Canon 85mm f/1.2 USM ii 'L' lens review with samples (full-frame and APS-C)
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- Опубликовано: 11 мар 2014
- So, can this lens live up to its mighty reputation or will...nah, it lives up to its mighty reputation. This and the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 are my favourite lenses I've ever tested. But there are lots of interesting things to know and find out about the Canon 85mm f/1.2 USM ii 'L' lens...especially if you need to figure out whether or not it's really worth £1,500. Take a look with me, and enjoy my sample pictures and video footage.
Find it here (Amazon affiliate link):
geni.us/canonef85mmf12l
AND: Here's a video directly comparing it to the much, much cheaper, Canon 85mm f/1.8 USM: • Canon 'L' lens challen...
If you've found this or other videos I've made to be helpful, then support me on Patreon! www.patreon.com/christopherfr...
All pictures and footage taken by me on Canon 6D and 60D cameras.
Be sure to follow my Photostream on Flickr, to see sample pictures of lenses I've reviewed and to see previews of upcoming lenses, too! www.flickr.com/photos/5633426...
Music:
'Opportunity Walks', Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/b... 
Хобби
7 Years later and this 85 and the Sigma 35mm are still my go-to lenses
I love my 85 f1.2 II. Takes getting used to but once learned it's amazing the results you get. Excellent review. I love your reviews. Please keep it up.
I have hard time focusing with this lens can you please tell me what I might be doing wrong. When I use my 85mm 1.4 lense it takes super sharp images with this 1.2 lense I get lots of blurry pics.
Well done. I learned what I wanted when I selected this video. Thank you.
Amazing video - review Christopher . Thank you!
I was so impressed by this lens I didn't feel the need to complete the video.
This will probably be my next prime wide aperture portrait lens thanks to the super blurred bokeh it produces, sharp photos, and low light performance which comes handy when shooting indoors with dimmed lights.
It's also a great action lens thanks to the vast amount of light it lets in, allowing for fast shutter speeds capable of freezing motion while keeping ISO sensitivity low and aperture high, resulting in a bright, sharp, focused moving subject.
Great job Canon.
Chris thank you so much for the work that you put in. For me you are the standard, my go to source when I'm thinking of purchasing a lens. Thank you!!!
Thanks!
Definitely he is my gold standard!
Thank you for another excellent review! Yes, worth every penny!
Thanks for reviewing this!
Ohh... At the end of the review you said it's "highly recommended" .. Drooling
Chris, Can you please test the new RF version of this lens please. Heard its one of the best lens out there for portraits.
Thank you! Nice Review.
Back in 2014 when focus by wire was rare and unusual
Hi Chris, thanks for the review! I purchased a pre-owned sample - I suppose many professional photographers dump this lens because of its successor, which has a maximum aperture of 1.4 but an IS, which compensates approx. four f-stops. That was an opportunity for me to purchase this lens. On my 6D it is a nice combination.
Are you still happy with the lens?
@@rockeruss555 Yes, indeed! One of my best lenses! Very sharp, nice bokeh, exuberant colors!
I think "Blur Potential" would be a mighty cute band name!!! ^^ :)
I would love to see you review the 85 F/1.4 IS to see how it compares to the 1.2.
why would you not buy the 1.2 and just go up an F stop to be sharper if needed? Serious question as I just bought this lens
Nice video Chris. I wonder what improvements it has over the first version of this lens... The Mark I.
Don't know. Some people say that the only improvement is in the autofocus speed
what do you recomended canon 85mm f1.2 mark ii or sigma 85mm f1.4 art?
Would you say that a 100mm f2 /f2.8 L achieves similar result due to the focal length but more detail thus a tiny bit flatter image
Hey Christopher , just as you do, I also love this lens. However I'm a little worried about is supposed "slow" focus. Do you think it is fast enough to keep up with family events? With family events people aren't running around quick as sports but their is movements I would like to capture such as hugging, laughing and children playing etc.
Thank you so much for your helpful videos.
It should be just about fine - depends how fast your kids run around the place hehe. Don't feed them too much sugar / E-numbers
Do you like this len or 85 1.4 IS?
Can the purple color that showed in a couple of pictures be removed when editing?
Put this lens on Panasonic S1R / sigma adaptor , will give you many fantastic photos , very sharp and beautiful bokeh . Only one down size is the auto focus is hunting subject and slower but if you are shooting manual at 1.2 then this is the lens to go for .
Great review, thank You. What lens You used to shoot the footage with?
