Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

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Archive 2010 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

epphoto
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p.1 #1 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

Any of you had both the F/1.8 and F/1.2 ??
I had the 1.2 II but i had to sale it because I wasn't using it allot
Now I'm thinking to buy the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM save some $$$
how is the IQ ?? are you guys happy ??
Any pictures wide open?
thanks to all

Sep 07, 2010 at 10:42 PM

dmcharg
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p.1 #2 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

Its a cracking little lens. You can't go wrong. I made the mistake of selling mine but i am about to buy another one lol. I found it perfect on a crop body for portraits.

Sep 07, 2010 at 10:50 PM

M Vers
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p.1 #3 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

I don't own the L but have had the 1.8 for a while now--its a great lens and a huge bang for the buck. AF speed is much faster than that of the 85/1.2 and the lens is also considerably smaller and lighter. Obviously the 85L offers f/1.2 and generally better IQ characteristics but as someone who has owned the 85/1.8 I've yet to feel the compelling need to upgrade to the L.
1DIII+85/1.8 wideopen

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Sep 07, 2010 at 10:54 PM

epphoto
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p.1 #4 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

Thanks to all

Sep 07, 2010 at 10:55 PM

docnlaw24
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p.1 #5 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

Good lens, but the quality you get from the L is astounding and it shoots at 1.2 Never liked the look from my 1.8 YMMV.

Sep 07, 2010 at 11:14 PM

stebesplace
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p.1 #6 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

I use the 1.8 for about 6 months. I thought it was a really great lens, till I started using the 100 f/2. The 100 got the shots more times than not, mostly because I felt the bokeh was ever so slightly better than the 85, but sometimes hard to tell. I liked the reach of the 100 for the portrait work, and being able to get some nice tight shots while doing event photography (bands, folks on the stage, etc.).

But the 85 is a super nice lens. Consider checking out the 100 though.

Sep 08, 2010 at 01:17 AM

reno.peterson
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p.1 #7 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

I let mine go !!!

Sep 08, 2010 at 01:22 AM

gdanmitchell
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p.1 #8 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

I think the 85mm f/1.8 is one of the best little lenses Canon makes. It is a great performer in every way.

Dan

Sep 08, 2010 at 01:36 AM

MSIGuy
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p.1 #9 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

gdanmitchell wrote:
I think the 85mm f/1.8 is one of the best little lenses Canon makes. It is a great performer in every way.

Dan
Except in backlight high contrast situations... And yes, I own one, love it, but it has a fair amount of short comings but is a fantastic lens for the money!

Sep 08, 2010 at 01:42 AM

Canongarcon
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p.1 #10 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

Great lens. The only lens in Canon's lineup where the consumer lens outperforms the L lens in many ways.

Sep 08, 2010 at 01:46 AM

gdanmitchell
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p.1 #11 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

MSIGuy wrote:
gdanmitchell wrote:
I think the 85mm f/1.8 is one of the best little lenses Canon makes. It is a great performer in every way.

Dan
Except in backlight high contrast situations... And yes, I own one, love it, but it has a fair amount of short comings but is a fantastic lens for the money!

I have a bag full of lenses including L and non-L glass, and I've never noticed a backlight problem with the non-L 85mm. In my experience it actually handles such situations with aplomb. It is simply a fine lens, regardless of the low price.

Dan

Sep 08, 2010 at 01:48 AM

M Vers
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p.1 #12 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

gdanmitchell wrote:
MSIGuy wrote:
gdanmitchell wrote:
I think the 85mm f/1.8 is one of the best little lenses Canon makes. It is a great performer in every way.

Dan
Except in backlight high contrast situations... And yes, I own one, love it, but it has a fair amount of short comings but is a fantastic lens for the money!

I have a bag full of lenses including L and non-L glass, and I've never noticed a backlight problem with the non-L 85mm. In my experience it actually handles such situations with aplomb. It is simply a fine lens, regardless of the low price.

Dan

He is probably referring to the relatively high level of purple fringing the lens has in those conditions when used wide open. Personally, I do not experience it very much and when I do it's easily fixed in post.

Sep 08, 2010 at 01:50 AM

WilliamFinley
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p.1 #13 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

It's a smoker of a lens if you don't need or use f/1.2.

Sep 08, 2010 at 01:57 AM

Damon English
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p.1 #14 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

I have owned and sold the 85/1.8, the 100/2, and the 85/1.2 (II).

I have (and can't imagine selling) the 85/1.2 (I), and 135/2.

The 85/1.8 and 100/2 are both good performers and have advantages over the wider aperture 85/1.2 (focus speed, weight, and of course $$). But the 85/1.2 is in a whole 'nuther league optically. Its center-sharpness wide open is amazing, the bokeh at all distances is terrific, and of course you have the f/1.2 aperture. The 85/1.8 and 100/2 would make tons of purple-fringed edges on my 5D, and the slightly OOF bokeh did not appeal to me (they rendered very OOF bokeh just fine. IMO, it's how the near OOF looks that's important).

