Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM Lens
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One of Canon's finest lenses
The Canon Lens EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM (hereon in denoted as the 85L II) is a L Series designated short telephoto lens in Canon's EF lens range. Released in 2006, the 85L II was a minor upgrade incorporating the technological advances in microprocessor technology and optical coatings made since the 1989 release of its predecessor, the Canon Lens EF 85mm f/1.2L USM, a functionally identical lens.This lens has a legendary reputation, and deservedly s... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
In my opinion, Canon's best lens.
About myself: I'm a professional wedding phtoographer of 2 years. I currently own the 5D Mark II and 24-105 f/4L lens, which I think is an all around great lens. I was renting a different Canon lens for every wedding I shot in 2011 because I wasn't sure which one I wanted to purchase to complete my lens collection moving forward. After narrowing my decision down the 85mm and 70-200 IS ii, I couldn't pass up the 85mm. It's a MUST HAVE for weddings... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Man, It's really a tough call
I am a prosumer, working toward professional and I have read many reviews, written many, used nearly every L lens made, seen many charts, and even held and tested the Canon 1.2 vs Sigma 1.4 and Canon 1.8. I hate bad reviews, so I hope this does help people. My first 85mm 1.2 had an extremely loose front element and I sent it back. The second unit was purchased after I returned the sigma 85mm 1.4. It's front element was tighter but YOU WILL have t... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Amazing lens produces stunning photos!
Prior to this lens I've used Canon's consumer grade lenses for my Digital Rebel Xti and now my 5D Mark II. After much research and debating over the next lens, I've decided to purchase the 85mm 1.2 as my first L series lens. I've looked at the different L zooms and primes, but found that the 85mm is the one to get first. I am not disappointed with my purchase one bit. After setting my eyes on the 85mm, I've been going through debates on getting e... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
The Portrait Lens
This is Canon's flagship and THE portrait lens. People say it's slow but I say it's precise. I agree the auto focus is slow in most of part. When I got used to it, I didn't pay too much attention. For portraits I rather have precise focus than blazing fast focus. Surely it has hit-and-misses once in a while, but rate is very low. When it misses focus, it's forgivable, and never had out-of-wack focuses like I experienced with 35L or 50L. It's shar... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Not THAT great.
Most amateurs coming from their $100 kit lenses, think any pro 70-200mm f2.8 lens is hand crafted by God himself. Then, they learn about prime lenses, and their 'awe' diminishes quickly. I believe the hype over the 85L is the same thing. You read all the hype (reviews) you see the cherry picked best photos taken by owners online, and you spend the money on this lens. The bottom line is, the non L 85mm will give you 95% of the same image quality, ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
photography 101
I've split this review into 2 parts. Part 1 is about the lens, part 2 is the approach I took to buying the lens. Use what works for you. Part 1. This is a great lens, well deserving of its bright red ring, and it is now my go-to portraiture lens. The f/1.2 gathers so much light, it boosts your creativity. I now use this lens to do a candlelight/light painting part in every portrait session and the photos are always raved about. Bokeh is fantastic... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Comparison with EF 85 f1.8
I purchased this lens as well as the EF 85 f1.8 lens in order to compare them for myself. In my opinion, the f/1.2L is a superior lens. For high contrast shots with a lot of light, there is less aberration than the 1.8. This makes Photoshop clean up a lot easier. To be fair, for most photos the aberration will not be noticed unless one zooms in on the shot; however, in some it was noticeable with the naked eye and moderate magnification in the 1.... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Would I do it again? ..... Probably
I read review after review trying to decide whether or not this lens was something I should part with my hard earned $$$ for. It isn't the cheapest date on the block. I have owned many lenses over the past 10 years and have for the past year whittled down my lenses to just what I felt I would actually put on the camera and use regularly. My interest has always been primarily landscapes, macro and still life photography. When I drag out the big gu... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Bokeh Bliss
What we got right here is a real nice chunk of quality product. Not your casual everyday shooter. Believe all the feedback and research you will do before pulling the trigger on this beauty, there is plenty of it. If you really appreciate shallow DOF and shooting in available light, this lens will not let you down. The construction is like no other lens Canon makes, in this price category anyway. It feels, well, intentionally heavy and solidly co... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Amazing, will capture my family memories
I recently started getting much more interested in my own photography skills, and in the quality of the photos I capture for my family. I bought the 85mm 1.2L II USM and am glad I did. I have this lens plus some other nice L glass on a first generation 5D. I also have the TS-E 24mm 3.5L, 24-105 4L, and 70-300 4-5.6L. I'm not pro, not even close. I simply wanted to capture amazing photos of my family and kids growing up. I've lost so many potentia... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Amazing awesome lens
This is an amazing lens for portraits and fine art photography. I have used it a few times now, and am blown away by it's sharpness. Nothing else compares. It is absolutely fabulous. I echo all the other reviews; the DOF is razor thin full open. Amazing look though, both eyes head on will be sharp, but if the head is turned, at 1.2 one eye will be slightly soft. This is easily corrected by stoping down only one or two stops. I rented this lens a ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Phenomenal portrait lens
I purchased the EF 85mm f/1.2L primarily for portrait work. Most of my work (2/3) is sports and nature photography and the remaining 1/3 is portrait work. I use Canon 5D Mk II and a 50D bodies for my work. My primary lenses are the 70-200 f/2.0L, the 100-400 L series, 17-40 L series, and the 35mm f/1.4 L prime. I can't say enough positive remarks about the image quality of the 85mm f/1.2L lens. The results are stunning. I find myself shooting por... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Happily Ever-After
I wanted to invest in a excellent portrait, low-light lens as I am a primarily portrait and wedding photographer, and I could have not been more happier with my purchase in this lens. It's everything I could ever dream of, and more.Even shooting at f/1.2, this lens is sharper than a tack, and sharpness exceeds even more as you close down. Not to mention, the bokeh this lens produces is incredibly dreamy, buttery and delicious. The build-quality i... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Best portrait lens available
When you want the best, this is it. No other lens has ever come close in 35mm photography. Flawless glass, high speed, you can get an amazing shot even in near total darkness, assuming you have enough light to focus.Because of the full aperature, 1.2, the background can be blurred out to set the subject forward and free of distracting background elements. With a collection of almost every canon professional lens this is my first choice for portra... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
No metade do que eu esperava.
