1DmkII & 85/1,2

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Archive 2004 · 1DmkII & 85/1,2

losloslos
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p.2 #1 · 1DmkII & 85/1,2

Ooops, I just checked the lens off the cam, and it is some weird "electric over manual" mechanism....you can focus manually, but the ring keeps going as if it were a digital encoder...fas-kin-a-ting...those magic engineering elves...what will they think of next...

G.

Aug 16, 2004 at 06:52 AM

Wiseman
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p.2 #2 · 1DmkII & 85/1,2

lordarka wrote:

But have you ever tried using one for sports? You'd be surprised at what the lens is capable of, reports of slow AF aside.

Arka C.

No, I never used it.

I was responding to his claim that there are "many" sports photographers use 85/1.2.

I did use a slow AF lens as in 100-300/5.6L to shoot indoor volleyball. It was ok actually because volleyball players only move around in limited space. Plus, f/5.6 gives me a big margin of error. I suspect you can also do it with 85/1.2 for indoor basketball but you will see more out-of-focus shots due to small DoF

For indoor basketball though, I don't think it will work because players run around the court. f/1.2 and slow AF give you too little margin of error to be useful. And if you stop down to increase your margin of error, then why don't you use 85/1.8 instead?

Try start a thread in sports forum and see what the real sports photographers think. I think some experts opinion is needed.

Aug 16, 2004 at 07:42 AM

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p.2 #3 · 1DmkII & 85/1,2

Check out some of Steve Mitchell's basketball shots with the 85/1.2

Aug 16, 2004 at 11:07 AM

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p.2 #4 · 1DmkII & 85/1,2

slau wrote:
Are you sure that your 135f2 is with electronic MF? I just tried my 135f2L and the MF works even when my camera is powered off, which means it is mechanical MF.

The 135/2 focuses "normally".

The only lenses I'm aware of with the electronic MF are the 200/1.8, 85/1.2, and 50/1.0

I think maybe the 500/4.5 is, too, but I'm not positive.

And possibly some of the non-IS super-telephoto lenses like the 300/2.8?

Aug 16, 2004 at 11:09 AM

Wiseman
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p.2 #5 · 1DmkII & 85/1,2

DavidP wrote:
Check out some of Steve Mitchell's basketball shots with the 85/1.2

Are you sure he shot at f/1.2 in majority of his pictures?

Aug 16, 2004 at 04:05 PM

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p.2 #6 · 1DmkII & 85/1,2

I really doubt that you can shoot baskerball with the 85f1.2 wide open.

Aug 16, 2004 at 06:54 PM

eronald
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p.2 #7 · 1DmkII & 85/1,2

lordarka wrote:
I've been happy with the level of detail I get with the Mark II, but of course, you can't crop as much. I don't think it's so much a matter of getting what you pay for, but rather, a matter of two cameras for different needs.

As for the 85mm f/1.2/1D Mark II combo, I've been using it extensively, and it works very well for a lot of things. For fashion/glamour, it's a great combo as long as you can keep your cropping as close to 'in camera' as possible. I have only a little experience with the 1Ds, so I won't go to far out on a limb, but I think the combo (Mark II + 85mm) delivers a respectable level of detail if you pay close attention to your composition. As for speed, the AF is more accurate, but not faster. DavidP's suggestion of MF'ing and then AF'ing is a good one, and it really helps. I use the 85mm for stage work quite often, and I have found the AF to be quite adequate.

Arka C.
Arka, I agree with you 100%. If you make sure you don't need to crop, the 85/MkII works fine. One surprise for me has been how good the 50/1.8 is on this camera. Of course, on the 1Ds, the 135/2 and the 85 1.2 deliver an amazing combination of softness and luminosity.

Edmund

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Aug 16, 2004 at 10:54 PM

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p.2 #8 · 1DmkII & 85/1,2

Wiseman wrote:
DavidP wrote:
Check out some of Steve Mitchell's basketball shots with the 85/1.2

Are you sure he shot at f/1.2 in majority of his pictures?

That wasn't the issue, though. The issue was whether the 85/1.2 had fast enough AF to be used in sports. Clearly, it does.

Aug 17, 2004 at 02:03 AM

Wiseman
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p.2 #9 · 1DmkII & 85/1,2

DavidP wrote:

That wasn't the issue, though. The issue was whether the 85/1.2 had fast enough AF to be used in sports. Clearly, it does.

Actually, the issue is whether there are "many" sports photographers use 85/1.2.

Aug 17, 2004 at 02:45 AM

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p.2 #10 · 1DmkII & 85/1,2

By "Sport photography", you mean a lot of situation.
If you are chasing Kobe Bryant in close distance with something like 50/1.4 or 85/1.2, I don't think any camera can lock the AF ( correct me if I'm wrong. I have never used 1D or Mk2 )
Look at TV and watch closely what the Sports photographers are doing. Basically, they set the target area and wait until the critical moment happens there. By the way, this is also the correct shooting strategy in war. For instance, you do not chase after Ricky Handerson from the first base. You wait at the 2nd base and capture his sliding. With this technique, speed of AF become moot point.

D30 50/1.4

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Aug 17, 2004 at 03:48 AM

DavidP
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p.2 #11 · 1DmkII & 85/1,2

Wiseman wrote:
Actually, the issue is whether there are "many" sports photographers use 85/1.2.

Depends on your definition of "many", I suppose. And the sport.

The lens doesn't make a lot of sense for baseball or football, I'd say. Mainly for basketball.

I'll further qualify: "Many" pro basketball photographers that don't rely on strobes use the 85/1.2

Once I find out just how many there are, I'll define "many" for ya.

Aug 17, 2004 at 03:55 AM

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p.2 #12 · 1DmkII & 85/1,2

Pondria wrote:
If you are chasing Kobe Bryant in close distance with something like 50/1.4 or 85/1.2, I don't think any camera can lock the AF ( correct me if I'm wrong. I have never used 1D or Mk2 )

Sorta, but not exactly.

In general, you'd pre-focus to about where you expect the play to happen, and then rely on AI-Servo to snap the focus closer to the correct focus plane.

That's why most people think the 85/1.2 is slow . . . . they try to start focusing from a focus distance that's too far away from the correct distance. You really need to get it close manually first, if you want reasonable speed.

Also, if you're very far off to start with, you probably can't even make out the subject when looking through the lens, so you won't even have the lens pointed at the right place to auto-focus. That REALLY makes it tought to focus quickly.

Aug 17, 2004 at 03:57 AM

Pondria
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p.2 #13 · 1DmkII & 85/1,2

David, OK, that makes sense. And that's exactly what I would like to do with better body. With D30, the AF servo NEVER worked for me.

Aug 17, 2004 at 04:40 AM

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p.2 #14 · 1DmkII & 85/1,2

Pondria, the shot you posted is terrific, even more so considering the D30 you used!

Aug 17, 2004 at 05:15 AM

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p.2 #15 · 1DmkII & 85/1,2

DavidP wrote:The only lenses I'm aware of with the electronic MF are the 200/1.8, 85/1.2, and 50/1.0 And possibly some of the non-IS super-telephoto lenses like the 300/2.8?

Correct. I used the 300/2.8 (MK1) quite a lot and it also has drive by wire, and will focus manually just like the 85/1.2.

- Stan

Aug 17, 2004 at 05:17 AM

Pondria
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p.2 #16 · 1DmkII & 85/1,2

Photon wrote:
Pondria, the shot you posted is terrific, even more so considering the D30 you used!

Ha ha, thank you ! You know, once you understand what you cannot do with your tool, you will try out work-around. With good luck, sometime it works

Aug 17, 2004 at 05:28 AM


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