So my sis invites me to the ballet and I brought a few fast lenses. I have really never shot any action with the 85 f1.2 so I thought I would see how it would go. To my surprise shooting wide open on a MKIV the keeper rate was tremendous. Here's a few examples shot at f1.2. I thought someone might be interested since you only hear about how poor the AF is on this lens with moving subjects.
Not to rain on your parade, but dancers moving largely horizontally aren't really going to tax your tracking ability. I tried it for diving once... but that was on a 40D too, so who knows.
, tough crowd around here I was pretty impressed with shooting at f1.2. Guess you have to shoot mosquitoes flying right at the camera to get any love in here! Just kidding guys, but seriously, in 5 yrs here I haven't seen much moving action shot at f1.2 so it seemed worth a post.
And yes, I am familiar with Russ's great work in gymnastics, but I didn't remember him using an 85 1.2.
The 85mm L is fast enought for most average use, under really difficult conditions where objects are moving toward you rapidly, it might have a issue. If you are doing sports and quickly move to a different area that is nearer or further, the slower AF will delay you while it focuses, but for stage images, the AF is already close to best focus, and only needs a slight tweak as a dancer moves around.
Well done, Mark. Even lateral action is difficult to get focused right with 85L wide open.
Heck, people have a hard time focusing on the eyes of their cat which poses for them motionless.
Here are a few PIF shots I did a few years ago with 1DMkIIN + 85L MkI at f/2.2.
I have some wide open shots somewhere too, I might be able to retreive them later.
I think you did a great job Mark. Don't worry about "those" guys who think shooting ballet at 1.2 is easy, they're just cranky. It's Saturday and maybe they'll get lucky tonight and be in a better mood tomorrow.
PetKal wrote:
Well done, Mark. Even lateral action is difficult to get focused right with 85L wide open.
Heck, people have a hard time focusing on the eyes of their cat which poses for them motionless.
Here are a few PIF shots I did a few years ago with 1DMkIIN + 85L MkI at f/2.2.
I have some wide open shots somewhere too, I might be able to retreive them later.
Thanks Peter, and nice BIF pics. I knew you had shot birds with almost every lens in the Canon lineup and here is a fine example with the 85L. That is an impressive job with the Pigeons as they move toward the camera with such a small target zone.
Hrow wrote:
I think you did a great job Mark. Don't worry about "those" guys who think shooting ballet at 1.2 is easy, they're just cranky. It's Saturday and maybe they'll get lucky tonight and be in a better mood tomorrow.
, thanks Henry. I just posted these because I was surprised at how well this heavy glass lens did while shooting to it's strength of sharp shots at f1.2. But then adding in some movement would certainly tax the AF accuracy a bit with such a thin DOF one would think. Like I say, I don't recall seeing action of any kind with this lens @ f1.2, but I have to say no forum search was done beforehand. I would be interested to see a post like this if I was considering purchasing this lens. I just didn't know shooting moving targets at f1.2 was so easy until I read all the replies
Not exactly on topic as I'm not fortunate enough to own a 85mm f/1.2, however, I have been using its poor cousin the f/1.8 extensively in basketball in a poorly lit gym. I think we would all agree that - at a minimum - basketball action is less predictable and more erratic than ballet. I don't get as high of a keeper rate as I would like due, in no little part, to operator error, but I've found a number of my better images come from the 85. How different are the focusing systems between the two lenses? The narrow focal plane even at 1.8 is a huge challenge.
Robert - the 85L is a whomping big honking chunk of glass. It doesn't snap into focus so much as ooze into focus. (compared to the 85 1.8).
Mark's getting teased a little in this thread but I'd say getting what he got up above at f1.2 is still pretty remarkable. I'm calling that operator ability more than saying the 85L is suited for action.
Great shots. For 1.2 the results you got are very impressive. I definitely agree with others that this is as much operator ability as it is the abilities of the 85. Well done!
