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Seeking input on Canon 85mm lens comparisons
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Nov 16, 2018 07:27:02   #
Architect1776 Loc: In my mind
 
Haymaker wrote:
With the holiday "sales" nearly upon us, and with a case of GAS that I have been nurturing throughout most of the year, I am having a hard time making a choice of next lens to purchase. Although all photography interests me, I lean most heavily toward natural light portrait photography. My current kit includes a 77d and a 6d mark ii, 35mm f2, 50mm f1.8, 100mm f2.8 macro, and 100-400mm ii. To this I would like to add an 85mm and am hoping that there are some UHH folks with hands on experience with the 85mm f1.2 and/or the newer 85mm f1.4 IS
I have watched numerous comparison videos, but really would like to know whether the faster version or the IS version would be "best". Thanks in advance for your consideration.
With the holiday "sales" nearly upon us,... (show quote)


I do not have either lens so I will not comment on qualities as you can read the internet as well as I.
I far prefer IS lenses and when available choose those over the non-IS versions.
Example, 24-70 f2.8 vs 24-105 f4 IS, the IS wins as I need the IS far more than the opening as it is more versatile for me.
Perhaps if low light action were all I did I would go with the faster lens but I don't do that, any action is generally relatively well lit and use a little bit higher ISO.

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Nov 16, 2018 08:45:45   #
thelazya Loc: Wendell, MN
 
If you decide to rent, look at renting the Sigma 85 1.4 also

Reply
Nov 16, 2018 10:45:13   #
amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
 
Haymaker wrote:
With the holiday "sales" nearly upon us, and with a case of GAS that I have been nurturing throughout most of the year, I am having a hard time making a choice of next lens to purchase. Although all photography interests me, I lean most heavily toward natural light portrait photography. My current kit includes a 77d and a 6d mark ii, 35mm f2, 50mm f1.8, 100mm f2.8 macro, and 100-400mm ii. To this I would like to add an 85mm and am hoping that there are some UHH folks with hands on experience with the 85mm f1.2 and/or the newer 85mm f1.4 IS
I have watched numerous comparison videos, but really would like to know whether the faster version or the IS version would be "best". Thanks in advance for your consideration.
With the holiday "sales" nearly upon us,... (show quote)


Different lenses for somewhat different purposes... and different budgets.

The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 is fast focusing, reasonably compact and lightweight... a fine and fairly affordable lens that's usable wide open, though it has some chromatic aberration and is slightly soft at f/1.8, sharpens up nicely stopped down a little. Good for sports or portraits or anything else you might want.... On sale now for $300 (lens hood is sold separately, another $25 or so).

The EF 85mm f/1.2L II is an ideal wedding photography lens, capable of making moody, dreamy images and obliterating background detail, if that's what you want. Wide open, it can be challenging to focus accurately. Super shallow depth of field is unforgiving of any focus error. It's big, heavy and even with USM it is slower focusing, though certainly fast enough for it's primary purpose (and improved over the original version). The f/1.2 is also a "fly by wire" lens... uses electro-mechanical rather than direct mechanical manual focus. This means it needs to be "powered on" to manual focus (or AF, for that matter). The other two Canon use mechanical manual focus. Basically, the f/1.2 is more of a specialized portrait/wedding lens than the f/1.8 or f/1.4, and currently costs $1900 on sale (hood incl.)

The EF 85mm f/1.4L is the newest of the bunch and, as you might expect, is in between the other two in most respects. It's the only one of the three with IS and is currently selling for $1600 (hood incl.) It looks to be just as versatile as the f/1.8, maybe even more-so. It also appears to have nearly the potential background blur effects of the f/1.2. And is more similar in size/weight to the f/1.2... and premium priced more like that lens.

You'll have a tough time finding anyone with extensive experience using all three. I've used the f/1.8 for many years... ruled out the f/1.2 for my purposes... have not had opportunity to use the new f/1.4.

Very thorough reviews and test images from each that you can compare side by side can be found here:

https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-85mm-f-1.4L-IS-USM-Lens.aspx
https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-85mm-f-1.2-L-II-USM-Lens-Review.aspx
https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-85mm-f-1.8-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

You may also want to consider the Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8 VR (stabilized, $750)... and the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 "Art" (without stabilization, $1100). Both those lenses have their fans, too. There are other auto focus and manual focus 85mm available from various other manufacturers, too.

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Nov 16, 2018 10:54:43   #
joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois
 
amfoto1 wrote:
The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 is fast focusing, reasonably compact and lightweight... a fine lens that's usable wide open, though it has some chromatic aberration and is a bit soft, sharpens up nicely stopped down a little. Good for sports or portraits or anything else you might want.... On sale now for $300 (lens hood is sold separately, another $25 or so).

