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Leican
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Registered: Jan 28, 2006
Location: Italy
Posts: 32
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Review Date: Apr 4, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharpness, brokeh,
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Cons:
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Heavy
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 Apr 4, 2013
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dantewaters
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Registered: Apr 23, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 340
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Review Date: Apr 3, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Excellent contrast, great color rendition, tact sharp, lovely Bokeh,
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Cons:
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Slow to rack focus moving from one subject to the other, a bit weighty
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The Canon 85mm 1.2 L in short is a great lens. It's great because it has excellent contrast and color rendition, the colors are well balanced and look great. It also has beautiful bokeh (the shape of the out of focus areas). When stopped down to 1.2 the area of focus is hairline thin that even though eyes are in focus mouth and nose can be out of focus.
Now onto the slow focusing this lens isn't a point and focus on every subject right away type of lens, you have to find its sweet spot or in other words stay at a certain distance and take the shots you want. Many say it's slow because for it to rack focus or pull focus from one subject to another at different distances it has to shift a lot of glass and that does take a few secs which for many is too slow. So at it's sweet spot it's fast and I love it.
This was shot at the sweet spot (within 2secs of me seeing it)
http://500px.com/photo/28802861
The 85mm 1.2L gets a 10 in my book!!
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Apr 3, 2013
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clickclack
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Registered: Oct 8, 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 21
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Review Date: Mar 3, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,999.00
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Pros:
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With me, none.
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Cons:
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Very, very heavy. Abysmally slow AF. Front focusing. Hood mounted to front lens group. Electronic manual focusing has no tactile feedback. No automatic retraction of front lens when turning-off camera. Lens did not work on my 5D Mark III.
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Hello! I started photographing in 1962 (nineteen sixty-two) while in the 7th grade. I was 13 years old and used a Rolliecord TLR and a Weston light meter. So, yup, I'm old (63). What I didn't realize was that that moment in time was the beginning of a life-long love of photography which resulted in my using a myriad of equipment and taking thousands of film photos.
I know what this lens is capable of producing via internet postings on this site. I read of its foibles was positive that given my skill set that those issues could be handled. What I truly discovered was that it's a fully compromised piece of glass from a mechanical sense. Having had many Nikon and Zeiss lenses, as well as some medium grade 3rd party glass, I'm familiar with how to use each type. No problem.....
What was surprising was that it did NOT work properly after being mounted on my camera: it grossly underexposed every shot that I took, regardless of where the photo was taken as well as the lighting condition (really dark settings excluded). I checked ALL of my settings on my camera; all were nominal. This lens is in Canon's listing of recognized lenses (of course) and that registration was shown in the camera's menu. So, I remounted a Canon 50mm f/1.8 (original version-still registered...) and all was perfect. Hmmmmm.... I checked the manufacturing date and it was August 2012--so, all okay from that standpoint.
Although the above problem could have been from user error, I'm inclined to think not, as I've been using many types of digital cameras since 2007 and have never had this problem.
Given the L series of lenses and the quality control that is required, I'm sure that it passed all of their tests. So, the reason for it not producing a properly exposed image with my Mark III is perplexing.
In conclusion, I'm exchanging it for Canon's 35mm f/1.4 USM. It is a very different type of lens perspective, but from what I have read here it's a gem.
I wish that this lens was a keeper, as I think that 85mm is a great focal length for many types of shooting. I'll have to check-out Canon's other 85mm listing(s).
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Mar 3, 2013
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fingerling69
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Registered: Jan 24, 2013
Location: Australia
Posts: 8
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Review Date: Feb 23, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Tack sharp from F1.2. Build quality, Bokeh.
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Cons:
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fly by wire focus can be incredibly slow to focus. No weather sealing.
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I recently hired one of these gems to do a birthday party for a niece of mine. As many others have said, the AF is slow, so slow it's almost painful. To me it makes the 50 F1.2 AF feel like a race car in comparison.
For portraits it's not a problem, it locks on and the photo's are stunning, tack sharp with wonderful colour renditions and beautiful bokeh.
Candid portraits on the other hand - especially young ones who like to randomly and spontaneously go from 0 to 100 mph in a blink of an eye I found far more tricky, almost frustrating, but as with portraits, if and when the focus locks on you usually nail the shot.
