well i was just about to buy the 85L 1.2, i already ahve the 1.8 and seriously, the 1.8 is a great lens..... then i started thinking - lately i have been doing a lot of portrait and boudoir work and i use my 50 1.4 a lot.

maybe it would be better for me to upgrade my portrait lens to the 1.2 L - if its seriously better than the 1.4 - the 85L and the 50L are roughly the same price so that is why i am undecided.

do you own the 50 1.2 ? is it noticeably different than the 1.4?

thanks for any feedback.

I dont own it Tami, but I have used one and it was niiiiiiiice! It is lighter anf faster focusing than the 85 1.2. Im sure your buddy Jim will pipe up here, he has both and Jasmine Star has some pics on her blog from an eSession where she specifically points out that was the lens she used. Search OSP for the 50 1.2 threads and you will find more info.

I will pipe up. I first got the 85MM F1.2 II lens and it was my FAVORITE Lens. It is a slow focus lens -- but that is ok for portraits. The Bokeh is to die for! It is a heavy lens. For portait shots, it is hard to beat.

Then I got the 50MM F1.2 and well -- I have barley touched the 85MM F1.2 since. That has been well over a year ago. I have forced myself to use the 85MM F1.2 a few times since and immediately went back to the 50MM F1.2. I use this lens at least 90% of the time on either portrait sessions or wedding day.

Why? There are tons of reasons. It is much lighter than the 85MM F1.2 and it focuses much faster. You still get the razor thin DOF if you want it and while the 85MM F1.2 may have a better brokeh (just a feeling I have but no real proof), the 50MM's is darn close that I don't notice any appreciable difference. And finally, the major reason I jumped on the 50MM F1.2 when it first came out is the minimum focus distance. It is something like 2ft for the 50mm and 4ft for the 85mm. One of my favorite shots is to have a bride squat down and I shoot down on her. It is nearly impossible to do that with the 85MM (without something to stand on) because you are too close to them. I mostly had to be on my tip toes and it was a pain. The 50MM is a dream for those shots.

Tami, when you first posted that you wanted the 85 F1.2 and were going to buy one, I was VERY tempted to try and sell you mine -- but I am just not ready to part with it. I keep thinking that I will find a use for it that I like over a 50MM F1.2. But I haven't. I even brought it along when I was 2nd shooting a wedding figuring I would find a use then -- but I didn't. :-(

The pictures you get with the 85MM F1.2 are totally amazing. But for me, I get the same type of quality with a more versatile 50MM F1.2 lens.

Same story,

First acquired the 85, then the 50. The 50 ROCKS! Both are awesome, but the 50 is the one that gets put on the camera the most.

I just bought the 50 1.2 two weeks ago and haven't put it down! I absolutely love it! We did have the 1.4 and the 1.2 is by far 100 times better. The last shoot I did, I had taken the 24-70 and 70-200 along for the ride and they didn't even get used! I use it wide open at 1.2 and just love the images that come out of it. It was worth the $$.

oh t hanks guys... i actually did do a search and was sad to find a link to a review of the 50 1.2 and it wasnt that great so at today's wedding, during the eating, i started talking myself back into the 85 1.2

jim, i also heard about the 85 1.2 being very heavy, not sure i want that.

when i first got my 50 1.4 i thought it was the cat's meow - i think i am going to go for the 1.2....

thanks for the feedback everyone!

Over at the digital picture


"The Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens is going to be purchased by those who want the best image quality they can get from f/1.2 to f/2, by those needing a more-pleasing background blur quality than the other two 50s deliver, by those requiring the least amount of lens flare in their results or by those who need/want the best quality (build) lens they can get. I can't say that the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens is a good value, but I do think it is worth the price to serious photographers who need what it can deliver."