The EF 85mm f/1.2L II is an ideal wedding photography lens, capable of making moody, dreamy images. Wide open, it can be challenging to focus accurately. Super shallow depth of field is unforgiving of any focus error. It's big, heavy and even with USM it is slower focusing, though certainly fast enough for it's primary purpose (and improved over the original version). It's more of a specialized portrait lens than the f/1.8, and currently costs $1900 on sale (hood incl.)

The EF 85mm f/1.4L is the newest of the bunch and, as you might expect, is in between the other two in most respects. It's the only one of the three with IS and is currently selling for $1600 (hood incl.)

You'll have a tough time finding anyone with extensive experience using all three. I've used the f/1.8 for many years... ruled out the f/1.2 for my purposes... have not had opportunity to use the new f/1.4.

Very thorough reviews and test images from each that you can compare side by side can be found here:

https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-85mm-f-1.4L-IS-USM-Lens.aspx
https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-85mm-f-1.2-L-II-USM-Lens-Review.aspx
https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-85mm-f-1.8-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

You may also want to consider the Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8 VR (stabilized, $750)... and the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 "Art" (without stabilization, $1100). Both those lenses have their fans, too. There are some other auto focus and manual focus 85mm available from various manufacturers, too.
The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 is fast focusing, reasonab... (show quote)


Excellent response.

Reply
Nov 16, 2018 15:01:12   #
speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho
 
Haymaker wrote:
With the holiday "sales" nearly upon us, and with a case of GAS that I have been nurturing throughout most of the year, I am having a hard time making a choice of next lens to purchase. Although all photography interests me, I lean most heavily toward natural light portrait photography. My current kit includes a 77d and a 6d mark ii, 35mm f2, 50mm f1.8, 100mm f2.8 macro, and 100-400mm ii. To this I would like to add an 85mm and am hoping that there are some UHH folks with hands on experience with the 85mm f1.2 and/or the newer 85mm f1.4 IS
I have watched numerous comparison videos, but really would like to know whether the faster version or the IS version would be "best". Thanks in advance for your consideration.
With the holiday "sales" nearly upon us,... (show quote)

There is not much difference in these two, speed wise, and while the 1.2 is a nice lens, it is a very old design, the 1.4 having much improved optics and better IQ along with IS that easily compensates for the bit less speed!

Reply
Nov 16, 2018 22:42:54   #
DLH13 Loc: Texas
 
85mm 1.8 with 5D III
Really good affordable lens

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Nov 16, 2018 22:43:39   #
DLH13 Loc: Texas
 
DLH13 wrote:
85mm 1.8 with 5D III
Really good affordable lens


(Download)

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Nov 16, 2018 22:49:46   #
TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC
 
I like that shot a lot, and pretty damn sharp with nice bokeh for a $350 lens! I use mine all the time (but it did need a bunch of MAF correction to get the max sharpness - just my particular lens/body combination).

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Nov 17, 2018 13:05:14   #
Haymaker
 
rmorrison1116 wrote:
Fear not, I've been there and it's a skill easily learned. Maybe not easily mastered but once you get the basics down, you will find flash photography really is your friend.
You need a good flash that will work for you and with you, and you need a good book on flash photography.
For the flash I highly recommend the Canon 470EX-AI. The AI stands for artificial intelligence; it's a smart flash and it's not real big and intimidating. It can be used in full manual, semi auto or full auto modes. It's not the most powerful speedlite Canon makes but it is definitely powerful enough, and, easy to learn, plus there's a zillion videos on YouTube about it.
For the book I'm going to recommend a series of books. Scott Kelby's series, The Digital Photography Book. There are 5 books in the series and they all cover flash photography. I recommend this series because they are really easy and fun to read, they don't get lost in the details and you will learn how to be a darn good digital photographer if you use them to guide you.
Fear not, I've been there and it's a skill easily ... (show quote)


I appreciate the recommendation

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Nov 17, 2018 13:07:14   #
Haymaker
 
Haydon wrote:
If you are interested in a 85 mm, I'm with SS on choice. The new 85 1.4L with IS is the best all around if it's within the budget. Certainly the 1.2L is the king of bokeh but I've seen several tests now indicating little difference with the 1/3 stop gain in DOF. In low light situations, the IS would be a benefit for static subjects. Also, the 1.2L uses a rather slow focus by wire system that cannot compare to the 1.4L.