I found the weight of the lense to compliment the body (5d mark 3) rather than throw it out of balance like some lenses do.
I've read complaints about where the red alignment dot is located, and whilst it's not in the most convenient of places, I think you'd have to be a butcher to scratch or mark the rear element given it's slightly recessed below the mounting ring.
Would I purchase this lense? Absolutely, once the funds allow for it.
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Feb 23, 2013
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kezeka
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Registered: Feb 18, 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 2536
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Review Date: Jan 26, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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superb bokeh/sharpness/color/contrast, can take images with a full moon and ISO6400 if you have a streetlight within a few blocks. Nails focus every time.
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Cons:
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Slow AF. And I mean seriously slow. I have seen sloths move faster than this AF.
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This lens is always a mixed bag of chips for me. On the one hand, it takes flipping phenomenal photos if you subject will stay still long enough for the AF to lock on. Hell, even if they don't the image will still look amazing. Even at f/1.2 it is plentifully sharp - at f/2.0 its a razer-blade corner to corner. You will never think to yourself "I could use more subject isolation" at f/1.2. It makes easy work of portraits - aim for the eyes and kiss the wrinkles on most of the face goodbye (and the background). You will be able to take pictures using a single candle for a light source at night, embarrassing all of your friends trying to use their lesser lenses to get that amazing night shot. Hell - this is THE available light lens to have.
So whats the drawback? The disgustingly "deliberate" AF. I have found it less frustrating on a 1DIII body than a 5DII. Even on a good day, it takes some work to nail focus on a moving subject with this lens. You learn to anticipate it and find tricks to get it to lock on, but there are still a not-insignificant number of out-of-focus shots after I use this lens for events. When people come up with kind terms like "deliberate" to describe a lenses AF - know that they mean "sometimes I want to throw this lens out a window because it is SO SLOW to focus." For those of you thinking that you can manually focus this lens faster keep in mind that it uses focus by wire technology that lags ever so slightly behind your movements with the focusing ring (read: frustrating).
Also, the lens hood latches on to the rotating focusing ring. Because this lens is full-time manual focus override capable, you can't rest the hood on an object unless you keep REALLY still (the depth of field at 1.2 will be thrown off if you breath).
So then, why do I use this lens more than any other? It nukes backgrounds and creates the most amazing subject isolation of any lens I have used (no, I haven't used the 200 f/2.0). Nothing else is able to produce images quite like it in my experience. Even if the AF is slow, I just overshoot events with it so that I know I have at least one frame in focus. It is a great lens, it just isn't for everyone.
Sample photos:
http://smu.gs/X0y23I
Subject isolation:
http://smu.gs/14hRLl0
Portrait:
http://smu.gs/14hRVsB
Scenery (mountain w/ polarizer):
http://smu.gs/14hSliD
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Jan 26, 2013
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Vancouver47
Offline
Buy and Sell: On
Registered: Sep 24, 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 917
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Review Date: Nov 25, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $1,850.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Produces isolation with beautiful backgrounds in a way no other lens can quite match.
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Cons:
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Heavy, slow to focus on all but the 1Dx and likely the 5D3. Flimsy hood. Cameras must be on to retract the front element to put it away.
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I had not considered adding a review for the 85L II while I was using it on a 5D and 1D4, slow AF and inconsistent AF were a problem for me, particularly with portraiture. I mostly used it as a walk around lens. I know that seems odd, but I found that quite mundane still life scenes could be made far more interesting with the lenses ability to isolate an interesting element of the scene.
The 1Dx AF has changed all that. AF is much faster and more accurate. AI-servo is definitely useable now, which allows me to use it at parties and receptions in a way that used to produce 20% keepers for me, but now well over 50%. Hand held wide open with people moving around was not a strong suit for this lens in my hands. It is now with the 1Dx.
As an aside, I would highly recommend using Tape's FocusTune software to set MA for this lens. I never could quite settle on a correct MA with the FocusAlign alone. There is no doubt now and MA is clearly +2 compared to the uncertain +5 to +7 before (1Dx). I haven't reset MA on the 1D4 yet. The 5D front focuses a bit.
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Nov 25, 2012
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vscd
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Sep 3, 2012
Location: Germany
Posts: 5
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Review Date: Sep 3, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Nice Bokeh and sharpness from f1.2 on.
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Cons:
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No sealing, electronical focus only and heavy lateral CA.
