Canon 85mm f/1.2 USM II Review
The review of a classic
85mm f/1.2 USM II on a Canon 1D Mk IV
This, after the 300mm f/2.8 (click for review) Canon or Nikon and the Fuji 35mm f/1.4, this is my all time favourite lens. Yes – I love it more than the 56mm f/1.2 Fuji! It’s the best.
The built quality is impeccable: top notch. Worlds better than the flimsy 85mm f/1.4 G from Nikon and light years ahead of the 85mm f/1.8. It’s a behemoth, but it’s sexy, and I just want to carry it everywhere with me.
The beast.
It looks professional. And sometimes, in life, you got to look 10/10.
How about that for bokeh?
Photoshoot for my first published book!
The autofocus is not the fatest, but on a 1D series, I have zero problem with the autofocus, other than precision (easily corrected by shooting 10 frame per second…).
Is it faster than a 56mm f/1.2 Fuji? Yes! Is the bokeh better? HECK YES.
Now the question that everybody asks:
Is it the difference between a 56mm f/1.2 (equivalent f/1.8 on 35mm bokeh-wise) and the 85mm f/1.2 on full-frame quite noticeable?
Yes and yes.
So if you are looking to get that dreamy look, go get the 85mm Canon.
That’s it! I have taken over 10 000 shots with my 56mm f/1.2 Fuji and over 2000 shots with the 85mm f/1.2: The Canon is harder to nail the focus, has worst chroma and purple fringing, but goddam it’s sexy to hold and it looks pro (girls look at me like I’m Justin Bieber when I carry this lens around) and it’s the best.
Beautiful product shot!
If you miss the focus…There’s no recovery possible, of course.
I will phrase it differently:
If you know what you are doing, and you don’t mind working to get great pictures, the 85mm f/1.2 Canon obliterate the Fuji or any other f/1.8 lens.
If you just want great portrait –not the best, but great– with great facility, just go get a 85mm f/1.8 or Fuji 56mm f/1.2 or anything else.
The 85mm f/1.2 gets some time to get used to it, you’ll have to work a bit to get great result…but when you nail the shot, there’s nothing like it. It’s magical.
This lens delivers the same amount of bokeh as the Nikon 105mm f/1.4, if you crop to 105mm equivalent on your Canon full-frame camera. There’s nothing like doing portrait at 85mm. My only other favourite focal lenght is 300mm @2.8, but that requires even more work.
Purple fringing! It’s terrible, but oh well, you’ll have to live with it! Just shoot RAW.
Is it sharp? Hell yeah it is.
Product photography review with the Canon 85mm f/1.2
Focus made on my book.
In the end, it goes like this, from the best to the worst, in terms of picture quality, built quality and general awesomeness:
1) Canon 85mm f/1.2 USM II
2) Canon 85mm f/1.4 IS
3) Fuji 56mm f/1.2
4) Nikon 85mm f/1.4 G
5) Nikon 85mm f/1.8 G
6) Canon 85mm f/1.8
I laugh when other online reviewers can’t tell to the readers what exactly is the best. It’s like, no, here in the real world, there are #1 and #2 in every thing. If you don’t know what you are doing, DO NOT GET the 85mm f/1.2! My mom had so much problem with the lens…she had no clue about how to use a DSLR in general, so imagine her with my 1D and 85mm.
Cheers,
JP
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