I wrote this review in portuguese. we have to much reviews in english here and out, so i tried to help my non english speakers friends from Brazil.---------Eu comprei essa lente com expectativas elevadas. Afinal uma das lentes mais caras da Canon e uma L. Quando a tirei de caixa com um sorriso no rosto me surpreendi com a qualidade da construo e a beleza dessa pea de vidro. Mas logo foram surgindo as decepes:1-O pontinho vermelho que usamos para ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Great bokeh
It's one of the best lenses I've ever used. It's tack sharp using any aperture. The construction is better than that of any other lens I've have in my hands. I don't own any Zeiss, but I can say it makes my older 24-105 look like a toy with all that plastic. After reading some reviews complaining about the slow auto focus, I thought the focus was slower than it actually is. In fact I don't think it's a slow lens. It's not as fast as the 70-200 2.... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
85 f1.2LII..Has the Wow factor.
I've only had this lens for about a week and I can already tell it will be a fine addition to the kit. I've owned the f1.8 for about a year and tried to love it. It produced good images but the magic canon ball was always on my mind.I finally sold off the 1.8 and purchased it's big brother with no regrets. Initial impressions are it's heavy, but what does one expect for $ worth of top glass and housing. AF was not as slow as I expected and only n... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Awesome
This lens goes beyond awesome. I bought this beauty a couple of months ago and I haven't taken if off of my camera. I love portrait and bokeh. And this lens made my life easier and happier. I have the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 whis is very, very good. I will not compare these two, but I used to use it before the 85 1.2. Read a lot of complains about focus problems and they are not true. If you are looking for this lens is because you know what you want. P... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Sharp at 1.2 with beautiful bokeh
This beautiful lens is awfully heavy. Suddenly, I cannot support my canon 5d mark ii with my right hand alone anymore. So for now, as long as the 85mm 1.2 L II is mounted, my left arm is my pedistal.It is amazing how incredibly steady my shots are with a heavy lens mounted on. You might think that the depth of field is too thin at 1.2 but when your subjects are 10-15 feet away, it's not that bad. The depth of field is only incredible to manage at... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Could not live without ...
This is the third time I buy this lens. I have sold the previous two because I didnt use them enough. But each time I regretted it. This time is Im going to keep it until a version with faster AF and IS comes along. The very shallow depth of field is a challenge with this lens, so to get the micro adjustment correct is essential. I use the LensAlign MkII for this purpose. On this copy of the lens I did not adjust anything on either the 5DIII or 1... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Darkness? Is that a word?
I have to admit, I'm no professional nor do I take photos for a living, but rather for my own quiet enjoyment where it consists of 90% portraits. What drew me to this is definitely the huge aperture at F1.2, the ability to use ambient light and get that world class bokeh! Every lens has its ups and downs, and you will need to choose very wisely as to what this lens can bring to your skill set. To be blunt and straightforward, this is a difficult ... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Everything and better
I am semi-professional shooting portrait, fashion and glamor work. I also own the EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM Lens and have had the 85mm 1.8 for the last three years. I shoot with the 5D MK II. Before buying the 1.2 I read several things like if you don't need the 1.2 save your money and get the 1.8. Sure, you could do that but I can tell you that after shooting with the 1.8 for three years and comparing that work to what I get with the 1.2- there is... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
Very distinct lens
I would like to define this lens as distinct since it has both obvious strength and weakness, which made it standing out of all the lens I have used so far. Some people may complain that this lens is heavy and it has a strange look. Every time I just feel that I am carrying a piece of iron in front of my 5D mk2. Moreover, the auto focus of this 85L is very slow and the focusing ring is too loose which almost has no damp. So it is incontinent to u... Show More
Reviewed on B&H Photo Video