The example footage? I used the lens itself
I got this lense a few days ago and I was very dissapointed because the AF is WAAAY too loud!!!!
really love with your review! go for 135L!
Do you have any plans soon to review the Sigma 85mm f1.4 art , I cant wait for your review on that.
I plan to :-)
is that a crack inside your lense @2:09
ruel bautista at 0:18 I saw the crack too. At f/1.2 dust inside the lens, small imperfection, scratches or even crack can't be seen in a photo easily. On the other hand at f/16 and smaller apertures every problem on their sensor and lens appears on photos. It is actually an easy way to find if there's dust on the sensor or lens.
Very fast Lenses with minor cracks are a bargain in eBay, as long you shoot only with open aperture.
that's not a crack
at 1:00 you can see that its just dirt
is there any cheaper option for this kinda lens that performance almost as good as this one?
85mm 1.8
sigma 85mm 1.4 ex
Very nice post, you have new subscriber now! this lens is really difficult to focus! Also the focus ring is in my opinion too sensitive! In comparison to the 70-200 2.8 of canon the lense isn't as sharp. But the bokeh is awesome... This lens suffers a lot from color fringing, and chromatic aberration. You have to fix this in photoshop later... I wil be posting a vlog about how to work with this lense very soon!
Do you have a vlog on this lens?
Chris I love your Lens reviews..... I'm looking forward to when you borrow a Nikon adapter.
Unfortunately, there is no Nikon adaptor for Canon cameras :-(
you can borrow my d40 :o)
If attached to r5 with adapter it goes to 1.4 not at 1.2,why?
Canon you please do a comparison between the 70 200 & 100 mm 2.8 macro & 135 mm 2.0 l glass? I want to know which one you prefer in terms of sharpness ? If you have a $1000 usd to spend. Call it battle of the mid budget portrait lens? Thanks.
+TheHatorihanzoe They're all very sharp indeed, so really it depends on what you want to do. Most would choose the 70-200 for its versatility, but I slightly prefer a nice 135mm f/2 lens myself
Love this review, but I am sorry the 50mm 1.2L did not blow you away, mine has blown me away incredibly specially at F5.6 or F8 and @ F1.2 if you know how to use it and micro tweak it a bit is sharp enough and very pleasant with incredible background blur (or bokeh).
These F1.2L are specialty lens, not the run of the mill, not for everyone..
I am sure when I get the 85mm F1.2L I will be as happy as you with are...
BTW love your reviews...
Hi Chris!
I found a 85mm 1.2 (mark i) for a very good price (around 550 pounds). Which should I get, the 1.8 or the 1.2 (first gen)? Or maybe the 50mm 1.2? I would like to replace my 50 1.4, and I would like to do portrait shots with the lens.
Thanks :)
GD Productions I'd get the 85mm f/1.2 :-) be warned though, apparently it has very slow autofocus (not a major problem though if doing portrait photography)
Hi Christ. Which lens do you think is better for traveling / portrait / street photography purposes? Is it Canon 50mm f/1.2 L USM or Canon 85mm f/1.2 L II USM ? And why?
The 85mm for portraits and for best image quality. But 50mm is much better for general purpose / travel photography
would you buy the sigma 50mm f/1.4 art or the canon 85mm f/1.2 usm ii for portraits on a APS-C
+ItsCeciliaGrace The Canon, definitely, if you can afford the extra expense
I only complaint is that if your paying one and a half thousand pounds or US$1600 that it should not protrude or extend when it focuses. None of Nikon's lenses don't do this even the 50 mm or 85mm F/1.8Gs which are the low-end ones.
Hey does something move around when you shake it? I’m worried about mine
Nope, I don't remember that happening
Review the 135mm l lens please!
Those green and purple edges would be a deal-breaker for me :-/.
should be easily fixed in lightroom!
Do you not have Lightroom? Moron...
@@rrife12 take it easy. Yu can process the shit out of your photos but the chromatic aberration kills microcontrast and reduce sharpness.
How about flaring ?
Do you prefer this lens over Samyang XP 85mm f1.2?
I prefer the Samyang actually although I do love the autofocus on the Canon
Can you compare this to the alternative Sigma 85mm 1.4? It would be interesting to see if the canon is worth the extra money, being more than double the cost of the Sigma!
+Jane Tsiolis Haven't tested that lens yet, I'm afraid
+Christopher Frost Photography Ah ok, but it would be great if you did! I'm looking to buy an 85mm and not sure if the canon is worth it when the sigma is so much cheaper!