I'm not endorsing my own purchase choices in this thread. I use a 70-200L 2.8L II, 135F2, 100 F2.8L Macro and a 85 1.8 for portraiture but a while back I was seriously looking at Canon's 85 1.4L and spent a good amount of time researching.

Concerning flash, I'd recommend not buying Canon's new 470 auto-bounce flash. Automated processes restrict learning the principles of using light. Unless I was doing a lot of run and gun event work, I don't think I'd heavily invest in expensive speed-lights. Working in outdoor daylight environments are limiting with speedlights producing only 60 watts of power. You also have diminishing returns with modifiers exceeding 25 inches with a speed-light.

I primarily use Einsteins for studio work but for outdoor, look into a Godox/Flashpoint 600w with HSS for true versatility. That system rivals the price of a new Canon 600 EX-RT II with substantially more power and flexibility.
If you are interested in a 85 mm, I'm with SS on c... (show quote)


Thank you for another suggestion and explanation.

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Nov 17, 2018 13:11:23   #
Haymaker
 
Architect1776 wrote:
I do not have either lens so I will not comment on qualities as you can read the internet as well as I.
I far prefer IS lenses and when available choose those over the non-IS versions.
Example, 24-70 f2.8 vs 24-105 f4 IS, the IS wins as I need the IS far more than the opening as it is more versatile for me.
Perhaps if low light action were all I did I would go with the faster lens but I don't do that, any action is generally relatively well lit and use a little bit higher ISO.


Thanks for weighing in!

Reply
 
 
Nov 17, 2018 13:13:41   #
Haymaker
 
thelazya wrote:
If you decide to rent, look at renting the Sigma 85 1.4 also


Apparently Canon marketing is working with me because I hadn't even thought about another brand. Thanks for the reminder that there are other options.

Reply
Nov 17, 2018 13:21:36   #
Haymaker
 
amfoto1 wrote:
Different lenses for somewhat different purposes... and different budgets.

The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 is fast focusing, reasonably compact and lightweight... a fine and fairly affordable lens that's usable wide open, though it has some chromatic aberration and is slightly soft at f/1.8, sharpens up nicely stopped down a little. Good for sports or portraits or anything else you might want.... On sale now for $300 (lens hood is sold separately, another $25 or so).

The EF 85mm f/1.2L II is an ideal wedding photography lens, capable of making moody, dreamy images and obliterating background detail, if that's what you want. Wide open, it can be challenging to focus accurately. Super shallow depth of field is unforgiving of any focus error. It's big, heavy and even with USM it is slower focusing, though certainly fast enough for it's primary purpose (and improved over the original version). The f/1.2 is also a "fly by wire" lens... uses electro-mechanical rather than direct mechanical manual focus. This means it needs to be "powered on" to manual focus (or AF, for that matter). The other two Canon use mechanical manual focus. Basically, the f/1.2 is more of a specialized portrait/wedding lens than the f/1.8 or f/1.4, and currently costs $1900 on sale (hood incl.)

The EF 85mm f/1.4L is the newest of the bunch and, as you might expect, is in between the other two in most respects. It's the only one of the three with IS and is currently selling for $1600 (hood incl.) It looks to be just as versatile as the f/1.8, maybe even more-so. It also appears to have nearly the potential background blur effects of the f/1.2. And is more similar in size/weight to the f/1.2... and premium priced more like that lens.

You'll have a tough time finding anyone with extensive experience using all three. I've used the f/1.8 for many years... ruled out the f/1.2 for my purposes... have not had opportunity to use the new f/1.4.

Very thorough reviews and test images from each that you can compare side by side can be found here:

https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-85mm-f-1.4L-IS-USM-Lens.aspx
https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-85mm-f-1.2-L-II-USM-Lens-Review.aspx
https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-85mm-f-1.8-USM-Lens-Review.aspx

You may also want to consider the Tamron SP 85mm f/1.8 VR (stabilized, $750)... and the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 "Art" (without stabilization, $1100). Both those lenses have their fans, too. There are other auto focus and manual focus 85mm available from various other manufacturers, too.
Different lenses for somewhat different purposes..... (show quote)


Thank you for a very detailed response and the links as well as sharing your experience.

Reply
Nov 17, 2018 13:24:22   #
Haymaker
 
This is a wonderful image! A very compelling argument for the 1.8! Thank you

Reply
Nov 17, 2018 13:26:41   #
Haymaker
 
speters wrote:
There is not much difference in these two, speed wise, and while the 1.2 is a nice lens, it is a very old design, the 1.4 having much improved optics and better IQ along with IS that easily compensates for the bit less speed!


Hence my dilemma! Thanks for your input

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