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I just wanted to add some notes to the review from Dawei Ye:
>Canon has historically struggled implementing IS on fast primes
>and only since 2012 has IS been implemented on a prime lens
>below 200mm focal length
That's not true. The 100mm 2.8L Macro is a nice portraitlense, too
(even if it's mainpurpose is the macrodistance). It offers a
fantastic Hybrid IS with up to 4 stops.
I can't even approve the fact that the 50mm 1.2 is sharp wide
open. The 50mm 1.2 is a bad lese on open apertures... not
unusable while doing "art" but otherwise nothing to buy
(http://www.traumflieger.de/objektivtest/open_test/canon_50_12/5dmark2_chart.gif)
The 85mm 1.2II is a fantastic lense if you want the last out of your
pictures. All others who own the 85mm 1.8 should keep it... the
price/value tag is unmatched.
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Sep 3, 2012
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Thomas Richter
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Registered: Jun 17, 2012
Location: Germany
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Jun 17, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp already at f1.2, amazing bokeh, one of the biggest temptations since Canon makes lenses...
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Cons:
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Nothing that I wouldn't call a feature...
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I bought this lens in conjunction with upgrading from 40D to 5D3, and the results that this combination delivers - even after only a few days of playing with it - are absolutely amazing. It balances very well on the 5D3 with BG. Indeed it is recommended to use AI Servo for focusing and not try to shift frame when shooting wide open. That said, the new 61 AF-points of the 5D3 and their flexible settings arrived at the right time :-)
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Jun 17, 2012
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Dawei Ye
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Registered: Sep 14, 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 3763
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Review Date: Jun 16, 2012
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Recommend? |
Price paid: Not Indicated
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Pros:
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Buttery smooth output, very sharp even at f/1.2, unique "look"
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Cons:
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Slow and laggy AF, cumbersome physical design, insane placement of red lens mount alignment dot, would be better with IS
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This is an update to my previous APS-C review. I have no used the camera on full frame extensively, and am now a portrait and wedding photographer and will largely discuss it from that point of view. Sample gallery is at: http://www.clartephoto.com/canon85liisamples
The Canon Lens EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM (hereon in denoted as the 85L II) is a “L Series” designated short telephoto lens in Canon’s EF lens range. Released in 2006, the 85L II was a minor upgrade incorporating the technological advances in microprocessor technology and optical coatings made since the 1989 release of its predecessor, the Canon Lens EF 85mm f/1.2L USM, a functionally identical lens.
This lens has a legendary reputation, and deservedly so. It is widely regarded as one of Canon’s signature lenses and a flagship of the EF lens range. In their EF Lens Work III publication, Canon regards this lens as their “definitive portrait lens”. Wedding portraiture and photojournalism is my primary usage for this lens.
This lens, and its predecessor, the Canon Lens EF 85mm f/1.2L USM have single handily kept many customers loyal to the Canon system, widely quoted anecdotally as a key reason why many Canon system users do not switch to Nikon.
There have been few lenses that have transformed my photography more so than this lens. If I could only own one lens, it would be this lens. I would then use a Point & Shoot for my wide angle needs. It goes without saying that this lens well and truly deserves its status as a Canon L series lens.
BUILD:
As a rule, all L lenses are built extremely well, and the 85L II is no exception. However, there were some less than optimal decisions (or compromises) made on the construction of this lens.
The focus ring is wobbly and loose and shifts when pressure is applied, similar to how a loose tooth would move around. Although it does not affect functionality, it does cheapen the feel of the lens and gives new users a fright about whether the lens is broken or not.
The lens itself is not internal focusing, and is of a front group focusing design (the forward group moves in and out of the lens barrel), and this, together with the loose focus ring, and where the lens mount is screwed into the body, are the primary causes of its “dust pump” characteristic. After a few weeks of usage, large particles of dust made their way inside the lens, landing on numerous internal elements. Whilst image quality is not visibly impacted, the lack of dust resistance is disappointing at this price point. Some users have performed DIY cleaning attempts on this lens, but I am not so brave.
Similarly, the lack of weather sealing on a L lens at this price point is disappointing, however potentially unavoidable given the design of the lens.