+Jane Tsiolis Keep an eye out for the new Tamron 85mm lens. It's meant to be /excellent/...and it has image stabilization!
yeah but the sigma opens up to 1.4! :)
I have some extra cash and I really want to get into portrait photography. Is this lens still worth it even though i'm shooting on a canon t5i?
Watch the review, and you'll see how it performs on an APS-C camera :-)
Christopher, that is a very nice review. I'm about to take a decision to get one of the 85mm F/1.2 L II lens. i would like to use this not only for indoor but for outdoor as well.
I know that this is not a landscape lens, but in a minor cases, is it possible to shoot a landscape or sunset?
I would love if you have time to share with us some pictures from landscape please! Thanks a lot and sorry for wasting your time with all my questions.
I want to buy this Lens
can you review the canon 85mm f/1.4 L IS USM?
One day, yes
Can i use this lens on a 600D canon (t3i)
Yes, all Canon mount lenses made since 1987 will work on your Canon APS-C digital SLR camera, except EF-M lenses
this lens or the sigma 50 1.4 art or the Canon 70 to 200mm 2.8 IS L lens for portrait?
+L BS I would go for this 85mm lens for portrait work anyday
+Christopher Frost Photography can u tell me y 85mm? sharper? better overall picture quality?
+L BS The narrow depth of field an f/1.2 lens can give you is fantastic and unique, and 85mm is a nice focal length for portrait work, giving you neither too much nor too little background compression
Christopher Frost Photography thanks Mr. Frost, I'll take your words for it since everything I buy for my camera I always look at your videos for confirmation. Keep up the good work my friend.
+L BS
Do you need/want flexibility or image stabilisation? Those are benefits of the 70-200. Plus you can stick a teleconverter on it and make it into a 140-400mm f5.6 lens with IS (!).
As for the Sigma, it is *extremely* sharp. At 50mm it gets at the edge of what is recommended for portrait use, however. The longer the focal length, the more attractive faces get (because of compression). It's still usable.
But, if you want the bokeh, then that 85 is just bokehlicious.
You should face up the EF 100mm f2.0 against the 85mm's and the 100mm Macros; that would be interesting.
On another note: Where do you get the lenses to put your videos together? Beg, Borrow, Steal? ;-)
The EF 100mm f/2 is basically the same as the 85mm 1.8 from all accounts I hear. The 85mm will be easier to use, and the 100 might have very, very slightly better picture quality. And yes...beg, borrow, steal, buy and sell on eBay :-)
I think on all these camera lens reviews one should start emphasizing the behavior. It's not exactly that they behave as a XXmm x 1.6= YYmm. They don't. The effect of the focal length behaves the same, and that's important. The crop just means that the 'x1.6' effects the field of view.
So when people say I'm using a 200mm on my crop which is the same as using a 320mm, they're wrong. They're still getting a 200mm focal length, but just the center of the frame.
However, and this is what I'd like to see a test of (darn it, I'll do it myself when I can borrow a FF) - the pixel dispersion across a crop sensor might mean that, that area contains better resolution in that area than its FF counterpart in that area. Does it? This I'm not certain of. What do you think Christopher?
It depends on the lens. Generally lenses perform sharper on full-frame because the larger pixels are less of a challenge. But if you had a full-frame lens that was sharp in the middle but soft in the edges, then shooting on APS-C may hold an advantage because the sensor's only using the middle of the image frame. It really is different with every lens, though - until it's tested, you can only make a good guess how a lens will perform
Christopher. If I own a 70-200mm f2.8L IS USM II wich I love btw should I still buy the 85mm? I'm using a 1DX body. I'm doing 80% of the time portraits. Thanks in advance.
I probably would :-)
I think (looking at DP Review comparison) that at the same or over F2.8 the 85 just has a better looking bokeh and better peripheral light...
I now own both, and the worst flaw of the 85 is color fringing
vwbora26 is it fixable in post?
you can fix some, but it is still verry noticable and even at some point anoying
Compared to more modern 85/1.2 lenses the Canon is quite flawed, but the flaws are why I love it and keep using it. I also have a GF 80/1.7 and Rokinon 85/1.2, and the Canon is, to me, their equal in every important way.
The best part about this lens is your perfect english...(just kidding you but I do love the accuracy and sound of it).I'm about to purchase this lens (knowing it is a "slow poke") and I agree with your notion of using it all day and not get tired of the different applications (I have a 85 F1.2 on my XT1 and although it is refocusing slightly faster I'm used to the characteristics). I do believe that all photographers should have that special lens they never "get tired" of and it can be any lens.
