EF85mm F/1.2 L II Review / Test Shots
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by Darren Miles Naples, FL Photographer
The canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L II - We test another Canon legend, does it live up to the hype?
Before we get into the review, I'd like to offer a quick disclaimer about my reviews/opinions. I review lenses based on "real world" and "in the field" experiences. The technical aspects and technical specifications of this lens - and all the others I've reviewed - are well documented. My reviews are based on real world situations where just the right lighting and focus charts aren't present, just me, the 85L, and an off camera flash or natural light. The majority of these shots were taken with the 5D Mark II, the 7D and the 1D mark ii. Enjoy.
BUILD QUALITY: In line with most L lenses, build quality it top notch, and you'll hear this repeated over and over, that front element is nothing short of beastly, its just huge! It's necessary to make this thing go all the way to f/1.2. The focus ring is smooth and buttery, however, given the shear size of the front element it takes many rotations to go from the minimum focus distance to infinity. The lens is NOT weather sealed. There really is nothing else quite like it from any mainstream manufacturer.
FOCUS SPEED AND ACCURACY: SLOW. But accurate. When Canon introduced version II, the USM is actually 60% faster than the previous generation. Which means the first generation is really, really, slow to focus. The majority of photographers will use this lens to make stunning portraits with a really, narrow depth of field. However, at f/1.2, the depth of field is about as wide as a penny on its side and movement by either the photographer or the subject may render your point of focus - out of focus. Its that narrow. However, if no one moves, then you'll be fine and the result nothing short of stunning.
OPTICAL QUALITY: For its intended purpose (non-moving portraiture) - there is no substitute, its poetry in motion, and it totally lives up to the hype. You'll often hear that this is a "specialty lens." And that's true. If you're a wedding photographer you can make stunning shots of the bride with this lens. If you're an outdoor portrait photographer, watch the background melt away into silky butteryness. If you're wanting to take candids of your kids running around the house, congratulations, you just wasted $2,000. Settle on the 85 f/1.8, its a great lens, focusses very quickly and will allow you to capture some stunning everyday shots, and oh yeah, you can buy SIX OF THEM for the price of just one 85 f/1.2.
CONCLUSION: If you're a wedding or portrait photographer who charges top dollar for his or her services, then there is simply no substitute for this lens. At the end of the day of you're charging a few hundred per shoot, then this lens is a bit of a no-brainer. There is some competition in this focal length, but each has its own share of short comings. Notably the Sigma 85mm f/1.4, which is highly regarded - if you get a good one, I hear that phraseology with Sigma often. I own 3 Sigma lenses and well, lets just say 2 out of 3 ain't bad. The Canpn 85mm f/1.8 is a great option, it focusses faster, but it suffers from a LOT of purple fringing in high contrast (read harsh lighting) conditions. Most of the other 3rd party options (Zeiss and Samyang) are manual focus lenses - fine, if you're doing portraits.
Lets wrap this thing up, in a nutshell;
BUILD QUALITY: Apart from not being weather sealed, its a home run 9.5/10
FOCUS SPEED AND ACCURACY: Too slow for anything other than portraits, it is however, pretty darn accurate. 7.5/10
OPTICAL QUALITY: For its intended purpose of portraits, its a 10/10, for general field use, more like a 7/10
QUALITY OF RESULTS: Award winning, so long as the photos are of relatively still subjects. 10/10
VALUE: Depending on what you're using it for, again, I sound like a broken record, if you take portraits, this is your lens, its a 10/10, it's practically worthless for just about anything else, the moment will be gone before you can focus. 5/10.
OVERALL: FOR PORTRAITURE: 47/50 HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
FOR EVERYDAY USE: 39/50 NOT RECOMMENDED
FINAL WORD: It can't be stressed enough, if you make a living on portraiture or weddings and you want nothing but the very best for your clients, then get this lens. If you're a mom or a dad wanting to take shots of the kids, your money is best spent elsewhere on much better value lenses like the CanonEF 85mm f/1.8