By far the most bizarre decision was to place the red lens mount/camera mount alignment dot on the rear of the lens, rather than at the side. This makes it extremely difficult to mount the lens as the red dot is not visible when trying to mount the lens. Particularly as this lens features an exposed rear element (the glass is level with the end of the lens), this bizarre placement of the red alignment dot slows down the speed at which this lens can be mounted, and increases the risk of damage to the exposed rear element due to inaccurate alignment caused by an inability to see the red alignment dot when putting the lens on. Practice improves speed, but it’s absolute hell when a novice 85L II user borrows your lens and your heart starts fluttering when they start struggling with mounting your lens, clumsily rubbing the rear element back and forth on the camera mount. Terrible.
To Canon’s credit, the rear element is quite strong and scratch resistant, despite (or because) of its exposed nature. I don’t want to test the full extent of its scratch resistance though.
The 85L II is a Focus By Wire design. That is, manual focus (MF) is achieved electronically. As the lens has no power source, this means that MF is not possible when the lens is dismounted. Remember when I said the lens had a front lens group focusing design? The trouble is, when the front group is extended, and the lens has been dismounted, you cannot retract it without remounting the lens and turning the camera back on. This can be a pain in the field when your lens suddenly can’t fit back inside the back because the front element group is extended. In the field, it’s quite difficult to remember to focus the lens to infinity before dismounting the lens. Yes, it is partially my fault, but I doubt many would miss the focus by wire feature if it was scrapped in favour of conventional manual focusing.
The lens hood is a clip on design, not a Bayonet Mount. The hood looks ugly (Like most telephoto lenses, it is of a rounded design (not petal style)) and is quite flimsy compared to the lens, as is typical of most Canon lens hoods. The lens hood is even fatter than the lens, and severely restricts the types of bag slots the lens will fit into, whether mounted or reversed.
WHAT'S MISSING:
The biggest feature missing from this lens is Image Stabilisation (IS). Canon has historically struggled implementing IS on fast primes and only since 2012 has IS been implemented on a prime lens below 200mm focal length.
Some photographers are dismissive of whether IS is required in large aperture lenses such as the 85L II. Their arguments are that IS are not needed for fast lenses due to their ability to yield faster shutter speeds with their large apertures. I wish they were right, but unfortunately I have countless images ruined by camera movement induced motion blur disproving this theory.
I, and many other photographers, believe that IS would be invaluable on these lenses for the following reasons:
(a) A fast prime is designed for low light situations, and this is a usage this lens will typically find itself in, however even f/1.2 at high ISO is often not enough to get a handholdable shutter speed, and I have the photos to prove it!
(b) Even if f/1.2 and high ISO is sufficient to get a handholdable shutter speed, the implementation of IS will allow the photographer to stop down the lens or deduce the ISO, to get cleaner output and/or more depth of field (DOF)
I would gladly pay an extra $1000 for this lens for the inclusion of IS. Obviously, I’d prefer it to not cost anything extra though!
OVERALL IMAGE QUALITY:
When this lens is being discussed, three words frequently are mentioned: “Buttery”, “Creamy” and “Bokeh”. Once you use this lens you will understand why. I will attempt to explain how the optical attributes of this lens combine together to form this effect.
The colour response from this lens is unlike other Canon lenses I have used. The contrast delivered from this lens is more subdued, and more elegant. It definitely is a less punchier lens than a Canon Lens EF 200mm f/2L IS USM, however, I would not regard this as a bad thing. It is not worse, it is different. In my opinion, the lower contrast is suited well to portraiture work. The lower “roll off” in contrast transitions is what contributes to the “creamy” look for portraiture.
Together with the bokeh delivered by the f/1.2 aperture and the 8 rounded aperture bladed diaphragm (relevant when stopping down), this lens delivers spectacular background blur. Bokeh refers to the quality of out of focus areas, not the quantity, however there is no doubt our evaluation of bokeh is subjectively affected by the quantity of background blur. And the f/1.2 aperture delivers this in spades.
Note that due to the large aperture, out of focus highlights (out of focus bright spots in the background) are truncated by the mirror box, even on full frame cameras. At times this can be to the image’s detriment, and stopping down the lens will yield a rounder highlight.
Find some great lighting, open up this lens, and you are almost guaranteed a spectacular photo.
