Question to 85L users

very helpful information, I felt the same way. For me when I shoot portraits, head, shoulder or half body, I would always 85L, but I found that with full body, I think 135mm L or 70-200mm 2.8 IS II are better in the way of sharpness.

Ginga wrote in post #16415595
Is it just me, or is it easier to nail the focus on close up portraits (head and shoulders), than it is when shooting full body portraits?

When I shoot close ups, I always get the subjects eyes in perfect focus. However, when I shoot full body, my photos are often a little bit fuzzy, and the subjects face + eyes are not as sharp as in the close up shots.

Shouldn't it be the other way around?? (I mean, shouldn't it be easier to nail AF on full body shots?)

I always try to shoot at f/1.2 btw. Maybe thats a "bad aperture" for full body shots?

As most said is easy to focus at closer distances than on a distant object, may be your lens needs an af micro-adjust.
On mine I had to dial +12 ma.

Kaiser_photographer wrote in post #16418155
As most said is easy to focus at closer distances than on a distant object, may be your lens needs an af micro-adjust.
On mine I had to dial +12 ma.

I've thought about that, and I've even put my 85L through tests with Reikan Focal and Dot-tune but the AF seems to be fine as it is.

I believe more in Kin2son's explanation.

Thanks anyway!

I did the M/A before I read this thread, after the M/A I don't think it helps to get the really sharp image with the distant object or full body portrait.

I'm a new 85mm f/1.2 owner and I've noticed the same thing, it's really hard to get a sharp full body portrait photo! It sounds really funny that this lens could take only half body portraits well. Must be some kind of a user error as there are lots of insanely good portraits in the 85mm thread

igora90 wrote in post #16418787
I'm a new 85mm f/1.2 owner and I've noticed the same thing, it's really hard to get a sharp full body portrait photo! It sounds really funny that this lens could take only half body portraits well. Must be some kind of a user error as there are lots of insanely good portraits in the 85mm thread

Hi igora90,
I just wonder, did you have sigma 85 mm 1.4 before? Did your sigma 85s can take full body portrait with very sharp photo? Thanks.

Patrick n wrote in post #16424991
Hi igora90,
I just wonder, did you have sigma 85 mm 1.4 before? Did your sigma 85s can take full body portrait with very sharp photo? Thanks.

Yes I had. I used it with 5Dc and the full body portraits were very sharp. But after changing to 6D I had focusing problems with it so I changed it to 85mm f/1.2. Not seeing the same crispy shots that I got with the 5D+sigma now. Is it because of the AA -filter? When going closer though the results are very good even at f/1.2.

Patrick n wrote in post #16424991
Hi igora90,
I just wonder, did you have sigma 85 mm 1.4 before? Did your sigma 85s can take full body portrait with very sharp photo? Thanks.

sigma@f1.4. Just got my 85L and will try to do a side by side test next week.

igora90 wrote in post #16425373
Yes I had. I used it with 5Dc and the full body portraits were very sharp. But after changing to 6D I had focusing problems with it so I changed it to 85mm f/1.2. Not seeing the same crispy shots that I got with the 5D+sigma now. Is it because of the AA -filter? When going closer though the results are very good even at f/1.2.

thanks for the response igora90

I may give the sigma 85mm 1.4 another try.

bobbyz wrote in post #16426930
sigma@f1.4. Just got my 85L and will try to do a side by side test next week.

bobbyz, if you do some tests shots with these 2 lenses on full body portraits, please share with us some photos here, thanks.

Bah. I give up. Shooting full body shots at f/1.2 is simply impossible for me.

It's awesome for close ups though.

smile, not only you. I use my 135mm L more for outdoor, but for indoor, yes, 85mm L II is super!

hmm this seems like an unusual issue, the lens seems ok for me for full length shots - as others have said try MA, and if all else fails, manually focus

Thanks smarter for your example photos. Must say that I'm maybe expecting too much as my photos look the same in terms of sharpness and crispiness, especially when compared with the second one.

igora90 wrote in post #16435117
Thanks smarter for your example photos. Must say that I'm maybe expecting too much as my photos look the same in terms of sharpness and crispiness, especially when compared with the second one.

Smorter's second example looks unsharp because the light is dull and flat. I notice sometimes people look at images with so-so light and start to question lens performance. The light in the first shot is pretty flat as well, so neither of these images are going to make the lens seem like it is super sharp. That does not mean the lens is not recording detail well.

His first image looks typical for me for how the 85L performs wide open, it is pretty much how I tend to shoot all of my fast primes these days. I want the subject to be fully in focus but I want the background to be blurred. With a fast lens and adequate space, this is what you should be able to do.

For tight shots, I shoot much longer focal lengths than 85mm and I use much smaller apertures than f/1.2.