BTW, I saw virtually no difference between mark I and II versions of the 85/1.2 .

[edit] I forgot to mention that the colors and contrast out of the 1.2 are also a big step up over its non-L siblings.

Sep 08, 2010 at 02:03 AM

wickerprints
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p.1 #15 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

dmcharg wrote:
Its a cracking little lens. You can't go wrong. I made the mistake of selling mine but i am about to buy another one lol. I found it perfect on a crop body for portraits.

Agreed, but you sound like Wallace (of Wallace & Gromit fame) talking about a particularly excellent slice of toast

Sep 08, 2010 at 02:12 AM

wickerprints
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p.1 #16 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

BTW, the purple fringing on the 85/1.8 can be automatically reduced for you if you shoot RAW and check the Color Blur aberration correction in DPP. It won't completely remove it, but it does make it much less prominent. A complete removal is best done in Photoshop.

It's a lovely lens. But I still dream about having the 85/1.2L II. (Actually, I had a literal dream last night about owning the 35/1.4L, but that's a story for another thread.)

Sep 08, 2010 at 02:16 AM

4honor
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p.1 #17 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

I mainly shoot weddings, and due to the f/1.8 is good for low light, many wedding photographers love it. The only reason why I will most likely never own this lens is the purple fringing. I understand all lenses is susceptible to PF, but the ones I got from the 85/1.8 was just not acceptable to me.

The only times when I will use this lens is for indoors with natural light (but low contrast) or at night with flash, at weddings. I believe many like this lens for indoor sports as well. But for my use, the 85/1.2 is a better choice.

Sep 08, 2010 at 02:31 AM

rhorta
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p.1 #18 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

epphoto wrote:
I had the 1.2 II...

There you go, you've been spoiled!

For the money the f/1.8 is a fine lens, but you'll know...

Ruy

Sep 08, 2010 at 06:15 PM

yauyi
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p.1 #19 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

Had the 85 1.8 and like it a lot before I bought the 85L II, it's much lighter and smaller than the 85L II, and way cheaper too. acceptable bokeh compare to 85L, AF is a huge improvement....you'll like it!

Sep 08, 2010 at 06:38 PM

rhorta
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p.1 #20 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

yauyi wrote:
went from 85 1.8 to 85L II, wish I done it sooner before they jacked the price up from $1800 to $2000! love the contrast, sharpness and color, significantly better bokeh. AF is more than quick enough for me, and I use mine at f/1.2~f1.4 exclusively (that's what I bought the lens for). DOF @f/1.2 is VERY manageable (same DOF as my 70-200 2.8 IS II @200mm f/2.8 in MFD) and not as difficult to "master" as some people made it out to be. It's a fun lens to shoot with, my 70-200 2.8 IS II have not seen much action lately because of it though.

Here's a quick snapshot from the 85L II @f/1.4, ISO 200. Reduced contrast and desaturated in Lightroom:

Glad everything turned out alright.

Looks like you're keeping your word too: http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/914168/1#8661511

Still think you can stop down even beyond f/2 on the L though, you are missing some goodness

Ruy

Sep 08, 2010 at 06:44 PM

outlawyer
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p.1 #21 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

I've had several copies of both, still have the 1.8. Unless you need a lens that can virtually see in the dark (and/or the DOF/bokeh qualities it produces) it's hard to say that the 1.2 is worth the six or so times the cost of the 1.8. The bang for your buck this lens represents is one of the best values in photography. Dollars to doughnuts that if it were metal construction and had "Zeiss" or "Leica" written on it, photo magazines would be saying its high cost was justified.

2012 © outlawyer

Sep 08, 2010 at 07:43 PM

ultrapix
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p.1 #22 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

I have both, and use the f:1,8 much more than L; but I have to agree about (strong) backlight issues with the non L; I also hate CA at full aperture; but even L is not perfect: focus fringing is really annoying, and AF boring slow.

85/1,8 definitely wins for Q/P.

Sep 08, 2010 at 10:06 PM

Orestis.Ch
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p.1 #23 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

Probably the best non-L canon lens along with 100 F2.8 macro

Sep 09, 2010 at 12:27 AM

rhorta
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p.1 #24 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

ultrapix wrote:
AF boring slow.
85/1,8 definitely wins for Q/P.

AF speed is relative.

Unless you want to capture action or demand instant focus I don't understand what the negative fuss is about.

If price were the qualifier a lot of L's would end up second place.

The f/1.8 is a normal short tele, the f/1.2 is not.

But if you want to cut back on cost the f/1.8 goes a long (I'd prefer a 135L, but if i couldn't afford that one I'd be happy with the f/1.8 fringing and all).

Ruy

Sep 09, 2010 at 07:28 AM

Robr
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p.1 #25 · Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

Great lens for indoor and low light, I love it.
For outdoor the 135L is my choice on FF.

Sep 09, 2010 at 07:53 AM


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