85 1.2 L II First Impressions

[Keith B]

Out of the box it is a brick and very intimidating. All that huge glass makes you very aware. You do need to be very careful with rear element and due to its size and form it is a little awkward to attach. The clip on hood is different and is a little distracting when i rotates.


After a little Micro Adjustment (just +2) I was ready to go.


This lens is quickly on it's way to being my favorite lens. The focus is not as slow as I expected. If it has to go from minimum to max or vise versa it takes time but if it is the vicinity it will lock in pretty quick. In servo attached to my 5dII, it tracked seemingly as well as any lens I have. I have yet to take it off 1.2 and I haven't had a problem with the shallow DOF. I think my time with 1.4 lenses has helped me with that.


The manual focus ring is definitely funky, you have to holed the shutter halfway to engage it.


Couple shots of the dog. All I had a chance to shoot yet.


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A little gross, I know.

[freelanceshots]

Are these straight out of the camera? Looks like an amazing lens. Definitely want one along with the IS Macro.

[Keith B]

Are these straight out of the camera? Looks like an amazing lens. Definitely want one along with the IS Macro.

Pretty much. I did bump contrast and the saturation a bit in Aperture to match the Canon output. No sharpening was done.


I put off purchasing this lens for so long, since I had the 70-200 2.8 IS. But I really don't like the feel of the 70-200. It is just uncomfortable for me to shoot with. So I just pretty much tried to shoot everything with my 24-70 but for portraits I'd have a distance I like to be but at 70 I found myself creeping in so I figured it was time for the 85. I'm pretty sure I can use this for indoor sports too. It focus short distance fairly quickly and once it locks on in servo it tracks really well.

[Sean Setters]

When are we going to see a model shoot with that thing?

[Mark Elberson]

Wow!!! I am seriously jealous :-( $1,900 on a lens...no wonder that poor dog has an old beat-up ball ;-)


That DoF is sureal. Talk about making your subject pop! I think this lens would be amazing for weddings. Maybe I'll start an 85mm f/1.2 <span style="color: #ff0000;"]L fund and dump a couple hundred bucks from each wedding I shoot...maybe by 2012 I could buy one ;-)


I can't wait to see what else you do with this setup. Keep them coming Keith!

[peety3]

Maybe I'll start an 85mm f/1.2 <span style="color: #ff0000;"]L fund and dump a couple hundred bucks from each wedding I shoot...maybe by 2012 I could buy one ;-)

If you're going that route, stay away from the forums and do not, I repeat do not rent the lens. You will put your family through a barren Christmas before you wait an extra day for the 85L if you've actually shot with one.

[weclickyoupick.com]

Keith,


I have this lense also....and feel that I may need a micro adjustment. I've never done this before. How do you shoot the images from one setting to the next. Do you "bench" the camera and shoot the exact same thing.....in the exact same light?....or do you just feel your way through it? I get really sharp images at 1.8 and above.....but 1.2 is hit and miss. Am I just dealingwith learning to work the razor thin DOF? When i do get what seems a sharp part of the image at 1.2....it still doesn't seem as sharp as say at 2.


Thanx in advance,


Jeff

[neuroanatomist]

There are a couple of possible methods for AF Microadjustment. In all cases, you've got the camera on a tripod with good, even illumination of the focus target - same target for all testing. Use Av or manual mode and a low ISO, and adjust with the aperture wide open.


Here is Canon's recommended procedure (via Chuck Westfall's Tech Tips - scroll down to the second question). The 50x focal length distance to target would be 14 feet with this method, test target would be a sheet of text or something like that.


Personally, I use a LensAlign Pro, and follow their instructions. Their recommended distance to target is 25x focal length, 7 feet for an 85mm lens.


You can also blend the two procedures (and save $$) by using a printed chart like this one at a 45&deg; angle to the camera - follow Chuck Westfall's steps, but instead of the flat target, tape the sheet to a door that you can open to a 45&deg; angle. In choosing between the differentsuggested distances, you can use your normal shooting distance with the lens as a guide (e.g. if you usually shoot tight portraits with it, adjust at 7 feet).


Also, the 85mm f/1.2L II is pretty sharp wide open, but it does get noticeably sharper when stopped down to f/2 or so. That means it's important to differentiate between slightly soft due to wide open aperture, and soft due to missed focus. The focus testing will help sort that out.


After you do the AF adjustment, definitely shoot some 'real world' shots to make sure it works in practice.


I can tell you that almost all of my lenses have some amount of AF microadjustment applied, ranging from -5 to +6 depending on the lens.


--John

[Keith B]

When are we going to see a model shoot with that thing?

Well Ahlea is over me photographing her so it could be a few days. Saturday I actually have a candle lighting ceremony to shoot and this lens is written all over it. I have some work to do for a modeling agency coming up in the next week too.

Wow!!! I am seriously jealous :-( $1,900 on a lens...no wonder that poor dog has an old beat-up ball ;-)


That DoF is sureal. Talk about making your subject pop! I think this lens would be amazing for weddings. Maybe I'll start an 85mm f/1.2<span style="color:#ff0000;"]Lfund and dump a couple hundred bucks from each wedding I shoot...maybe by 2012 I could buy one ;-)


I can't wait to see what else you do with this setup. Keep them coming Keith!

Mark,


I think this would be a phenomenal wedding lens. I was pleasantly surprise at the AF. I read so much about how slow it is, but I think once you are use to it there isn't anything you couldn't shoot reliably with it. I will admit manual focus is weird. I don't care that the power needs to be on or that you don't have full time manual focus but the undampened ring is a little squirrelly.


Oh and that ball is only a week old. That dog wants to play ball all the time. Also listen to peety, he is dead on.

Keith,


I have this lense also....and feel that I may need a micro adjustment. I've never done this before. How do you shoot the images from one setting to the next. Do you "bench" the camera and shoot the exact same thing.....in the exact same light?....or do you just feel your way through it? I get really sharp images at 1.8 and above.....but 1.2 is hit and miss. Am I just dealingwith learning to work the razor thin DOF? When i do get what seems a sharp part of the image at 1.2....it still doesn't seem as sharp as say at 2.


Thanx in advance,


Jeff

Jeff,


I set the camera on a tripod next to a table, high enough to get a decent oblique angle downward. Then I put a ruler down and focus on a number, take a shot and see if it is in focus. I judge by the amount of lines before and after the number to see if it is dead on. If you get an equal number of lines sharp or equally sharp your lens should dead on. Lock up the mirror and use a remote cord or the 2 second time so you don't get any vibrations. I star with it zeroed out and then go in 5 step increments, reshoot and then adjust accordingly. If you shoot this lens wide open it is a necessity.

[peety3]

I was pleasantly surprise at the AF. I read so much about how slow it is, but I think once you are use to it there isn't anything you couldn't shoot reliably with it.

If you're in poor focus-acquisition conditions and the lens goes hunting in the wrong direction, you're going to miss the shot unless you've got lightning reflexes to get a selected focus point onto a contrasty spot, possibly even releasing your focus trigger (whether it's half-press of shutter, AF-ON, or whatever you've rigged up) and re-pressing it.


I tried using it for a bicycling event last month. There was a zone of no return: depending on speed, once the bike/rider got close enough, focus couldn't keep up. Certainly not wedding conditions, except for the limo leaving, but close-ups during dancing could be disastrous without a "sports" lens.