OPTICS:
Chromatic Aberration (CA):
Optically, susceptibility to longitudinal CA (purple and green fringing at areas of defocus) is by far the weakest attribute of this lens. This lens is most heavily afflicted by CA in the following situations:
(a) When used wide open or at large apertures
(b) When photographing high contrast transitions particularly in bright light (e.g. white wedding dress against black tuxedo)
(c) When photographing metallic objects
Typically, stopping down to f/1.6 and lower substantially minimises the impact of CA. I have also found that CA is much reduced in dark environments when I use bounce flash (which is a very flat, even light source), and more prominent in harsh, natural light.
Having said that though, this is not a game stopper. Situations like the above are not as prevalent as may seem, and the susceptibility of this lens to CA has not impacted me as much as I would have thought.
Vignetting:
Yes, it vignettes wide open. Bring it on I say. Vignette adds character and gives a very “classical” look to the image, accentuating the subject. I don’t mind vignetting at all, however if you prefer a uniform look, most Canon cameras and post processing software have vignetting correction features.
Distortion:
Nothing noticeable, which is not surprising for a short telephoto prime lens.
Flare:
The sun in the frame or close to the edge of the frame introduces veiling flare (overall “misty” look to the photo). In the field, the biggest impact is when you are photographing with the sun behind the subject. Even if the sun is very close to intruding into the frame, you may experience this veiling effect. I have noted ghosting from the elements (coloured shapes in the photo) however these are relatively minor compared to zoom lenses and wide angle lenses.
Sharpness:
This lens is sharp wide open. I utilise this lens wide open 95% of the time and sharpness is sufficient for all usages I have had for this lens. There is a slight but noticeable improvement in contrast as it is stopped down, and a post processed sharpened photo at f/1.2 will come close to a stopped down photo. Because the resolution is there, f/1.2 photos sharpen up very well - as long as it's in focus!
I regard this lens has being sharper wide open than both the Canon Lens EF 35mm f/1.4L USM and the Canon Lens EF 50mm f/1.2L USM (both of which are very sharp wide open anyway).
At times, in high contrast conditions, lens flare and CA work to reduce the apparent sharpness of this lens, and optically these result in haziness or ghosting on the image, reducing the effective sharpness of the shot.
As with all lenses, if you are concerned with the sharpness of your copy, it is critical that you use manual focus to ensure that the autofocus system is not responsible for the softness. Carefully take a photo of a flat surface containing detail, using Manual Focus, aided by 10X magnification in Live View.
From f/2 onwards, I regard this lens as reaching peak sharpness and out-resolving the current camera sensors. However, I must stress that one should not stop this lens down for sharpness reasons only, you should only need to stop down this lens to increase Depth of Field or to reduce the impact of optical defects such CA and vignetting. I use this lens wide open 95% of the time. The miniscule improvement in image quality is not enough to offset the damage to the image from losing depth of field control (resulting in reduced blurriness in the background) which I love.
The biggest limit on sharpness is imposed not by the lens resolving power, but by AF inaccuracy, motion blur, low DOF and CA. Few photographers will complain about the sharpness delivered by a tripod mounted, 10X magnification aided, manually focused laboratory test photo utilising this lens, but unfortunately life doesn’t always allow us to photograph that way. If over half or more of your photos are consistently front or back focused, I would recommend you investigate the possibility of requiring AF calibration, either using the AF Microadjust feature, or a trip back to Canon for cameras without this feature.
Depth of Field:
A f/1.2 aperture yields a very thin depth of field (DOF) at close focus ranges, however I feel that some photographers exaggerate just how thin DOF is in most field applications.
It is true that if you are at minimum focus distance (MFD) and you photograph a person’s head turned at a 45 degree angle, only one eye will be in focus. This has led to an internet notoriety with this lens that f/1.2 is “too shallow” and “not enough DOF”. Critics of this lens use this as a platform for remarks such as “Why would you photograph at f/1.2? It’s too thin” etc.
However, with the exception of headshot photographers, it is extremely rare for most photographers to photograph all their photos at such close range. A headshot offers little in the way of context and environment. For practical applications where you include other people, or the environment, f/1.2 provides enough DOF for photos of even multiple people, let alone one person.
I frequently use this lens for photos of couples and groups, at f/1.2. Sometimes fitting everyone within the DOF will be challenging, but the following techniques will assist you :
(a) Align people on the same plane (on a line parallel to the front of your lens). Avoid people at the ends positioning themselves forward or behind of the rest of the group.
