50L or 85L II? Poll it up~

I don't own either of these so I was hoping the owners that do could chime in. I'm just doing a fun little debate among my friends and using the poll results in with my project. I am also hoping this will help me with my future purchase of either of these lenses. I hear so much trash talk about the 50L and the 85L II but yet so many people still buy them? Odd isn't it?

Thanks for your vote !

and you just started another can of worm for people to trash 50L again.

maximus_73 wrote in post #14831955
and you just started another can of worm for people to trash 50L again.

I wanna take a positive outlook on the trash talk and try to apply it to my photography as well! Maybe it's all user error in the end. :X

It comes down to what you shoot! Both are great lens....

One of them works extremely well for what it was designed to do (studio), the other one comes with a list of compromises you have to be willing to make ...

I wish I had the 85L II, but, my 85mm f/1.8 makes me happy, and is a lot cheaper.

I vote for the 50. No compromises with mine. The slow AF of the 85 turns me off too much. Maybe if they come out with a Mk3

85L, that's an easy one for me.

I recently purchaced both. I ended up returning the 50 due to its "focus issues" but I am still regretting it every day. I was able to work with it to get some pretty sweet images but I am usually shooting my 1 year old at varying distances and aperatures so it was a bit more challenging to obtain proper focus every time. I love the Focal length of the 50 more so than the 85 but the 85 is on point with the focus no matter what...
I do have the 35L so I didn't really need the 50 but the images from it were amazing compared to the 35s that had a more standard look to them...

Oh Man, "I use a Wal-Mart bag to carry my camera gear~ " is even beating the 50L!!

FYI the 50mm refurb is available right now...

http://shop.usa.canon.​com …1_-1_22751_highPrice_list

For my needs, based on focal length alone, the 50mm allllllll day. If I liked shooting at 85mm, tadaaaa!!! The 85L would win. If you don't know what focal length you need and are buying an lens based on a forum popularity contest, before you drop all that coin you may want to figure out your priorities...

I've got both. I'd keep the 85L, but that's the FL I shoot more at.
The question should really be, 50mm or 85mm, really different FLs.

A prime in the "normal" focal length is the foundation of my kit

50L for me. I rented the 85L II, and while it was a prime piece of glass (pun intended), it was just way too slow for me. I have a 1 year old and trying to focus with it was as a co-worker of mine says "is like watching a herd of turtles running through a field of peanut butter".