And yes, I can see a difference between the 50 1.2 and 50 1.4

Whoever did the review of the 50 f1.2 and said it wasn't that great is a complete an utter fool!!!! The 50 ROX!!!!!

wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
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The wwwww above was courtesy of Sox -- one of my cats. He is a republican btw and loves Dubya obviously.

the 50/1.2 has a known issue (canon apparently call it a feature) where it can have focus issues up close - someone might want to clarify what this close range is at... but like with all lenses there are probably great versions and not so great.

That said Ive been shooting alot at 50mm recently on the 5D and im loving it! I think 50mm would be far more versatile than the 85 for a wedding day - and you have the 85 covered by the still gorgeous 1.8!

check out the reviews at fredmiranda.com ... seems to have an ever growing list of owners chiming in about it.

what body do you shoot on primarily?

Jonathan

mark 1d iii

I bought my 50 1.2 about 2 days after Jim came up to shoot with me last fall -- I saw what he was able to create with that lens and I was SOLD!!

I have both too Tami and I agree with EVERY word Jim wrote about them, even the part about offering you my 85.

The way I describe it to people is like Karate. When I took Karate we always talked about being on the other persons front yard (that space we have in front of us that we use for a comfortable distance to others). I like to step onto that front yard when I am shooting and the minimal focusing distance that Jim mentions will never allow you to get on that front yard. With the 50 you are there and then some. Even the exact shot Jim is talking about is on my blog (two posts ago). He is a little taller so he could get away with a chair or something, I always needed a ladder.

My 85 is like brand new and just sits in my bag now. Like Jim, I am looking for a reason to talk myself into letting it go. I do want to get a ultra fast 35 or a 24 (not sure which one I would like better and would appreciate any opinions) because my 24-70 2.8 still isn't the sharpest lens going (even though it just came back from Canon), and the 50 1.2 prime will just do that to you.

i am so glad i asked! i really had not even thought about the 50 1.2 - so i guess my mind is made up.

yippee! i'm all warm and fuzzy now!

It's because there's no floating element. I've never noticed the issue, though. Quite a few 50mm's from other makers, and other lenses, show the same behavior, due to a lack of a floating element.

The 50/1.2 is awesome. I was skeptical when I bought it, but I really use it a lot more than I expected to. I still like my 85/1.2 better ... it's sharper, better microcontrast, and smoother bokeh (and more of it). But the faster AF of the 50 is nice, and I feel like the macrocontrast on the 50 is better ... comparable to the 35/1.4.

The 50 1.2 rocks! I have it on my camera about 75% of the time during weddings and sometimes the entire time for engagement shoots! If I could have only 1 prime it would definitely be the 50 1.2. My 85 1.2 is sharper and the image quality is slightly better, and I also love that lens, but it is more of a specialty lens where as the 50 I can use all day any day.

this session 100% 85 1.2
http://sdohana.blogspot.com/2008/02/i-love-glass.html

this boudoir 90% 85 1.2 and 10% with the 50 1.2
http://sdohana.blogspot.com/2008/03/amanda...ion-teaser.html

this also 90% 85 1.2 10% 24 1.4
http://sdohana.blogspot.com/2008/05/agnes-...session-at.html

i LOVE my 85 but i'm starting to ease into my 50 at weddings.

really like this lens, this paired with the 85 1.8 that u already have make for a really good setup. Its worth every penny...sounds like u have ur mind made up already but I just wanted to chime in :-)!

yah, i'm definitely getting the 50 - i'm starting to do a lot of boudoirs and the 50 is used a lot there and with any portrait work - the 85 1.8 is already a great lens and my 50 1.4 could do with a rest.

i must say the lenses you are using are rockin me face off!!!

I gonna have to figure out how to make these my screensaver!!!

hahahaahah considering what you posted is just so kick asss..... i take that as a sincere compliment

Don't listen to David, he's got me buying lenses left and right and my images still doesn't look anywhere as good as his. Can't stand him.... Kimmie I like!

yah... but he's a cutiepie!

Maybe but he also talks toooooo much!

only online!

whaaaa i'm a talkin fool nely!!