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Archive 2012 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

bigbluebear
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p.1 #1 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

Hello FMers,

I'd like to pick up one of these in the near future to play with the thin depth of field on a FF camera. From my limited experience so far, I can make generally make due with one or the other when I'm out shooting. Bringing the 35 + 50 (or 85) as a two lens combo is usually good for general shooting. Maybe the 135 if I'd really like some tight shots.

A question for those of you that have experienced both lenses: which one would you prefer if you could only keep one? The 50mm 1.2 or the 85mm 1.2 II?

Thank you.

Edited on May 02, 2012 at 07:50 AM · View previous versions

May 02, 2012 at 07:38 AM

mttran
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p.1 #2 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

datousteve wrote:
Hello FMers,

I'd like to pick up one of these in the near future to play with the thin depth of field on a FF camera. From my limited experience so far, I can make generally make due with one or the other when I'm out shooting. Bringing the 35 + 50 (or 85) as a two lens combo is usually good for general shooting. Maybe the 135 if I'd really like some tight shots.

A question for those of you that have (or had) experienced both lenses: which one would you prefer if you could only keep one? The 50mm 1.2 or the 85mm 1.2 II?

Thank you.

Steve, 35L/85L/135L are great combo. You will love it...try 85L Mark I to save some buck...MarkI/II is not that much differences.

May 02, 2012 at 07:45 AM

David-D
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p.1 #3 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

I know one of my friend purchased the 50mm f1.2 and swapped it with a 85mm f1.2 II, he said he found the 50mm f1.2 to be too hard to focus. I personally have not tested a 50mm f1.2 but I have a 85mm f1.2II and love it but I find the focus of the 85mm f1.2II is a tag slow, not sure if the 50mm f1.2 is in the same boat in term of focusing speed. I heard people said the 50mm f1.2 is not as sharp as the 85m f1.2II though. Wouldn't trying the 50mm 1.2 though.

Update:
I also have a 50mm f1.4 and 85mm f1.8
The 50mm f1.4 I find it not very sharp until you get to around f2.0
The 85mm f1.8 is good bag for the money, it has fast focus, I use it a lot to photograph my son when his team plays basketball and I can get on the edge of the court : )

Edited on May 02, 2012 at 11:22 AM · View previous versions

May 02, 2012 at 07:49 AM

bigbluebear
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p.1 #4 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

Thanks for the suggestion Michael. I haven't had much opportunity to shoot lately. I hope to change that soon

May 02, 2012 at 07:49 AM

mttran
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p.1 #5 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

datousteve wrote:
Thanks for the suggestion Michael. I haven't had much opportunity to shoot lately. I hope to change that soon

I got some link for you:

50L: http://www.flickriver.com/groups/canon_50mm_f1-2/pool/interesting/
85L: http://www.flickriver.com/search/canon+85mm+f%252F1.2/

i love both. The trick is getting one that AF on your bodies and the rest will be on your finger tip

May 02, 2012 at 08:06 AM

dmcharg
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p.1 #6 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

If you just want to experiment with depth of field then i would definitely consider the 50 1.4/85 1.8 both of which i own. I rented the 50 1.2/85 1.2 and in the end decided the 50 1.4/85 1.8 were so close that i preferred the smaller size and weight. Much as i really love these fast L primes the little 50 1.4/85 1.8 are gems for walk about with minimum fuss and weight. If your set on those fast L primes ( 35, 50, 85, 135 ) and you already have 35 then i would opt for the 85 as 35/50 are pretty close so 35, 85, 135 would be a nicer spread.

May 02, 2012 at 08:07 AM

PhilDrinkwater
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p.1 #7 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

To be honest, 50 and 85 are fairly difference focal lengths. Decide which focal length you want and choose that one. They're both great lenses (although if you get a 50 and it suffers from focus issues, send it back).

May 02, 2012 at 08:25 AM

jcolwell
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p.1 #8 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

If I could keep only one, for a FF camera, it would be my 85L II.

May 02, 2012 at 10:02 AM

Mike Tuomey
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p.1 #9 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

I have both. I use the 50 more. for me it's a more useful focal length. probably should sell the 85 but it's so good i've kept it despite the limited use.

May 02, 2012 at 10:19 AM

sirimiri
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p.1 #10 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

jcolwell wrote:
If I could keep only one, for a FF camera, it would be my 85L II.
I concur, there's almost nothing like it.

May 02, 2012 at 10:24 AM

D. Diggler
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p.1 #11 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

PhilDWedding wrote:
50 and 85 are fairly difference focal lengths. Decide which focal length you want and choose that one.

