm f/2 is *so* close to 85mm f/2 at 70mm f/2, so I don't see myself spending money on an 85mm slower than f/1.4.

Fyi, in case you didn’t know already, the RF 28-70 has a fair bit of focus breathing- at closer distances it’s not quite as long as you might think. It’s still an amazing lens for sure, unfortunately for me it’s not really a replacement for an 85mm If you shoot at close distances
 
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Dec 13, 2010
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I ordered this yesterday, will arrive tomorrow or the day after. Going to be fun to try it out. I've got the f/1.4 L but the CA is all over the place and sometimes hard to edit out. Hope this match my R5 nicely.
I sold my EF f1.4 because of the hazy CA and the huge amount of purple fringing. The RF85L will not disappoint you, it’s truly epic .
 
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I sold my EF f1.4 because of the hazy CA and the huge amount of purple fringing. The RF85L will not disappoint you, it’s truly epic .
Yes, so iv'e heard as well. Been checking out som reviews on YouTube for a week or so. Almost every single one of them that were using EOS R or RP was going like: "I hope Canon will release a Camera body making this lens justice" and those reviews was a year or older.
In some later reviews that used the R5 said it is really impressive. Virtually no CA at all.
I've had the 85 f/1.8 (great sharpness and bokeh, but huge CA), and the 85 f/1.4 as stated, great lens overall, but all the CA is just boring. So I'm selling it.


E: added a review that got me to decide buying it.
 
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Dec 13, 2010
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What's the deal with the bit of onioning going on in the bokeh? I know its super sharp with less CA and much faster autofocus, but it does not seem like a direct replacement for the EF 85mm f/1.2L II in terms of pure rendering. More like a better version of the EF 85mm f/1.4L.
I’ve seen quite a few bokeh comparisons, and it’s much smoother then any EF 85. I think maybe Gordon Laing had a comparison among others.
 
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Aug 22, 2013
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Del Paso

M3 Singlestroke
CR Pro
Aug 9, 2018
3,276
4,158
Sorry, but I'm getting fed up with all this "objective" (MTF) - "subjective" (bokeh") testing.
Real user experience is what I want to hear, not test-chart results, or self-declared expert judgments.
Reading reviews is only one tiny part in my decision -taking, I rather rely on CR member's opinion.
The RF 1,2/85 is a wonderful lens. Period!
 
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Sorry, but I'm getting fed up with all this "objective" (MTF) - "subjective" (bokeh") testing.
Real user experience is what I want to hear, not test-chart results, or self-declared expert judgments.
Reading reviews is only one tiny part in my decision -taking, I rather rely on CR member's opinion.
The RF 1,2/85 is a wonderful lens. Period!

It's all about taste and personal preferences. I think it's quite good actually. Don't think I'll use it that much thou, but time will tell :)
 
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