Canon 85 1.2L Focusing Techniques??? Help?

canon_shenanigans wrote in post #17095908
If you look at the second shot the eyes are a tad fuzzy, and this is what I mean about slightly out of focus, but sort of sharp zoomed out...

Again, if you want tack sharp focus on the eyes, phase detect AF isn't the way to way to do it, as there are inherent quirks with phase detect AF that make capturing those shots a crapshoot. Manual focus is the way to go.

Not shot on my 85L, but manual focused with the Sigma 50 ART:

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/nHqd​Dg

I don't think I can MF for kids shots. I take PDAF over MF.

85L II at f1.2.

I guess I am not too experienced with manual focus in a photography setting. I used it for a while with a follow focus when I was in college doing videography. I mainly use AF manual focus point selection...I am going to have to practice a lot with it to get it down. Thanks for the tips.

mystik610 wrote in post #17096249
Again, if you want tack sharp focus on the eyes, phase detect AF isn't the way to way to do it, as there are inherent quirks with phase detect AF that make capturing those shots a crapshoot. Manual focus is the way to go.

I personally find EOS lenses to be annoying to focus manually, and if I were inclined to rely on manual focus exclusively then I would purchase MF-only lenses that have much better focus rings.

Second, I find that my personal hit rate manually focusing is worse than what I can achieve with phase detect AF using either the 5D Mark III or the 1D Mark IV. I just cannot see well enough with an EOS videwfinder (even with a manual focus intended one swapped in) to ensure hits. And live view is too slow and cumbersome unless the target is stationary.

I've shot volleyball with the 85L II using autofocus and gotten a reasonable hit rate, so I feel like a bald statement that this lens isn't capable of autofocus with a reasonable hit rate is misleading.

For me, for sure, autofocus is better than manual focus.

JeffreyG wrote in post #17096538
I personally find EOS lenses to be annoying to focus manually, and if I were inclined to rely on manual focus exclusively then I would purchase MF-only lenses that have much better focus rings.

Second, I find that my personal hit rate manually focusing is worse than what I can achieve with phase detect AF using either the 5D Mark III or the 1D Mark IV. I just cannot see well enough with an EOS videwfinder (even with a manual focus intended one swapped in) to ensure hits. And live view is too slow and cumbersome unless the target is stationary.

I've shot volleyball with the 85L II using autofocus and gotten a reasonable hit rate, so I feel like a bald statement that this lens isn't capable of autofocus with a reasonable hit rate is misleading.

For me, for sure, autofocus is better than manual focus.

For clarification, I more often than not use AF, as its often 'good enough' for many shots, and simply more convenient (particularly when dealing with subjects in motion of course)

That said, if you're hunting for the critical focus on the eyeballs of the subject that the OP is specifically looking for, then trying to achieve that with phase detect AF can be frustrating, as phase detect AF isn't really consistently accurate down to such a minute level.

If you are palming that lens be sure not to touch the focus ring while doing so or it can inadvertently change your focus point. On the 5d3 there is an option to turn off the electronic focus on the 85L (doing so helped me out). Not sure if the 5d2 has that option or not...

Silverstonev8 wrote in post #17096806
If you are palming that lens be sure not to touch the focus ring while doing so or it can inadvertently change your focus point. On the 5d3 there is an option to turn off the electronic focus on the 85L (doing so helped me out). Not sure if the 5d2 has that option or not...

Do you turn it off in camera or are you referring to the AF/MF function on the lens?

In camera

I rarely use manual focus when shooting at 1.2. I feel that the 5diii phase detect autofocus is very precise and consistent in all light situations. With the other camera bodies earlier than the 5diii, yes it is more of a crap shoot. When I had the 5dii, I shoot 3 times so I can have a better chance one of them is in focus.

The best way to learn to shoot at f1.2 successfully is to make sure you have af micro adjusted your lens to perfection. Make sure it works for all shooting distances.
Secondly, start shooting with ai servo mode. Aim for the eyes but keep the camera perpendicular to the subject. This does implie shooting with an off center focus point. If the off center focus point is not consistent, then shoot at the pants area or somewhere that is in the same plane as the eye. Start with far away subjects like full body shots. Shoot a bunch in succession. One should come out fine.
When you get a good sense of what gets your subject in focus most often, then try single shot mode. The single shot mode make it more flexible to control focus and thus you will be better at shooting the eyes at a closer distance to the camera. When I had the 5dii, I did some slight focus and recompose and it worked out fine. I think I aimed at the cheek or nose and then recomposed. The attempt is to get the eyes the sharpest.

Whatever you do, be conscious that you are true and steady with the camera and press the shutter button down with one shift stroke. Never pause between when you af and click the shutter. Unless you are on ai-servo or focus / recomposing.

I think the difficulty of focusing the 85LII gets overstated sometimes - you need to start with a properly calibrated combo first. Once that's ben achieved, I get a 95% in focus rate with the 85 at f/1.2 (one shot) using centre point

smorter wrote in post #17101127
I think the difficulty of focusing the 85LII gets overstated sometimes - you need to start with a properly calibrated combo first. Once that's ben achieved, I get a 95% in focus rate with the 85 at f/1.2 (one shot) using centre point

Must shoot quite loose assuming no focus/recompose. On 5dmk3 I don't see any harm in using outer cross type AF points.

basselmudarris wrote in post #17093829
It really is incredibly difficult to nail focus with the 85L. I've found that installing an EG-S focusing screen has helped. You also have to make sure not to move at all once focus has been locked, because the depth of field is so thin that any movement at all will result in an OOF photo.

The 85L is the most difficult lens I've ever used, but when it nails focus, my oh my are the results spectacular.

you must have a bad copy or an issue between body/camera combo with the focus

Does your camera allow microadjusting?

smorter wrote in post #17101127
I think the difficulty of focusing the 85LII gets overstated sometimes - you need to start with a properly calibrated combo first. Once that's ben achieved, I get a 95% in focus rate with the 85 at f/1.2 (one shot) using centre point

I missed this before my post, 100% accurate. If you have an not calibrated combo shooting wide open is not going to work

smorter wrote in post #17101127
I think the difficulty of focusing the 85LII gets overstated sometimes - you need to start with a properly calibrated combo first. Once that's ben achieved, I get a 95% in focus rate with the 85 at f/1.2 (one shot) using centre point

Ditto

smorter wrote in post #17101127
I think the difficulty of focusing the 85LII gets overstated sometimes - .........

This. I shoot with a 5DII and my outer focus points work just fine with the 85LII and 50L. It's all about knowing how the focus points work, and making sure they have enough contrast, in the right orientation, to lock focus. Also, I've found that One Shot gives me the most accurate results with my camera. Of course, I also manually focus using a precision focusing screen too. Let's face it, more often than not the area you want in focus isn't going to fall right under a focus point (at least with the 5DII and 6D) so manually focusing becomes more accurate than focus recompose (and much quicker once you get used to it).