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I had read many reviews before taking the plunge and spending on this lens I have to say it is well worth the money IMO. Photos are sharp and clear which you would expect, focusing is not as easy as some of my other lenses but more often than not it's good. The RRP is huge compared to buying on Ebay or other independent seller so if you shop around savings can be great. I recommend this lens to the serious photographer am or pro.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I’ve read a few reviews from “Pro Photographers” that say that the lens isn’t sharp, or it misses focus bla bla bla... Rubbish!! Although it’s a “Fast Lens” they are considerably slower at auto focussing which means if a subject slightly moves and you haven’t adjusted for this movement, it will be out of focus... Then another complaint I hear is the depth of field is really narrow.... well don’t shoot at 1.2!!!! If you shoot a model at 1.2 with a lens that focuses a little slower, the hit hit rate will be lower .... When you have learned how to work with this lens, the results are incredible ... it really is one of canons flagship lenses.
Verified purchase: No
As a professional photographer for many years I was really looking forward to own this lens. When I bought it I found out that depth of field is extremelly small. It is literally so shallow that if you dont use a tripod and model is not breathing then at least 60 percent of your photos will be focused elsewhere. This was the most dissapointing thing. I tested the lens focus which was spot on so there was no problem with backfocus or front focus, but as the depth of field is extremely shallow most of your photos wont be focused on eyes (if that was the point) I was using 2 of these lenses on 2x 5d mark2 cameras and I had usually 65 percent photos deleted as focus was not right where I wanted to be. Very frustrating. I had alltogether 4 of these lenses in my hands so I am 100 percent sure I didn't have bad one. I recently bought Sigma 85mm f1.4 Art and 90 percent images on f1.4 are spot on even without tripod, me breathing model breathing. Very happy with that one. Otherwise I am using different canon lenses and I am very happy with results, just 85mm f1.2 doesnt do a precise job when taking photos of models. I had this lens for 4 years so I know what I am talking about. Read full review
Verified purchase: No
The Canon 85mm f1.2L II is not your everyday portrait lens, it’s the bokeh king but needs time and patience to fully exploit its talents. Canon have ruled the large-aperture roost for a number of years with their 50mm f1.0L and 85mm f1.2L lenses, thanks to the EF mount having a larger throat size than competitors (54mm vs 44mm on the classic Nikon F mount as an example). This has pretty much made Canon the only game in town for large aperture lenses for the last 30 years. The original 85mm f1.2L was launched in 1989 with the upgraded model launching in 2006, earliest examples are now up to 30 years old so always ask for the Canon date code to confirm its age. Why is it special? Bokeh. Out-of-focus regions and highlights have an other-worldly and dream-like quality, simply not found anywhere else. This is the result of a razor-thin depth of field, inherent at this aperture size. From experience, what do I need to know about this lens? It’s a beautiful lens but it’s not for everyone and certainly not for every situation. Very importantly, that large aperture is all about depth of field, not light gathering ability. It’s about shooting wide-open in decent light rather than capturing low-light images. The reason for this is AF performance which rapidly drops off in low ambient light, on occasion to the point where the lack of focussing speed causes a shot to be missed. The mark II model is significantly better in this respect, but make no mistake, this is not a lens for spur-of-the-moment shots. Next, DoF. I’ve seen complaints about the razor-thin depth of field associated with this lens. It’s not a flaw, it’s basic optical science, and it’s the reason behind the lens’ outstanding bokeh. Wide-open, this lens needs extreme care with focussing especially with portraits. It’s the nature of the beast, and time needs to be taken to ensure the most critical elements are absolutely in focus before releasing the shutter. I’ve also seen comments saying to avoid f1.2 if the DoF is too shallow. That specific aperture size is the sole selling point for this lens, and there’s no point owning a lens like this if you’re not using it for its bokeh. It’s here you’ll find another quirk. The focus ring has a huge range of travel, required for precise adjustments with such a limited DoF, but its usefulness for precise focussing is restricted by the fact it’s not mechanically linked to the optical assembly. It uses a focus-by-wire system to send input to the USM focus unit, and small inputs to the ring don’t always translate as you’d expect. It works but it’s not as quick to manually focus as it is with mechanically-linked USM. It also can’t be manually focussed if the camera is sleeping, a press of the shutter is required to wake it up. Image quality. Let’s get to the point, this is not the sharpest lens you will ever buy. It was never meant to be either. Wide-open performance has a softness but this is entirely in keeping with the stunning bokeh. It’s not a technical lens, it’s an art lens, and you don’t buy something like this for its technical merit. It’s akin to a valve amplifier, it’s about the feeling it creates rather than paper specifications. Aside from the care required during focussing, if there’s one serious shortcoming it’s the high level of lateral chromatic aberration present, and this shows up as green and purple fringing in high contrast areas. All lenses exhibit this to a degree but the CA shown here can be difficult to fully compensate for. Obviously this isn’t a problem for monochrome images, and it’s not a deal-breaker for those prepared to work with its limitations. Should you buy one? Yes, if you want the ultimate bokeh and can commit to shooting wide-open. That’s the only reason to own this lens. If you don’t need such an extreme aperture size there are a number of superior alternatives, primarily Canon’s own f1.4L IS which offers vastly superior low-light focus speed as well as image stabilisation. For absolute outstanding technical quality Sigma’s f1.4 Art is another serious contender for best portrait lens. Finally, if technical quality is second to artistry for you then Canon’s old TS-E 90mm tilt-shift lens takes bokeh to another level altogether for a dreamy look that expands on the strengths of the 85mm f1.2L II. The 85mm is a unique lens, it’s not for everyone, it requires effort and technique to get the best from it but the end result can set it apart from all others. Read full review
Verified purchase: No
Received the lens yesterday and it’s in mint condition. Looks like brand new & Works perfectly. Thank you!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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