85mm f1.2 real life experience

[iND]

I dont need to be sold on this lens.


I dont need technical spec.


I do need


personal experience especially weddings on this lens


what shots do you typically use it for?


if used on a 1.6 crop body is it very practical for weddings?


thank you

[Keith B]

I can let you know after Monday. Well not weddings, but I guarantee I will shoot the heck out of it Monday night.


I have a wedding coming up in October (big month for weddings in FL I guess) and I plan on using my 35L on my 5DII and 85L on my 7D. Seems like it should be good, like 135 2.0 on a FF with slower focus.


I'm pretty sure peety has some real world info on this lens.

[peety3]

Ding ding, peety3 to the red-ring courtesy phone.


I used to rent it. I've since convinced a good friend to buy it, and we swap equipment as needed so I get to use it.


Anything long and low-light. Anything where DoF is key to the shot. Anything where telephoto and incredible clarity/detail is key. These are just some of the times the lens comes in handy. Candid shots at the reception, where you don't want a long and/or white lens giving away your stealth.


It's fine on a crop body. Last summer when my 1D3 was in the shop, I had a trip to Philly where I had to "make do" with our 40D and XTi. I got the band at a bar with 40D/16-35 and XTi/85L. Next night, I got some amazing shots of a jazz quartet with ambient light via three 100W flood bulbs (one red, one yellow, one white), though I did punt and use just the 40D for shooting. Another night, I tried shooting at a bowling alley. 85L was too slow to focus on bowlers in such horrible light, but it did great candids. (And next morning, my 1D3 arrived. Of course.)


At a wedding last August, the 70-200/2.8IS got a lot of use during the 4PM outdoor ceremony, but the 85L was very useful during the indoor reception. The paid photographer, who shoots Nikon, asked to play with the 85L (we'd been "working together" all day), and mentioned that he almost switched to Canon "for that one lens".


It's incredibly versatile, and I could see starting off with 16-35 and 85, nothing more. I've used it at SeaWorld, at bicycling events, parties, baptisms, portrait work, and as a fantastic demo of how aperture works (hold the DoF preview button in, and it's about the easiest lens to see the aperture blades).


The 85L is currently #8 on my personal lens wishlist, but it'd be #5 if "the Mrs." didn't also shoot Canon, and it'd probably be #2 if I didn't have easy access to borrow it (#1 is a 24-70 to replace my 24-105).

[Keith B]

I'm hoping to find the 85 1.2 can take the place of my 70-200 2.8 IS. I rarely use that lens and when I do it's for portrait work and rarely at the long end. It is mostly when I find my 27-70 just isn't long enough.

[peety3]

Sadly, I don't think the 85L can take the place of a 70-200/2.8IS. I only leave the 70-200 behind if I'm space-limited, such as when I use her Slingshot 200 camera bag. If nothing else, there are times when f/2.8 is necessary for DoF, and 85mm can rapidly go from hand-holdable (at f/1.2) to shaky (at f/2.8).


Even with unlimited funds, I'd still have 85L and 70-200/2.8IS (and the 200/2), though probably nothing else in that range.

[Keith B]

Sadly, I don't think the 85L can take the place of a 70-200/2.8IS. I only leave the 70-200 behind if I'm space-limited, such as when I use her Slingshot 200 camera bag. If nothing else, there are times when f/2.8 is necessary for DoF, and 85mm can rapidly go from hand-holdable (at f/1.2) to shaky (at f/2.8).


Even with unlimited funds, I'd still have 85L and 70-200/2.8IS (and the 200/2), though probably nothing else in that range.







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My goal is to have the 200/2 or 300 2.8 in a year or so. I haven't decided which yet.


The 70-200 2.8 IS is the second time I've owned a lens in this range (I also had the f/4 version) and I've found just don't use this range. I don't plan on selling it right away. I'm going to give it a few months and see if the 85 can take it's place. I figure when I need a little more reach I'll use it on the 7D. Rarely what I shoot needs IS. Just recently I shot and awards ceremony and just subtle hand and head movements blurred the shots so the IS didn't help and clearly 2.8 wasn't fast enough. That's what makes me lean toward the 200/2 over the 300/2.8.
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[peety3]

The 85L is currently #8 on my personal lens wishlist, but it'd be #5 if "the Mrs." didn't also shoot Canon, and it'd probably be #2 if I didn't have easy access to borrow it (#1 is a 24-70 to replace my 24-105).
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Grumble, grumble. Just found out that my "easy access" to the 85L is moving to Houston this summer. Time to totally rethink my lens wishlist. He laughed when I told him about the list above.

[crosbyharbison]

I rent it for anything that I know is going to be really dark. Bands for example:


http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/3798/img8989j.jpg


iso 1600, 85mm, f/1.2, 1/200 sec


http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/6099/img9103l.jpg


iso 1600, 85mm, f/2.0, 1/125


When I do choose to rent this lens with the conditions I shoot in, I don't think any lens would auto focus well so I'm happy using manual focus. Coming from the 70-200 and 24-70 weight is not a concern but it does have a higher density.


For most of what I do my other 2 lenses get the job done(especially the 24-70; I don't use the 70-200 much i.e. keith).

[Colin]

I love this lens, but for me, it isn't that versatile by itself. It's a great prime to have with another camera with another focal length, but it's long enough that things can be simply too close, or if you are close, and you want to get closer, the minimum focusing distance isn't that great. It's physically large as well.


However, the image quality is absolutely astounding. At F 1.2, in low light there's nothing flippin' like it. I recently sold mine as well as my 24-105 because I wasn't really using them and money took priority over having them in the closet, but despite the things about it that make it not the last lens I'd give up, I'll surely miss it. Should the economy improve, and business follow, I'd certainly be interested in picking up another.

[Keith B]

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The 85L is currently #8 on my personal lens wishlist, but it'd be #5 if "the Mrs." didn't also shoot Canon, and it'd probably be #2 if I didn't have easy access to borrow it (#1 is a 24-70 to replace my 24-105).






Grumble, grumble. Just found out that my "easy access" to the 85L is moving to Houston this summer. Time to totally rethink my lens wishlist. He laughed when I told him about the list above.






Sorry to hear that peety.
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I rent it for anything that I know is going to be really dark. Bands for example:


When I do choose to rent this lens with the conditions I shoot in, I don't think any lens would auto focus well so I'm happy using manual focus. Coming from the 70-200 and 24-70 weight is not a concern but it does have a higher density.


For most of what I do my other 2 lenses get the job done(especially the 24-70; I don't use the 70-200 much i.e. keith).






I wish there was a place closer to me I could rent from. I have to drive 70 miles to rent gear.


I'm finding I'm getting decent hand held shots at 1/40 with 85 1.2. It feels very natural and stable to me.

[crosbyharbison]

I wish there was a place closer to me I could rent from. I have to drive 70 miles to rent gear.
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The internet!

[Keith B]

I wish there was a place closer to me I could rent from. I have to drive 70 miles to rent gear.






The internet!









I know, but with the shipping and not having a ONE day rate it kind of eats heavily into the profits of a couple hour shoot.