Canon EF 85mm F/1.2L II

[DanHough]

I have been doing a lot of reading up and learning a lot recently, I haven't really had the time to get out and take some shots to be honest so its the next best thing!

On my research I come across some pictures taken with this beauty and could tell they were quite special without looking into the technical spec. I delved deeper and it looks like a gorgeous piece of kit. Then I saw the price and it all made sense!

Does anyone own one of these beauties? Or even used one? I had a check online at LensesForHire.co.uk and they dont have one available for hire.

Let me make it clear, I have no intention of buying one of these unless I slip on a banana skin at Bill Gates house and he is feeling generous, or win the lottery. (Both extremely unlikely!)

[EOS_Jim]

Re: Canon EF 85mm F/1.2L II

Stunning chunk of glass!

[DrJon]

Re: Canon EF 85mm F/1.2L II

I spent a long time playing with a few of these before deciding not to buy. The optical quality is great, but it's heavy and focuses too slowly for what I'd use it for. (It really is pretty slow, then again it has a lot of glass to move.) I'd rather they split the difference and did a f1.4 (or perhaps put the current one on a weight-reduction plan like the new big whites), but it's not going to happen.

BTW the Sigma one is quite well thought of.

John

[briansquibb]

Re: Canon EF 85mm F/1.2L II

BTW the Sigma one is quite well thought of.

John

... for crop bodies as the Sigma seems to be soft round the outside. Even then the tests show that the ouside at less than f2.8 is not that good, even though the centre is excellent

[DrJon]

Re: Canon EF 85mm F/1.2L II

By that criteria the Canon f1.2 mk II isn't that good until f2. Look at it this way, in tests the Sigma is miles and miles better than the Canon f1.8 and the Canon f1.2 is somewhat better than it. BUT the Sigma is lighter and focuses faster. Swings and roundabouts. I didn't buy either as I found their bad points to outweigh the cost-benefit. (Oh, and I own no Sigma lenses, so no particular bias.)

At f1.4 photozone (who aren't my first choice review site, but do put some effort into it - I had an idea you liked them hence my choice) have:
Zeiss Planar T* 85mm f/1.4 ZF
Centre 3032
Border 2287
Extreme 2259
The Sigma is 3203/2336/2259, so as good as the Zeiss away from the centre and better at it. That doesn't suck.
Their results have the Canon f1.2 staggeringly good in the centre and so-so up to f4 away from it. At f1.6 the borders and extreme are no better than the Zeiss or Sigma at f1.4 (i.e. 22xx).

In my testing the Sigma wasn't that bad but was a step-down from the Canon and I didn't like the LoCA (longitudinal-CA - rather annoyingly I just spent 10 mins looking for an example, before reading further down Photozone and realising they had one, duh - feeling stupid now), then again I could never live with the Canon's glacial focusing for what I wanted (at that price anyway). (Other people may have different criteria, but I shot a lot of photos with both of them before deciding.)

Edit - don't get me wrong, optically I think the Canon 85mm f1.2 is one of the all-time great lenses (which alas makes the competition look even less good).

[EOS_Jim]

Re: Canon EF 85mm F/1.2L II

Numbers really mean nothing..... Buy one and take some images. The 85mm f1.8 is a fantastic lens too!

[DrJon]

Re: Canon EF 85mm F/1.2L II

I was replying to a post about tests of the lenses' sharpness and relating it to my experience, so you're likely to get some numbers. Frankly I doubt Canon make a lens you couldn't take exhibition-quality photos with...

(While I find Ken Rockwell to be a bit inconsistent we do agree on that one... http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/lens-sharpness.htm and http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/dx-dream-team.htm in between the pics of Nikon glass.)