Review - Canon EF 85 f/1.2L II
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RLPhoto said:
That's exactly how I felt about it. Really nice, if not tricky, lens to use. I got some great shots.
Buuuuut... actually using a lens is really important, otherwise it's just a couple grand sitting like a rock.
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JVLphoto said:
Mine has not seen major use, though I will have to more after this review.
It will hold its value, but it really is a specialized lens ...portraits and still life ...yes....action or moving kids or events with adults...only way to get enough keepers is to just take a lot of shots...which is fundamentally different from the way I work and is less satisfying creatively...and sometimes you will miss the moment regardless.
Can be frustrating...but when it hits...it is splendid.
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I keep the 85 on my 5DIII almost all the time. I love it for so many reasons and often use it wide open (probably more often than I should). I don't take pictures of fast moving things so the slow focusing speed is not an issue. I do wish it could focus a bit closer than the 95cm MFD so would add this to the cons.
I just love the bokeh and the centre sharpness at F/1.2. Colour and contrast are beautiful. I have all the usual suspects and need a good reason to move to the 50 F/1.2L or the 135 F/2L.
I have tried the 85 on an ASP-C camera a few times and have found it profoundly "meh" compared to the beautiful performance on full-frame. I quite like the vignetting, but as the review says, this is easy to fix in post.
Of all my lenses this is the one I would replace in a heartbeat if it was lost.
I just love the bokeh and the centre sharpness at F/1.2. Colour and contrast are beautiful. I have all the usual suspects and need a good reason to move to the 50 F/1.2L or the 135 F/2L.
I have tried the 85 on an ASP-C camera a few times and have found it profoundly "meh" compared to the beautiful performance on full-frame. I quite like the vignetting, but as the review says, this is easy to fix in post.
Of all my lenses this is the one I would replace in a heartbeat if it was lost.
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TheAshleyJones said:
I think if 50L works for you, and is your preferred standard lens, then 85L is just a little close in focal range and may be a tad redundant for the price. I know many have both and find use...but the focal lengths if one is fair are not really that far apart.
35mm as a standard is a better pairing with 85mm but weather one needs the f1.2 or the f1.8 which does 90% of the L for one-fifth the price depends on the kind of use and of course finances.
Unfortunately, IMHO, the "look" the 85L produces lies in that last 10%.
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I've always heard this referred to as "poor man's IS." Take a burst of several shots, and chances are good that one will catch you at the apex of your shaking.
Without implying that the 85L is anything other than a superlative lens, I have to put it alongside the 50L as Canon's two worst value lenses. Both the 85 f/1.8 and 50 f/1.4 outperform and often outright spank their bigger brothers in all sorts of ways more important for 90% of photographers, and there's very little the L lenses can do that the non-L counterparts can't.
Unless you actually need that extra half a stop in either case -- and damned few people do -- these lenses are a waste of money.
Of course, for those who really do need that extra half a stop (and, yes, there absolutely are those who do need it), or for those for whom a couple grand is pocket change, it's either a smart investment or a no-brainer.
But almost everybody else is better off in every meaningful way with the non-L versions.
Cheers,
b&
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L
Loswr
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Pixel said:
Ok, you're a snob.
Actually, maybe you aren't aware that the Canon UV PROTECT filters used to be (and maybe still are) OEM'd by Tiffen, and from one of the lower-end Tiffen lines at that. I'll take a B+W Schott glass filter over a 'Canon' filter any day of the week.
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There is no need to debate UV filters (again) in this thread. I wish these forums were better moderated.
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Thanks for the review, Justin. The 85L certainly produces some amazing images, but to me just isn't worth the tradeoffs (expense, slow AF, etc...) I do have the 85mm f/1.8, and, although it is a great lens, it just doesn't come out of my bag that often. I typically reach for either the 100L or 135L. But because it (85mm f/1.8) is a relatively low expense, I hold onto it. I wouldn't feel that same about a $2K lens. Some nice portraits in there, though.
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