EF 85mm f1.2 MK2...worth it?

I'm trying hard to argue myself off the fence on this one, but the little guy on my shoulder (you know the guy with the red cape and horns) keeps pushing me to buy this lens.

Is it worth the $2,000.00?

if u really need/want the 1.2 " im not gonna go into the 1.8 vs 1.2 they are different and have noticible effects on the image" then it might be worth trying to get a cheaper mark I, I've noticed alot of users switching over to the MK 2 so savings could be made if its a 1.2 you want.
For me, i don't find the improvements worth the extra expenditure, im delighted with my MK 1 and presuming nothing bad happens to it
hope to continue to be thrilled with it.

baybud wrote in post #2103684
if u really need/want the 1.2 " im not gonna go into the 1.8 vs 1.2 they are different and have noticible effects on the image" then it might be worth trying to get a cheaper mark I, I've noticed alot of users switching over to the MK 2 so savings could be made if its a 1.2 you want.
For me, i don't find the improvements worth the extra expenditure, im delighted with my MK 1 and presuming nothing bad happens to it
hope to continue to be thrilled with it.

I think that is great advice. If you are into lowlight portrait shots that don’t require a lot of speed on AF…then go for the Mark I. If your target moves a bit more but still not at the indoor sport's speed go for the Mark II. Both of these lenses look fantastic on your camera.

If however, you want a great image and reasonable AF but don’t want to spend the extra $1200 to $1700 for the great looking lens. Get the f/1.8

I would say though the 1.2 (mark I or Mark II) looks awesome on your camera.

Hey for all you folks who bought the Mark II don't flame me....I wish I had your money. Love the look of the lens. cheers!

I think it is. Of all my lenses this is the last one I'd ever part with. But it's difficult to explain just why. It's quite a heavy "chunky" lens but balances well on the camera. The results are spectacular when you get it right though. It's certainly not cheap by any means, and difficult to justify on purely financial grounds particularly when comparing it to the 1.8. but apart from the initial slightly guilty feeling you get when you've bought a rather expensive piece of kit (you soon get over it) it's absolutely brilliant! There really is something special about it.

cheers
Bill

...worth it?

Let your own eyes be the judge. I bought the 85/1.8 from everyones' glowing recommendations and was quite happy with it until (the devil made me do it..) I bought the 85/1.2L II lens. Don't get me wrong, the 1.8 was very nice and sharp....but when you start seeing pictures from the 1.2, you realize that there is more to a technically great photograph than sharpness. They get an insane amount of money for their "L" lenses for a reason. The color and the contrast go way beyond what the 1.8 was capable of. My 1.8 makes a pretty nice looking paperweight now

jgo wrote in post #2104137
Let your own eyes be the judge. I bought the 85/1.8 from everyones' glowing recommendations and was quite happy with it until (the devil made me do it..) I bought the 85/1.2L II lens. Don't get me wrong, the 1.8 was very nice and sharp....but when you start seeing pictures from the 1.2, you realize that there is more to a technically great photograph than sharpness. They get an insane amount of money for their "L" lenses for a reason. The color and the contrast go way beyond what the 1.8 was capable of. My 1.8 makes a pretty nice looking paperweight now

aww bless, you need to get your old 1.8 a job, rather than have him toiling his life away

ahh...i hate these comparison threads cause i never know which one to get...im in this crazy debate whether to purchase the 1.8 or 1.2...i really want that color contrast and bokeh of the 1.2....but the 1.8 is sooo much cheaper

Will it help you take a more interesting picture ... no! Will you get a better technical picture ... yes, probably! Is it worth the money ... subjective. Would I buy it ... not unless I knew I would more than make back the purchase price over the 1.8!

If you're not a professional, I would get the 85 f/1.8. It's a great lens in it's own right and much easier to use (lighter, faster AF, more DOF) than the f/1.2. If you're not satisfied with it's performance then you can get most of you're money back and pony up for the f/1.2.

the fact is that the 1.2 is not the 1.8! Is it vastly superior in the qualities that can be measured against the 1.8? I would say not, if if they are then those qualities are not in themselves enough to justify the cost.

However the build quality is L, and its 1.2 in the end of the day only YOU will know if the bokeh of the 1.2 is worth the extra money over the 1.8.
And the build quality is something you are willing to pay for.

If both of these questions result in a yes! Yes! Yes! then you have your answer.

I truly love mine - I find that I'm picking it up more and more, even when other lenses might be a better overall chose. Whether it's worth the $2k is debatable, but I'm glad I bought mine.

Mark

whats the difference between the mk I and mk II?

and i assume these in AF terms are still slower than the 1.8? thats all i wanna know, thanks

One alternative is both the 85 1.8 and 135L... Far more versatility, less money, and you will get the extra "magic" that the 85L gives (bokeh, etc.) from the 135L.

When building my kit, I picked the 50 1.4, 80 1.8 and 135L for the price of the 85L. I am happy with my choice as I favour versatility over having one very specialised lens. Others of course will disagree.

amarasme- I am about to get a 5D and because of the double rebate program I think I'll get the 135L with it. How is that combo. I think it will be a killer!

Stan

amarasme wrote in post #2106611
One alternative is both the 85 1.8 and 135L... Far more versatility, less money, and you will get the extra "magic" that the 85L gives (bokeh, etc.) from the 135L.

When building my kit, I picked the 50 1.4, 80 1.8 and 135L for the price of the 85L. I am happy with my choice as I favour versatility over having one very specialised lens. Others of course will disagree.

this is what i end up doing...i plan to pick up an 851.8 first...then ill see if i need the 135L. how often do u use your 135L since u have the 70-200?