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Archive 2018 · 85/1.2 II vs 1.4 IS

Eyvind Ness
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · 85/1.2 II vs 1.4 IS

Ditto. Owned and used the 85L II for 10 years. Wonderful lens, when nailing the focus. But frustratingly slow to focus, and only worked well-ish on my 1dX2. My 5D bodies never really got along with it, except for extremely slow or static subjects. Got myself the 85L IS, and never looked back. No more AF worries, no more fuss. Just works, very well.

Aug 16, 2018 at 05:26 AM

Dragonfire
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · 85/1.2 II vs 1.4 IS

The 85L II required a deliberate temperament and concentration and always worked perfectly on my 1D, 1D III, 1DsIII and 1D IV in wedding and event environments.

The 85L IS is great for shooting my dog Squirt.

Aug 16, 2018 at 06:12 AM

tcphoto
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · 85/1.2 II vs 1.4 IS

I've owned all three versions of the 85L and always focus manually. Each version got better and better with colors, contrast and bokeh so I didn't hesitate to upgrade to the latest. My 85LII just wasn't sharp wide open while I have more confidence in the 1.4. The first images I shot with the 1.4 had a beautiful color rendition that left me with no regret selling the 1.2. Rent one and see for yourself.

Aug 16, 2018 at 09:13 AM

diverhank
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · 85/1.2 II vs 1.4 IS

I have a slightly different take on the 85mm so I'll throw it out for what it's worth.

1. I prefer the 85mm to the 70-200mm. For portrait work I ended up with the 85mm 99% of the time.
It's a matter of preference because one have to look really closely to tell - not sure I will pass the blind test.

2. I have both the 85mm 1.8 and the 85mm 1.2 II and while I can tell a slight IQ, color and contrast difference between the two...the difference is not enough for me to use (unless I want to impress with my equipment). As a personal style, I often have a problem with the 85 1.2 being too sharp. So 80% of the time, I ended up using the 85mm 1.8 for its portability and faster focus.

3. I thought about getting the 85mm 1.4 IS but decided to skip it. 95% of my portrait shots are shot at speeds 1/2000 or faster - most are outdoor shots. I usually shoot at f/2 so I don't need 1.2 just like I don't really need IS. The other 5%, the SS is never under 1/100. To me if you can't shoot at 1/100 or above, it's not worth taking the shot. I'd take an ISO hit anytime.

Aug 16, 2018 at 01:07 PM

Jonesy
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · 85/1.2 II vs 1.4 IS

Heck I shoot in 1.4 in bright sunny days using the Profoto A1’s in HSS.
That and the new 35 doesn’t leave 1.4 lol

Aug 16, 2018 at 01:45 PM

diverhank
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · 85/1.2 II vs 1.4 IS

Jonesy wrote:
Heck I shoot in 1.4 in bright sunny days using the Profoto A1’s in HSS.
That and the new 35 doesn’t leave 1.4 lol

f1.4 @ 35mm gives you adequate DOF. 1.4 @ 85mm too often will get only one eye in focus (see Dragonfire's picture as an example). I have a thing against having one eye out of focus on people so I usually don't shoot below f/2 unless I'm far enough from the subject.

Aug 16, 2018 at 01:58 PM

Jonesy
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p.2 #7 · p.2 #7 · 85/1.2 II vs 1.4 IS

Both eyes sharp

diverhank wrote:
f1.4 @ 35mm gives you adequate DOF. 1.4 @ 85mm too often will get only one eye in focus (see Dragonfire's picture as an example). I have a thing against having one eye out of focus on people so I usually don't shoot below f/2 unless I'm far enough from the subject.

Aug 16, 2018 at 02:05 PM

garyvot
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p.2 #8 · p.2 #8 · 85/1.2 II vs 1.4 IS

Dragonfire wrote:
The 85L IS is a well thought out lens with all the bells and whistles to make it a first class lens, it just has no soul, no sex appeal and no POP.

I owned the 85L 1.2 and used it for weddings for 5 years and I purchased the 85L IS for less than a month and returned it.

When I need a 85L it will be the 1.2.

Agreed. The 85L IS is missing the character of the 85L II, IMO, even if it might be in some ways technically superior. (This character has nothing to do with the extra half stop of potential background blur, either.)

Some people will discount this, and that's fine. It's a subjective thing, and post processing can mask the inherent differences in contrast and rendering to some extent. But to me the difference is there.

(Note: I don't currently own the 85L II and so I don't have any owner's pride invested in this.)

Edited on Aug 16, 2018 at 02:23 PM · View previous versions

Aug 16, 2018 at 02:17 PM

Jonesy
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p.2 #9 · p.2 #9 · 85/1.2 II vs 1.4 IS

Not seeing the difference really. After owning the 1.2 for 10 years.

Aug 16, 2018 at 02:20 PM

Jonesy
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p.2 #10 · p.2 #10 · 85/1.2 II vs 1.4 IS

Now I want a 1.2 and take the same shot to compare

Aug 16, 2018 at 02:24 PM

johnctharp
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p.2 #11 · p.2 #11 · 85/1.2 II vs 1.4 IS

Having rented both (I own the f/1.8 lens, don't need more), I will say that a lot of the 'character' of the 85/1.2L (I/II) is going to be exposed through complex backgrounds and/or highlights in the background.

When the subject is sharp and the background is tame and out of focus, both lenses will have a very similar 'look'.

Aug 17, 2018 at 12:41 PM

petr vokurek
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p.2 #12 · p.2 #12 · 85/1.2 II vs 1.4 IS

Agreed. The 85L IS is missing the character of the 85L II, IMO, even if it might be in some ways technically superior. (This character has nothing to do with the extra half stop of potential background blur, either.)

Some people will discount this, and that's fine. It's a subjective thing, and post processing can mask the inherent differences in contrast and rendering to some extent. But to me the difference is there.

(Note: I don't currently own the 85L II and so I don't have any owner's pride invested in this.)

The f1,2 has 8 glass elements, the f 1,4 has 14...Well corrected as they are, they´re still there and my guess would be this is a big part of the " character" of the f1,2. And I agree it does have character that the f1,4 lacks.

Aug 30, 2018 at 03:53 AM

evertdoorn
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p.2 #13 · p.2 #13 · 85/1.2 II vs 1.4 IS

I've used 5 different 85's (85 1.2 II, 85 1.8, Tamron 1.8, Sigma 1.4 art and now the new 85 IS). The latest IS version is my pick; it's sharp, very accurate in focus and has nice character, and is reasonably portable.

reg the 1.2 vs the 1.4; I've had and used the 1.2 II for years. It's a very nice lens and sharp enough, but the 1.4 is for me just much more useful because it nails focus much better and faster, resulting in a much higher hit rate. For weddings and events, that is a very important thing.

Aug 30, 2018 at 12:53 PM

pjbishop
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p.2 #14 · p.2 #14 · 85/1.2 II vs 1.4 IS

I do not see why Canon can't produce an 85 f/whatever with the virtues of the 135 f/2, that is, quick and accurate focus and good sharpness PLUS the magical rendering. The 85 f/1.2 I and II lack the former and the 85 f/1.4L IS lacks the latter. What is the problem?

Ditto for wanting a 50mm with the virtues of the 35 f/1.4 II.

If only the Zeuss Milvuses, the 50 and the 85 f/1.4s, had auto-focus. Alas.

Speaking of the 50, had hoped until the last minute that a new one ( not counting mirrorless ) would come this year. What a disappointment.

Aug 31, 2018 at 07:32 AM

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