Congratulations...you are going to love this lens! Wish I could afford to get one myself...
Chris you use this right ?
Hi Chris any chance to get it retested on R or R5?
Yes, actually - a re-test will come in a few weeks
@@christopherfrost wow that would be lovely. I come across this review again after watching it 2yr ago, for my new toy RP. Decisions decisions. In Australia rf85L new is about 3x price of a mint used EF85 f1.2L II. I think EF35L 85L 135L 16-35IS L 24TSE and 100-400L II are all bargains at the moment. For equivalent RF replacements are not that much better optically, and mechanically, but priced ridiculously high.
If you want to really get down and get funky - you should try the Leica Noctilux f0.95.
At a trim $11000.00 US its a fast lens you will never experience in your life. Happy snapping.
@Christopher Frost Photography Why does the picture get brighter on the corners at f1.8 than f1.2? Shouldnt be the opposite?
The effects of vignetting are reduced when you stop down the lens's aperture
is the lens cracked?
Is this lense compatible with canon rebel t5i???
All EF and EF-S mount lenses made since 1987 will work on your Canon APS-C digital SLR camera (except EF-M lenses)
Christopher Frost Photography thank you!
It is not sharp wide-open. At all.
I just got this lens second-hand for £700👍🏻
I bet that nowadays, after the Sigma version and other lenses, he would consider this one a weak performance.
How to use Canon 77D with Len 85mm f/1.2 | It was ok?
Yes, it will work
ok, thank you
Christopher Frost Photography
NICE!
Slow focus, extreme CA and and barrel distortion and vignetting. How much is this lens?
Sorry, maybe I'm wrong, but why do you keep saying that the autofocus is slow because of lot of glass ?
The 200mm f/2 "bazooka" doesn't have lot o glass ? And all the telephoto lenses...
It could be that the 200mm f/2 lens's focus mechanism only moves the smaller glass elements near the back of the lens, unlike the main, big one at the front, like this lens does
2:03...how could a filter ever be mounted on this lens?
?
So i can use this on a canon t6i??
I won't tell you. If you can't tell if this lens mounts onto a specific camera. You don't deserve it.
Yes. it will mount to the t6i, however it act more like a 135mm focal length lens due to the crop factor 1.6 x 85 = 136mm. I hope that helps.
"Cheapo" DSLR + Pro Lens is better than Pro DSLR and cheapo lens.
To a certain extent.
It can apply on canon 77d
Yes
Does this fit on any canon camera???
Any Canon camera with an EF mount. If you're using one of Canon's mirrorless EOS M cameras, then you'll need an adaptor, like with any EF mount lens
Christopher Frost Photography would it fit on a canon rebel t5?
Christopher Frost Photography are adaptors expensive?
Re-read what I wrote
Could you take portraits man, that’s why most of us want this lens
I do in my more recent reviews - this is a very old video now
It will be interesting to See how this Lens perfoms against The 85mm F1.2 from Zhongyi Mitakon,you can Look at this to!
+CapturingTechTV I'd like to, but it's a mirrorless lens (I think) and I don't have a mirrorless camera...yet...
You can break down the characteristics of this lens down to its technical details all you want but you can't explain the beauty of the images it produces.
0:17
I see a crack in the lens ;n;
@0:55... Is this lens really worth one and a half thousand pounds? Yes!
Not exactly the holy grail of wedding photography glass as it is made out to be and for the price too. Slow AF - low keeper rate for a fast paced event with no second chances. Better off with the 1.8 IMO.
it's made for wedding shoots, where couple are posing, not for sports ceremony.
I think half of this video’s viewership laughed when he said “UV FILTER”😂😂😂
?
Christopher Frost Photography It’s a joke; I was acknowledging how the photography community is torn on the relevance of a UV filter. Lol?
Oh, I see :-)
focus breathing
the lens is broken ??? I see some crack on lens that you show!!!
That's just an optical illusion - I'm glad to say it wasn't actually cracked.
hahaha congratulations, sorry, my mistake!!!
it's a anneal crack and unrepairable
@@christopherfrost thank God. Love your videos. Please keep up the amazing work!!
SO,... basically for $1500 you're getting a very good F2.8 lens, because the Chromatic Aberration at anything below F2.8 is UTTERLY USELESS for any Professional Photographer...
....indeed, it is only useful for black and white photography!
Ewwww that lens belongs to the trash can!
why???
Says the haters! CANON will always remain KING! 💪