(b) Step back as far as you can, and focus on the closest person, as it is much more obvious when the person closest is out of focus, compared to the person furthest away from the camera.
(c) Take multiple exposures focusing on both the near and far people, and then merge in photoshop (this technique is called focus stacking)
(d) Stop down 
AUTOFOCUS:
This lens is notorious for slow autofocus (AF) performance, despite the upgraded AF microprocessor compared to its predecessor. I can confirm the AF is indeed slow (on a 400D, 40D, 5D, 5D2, 1D3, 1D2N), however it is still usable for most photographic applications including some sports.
In my experience, the sensitivity (ability to lock focus) of the AF is more so camera dependent, however speed and accuracy are also impacted by the lens characteristics.
The biggest problem for me is the delay in response (lag) between when you press the button to AF, and the actual actuation of the AF cycle. For instance, at a wedding, if I observe a person close to me suddenly coming forward to hug the bride, even if I raise my camera up quickly, the lens will often fail to respond in a sufficiently timely manner before the hug is complete, causing me to miss the shot.
At weddings, typically the bridal waltz is another time I will use this lens out of necessity. I am generally happy with a 33% AF hit rate when used for this application due to the low level of light and the need to use AI Servo.
Due to my lack of confidence over the AF performance of this lens, I have not extensively used it for sports or other taxing AI servo applications. I also never attempt to use this lens with the outer focus points of the Canon EOS 5D or Canon EOS 5D Mark II. This often causes me to frame photographs poorly as I attempt to use the centre point. Fortunately Canon has released a camera with usable outer focus points (Canon EOS 5D Mark III), which I have ordered.
USAGE:
Portraiture and wedding work are obvious usages of this lens, however there are a few other applications which I feel that this lens is especially well suited for:
Indoor functions:
Many photographers make the mistake of thinking that a flash forgoes the need for fast glass such as the 85L II. I tend to think of a indoor flash as a tool to change the quality of light, rather than simply a tool to increase the quantity of light. Used correctly, I see indoor flash as a tool to complement existing light. A 85L II, used at large apertures, allows this to happen, sucking in the ambient light, delivering photographs with a superb rendering of the ambient lighting – photographs that a slower zoom lens just cannot achieve.
Photographs taken by slower zoom lenses at the same settings often have a “cave” like look where the subject is illuminated but the background is extremely dark – this is caused by the failure of the slower lens to pick up the low ambient lighting.
Tourism, general walkabout usage:
The DOF control that this lens provides enables superb class leading background and foreground blurring. DOF control is an excellent tool to focus a viewer’s eyes on a subject, or to accentuate subjects.
Consequently I frequently carry this lens on general photo excursions where I expect to photograph objects in a bit of detail, that a Macro lens would be too magnified for.
Accessories:
As is the case with most L lenses, this lens comes with a Canon soft felt lens case, manual, front and rear caps and lens hood.
From experience, this lens will fit into the following carriage accessories:
a) Lowepro Lens Case 4S (with or without hood)
b) Crumpler 7 Million Dollar Home (with or without hood, mounted on a SLR)
VALUE:
For a lens of its stature and performance, the 85L II is surprisingly cheaper compared to counterparts such as the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, however it still ranks as one of the most expensive non Super Telephoto Canon L lenses. That said, it delivers exceptional utility, versatility and photographic output, and therefore I regard it to be of excellent value despite its price. For me, it has been worth every cent.
CONCLUSION:
This lens will not make you into a super photographer. You will need to put in the hard yards in learning and practice, and this lens is a tool that you can use to demonstrate the knowledge and skills you gain. Expect much hardship in utilising this lens, but also expect much reward for the effort you put in.
The lens is not without its weaknesses. The latency and low responsiveness of its AF will cost you shots if you are not careful in its application. The chromatic aberration in certain scenes will come close to overwhelming the photo. Its cumbersome shape and mass will make it difficult to carry around with you, particularly when you need to pack light.
However, all these weaknesses fade to the background when you start making images with it. Its quality of output and the photographic opportunities it opens up to you are unmatched in its class.
This is a legendary lens, with decades of optical science and countless photographers who have used it before us making up part of its history. Work hard on your skill development, treat it with respect and humility, and it will be a loyal partner, rewarding you with spectacular output for many years to come.
