5DMII + 85 1.8 or 5DC + 85L?

alt4852 wrote in post #10822463
yes. i've used my 5Dc's for years without a problem. i can assure you that the 5D2's screen is not contrast calibrated, even after i've tweaked it significantly to try and resolve the inconsistency.

you're also right about not depending on the screen for much.. which i think actually argues favorably for the 5Dc as it is more than sufficient to do what needs to be done on the LCD.

Just because I don't rely on it, doesn't mean I don't think it is nice to have

MichaelBernard wrote in post #10822508
Just because I don't rely on it, doesn't mean I don't think it is nice to have

no doubt. i appreciate the higher resolution screen, but i personally found more value in the 85L than the perks that the 5D2 offered. if you have money for both, by all means get both, but if you're after amazing image quality with only enough budget for one, i'd opt for the 5Dc+85L in a heartbeat.

(i'm not trying to trash the 5D2, it's a great body and i like mine quite a bit. i just think that the benefits that it offers for portraiture are very limited against the 5Dc. that's all.)

Here's the thing. The 85L gives as much advantage over the 85 1.8 in terms of IQ as the 5d2 gives over the 5dc for portraiture. In other words...CORNFLAKES! It's all relative and there isn't much improvement from one to the other in a studio or portrait shoot setting.

Disclaimer: I don't own either version of the 5D or the 85.

Normally I say glass before body. But I am more adamant about that when it's just a matter of upgrading one or the other. For example if you currently had a 5Dc and 85 1.8, and were torn between upgrading to a 5D2 or buying an 85L, I'd say get the lens. But I would be hesitant to "downgrade" one part of my setup in order to fund another. I think I'd rather get what I can afford now and keep saving for a future upgrade.

MichaelBernard wrote in post #10822577
Here's the thing. The 85L gives as much advantage over the 85 1.8 in terms of IQ as the 5d2 gives over the 5dc for portraiture. In other words...CORNFLAKES! It's all relative and there isn't much improvement from one to the other in a studio or portrait shoot setting.

i think that's debatable. as ben mentioned earlier, one of the biggest problems both lenses have is their horribly prominent CA wide open. having used both lenses, i found the 85L stopped down to f/2 controlled abberations much more effectively than the 1.8 at similar apertures.

as you said, the lenses are very similar in terms of performance, but when you encounter situations where the 85L shows it's edge, it's very prominent.

Option 1 (or 3 ) for me.

I've had the 85LII and the 85 1.8 both at the same time. Sold the 85L.
The difference between the 2 is not huge (but the price is).

85L has f1.2, slightly better color/contrast and better bokeh.

The 1.8 is a LOT lighter, focusses a lot faster and also has great IQ. Really very similar when comparing it side to side to the 85L at the same f-stop.
Main difference regarding IQ for me is the transition from in-focus to out-of-focus parts. Smoother with the 85L.

I also have a 5DII and 5D. If you 're used to your 5DII the 5D will feel... old. Still a great camera with amazing IQ, but the feeling of it is different. I like the more responsive feel of the mark II and the extra bells & whistles like live view and a vastly better LCD screen.

I mostly used the 85L on the 5D. It performed better on my 5DII. Consistantly more keepers when using it on the 5DII.
More people noticed that when I told about it on this forum earlier.

Conclusion:

I would keep the 5DII and buy the 85mm 1.8.
Use it... see if you'll really like the focal length.

You can still upgrade to the 85L in the future... OR a 135L if you're not feeling that hooked on the 85mm focal length.
(IMO the 135L is a better lens than the 85L , if you like 135mm.)

Wait until 5D3 comes... I would go for 5D2 and 1.8 if that is fast enough for you.

i'm not a fan of downgrading. thus my vote.

alt4852 wrote in post #10823166
i think that's debatable. as ben mentioned earlier, one of the biggest problems both lenses have is their horribly prominent CA wide open. having used both lenses, i found the 85L stopped down to f/2 controlled abberations much more effectively than the 1.8 at similar apertures.

as you said, the lenses are very similar in terms of performance, but when you encounter situations where the 85L shows it's edge, it's very prominent.

Yea......but there is a reason everyone suggests the 85 1.8 over the L, even shooting wide open the CA isn't enough to warrant paying near 4 times the cost over the 1.8....it's just not a big enough difference for many shooters. If you can afford it? Sure why not.

MichaelBernard wrote in post #10823609
Yea......but there is a reason everyone suggests the 85 1.8 over the L, even shooting wide open the CA isn't enough to warrant paying near 4 times the cost over the 1.8....it's just not a big enough difference for many shooters. If you can afford it? Sure why not.

i suppose so. i think i was just really happy with my 5Dc+85L when i had it at the time, and didn't really see the perks of the 5D2 for portrait work. so personally (certainly not pertaining to everyone, or a majority for that matter), i've always considered the 85L a much more worthwhile investment than the 5D2. i've only been leaning towards the newer bodies recently because i've been freeing up some more money.

i guess what i'm trying to say is the exact opposite of what you're saying: the 5D2 isn't enough to warrant paying over twice the cost over the 5Dc.. it's just not a big enough difference for many shooters. if you can afford it? sure, why not.

alt4852 wrote in post #10823676
i suppose so. i think i was just really happy with my 5Dc+85L when i had it at the time, and didn't really see the perks of the 5D2 for portrait work. so personally (certainly not pertaining to everyone, or a majority for that matter), i've always considered the 85L a much more worthwhile investment than the 5D2. i've only been leaning towards the newer bodies recently because i've been freeing up some more money.

i guess what i'm trying to say is the exact opposite of what you're saying: the 5D2 isn't enough to warrant paying over twice the cost over the 5Dc.. it's just not a big enough difference for many shooters. if you can afford it? sure, why not.

Oh no I said that too... Like I said brother..Cornflakes. -shrug- I prefer the 5d2 just because I like cropping and faster shutter speeds via compensating with higher and cleaner ISO. If the 5dc were as good at high ISO I'd have kept mine.

MichaelBernard wrote in post #10823718
Oh no I said that too... Like I said brother..Cornflakes. -shrug- I prefer the 5d2 just because I like cropping and faster shutter speeds via compensating with higher and cleaner ISO. If the 5dc were as good at high ISO I'd have kept mine.

oops, didn't see that post of yours. yea, i think that pretty much sums it up.

i think i'm going to have breakfast cereal for dinner tonight..

I'm waiting for someone to show me the difference in pics!! So who has both the 5dc and 5d II along with both the 85L and 85 1.8?? Someone must have them somewhere...

eg6turbo wrote in post #10831228
I'm waiting for someone to show me the difference in pics!! So who has both the 5dc and 5d II along with both the 85L and 85 1.8?? Someone must have them somewhere...

if someone is willing to mail me their 85 1.8, i can do a quick test for you.

gsspirit wrote in post #10821574
I don't think it makes sense to sell gear that you like and loose money in the process. I would wait and get what I wanted and if you need an 85 now you could buy a used 85 1.8 and sell it when you have the coin for the 85L with minimal loss if any.

This ^^^