85mm Bokeh - FM Forums

Home · Forums · My Profile · PM · Buddy list · Search · FAQ · Image Upload · Buy & Sell · Reviews · Hosting · Avatar · Software

Visit the FM Store · Image Upload · Buy & Sell FM Forum Rules Canon SLRs, primes, and zooms lenses reviews
FM Forums \| Canon-mount SLRs Pages: [1] 2

85mm Bokeh (archived topic)

jjlphoto
Offline
Image Upload: On
Registered: Jan 03, 2005
Total Posts: 6580
Country: United States

85mm Bokeh

Canon's trendy lens for people and bokeh is the 85/1.2L USM. Also has a trendy price tag (high).

Contax/Zeiss has the famed 85/1.2 which is reported to be one of the finest lenses ever made (and I believe them), hence more richly valued than the Canon.

Contax/Zeiss also has the 85/1.4 for a very affordable price. Anybody have real life experience you would be willing to share?

Being able to hand hold a lens at wider apertures seems to be something I want to try. My Canon 70~200/2.8L USM is a great lens, but tripod is needed as it is a tank.

Thanks

Oct 11, 2005 at 07:05 PM

Sam Bennett
Online
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Sep 26, 2004
Total Posts: 3856
Country: United States

Re: 85mm Bokeh

How's this for 85mm bokeh?

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Oct 11, 2005 at 07:18 PM

MarkSaperstein
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Sep 23, 2003
Total Posts: 1330
Country: United States

Re: 85mm Bokeh

John,
I used the Contax Zeiss 85/1.4 for a while last year. At f/1.4, it performs like a soft-focus portrait lens. To my eyes, bokeh was very pleasing. When stopped down, it is as sharp as any lens at the focal length. Size and weight are very comfortable, and the focus ring is big and smooth like other CZ lenses. However, CA/birefringence was a major problem for me. I had to stop down to f/4 for most of it to go away. I even shot some film with it to make sure it wasn't just a digital problem, and it was there too. It is an ideal lens for b+w, but I found it to be a major bummer for color prints. I should add that I mainly used it for available light shooting, and I imagine that results might be different when used with controlled lighting.
--Mark

Oct 11, 2005 at 07:49 PM

eeprete
Online
Image Upload: On
Registered: Jun 05, 2004
Total Posts: 3668
Country: United States

Re: 85mm Bokeh

Or this?

The first shot of the magazine cover was taken at about the minimum focusing distance. On the second shot, the bride was within only a couple of feet of the mantle, and the shot was taken at 1.4, and I was about 12 feet from the bride.

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Oct 11, 2005 at 07:54 PM

Mr Joe
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: May 18, 2004
Total Posts: 2874
Country: United States

Re: 85mm Bokeh

Rent an 85/1.2L and check it out. The only danger is what will happen to your credit card bill. I'm going to buy one as soon as budget permits.

Oct 11, 2005 at 08:05 PM

mbohunsky
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Dec 31, 2004
Total Posts: 3664
Country: United States

Re: 85mm Bokeh

Did someone say bokeh?

85 f/1.8 @ 1.8

Oct 11, 2005 at 08:12 PM

BrianP
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Dec 21, 2002
Total Posts: 3531
Country: United States

Re: 85mm Bokeh

Here are a few from the 85 f/1.2L that I took earlier this year. I have been using some other lenses lately or this one stopped down for studio.


	http://www.potts-family.net/kristen/kristen%2011-14-04%20(ha3j2871)_std.jpg


	http://www.potts-family.net/rachel/rachel%2012-27-2004%20(ha3j4055)_std.jpg


	http://www.potts-family.net/kristen/kristen%204-17-2005%20(ha3j5262)_std.jpg


	http://www.potts-family.net/kristen/kristen%204-17-2005%20(ha3j5337)_std.jpg

Here is a couple of recent ones from the 85 f/1.2L in the studio (stopped down obviously)...


	http://www.potts-family.net/kristen/bw%20lisa%20and%20kristen%207-30-2005%20(ha3j6501)_std.jpg


	http://www.potts-family.net/rachel/bw%20lisa%20and%20rachel%208-7-2005%20(ha3j6569)_std.jpg

Oct 11, 2005 at 08:28 PM

BeeMan458
Offline
Image Upload: On
Registered: Mar 01, 2002
Total Posts: 7712
Country: United States

Re: 85mm Bokeh

Siiiiiiigh! The battle of the 85's again. Siiiiiiigh!

I have the CZ 85/1.4 and Canon's 85/1.8. I'm spoilt by Canon's AF and AE technology, so I was underwhelmed by the CZ 85/1.4. Maybe later in the case of the CZ 85/1.4 but right now it's, after much research and advisement, Canon's 85/1.8 for me.

It's light (very handholdable), reasonably priced and the bokeh is excellent.

Edited by BeeMan458 on Oct 11, 2005 at 04:13 PM GMT

Oct 11, 2005 at 11:57 PM

jmauro
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Sep 20, 2005
Total Posts: 1038
Country: Canada

Re: 85mm Bokeh

Wow, what a fantastic shot Beeman! That's the 1.8, not the 1.2L?

Oct 12, 2005 at 12:13 AM

BeeMan458
Offline
Image Upload: On
Registered: Mar 01, 2002
Total Posts: 7712
Country: United States

Re: 85mm Bokeh

Thanks!:D That's the 1.8:)

Nothing was done to the image in PS other then levels, USM and resized for the web.

Oct 12, 2005 at 12:17 AM