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

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

I use the 85mm f1.2L II a lot in wedding reception where I try to shoot images of guests at tables chatting and laughing, they are mostly heads and shoulders shots (of two or 3 people chatting & subjects not moving fast) and I think it works well in this situation for me. I don't feel like I am intruding their space and interrupting their conversation because of this focal length.

May 02, 2012 at 09:15 PM

D. Diggler
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p.3 #2 · p.3 #2 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

Sneakyracer wrote:
I really like the 50mm focal length on Full Frame (1DS mk3) because I can contextualize the subject while still being able to isolate it by defocusing the background to my liking.

That's the problem with the 85L: hard to contextualize.

Don't find you can isolate very well by defocusing with the 35?

May 02, 2012 at 09:20 PM

snapsy
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p.3 #3 · p.3 #3 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

85L is easily the sharper lens but the 50L's bokeh is highly unique and IMO one of the best there is for OOF rendering.

May 02, 2012 at 09:27 PM

David-D
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p.3 #4 · p.3 #4 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

A few samples from my 85mm f1.2 II taken over the weekend. Can't wait to try out a 50mm f1.2

May 02, 2012 at 09:44 PM

anakha
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p.3 #5 · p.3 #5 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

My suggestion is to save your money and buy both the Sigma 50mm F1.4 and the Sigma 85mm F1.4. If you check to ensure that you have good copies of each, then you'll be happy :-)

Anakha

May 02, 2012 at 09:46 PM

Sheldon N
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p.3 #6 · p.3 #6 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

Mike Tuomey wrote:
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.

Mirrors my experience, I have both as well.

The 85 is the better lens with a bit more "magic", but I find the 50's focal length more useable all around.

May 02, 2012 at 10:17 PM

trueimage
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p.3 #7 · p.3 #7 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

head and shoulders portrait, the 50mm isn't in the running. You want 85 or longer, especially for women.

The 50 is a more useable focal length in general, so if you only had one lens for everything, it would be in the running.

talking about FF, APS-C changes things a bit.

May 02, 2012 at 10:45 PM

D. Diggler
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p.3 #8 · p.3 #8 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

snapsy wrote:
85L is easily the sharper lens but the 50L's bokeh is highly unique and IMO one of the best there is for OOF rendering.

The 85L's OOF can be a little TOO much, obliterating the surroundings.

May 02, 2012 at 11:09 PM

NikkorAIS
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p.3 #9 · p.3 #9 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

Canon 85 1.2 L 11 on 5D2 @1.2

If you ask me the 50 mm is not an easy lens to use. I do admit still lusting for the 50 1.0 EF that I stupidly traded several years ago. While it dosnt sound like much , the lens to subject distance is quite significant between the 50 and the 85 , For me the 85 1.2 L is a no brainer. Easily one of the finest lenes ever made for 35 mm photography.

Gregory

May 03, 2012 at 12:00 AM

Pixel Perfect
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p.3 #10 · p.3 #10 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

For less than the price of a 50L you can get a Sigma 50 f/1.4 and 85 f/1.4.

May 03, 2012 at 01:22 AM

David-D
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p.3 #11 · p.3 #11 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

I heard that the Sigma 50mm f1.4 is good only if you can get a good copy. Too many reported unrealiable focus issue on the Sigma 50mm.

May 03, 2012 at 01:52 AM

bigbluebear
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p.3 #12 · p.3 #12 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

stanj wrote:
The 50L is my least liked lens.

... I did some digging before posting and saw a thread about 2 years ago about how you despise that lens. Your statement here just scratches the surface of how you *really* feel

I'm going to play w/ the 50L over the weekend and see how I like it. From everything I've read here, the bokeh and 3D look is great on the 50L but sharpness is a problem until f/2. I also read that from f/2- f/4, there is a focus shift issue. I'd be interested in hearing from 50L owners why they keep the 50L over the 50 f/1.4 if both are sharp starting at f/2 and the 1.4 doesn't suffer from this focus shift issue. Possibilities I see are weather sealing, color rendition, or the ability to shoot at f/1.2 (even though sharpness isn't present as in it's accurate to focus but missing sharpness).

