Would it be crazy to buy this lens only because you always wanted to try one? I would be using it on the R5 and probably would only use it taking pics of my grandkids. I mostly would be doing candid shots and no formal sit downs.
campy wrote:
Would it be crazy to buy this lens only because you always wanted to try one? I would be using it on the R5 and probably would only use it taking pics of my grandkids. I mostly would be doing candid shots and no formal sit downs.
I wouldn't say it's crazy and I absolutely love this lens. I am an early adopter to it and I still love using it. I love it so much that last year I spent more than CAD$ 1700 to have it repaired (during a shoot it failed to AF). Canon Canada did a fantastic job and replaced a lot of parts and it looks brand new. I could have added about $ 100 and got myself a brand new RF 85/1.4 VCM. However, I really need that f/1.2 look so I decided to get it repaired instead. So be careful with the condition of the used 85LII.
Jman13 wrote:
I'm not sure why you got it repaired when you could buy another one that's used for around $650 US (~$900 CAD)
I didn't want to take that chance and get that used one repaired in the future. Anyway it's as good as new now. I'm even thinking of buying a Sigma MC-11 so I can use it for my A7V.
jojib wrote:
I didn't want to take that chance and get that used one repaired in the future. Anyway it's as good as new now. I'm even thinking of buying a Sigma MC-11 so I can use it for my A7V.
The camera store rep/mgr where I normally buy my lenses suggested that I have it repaired rather than getting the new RF 85/1.4. He said that it is a special lens since it's an F/1.2. Also, he mentioned that there is a floor that Canon Canada has where they perform rigorous testing of the lenses they repair. I got to shoot with it almost immediately after I got the lens back.
Canon EOS R6 Mark II
1/5000s f/1.2 at 85.0mm iso320
Canon EOS R6 Mark II
1/500s f/1.2 at 85.0mm iso100
Canon EOS R6 Mark II
1/400s f/1.2 at 85.0mm iso100
Canon EOS R6 Mark II
1/8000s f/1.2 at 85.0mm iso100
The only crazy thing would be to go through life shooting Canon and NOT own an 85mm 1.2.
Outside of the 200mm f2 probably my favorite Canon lens ever. Made a good chunk of change with it in my younger years and took some of the absolute best picts of my now grown kids when they were little.
campy wrote:
Would it be crazy to buy this lens only because you always wanted to try one?
What's crazy about that? If you're curious about it, then try it. It's a good lens for sure, and you'll really blow out backgrounds with it, if that is what you want. Its light gathering ability will be very useful for indoor/night ambient light photos of your grandkids if they're not moving too quickly. Whether or not it's anything special compared to other fast 85mm options is going to be subjective.
I owned the original version for ~15 years alongside the 85/1.8 and got the 85/1.4L IS when it was released. At one stop faster, the 85 definitely had the bokeh advantage over the 85/1.8 and was sharper at wide apertures. The 1.8's primary advantage was smaller size and fast AF, but it never really 'wowed' me like the 1.2 did. The 85/1.4 did bring a host of refinements and overall performance improvements, but that doesn't take away from the quality of images that the 1.2 can produce. The 1.4 is generally a more convenient lens that broadens the performance envelope in certain areas, in comparison. One tradeoff being that the 1.4 has a more neutral, modern bokeh quality that some don't prefer.
The EF 85/1.2's subtly more 'characterful' bokeh makes it somewhat unique among more recent releases. Given that it's apparently a descendant of the FD version, it's a 'vintage' lens in relatively modern AF form with good availability.
I was using a 5dmk 3 and recently added a R5, I kept the EF 85 f1.2, 35 f1.4 and 24-70 2.8.
The focus on the R5 is remarkable and the 85 1.2 generates amazing results. While the spec sheet says the 45meg sensor shows the limits of the glass to me the results are impressive, and my lens are V1.
It was said shooting at F1.2 was like trying to hit a home run in baseball, you generated a lot of strikeouts in between, With the new autofocus in todays cameras my batting average went up dramatically.
What's crazy about wanting to take amazing images of the grandkids to share with family,