My sample photo gallery is here - full EXIF is available, as are full resolution downloads for select photos towards the end of the gallery, so you can inspect optical characteristics for yourself!
http://www.clartephoto.com/canon85liisamples
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Jun 16, 2012
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aestiva
Offline
Image Upload: Off
Registered: Feb 17, 2009
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 0
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Review Date: May 15, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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beautifull bokeh, nice colors
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Cons:
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soft wide open, slow af
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Nice lens. Good build quality. But slow af.
From 1.8 - 2.8 al lot better than my Canon 85 1.8, after that, you can't see the difference anymore.
I put some samples on my site www.totaalfotografie.nl
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May 15, 2012
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nswelton
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Registered: Jan 16, 2006
Location: N/A
Posts: 282
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Review Date: Apr 11, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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fast, nice bokeh, built like a tank
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Cons:
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slow to focus, not sharp wide open, heavy, expensive
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not sure what to make of this thing. upgraded from the Mk I version because that version was too slow to focus on anything moving. i found it to be just barely fast enough to focus during a wedding, and a huge step up in flare resistance. nice contrast, beautiful colors. optically it could be sharper at 1.2 or 1.4. i refused to shoot this lens below 1.8 unless i absolutely had to do to image softness. but it's a beauty nonetheless.
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Apr 11, 2012
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twistedlim
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Registered: Oct 20, 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 3175
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Review Date: Feb 7, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp wide open, incredible separation of target from background. Solid feel, made for the 5D. Color and contrast amazing throughout the scale.
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Cons:
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Heavy (read solid feel). Slow AF compared to the 1.8 but there is a lot of glass to move but accurate.
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Bravo Canon! The perfect lens...what else is there to say. Worth every ounce and penny.
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Feb 7, 2012
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Kevin Sherman
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Registered: Nov 11, 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 1045
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Review Date: Jan 19, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Magical. Bokeh. Sharp. Magical.
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Cons:
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Price, slooooooow focus.
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This lens is killer and magical and will produce some of the best images. It really is magic. There's sharp, and then there's the 85L II, it's in it's own class.
You have to rent one or borrow one to really appreciate the images this lens creates.
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Jan 19, 2012
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dweter
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Registered: Jan 14, 2012
Location: Italy
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jan 15, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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bokeh, bokeh, bokeh ! colors, handling
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Cons:
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slow AF performance
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Jan 15, 2012
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nglaap
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Registered: Dec 17, 2010
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jan 13, 2012
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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insanely sharp from F2.0,bokeh,colors,handling
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Cons:
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suffers from CA (especially in harsh light) when stopped down below F2, slower AF then other L class lenses
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insanely sharp from F2.0, the bokeh is unmatched as are the colors. I own several L class primes and zooms but none match the image quality delivered by the 85L. it also feels nice to handle, its a big heavy lens but easy to hold. I love my 70-200 2.8 IS but its a pain to work with because of the weight. This lens because of its shorter lenght does not give me that problem.
its AF is not the fastest. shooting kids is doable but not when they are running, it just cant keep up. when you use this lens in harsh sunlight it tends to flare. not the best time of day to take pictures but I've run into it a couple of times. by comparison the 35L does a much better job here. other then that I have zero complaints.
Overall (for me) I think this lens was well worth the investment. I use it on every occasion/shoot.
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Jan 13, 2012
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dimitris77
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Registered: Aug 28, 2005
Location: N/A
Posts: 655
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Review Date: Dec 13, 2011
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Superb bokeh, nice colors, excellent build
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Cons:
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CA wide open, slow focusing, heavy, 1.2 dof hard to master, heart attack anxiety while you mount it so you don't scratch the rear element. Also focusing ring doesn't engage when camera is off.
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Overall it's a unique lens. Some might love the isolation and bokeh. For me it didn't really do it especially since I had to put up with annoying things like CA wide open (if it was a little I wouldn't mind but in this it comes in buckets), slow AF and the damn old school ring is not as precise because it has no resistance. I would have prefered a more balanced 1.4 design with nicer manual focus ring and more corrected optics. However 1.2 is really special for the thing it does. Since I sold it I moved to zeiss 100mm which to me is a better lens.
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Dec 13, 2011
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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185
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329510
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Jul 28, 2021
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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94% of reviewers
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$1,767.29
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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9.71
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7.95
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9.6
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