Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM or 85mm F/1.2L ................anybody have either?

What do you guys think?


Portrait photography is in my future, what do you guys think is the better of the two in the long run?


anybody have any shots with either lens they can post?


decisions , decisions..

I think Darth Vader said it best. "There is no conflict." Get the EF 85mm f/1.2L. It's the quintessential portrait lens. Best used on a FF like the 5D2, but even on a crop body it's the right choice.

If you are using a full frame camera I'd most defiantly would go with the 85L. I also think the 50L is prone to some focus issues at certain apertures.


But hell, I'd chose the 85L over almost any prime except the 35L.

I believe the "focus issues" of the 50L are by design. If I understand correctly, the 50L is corrected in such a way as to improve background bokeh at the expense of sharpness (different parts of the lens focus differently I believe, causing the plane of best focus to shift slightly when the lens is stopped down).


But the improvement in bokeh as a result of this is very real. Bryan's review has sample pictures, and the bokeh of the 50L is, IMO, far superior to that of the 50 f/1.4 and 50 1.8, even when stopped down to the same aperture. This is not because of quantity or shape of aperture blades, but rather the special correction of the 50L.


I'm not saying "get the 50 instead of the 85" (I would in fact choose the 85), but rather that you should understand the advantages/disadvantages of the design of the 50L before dismissing it. At least look at the images in Bryan's review. The bokeh of the 50L is *really* something.

The EF 85mm f/1.2 L II USM is a fantastic lens by all accounts. I have access to the EF 50 f/1.2 L USM at work, so I've never made the $2,000 investment in the 85.


For half the price, you might consider the EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM. I change composition a lot when shooting portraits and primesjust don't suit me very well.


I think you'll be very happy with either choice. They are both awesome.

If you went withfull-frame I'd go with the 85mm f/1.2.


If you went with1.6 crop I'd 85mm f/1.2.


If you went with 1.3 crop I'd go with 85mm f/1.2.


If you went with anything I'd go with the 85mm f/1.2....[:)]


John.

I do aknowledge that, generally speaking, L glass issuperior to non-Llensesin all or most aspects.


But...


I find the EF 85mm 1.8 and the EF 50mm 1.4 to be almost as good in terms of IQ as the L equivalents. Yes, they are a bit slower, but not that much, and especially on a FF body you can still achieve razor-thin DOF.Also, accordingto Brian's review, the EF 50mm 1.2 L focuses slightlyslower than the EF 50mm 1.4.


My point is, unless you really need that extra speed or those red rings [:P], you can havebothfocal lenghtsfor a fraction of one L Lens.


My 2 cents [;)]

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Originally Posted by piiooo

I find the EF 85mm 1.8 and the EF 50mm 1.4 to be almost as good in terms of IQ as the L equivalents.
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I have not personally shot with the 85/1.8, but have a friend who does and who has tried the 85/1.2.


The lenses are vastly different. The 85L stands out every time. The colors, the contrast, the sharpness.


Read the reviews. 85L: it's sharp from f/1.2 on. 85/1.8: it's sharp from f/2.8 on.


If you have the dough, the 85L is the way to go.

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Originally Posted by piiooo

I find the EF 85mm 1.8 and the EF 50mm 1.4 to be almost as good in terms of IQ as the L equivalents.

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Take a look at thisreview.I find his reviews more practical than scientific, but I value them a lot.


Also, sample variations and focus microadjustment may playa significant role when shooting at large apertures.

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Originally Posted by piiooo

Take a look at thisreview.I find his reviews more practical than scientific, but I value them a lot.

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In my opinion, this reviewer's concepts of good vs. bad, surprising vs. expected, benefit vs. drawback, all seem to be quite skewed.


He says the 85/1.2 will not manual focus with the camera off (true), "not a problem anyway". Yes it is, when you want to put the lens in your bag.


He says that the 85/1.2 doesn't have an ultrasonic motor. Is he really claiming that Canon has been lying to us for years, or is he "commenting" on the noise that the lens makes while focusing? (It's not just the motor that has to move for focusing, lens elements have to move to adjust focus, and 7 of 8 elements on the 85/1.2 have to move for focus.)


He says the 85/1.2 has weather sealing. I've never seen that mentioned anywhere else.


He says the lenses were mounted on a tripod. None of these have tripod mounts, so it must have been the camera that was tripod mounted.


I have other opinions about his evaluations of the 85/1.2's sharpness, but I think I've written enough to start my case: the inaccuracies and "different opinions" are enough for me to dismiss this review with regard to usefulness.

Juza's reviews are sometimes useful, especially the head-to-head comparisons (his 1.6x crop UWA lens comparison is the only one of it's kind that I've seen!).


Many of his facts in the 85L review are inaccurate (for example, he states that it's weather-sealed when it technically isn't, although the opening image shows it being used in the rain, and he also states that it has micro-USM which is false, it simply uses a focus-by-wire system as opposed to mechanical coupling to actuate the ring-USM motor).


I liked the end-on view of the f/1.2L vs. the f/1.8 - WOW, that's a lot of glass!

Hereis another interesting comparison of Canon 85mm primes.


EDIT:


... And hereand here come the 50mm primes

I just rented the 85 f/1.2 for the weekend so I'll write up some of my impressions with some sample shots when I'm done with it. I'm using it on a 5d II and have my 24-70 and 70-200 2.8 is for my everyday work but this lens is really fun so far.

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Originally Posted by canon-ball

What do you guys think?


Portrait photography is in my future, what do you guys think is the better of the two in the long run?


anybody have any shots with either lens they can post?


decisions , decisions..

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I'm in the same boat as you. Been contemplating between the two. I haven't tried the 85L. I did try the 50L &amp; am not satisfied. I do have 85mm 1.8 but its on a different league with the 85 1.2L based on reviews &amp; samples! I tried the Zeiss Planar 1.4/85 ZE but it suffers from focus shift. If you have the resources, grab the 85L &amp; you wont look back with the photos it produces! But do remember that this glass is NOT weather-sealed &amp; a delicate piece of equipment so don't drop it or that might cause misalignment of the elements inside. Most PROs use it studios most of the time ( i might be wrong!)....Don't you want to wait for a third party alternative??....the Sigma 85 1.4!

I would say the 85mm f/1.2, especially if you're using a FF camera. You never did say what camera you were using. I don't have either, but I've rented both, on more than one occasion and taken lots of photos with them. Below is a photo taken of my girlfriend using the 85mm f/1.2, and in the following post (don't know how to post more than one photo per post) you'll see a shot with the 50mm f/1.2. A single shot of each isn't really enough to truly show my case for one or the other though. Neither photo was taken under f/2. Anyhow, just giving you a couple sample shots as you've gotten many replies to your question but no photos. When I'm not sure about a lens, I check out Flickr's page and search for the lens to see sample shots. That give you "real-world" examples. Anyhow, here is the 85mm f/1.2 @ f/2.2, 1/3200 sec, ISO 250 (on a Canon 7D, natural lighting).

and here is the 50mm f/1.2 @ f/2, 1/2000 sec, ISO 320, also a 7D and natural lighting. Please note that I think both are very nice lenses, but the 85mm f/1.2 has the same or better bokeh I think and is sharper. In fact I hear the 50mm f/1.4 is actually sharper than the 1.2 at many apertures..... I own the 50mm f/1.4 and am quite happy, though I'd obviously rather have one of these L lenses if I could! :)

A bit off topic, but nice pictures Jordan! [:D]