Currently I have a FF with the 35mm/f2, 35mm/f1.4, 50mm/f2.5, and 135mm/2. I know there's redundancy from merging lenses with members of my family.

My plan is to change to 35/85/135 or 35/50/85. I'm leaning towards the first one for a wider spread..... even possibly just a 35/85. I'll still keep a wide zoom for landscapes and a standard zoom walk around.

May 03, 2012 at 03:51 AM

svetljo
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p.3 #13 · p.3 #13 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

Mike Tuomey wrote:
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.

+1

PS. + 50s AF speed is way, way faster

May 03, 2012 at 04:35 AM

Pixel Perfect
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p.3 #14 · p.3 #14 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

David-D wrote:
I heard that the Sigma 50mm f1.4 is good only if you can get a good copy. Too many reported unrealiable focus issue on the Sigma 50mm.

And what exactly have you heard about the 50L

May 03, 2012 at 06:20 AM

David-D
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p.3 #15 · p.3 #15 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

Pixel Perfect wrote:
And what exactly have you heard about the 50L

As mentioned in my earlier post, I heard that the 50L is not as sharp as the 85mm f1.2L II and harder to focus at wide open but I don't know how true this is as I have not tested one yet. I know the 85mm f1.2L has slow focus particularly in low light situation.

May 03, 2012 at 07:15 AM

Sneakyracer
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p.3 #16 · p.3 #16 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

D. Diggler wrote:
That's the problem with the 85L: hard to contextualize.

Don't find you can isolate very well by defocusing with the 35?

I can do the same with the 35mm as the 50 at times. But I have to use it at f1.4 almost exclusively. Good thing its sharp at that aperture. Awesome lens. The 50 is great for 3/4 or tighter people shots. The 85 is more for head shots, head and shoulders and maybe a tad more. The 35mm is great for full body, multiple people shots and sometimes even a tad closer in.

If in doubt rent all three lenses before buying.

May 03, 2012 at 07:35 AM

mttran
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p.3 #17 · p.3 #17 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

datousteve wrote:
Currently I have a FF with the 35mm/f2, 35mm/f1.4, 50mm/f2.5, and 135mm/2. I know there's redundancy from merging lenses with members of my family.

My plan is to change to 35/85/135 or 35/50/85. I'm leaning towards the first one for a wider spread..... even possibly just a 35/85. I'll still keep a wide zoom for landscapes and a standard zoom walk around.

Great plan Steve, get 85 now then decide 50 later

May 03, 2012 at 12:12 PM

gregarius
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p.3 #18 · p.3 #18 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

I prefer the 85.

To me, it's just a more unique lens. And I think the difference from the 85 1.2 over the 85 1.8 versus what you get from the 50 1.2 over the 50 1.4 is much greater.

I see some people talking about the Sigma. I only have one Sigma lens and it's very sharp but it's broken on me twice now in the five years that I've had it.

May 03, 2012 at 01:48 PM

D. Diggler
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p.3 #19 · p.3 #19 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

David-D wrote:
I heard that the 50L is not as sharp as the 85mm f1.2L II and harder to focus at wide open

I've used both lenses and would say the 85L is harder to hit focus wide open, probably due to the shallower depth of field.

May 03, 2012 at 03:58 PM

David-D
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p.3 #20 · p.3 #20 · 50mm L or 85mm L: which do you prefer?

D. Diggler wrote:
I've used both lenses and would say the 85L is harder to hit focus wide open, probably due to the shallower depth of field.
Really? Wow I have been putting off from buying the 50mm because of this. So if I can manage focusing the 85mm then I should be ok to use the 50mm.

Actually the other thing I need to consider is because I have a 24mm so I am tossing if I should get a 35mm or 50mm to slot between the 24mm and 85mm. Just can't make up my mind. More leaning towards the 35mm at the moment but 50mm should be the one in the middle.

May 03, 2012 at 04:23 PM

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