That's good advice. They're different tools because of the focal lengths being different. Which is better: apples or oranges. Does the original poster want a cool 50 or a cool 85.

May 02, 2012 at 10:27 AM

Keith Broad
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p.1 #12 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

These are both good lenses, but I find the 50L's AF to be a great deal faster than the 85LII. However, because they are such different focal lengths, the results have different qualities. The 85L works nicely at intermediate and close work, while I often think the 50L shines in only very close quarters. Both lenses will give subjects a '3D' look, but the 85L does it better than the 50L. Nevertheless, I find the 50L to be the most practical prime in my bag, so it tends to be my most used lens.

May 02, 2012 at 10:59 AM

twistedlim
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p.1 #13 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

Really both the 85 1.8 and 50 1.4 will suit you for 95% of what you need. The 85L is just a bit more unique so I have kept that. I also have the 85 1.8 for when I want to go light which is most the time. My standard kit is the 35 2.0, 50 1.4, and 85 1.8. I find I can cover most of what I want to shoot with those three and they fit in my small unobtrusive green domke bag with room to spare. When I shoot an event that I know will be in low light the 85L goes on one body and stays there.

May 02, 2012 at 11:09 AM

Psychic1
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p.1 #14 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

I replaced my 85L II with the 50L because I almost always shoot in weather and the 50L is easily sealed.

May 02, 2012 at 11:14 AM

retrofocus
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p.1 #15 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

I have the 85/1.8 and the 50/1.2. I use the 85/1.8 very rarely only since I either shoot with 35/1.4, 50/1.2, or 135/2 if needed. Still the 85/1.8 is an awesome lens.

May 02, 2012 at 11:18 AM

irieweasel
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p.1 #16 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

PhilDWedding wrote:
To be honest, 50 and 85 are fairly difference focal lengths. Decide which focal length you want and choose that one.

I entirely agree with that statement. I currently have the 35L and 85L, but have had the 35/50/85/135Ls at overlapping times in the past. I sold off the 50 and 135 a while back because I decided that I prefer the 35mm focal length for walking around, and the 50L wasn't competitive enough against the 85L for portraits (for the style I shoot). It is entirely subjective, but my preference is: 35 > 85 > 50 > 135. Of course I'll buy the 50 (and 135) again some day.

May 02, 2012 at 11:56 AM

deepbluejh
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p.1 #17 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

My suggestion would be to find which focal length you like the best, and go with that. Saying things like "Play with thin dof" seems to suggest you don't have a lot of experience. Before you go off and blow $1500 I would suggest doing a little more research and figuring out your specific needs a bit better.

I have both of these lenses and both are quite nice. I use the 50 a lot more than the 85 though and it's just a much more versatile focal length for the work I do.

May 02, 2012 at 12:37 PM

PhilDrinkwater
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p.1 #18 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

irieweasel wrote:
PhilDWedding wrote:
To be honest, 50 and 85 are fairly difference focal lengths. Decide which focal length you want and choose that one.

I entirely agree with that statement.

I wouldn't bother - clearly I can't write "different"

For me 50 > 35 > 135 > 85. It really is a totally personal point depending on how you shoot and what you shoot.

I have the 50 and 35 and 135. I do have an 85 1.8 but haven't used it for a long time (focussing wasn't accurate enough on my 5d2 in low light - maybe my 5d3 will fare better?).

The 50 I use probably 40% of a wedding, the 35 15% and the 135 is new and not been out yet but will be for portraits and closeups during speeches.

They really are 4 amazing lenses - properly amazing. I wonder if I'll get the 85 sometimes but I would prefer an 85 III which (hopefully) would focus faster. BEAUTIFUL portrait photographs come off it though!! In that it's pretty much unbeaten.

May 02, 2012 at 12:54 PM

ahmedumair
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p.1 #19 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

duh! as a proud owner of a 85L mark 2, i never look at 50L, i'm very very happy

May 02, 2012 at 02:18 PM

khphoto
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p.1 #20 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

retrofocus wrote:
I have the 85/1.8 and the 50/1.2. I use the 85/1.8 very rarely only since I either shoot with 35/1.4, 50/1.2, or 135/2 if needed. Still the 85/1.8 is an awesome lens.

This is my set up as well. The 50L is amazing and I really love what it can do.

Of course, if money were no object, i'd have the 85L in a heartbeat..

May 02, 2012 at 02:32 PM

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