Santa lives in Tennessee and has 85 f/1.4L IS lenses to share?

[ahsanford]

Uncle Rog may turn out to be Santa. He's loaned me this adorable pickle jar for the holidays.

Our poor dogs will to endure have a number of (treat compensated) photoshoots before we head off to join the family and take some proper Christmas tree light bokeh shots.

#geeeeeeeeked #therewillbebloodbokeh

- A

 

[Loswr]

Does Uncle Rog become the Grinch when you have to return the lens?

Enjoy it – I'm putting mine to good use!

 

[ahsanford]

I'll write a user's take on it once I'm done with it. Don't expect test charts, side by side tripod work, etc. or anything like that -- that will be well covered elsewhere.

I'll dwell on... well, what I dwell on. AF speed, AF hit rate, nutty stuff about the handling, the hood, the sound the IS makes, use indoors at MFD, etc.

- A

 

[slclick]

You know if you take a few steps back every time you shoot with it it will be that 50 you dream about.

 

[bereninga]

Got one to try out as well. It arrived today and already took a few shots today. I have to say, this lens is definitely bigger and heavier than I thought it would be. I thought that the Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art was bulky. Here's a comparison:

https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Lens-Product-Images.aspx?Lens=941&LensComp2=0&LensComp=1168

The images from this lens are pretty sharp. To me, the photos and bokeh have a similar feel to the 50 1.2L. Since the Sigma is bigger than this lens and size is a deciding factor for me, I'd count the Sigma out. The Canon's size is borderline acceptable for me. I do appreciate that it has a 77mm filter thread, which is what most of my better lenses have.

This is just my first impression, so maybe my mind will change by the end of the rental period.

 

[ahsanford]

Yep, it's a proper pickle jar in size/weight. Not my thing in general, but wow it's nice to shoot.

Focus is like my other Ls -- quick and next to no hunting.

Shots so sharp on my 5D3 that I can tell that my dogs need a bath (see attached). And unlike my last two Christmas rentals -- a 35 Art and 50L, I'm simply not seeing the AF swing and miss. It's dead on so far.

Note that vignetting has been added in post, so don't condemn the lens for that. I often have some glaring light in the house that can distract from the subject, so I step up the vignetting to emphasize the subject. I recognize that's a 'season to taste' decision many don't make. But I never shoot portraiture, so let me have fun.

Also, I'm on still on Photoshop CS6 + ACR for processing, so I'm SOL for a lens profile. I've generally left shots as is (lens correction wise) other than some small amounts of color fringing I see on really contrasty dog hairs. Cleans up just fine to my eye in RAW processing.

- A

 

[hne]

I don't think the size of the 85/1.4L is a problem. It is about the same diameter as a 70-200/2.8 but only half as long and about two third the weight. I've got no issue using it one-handed. The autofocus is so silent I don't see it as a problem even when recording video (the IS makes a slight noise though) and it is about as good at aquiring focus as my eyes are. If I can see, the lens can get a lock. The only focus misses I've had in the last 8 days have been either from me being to close or not having enough to focus on (getting focus on nose instead of eye on a face in profile at a bit of a distance).

 

[ahsanford]

I have noticed from my early use that the IS sounds a little different than on prior lenses.

The faint whirring of Canon's more modern IS lenses is present while in use, on the level of my 16-35 f/4L or 24-70 f/4L. It's not loud at all and I doubt it would impact video users.

However, when IS first clicks on and when it turns off from no longer needing being in use (presumably to save battery?), it makes a clearly audible click -- clearly louder than the noise it makes while focusing.

So I remounted some of my other IS lenses on my 5D3 and listened for the same. They all in fact do this IS start/stop noise as well, but it's considerably less loud.

I could only presume the 85 f/1.4L has much more glass to move than my other lenses. But then I threw on my 70-200 f/2.8L IS II, and I was surprised to not hear the similar click at IS start and stop. That lens's start and stop noise was basically the same as its focusing noise -- there was no hard click at all.

#learning #sharing

- A

 

[Sharlin]

I could only presume the 85 f/1.4L has much more glass to move than my other lenses. But then I threw on my 70-200 f/2.8L IS II, and I was surprised to not hear the similar click at IS start and stop. That lens's start and stop noise was basically the same as its focusing noise -- there was no hard click at all.

As mentioned in the developer interview, the IS unit is almost the size of the one in the 400mm f/2.8L IS II! The optical group is about the same size; apparently it required considerable engineering work to make the unit as a whole small enough to fit.

 

[ahsanford]

As mentioned in the developer interview, the IS unit is almost the size of the one in the 400mm f/2.8L IS II! The optical group is about the same size; apparently it required considerable engineering work to make the unit as a whole small enough to fit.

