My Verdict on Canon's 85 1.8

Right, now two majorly recommended primes have always either been the 50mm or 85mm (24's and 35's come in close too) and I have said to myself, primes are just not creative enough or flexible enough to be of any use. Boy was I wrong.

Now I did own a 85mm 1.8 prior to this and never gave it a chance. I like my zooms due to the versatile nature but one thing is, its never going to be as fast as a prime.

So after buying my second, I have come to realise how magic primes are. They just force you to take a step back, give you so much more play with DOF and just make you think harder about composition every time.

So how did it handle? Well, virtually every situation, stunning. Sure its not L series glass but maybe these photos can speak for themselves. I have tried to keep the PP simple and no sharpening has been done here.

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welcome to the club! tho, I've went the reverse a bit for events... I'm too worried about not being able to get the shot, hah. I'll buy back my 85/1.8. For now, I have my 30/1.4 and 50/1.8.

Nail on the head, Primes actually make you MORE creative because you must do a lot more thinking before clicking away, zooms make you lazy...just ask me

I'm buying an 85 1.8 in a couple of weeks. I am NEVER selling my zooms.

I can think of many shooting situations where I don't have the luxury of foot zooming. Actually for most of the stuff I like to shoot a prime just wouldn't give me the results I want.

The 85 is going to be for controlled portrait stuff, for the most part.

Primes don't make you anything, imo. If you have no talent or imagination, you have no talent or imagination. They just limit your shooting opportunities forcing you to invent and shoot subjects you would, otherwise, have no interest in. If something good comes out out of it, great. What next... lenses that only focus to 5 feet ?

you describe what i went through ha =]
now i have a wideangle zoom,'ok' superzoom, and all primes

bohdank wrote in post #6695647
I'm buying an 85 1.8 in a couple of weeks. I am NEVER selling my zooms.

I can think of many shooting situations where I don't have the luxury of foot zooming. Actually for most of the stuff I like to shoot a prime just wouldn't give me the results I want.

The 85 is going to be for controlled portrait stuff, for the most part.

Primes don't make you anything, imo. If you have no talent or imagination, you have no talent or imagination. They just limit your shooting opportunities forcing you to invent and shoot subjects you would, otherwise, have no interest in. If something good comes out out of it, great. What next... lenses that only focus to 5 feet ?

Saying that, I was in exactly the same boat. II will keep one zoom if I can but more towards WA.

I really beg to differ about its creativity, because you are limited with a focallength, it pushes you to frame differently, its hard to explain what a prime does to you when shooting with only that but I mean, if its convinced someone to sell an L for all primes, £something must have swayed me.

Plus im s sucker for shallow DOF and creamy bokeh. If you can find me a Canon lens that can do the same and is fast enough, Ill keep my zooms.

The 85 1.8 is one hell of a lens. In fact, lots of the non-L primes are awesome. Cheap, fast, and IQ up there with the L zooms. I rocked the 28 1.8, 50 1.4, and 85 1.8 and was very happy with that setup. I only recently sold them all and bought the 85L.

Fast primes are addicting, and the really make zooms feel limiting and overpriced.

perryge wrote in post #6696480
The 85 1.8 is one hell of a lens. In fact, lots of the non-L primes are awesome. Cheap, fast, and IQ up there with the L zooms. I rocked the 28 1.8, 50 1.4, and 85 1.8 and was very happy with that setup. I only recently sold them all and bought the 85L.

Fast primes are addicting, and the really make zooms feel limiting and overpriced.

Funny sayign that, just saw your sig and went straight to the 200 2.8L which im looking at also. *jelous*

elysium wrote in post #6696487
Funny sayign that, just saw your sig and went straight to the 200 2.8L which im looking at also. *jelous*

Oh yeah, that's one hell of a lens , and REALLY well priced too. I'm saving up for a 35L now . The only zoom I have (and will keep) is the 17-40L, which is a special purpose landscape lens for use with GND filters.

Think about it, for the price of a 24-105 IS L, you could get a 28 1.8, 50 1.4, and 85 1.8! Each of those lenses is more than 2 stops faster, and will smoke the L at f/4.

Great little lens... I like mine a stack better than I ever did my 50mm 1.4. I'll agree that it makes you want the L but for the price it's not lacking!

Hmmmm, sounds dreamy. I was thinking about the same. Sell my 24-70L, then grab the 24 2.8, 35 2.0, 501.4. Then save for the 200 2.8 and then the 135L

I'm tight with cash and have bought a number of old primes in mainly M42 mount. The old Zeiss & Takumar lenses would keep up with the Canon primes at a fraction of the cost. Of course there's no AF and they only work in M or Av modes.

Without a doubt the sharpest lens I own.

elysium wrote in post #6694487
I have said to myself, primes are just not creative enough or flexible enough to be of any use. Boy was I wrong.

The exact words I spoke. I really enjoy the zooms I have and they cover all the range I need, but (for now) all the lenses I look at are primes. When I'm stuck with a particular range to work with, I find primes far more creative. I look for shots I'd probably never take with a zoom. The added speed and DOF it creates are fun to play with.

Have fun and start saving.

perryge wrote in post #6696480
The 85 1.8 is one hell of a lens. In fact, lots of the non-L primes are awesome. Cheap, fast, and IQ up there with the L zooms. I rocked the 28 1.8, 50 1.4, and 85 1.8 and was very happy with that setup. I only recently sold them all and bought the 85L.

Fast primes are addicting, and the really make zooms feel limiting and overpriced.

Limiting... again I don't understand. Is it the larger DOF. I'll use the same argument that is being used to support the advantages of primes.... Get more distance between you and the subject if you want DOF. Use your feet, change your angles, get creative.

I know what the response will be.."but sometimes you can't". Well get creative (I am not directing this at anyone in particular). Both zooms and primes require imagination to get an interesting or "the" shot.

Bottom line... use the tool that is best for the job. If minimum DOF is mandatory to "make" the shot, use a fast prime wide open and don't anybody move. If it's framing, get a zoom. If it's fast street action, leave the MF lenses at home. If you can't get to the subject close enough or far enough, get a zoom. If you don't have time to change lenses because you will miss the shot, get a zoom. If you think you are in a rut and you need to have one hand tied behind your back to kick you into being more "creative", get a prime. I have missed GREAT shots because I didn't have enough time to lift the camera to my eye, let alone focus.

What I am trying to say.... to purposely limit yourself to primes or just zooms makes no sense if the important thing is "results".