Is it worth it?

Ok so i'm finally thinking of taking the plunge and getting an 85L. My question is if it's considerably better than the 50L as the price dictates? I can buy the 50 outright but to get the difference for the 85 I will have to sell my 70-200 f4. I am going to use it for portraits of course and I want to get into shooting kids & babies as I have several clients lined up. Would the faster focusing of the 50 serve me better? I really dont think the extra focal distance is that much of a factor but I cant get over the stunning quality of the 85L.

Someone who has or has had both of these please let me know if its worth the extra expense.

Thanks

GrendelZ wrote in post #5403925
Ok so i'm finally thinking of taking the plunge and getting an 85L. My question is if it's considerably better than the 50L as the price dictates?

I don't have either, but only you can answer this question. There is no significant IQ variance between these two lenses. It's a matter of whether you want a 50mm or 85mm lens, and a lot of that has to do with your preference of FOV and working distance from your subject.

GrendelZ wrote in post #5403925
...but I cant get over the stunning quality of the 85L.

...the 50L is no slouch from samples I have seen. Go check out the 50L sample archive if you get a chance.

I have owned the 85mm f/1.8 and own the L now. I will never ever sell it. It makes portraits just so damn magical. For everything else, the f/1.8 is good enough.

It is an excellent lens - one thing you need to make sure works for you though is the minimum focal distance, which is pretty long. I couldn't stand the focus shift of the 50 and sold it immediately - love the 85 though.

I've got both of these and I'm sure you'd be happy with either (providing the 50's focus shift problem doesn't get in the way of your shooting style)

I see the 50L as a very good fast lens but the 85L is just stunning, certainly the best piece of glass in my bag. Neither is quick of the blocks in the focus department but that's not a big issue for composed shots.

I think it really comes down to the length you need....the 85L is the better lens (IMO) but that becomes academic if it's too long for your needs.

Bob

how bout considering the 135L?

Both the 50L and 85L are top notch lenses, and about equally stunning.

For portraits on the 1D3 I would choose the 85L first, however. I think the 50 is a little short for portraiture on a 1D3, unless you want to do full length portraits.

BTW, have you considered shooting the 70-200 F/4L at F/4, and save a little longer?

Kind regards, Wim

Well I have been shooting with the 70-200 but f4 just doesn't give the kind of oof background I want. The primes just give a buttery smooth look that you cant get at F4. I have a 50 1.8 and it does a good job but not like the L's and I would like to have full time manual focus override.

Mainly I am asking if the 85 justifies the $600 premium it commands over the 50. I have considered the 135 too but it seems to be a little long. I set my 70-200 to 135 and did a little shooting and it seemed to be long for most instances.

BTW WIMG, your gear is worth more than my car

GrendelZ wrote in post #5407481
Well I have been shooting with the 70-200 but f4 just doesn't give the kind of oof background I want. The primes just give a buttery smooth look that you cant get at F4.

Well, you can, but you have to choose yoru background a bit more carefully. The advantage of the 24, 35, 50, 85 and 135 Ls is that they are especially corrected for good bokeh, which makes it a lot easier, as do the large maximum apertures they have. Of course, the advantage of having good bokeh does seem to come with some logitudinal chromatic aberrations at large openings at strong contrast edges.

Well, I think that is relative. The 85L is still the bokeh king, but not necessarily appropriate for all subjects, distances or situations. When you need the 85L it is worth it, and so is the 50L.

It often is a little long, but while I waited for the 50L to be sorted out, I got a 50 F/1.8 Mk I, and I had the 85 F/1.8 and 28 F/1.8, and I found I tried to use the 85L all the time, it is that good. The 50L is about as good, but the bokeh and feel is different, essentially because of the larger FoV it gives you, with the different depth/DoF representation that goes with it.
I do find that lately I almost exclusively use the 24L, 50L and 85L, with a little bit of 10-22, and 10-17 fisheye, and occasionally the 70-200. All this generally for indoor without flash shots, although I went out yesterday to do some landscape work with the set.

BTW WIMG, your gear is worth more than my car

Yes, tell me about it , same here . I was lucky to sell my analog equipment about 7 years ago, when it was still worth something (had 4 - Pentax - bodies and 13 lenses at the time), continued saving until I got my first digital P&S (G5) about 2 1/2 years ago, and a 350D half a year later. I had started reading POTN already by that time . I got a little windfall last year as well, and despite that I am utterly broke now , but very happy with my equipment, I can assure you ...

Kind regards, Wim

Thanks for all your input. I think i'm going to do whatever it takes to get the 85L. I will limit myself for the time being but I will knock out one of the crown jewels of the collection. I have a feeling I will get many years of great shot from this lens.

Hey Ron,

Instead of selling the zoom save a little longer and get the 85L and keep both. The more tools you have available the better off you are. The 85 will work great when you can get close to your subject to fill the frame like you want. But having the 100-200 for more reach or seperation from your subject has it's value too. I am thinking of nervous kids and some older folks who might not respond to you near their airspace. I use the 70-200 2.8 for that reason. I would love to own the 85 but it does not fit into my must have workflow right now.

Either way, have fun.

Well I really dont want lose my 70-200 but I think I can get more accomplished with the 85. I also plan to upgrade to the 2.8 version of the 70-200 so I plan on selling it eventually. I also thought about getting a 24-70, another one I love and have shot with but I like the primes better.

Get the 85 1.2 you won't regret it...