That certainly would explain it. Thx.

- A

 

[bereninga]

I've got no issue using it one-handed.

LOL I think I'd have to really up the shutter speed to use this one-handed.

I have noticed from my early use that the IS sounds a little different than on prior lenses.

The faint whirring of Canon's more modern IS lenses is present while in use, on the level of my 16-35 f/4L or 24-70 f/4L. It's not loud at all and I doubt it would impact video users.

However, when IS first clicks on and when it turns off from no longer needing being in use (presumably to save battery?), it makes a clearly audible click -- clearly louder than the noise it makes while focusing.

So I remounted some of my other IS lenses on my 5D3 and listened for the same. They all in fact do this IS start/stop noise as well, but it's considerably less loud.

I could only presume the 85 f/1.4L has much more glass to move than my other lenses. But then I threw on my 70-200 f/2.8L IS II, and I was surprised to not hear the similar click at IS start and stop. That lens's start and stop noise was basically the same as its focusing noise -- there was no hard click at all.

#learning #sharing

- A

I noticed that too. The IS start-up/shutdown noise is as noticeable as in the 16-35 f/4 and 24-105 f/4. However, any IS noise from the more modern primes (non-L) 35 f/2 and 24 f/2.8 are virtually non-existent.

 

[ahsanford]

I've got no issue using it one-handed.

LOL I think I'd have to really up the shutter speed to use this one-handed.

A few of the dog shots I didn't post were indeed taken one handed as the other hand had a treat to draw their attention. Perfectly in focus, no subject blur I could see at 100% -- they just weren't particularly memorable shots. But one handed shooting with a slightly conservative min shutter worked just fine, and I'm no weightlifter.

Now I wouldn't shoot all day that way, but it's entirely doable if you keep your eye on your shutter speed.

- A

 

[Viggo]

IS does record on video unfortunately, I’m looking into recording sound separate to be able to use AF also. Really takes away the usefulness for me... I’m absolutely certain I’ll forget my recorder somewhere since it no longer can stay on camera

 

[ahsanford]

Just got back from my Christmas travels. A few thoughts on the 85 f/1.4L IS from a few days of casual shooting, walkabout, etc.

• The AF is as good as billed. I lived wider than f/2 with this lens and whatever I threw at it, it nailed it on my 5D3. Center points, peripheral points, etc. it didn't seem to matter provided I used my standard large aperture prime technique -- no focus + recompose, either a single AF point or possibly a '+' shaped star cluster, etc. The only times it let me down were when this One Shot AF user forgot to slide it into AI focus for slowly moving subjects (pets moving their head, people walking, etc.) and that's 100% on me.
  
  In short, the AF on this 85 was head and shoulders better than my prior 35 Art and 50L rentals. It was not close. I shot wide open with no fear of an AF letdown at large apertures, and it was liberating to not have to sweat that. Photography is more fun when the gear does what it is supposed to do, it would appear.
  
  
• The bokeh was fun to engineer into my shots. I've noticed that the clipped bokeh ball due to mirror box phenomenon was not omnipresent at f/1.4 -- sometimes I got lovely large bokeh balls without any clipping. See the defocused Christmas lighting from two f/1.4 shots -- both the entire frame and not a crop; the red/white shot was a larger distance away (say 30 feet) while the multi-colored shot was only at about 10 feet, so perhaps that plays into this?
  
  
• As predicted, 85 was too long an FL for what I like to shoot. It was gold for portraiture, but I was indoors much of the trip and it was simply too long too use that often. But I loved everything this lens did and immediately wanted this sort of pop / draw / sharpness from a shorter FL. I don't know if that means I need the 35L II (when I'm delighted with the 35 f/2 IS) or just reeeeeeeally want this sort of 'wow' feeling from a Canon autofocusing 50 prime :, but this lens did certainly impress despite it's FL not being my cup of tea.

Overall, it's a very solid piece of kit. I'd have zero reservations recommending it if you need an 85 prime or a dedicated tool for portraiture. It's just not something I'd use that often as I live in 24-50mm FF, so I won't be buying one.

I have this upcoming weekend with this lens before Uncle Rog gets it back, and I may tinker with it some more and post further here.

- A

 

[YuengLinger]

Thanks for sharing the images! Happy New Year!

 

[ahsanford]

Thanks for sharing the images! Happy New Year!

To you too, YL!

Wish I could share the actual portraits, but they were of nieces and nephews too young to share on gen pop social media like this. Pet shots and fast cars in unlikely places will have to do, I guess.

- A

 

[Click]

I really like the cat picture.

Happy New Year, ahsanford.