My first look at Canon's new 85 mm

Talley wrote in post #18475022
best case scenario is a 85 1.2 III where it's CA free and added sharpness. That would be a good replacement and ensure the 1.2 in it's lineup.

Hmmm! My copy is already sharp wide open, I'd rather have 1.2 with IS.
Yes, of course edge sharpness is not its forte' but who's interested in that for portraiture.
The 1.2 is much maligned for vignette (amongst other things) but I kind of like that and never correct it.

I take photos of high school wrestling of my son and his teammates. I need fast shutter speed in poorly lit gyms. I use 70-200 2.8 and the 85 1.8 when I can't keep ISO below 6400 with the 70-200 but I take a sharpness hit moving to the 85. An 85 1.4 with good autofocus sharp wide open would be great for me. I'd get sharp images 2 stops better. In dark gyms that's ISO 1600 instead of 6400 or 3200 instead of 12800. With my 5div I can work with that.

It's all gone very quiet!

Any more news?

Anyone pre-ordered?

DPReview released a gallery of their images with the lens. I never find any of their sample images to be that great though.

I seen on another forum someone has the lens already, they haven't posted much impressions yet though.

Dlee13 wrote in post #18487103
DPReview released a gallery of their images with the lens. I never find any of their sample images to be that great though.

I seen on another forum someone has the lens already, they haven't posted much impressions yet though.

DPR really should look to find a proper photographer to shoot their sample images.

It's not just the mundanity of the subjects they choose that disappoints (dressed up dogs, anyone?), it's that they simply don't select any shots that really test the potential of the lens in the kind of situation where it would most likely be used.

I looked at the sample images on DPR and wasn't impressed at all. I own the 1.2 II and my copy is very sharp. I would get the 1.4 IS if it was a spectacular lens like the 35 II. Slow focus and CA are not aggrevations given what I shoot with the 85 1.2 II. Might be too soon to make a decision but, without reviews and owner evaluations, I haven't been tempted.

notastockpikr wrote in post #18487559
I looked at the sample images on DPR and wasn't impressed at all. I own the 1.2 II and my copy is very sharp. I would get the 1.4 IS if it was a spectacular lens like the 35 II. Slow focus and CA are not aggrevations given what I shoot with the 85 1.2 II. Might be too soon to make a decision but, without reviews and owner evaluations, I haven't been tempted.

I have the same conclusion. Nothing special. If they told me it's a third party manufacture 85, I would believe it. It's going to have to do alot of convincing for people who owned both Sigma 85 & 135 Art like me.

DaviSto wrote in post #18487112
DPR really should look to find a proper photographer to shoot their sample images.

It's not just the mundanity of the subjects they choose that disappoints (dressed up dogs, anyone?), it's that they simply don't select any shots that really test the potential of the lens in the kind of situation where it would most likely be used.

Those samples are pretty bad and do not do that lens justice, i was looking out for things like flare resistance, AF accuracy/consistency, wide open background blur transition, CA/PF, and most importantly if the 1.4 could recreate the same magic as the 1.2 II, so far I haven't seen any samples to convince me to potentially unload my 1.2 II for the new 1.4.

ben805 wrote in post #18487689
Those samples are pretty bad and do not do that lens justice, i was looking out for things like flare resistance, AF accuracy/consistency, wide open background blur transition, CA/PF, and most importantly if the 1.4 could recreate the same magic as the 1.2 II, so far I haven't seen any samples to convince me to potentially unload my 1.2 II for the new 1.4.

accuracy and consistency.... dont think there's any reason to think it's out of norm. More a function of the body.

@ 1.4, the new lens looks a whole lot sharper

Generally, the samples from DPreview make little sense, too many stopped down.

I have yet to see any images from this lens that I like. IMO, 85L is the best portrait lens and second only to 200L which is much less practical. Looking through flickr and 500px, images with 85L are outstanding which mimics my own experience with this lens. At f1.2 one can count eyelashes as shot with 5div. The only reason to stop down is for DoF and/or CA. Yes, the AF may be too slow for action but it results in some very cinematic looking follow focus using DPAF on 5div, very gradual focus transitions. IMO, the IS is only needed for video at this focal lenth. I don’t dare to shoot portaits at less than 1/125s. My gut feeling tells me that there is a reason why Canon said that 85IS is not a replacement of 85L. Perharps they can’t match the magical rendering and microcontrast.

seems like the double gauss design of the 85mm f/1,2 cannot be replaced by the retrofocus design of the 85mm f/1,4....

Just received my copy today.
Here are a couple of quick shots I took as soon as I got home from work.
Thankfully I had some compliant subjects.

Some more

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