Favourite Focal Length

canon400d

What is your favourite focal length. I was looking back at a lot of my images and I was quite amazed to find that the majority of the focal length was around 80 -85. In view of this I was considering a Canon 85mm F/1.2L but the price somewhat put me off. What are your views on this lens? Would it be worth my while to go for it? I have quite a lot of lenses and I just seem to be getting more and more.
Regards
Bob

divamum

canon400d wrote:

What is your favourite focal length. I was looking back at a lot of my images and I was quite amazed to find that the majority of the focal length was around 80 -85. In view of this I was considering a Canon 85mm F/1.2L but the price somewhat put me off. What are your views on this lens? Would it be worth my while to go for it? I have quite a lot of lenses and I just seem to be getting more and more.
Regards
Bob

Try the 85 1.8 if you want that focal length - sweet lens for the price, super lightweight and stopped down to f2.2+ VERY sharp. Great value for money, ditto its siblin the 100 f2 (which is sharp even wide open).

Ekaj

40mm on FF is my favorite.

canon400d

divamum wrote:

Try the 85 1.8 if you want that focal length - sweet lens for the price, super lightweight and stopped down to f2.2+ VERY sharp. Great value for money, ditto its siblin the 100 f2 (which is sharp even wide open).

Thanks Divamum I will certainly have a look. I know you are a Canon favourite like myself.
Regards
Bob

pathfinder

Bob, I'm with Madelaine.

The 85 f1.8 is a great lens. Small, fast, very sharp at f2.0 , quick to focus, inexpensive, light, does not call attention to itself.

I also do own an 85 f1.2 L - the older version. It is heavy, expensive, very large, stands out in a crowd ( and not in a good way ) - and only worth buying if you plan to shoot it at f1.2 or f1.4

I have a book by a wedding shooter who uses it as her main lens - and she shoots a lot at f 1.2 and she is good at it! But I'll bet she misses some shots ( that don't get published ) also.

If you plan on doing this, you'd better be very, very, very good at focus, as the depth of field will be measured in millimeters. I suggest also getting a 1DsMKIII to have the most capable AF system you can get for this lens.

I have an alternative.

For the price of the 85 f1.2 L, you can buy an 85 f1.8 and a 135 f2.0 L and still have money left over.

The 135 f2.0 L is one of the sharpest lenses Canon makes. Very nice piece of glass.

Cheers, Bob!:slurp

divamum

pathfinder wrote:

I have an alternative.

For the price of the 85 f1.2 L, you can buy an 85 f1.8 and a 135 f2.0 L and still have money left over.

The 135 f2.0 L is one of the sharpest lenses Canon makes. Very nice piece of glass.

Agreed, but the 135 is also currently on permanent backorder, and used copies have consequently gone up in price and are HARD to find!! (still sobbing that I wasn't able to buy one here in the fleamarket last month at a GREAT price.... but before my cashflow had eased enough to let me splurge. Sigh. I have a serious case of unfulfilled 135L lust. Then again, the 100f2 is smaller, lighter, less expensive and... already in my bag!!)

pathfinder

Madelaine,

When I just looked at B&H, they do list the American version of the EOS 135 f2.0 L as "in stock" ??

They do list the grey market version as back ordered. The grey market version IS cheaper by $20 - eg: 1049.95

The price has gone up since I bought mine a few years ago also.....

craig_d

I don't know that I have a single favorite focal length. I would hate to have to give any of them up. If I had to choose a single prime lens and only use that for the rest of my life, I suppose it would be 50mm. (It was good enough for Cartier-Bresson...)

divamum

pathfinder wrote:

Madelaine,

When I just looked at B&H, they do list the American version of the EOS 135 f2.0 L as "in stock" ??

They do list the grey market version as back ordered. The grey market version IS cheaper by $20 - eg: 1049.95

The price has gone up since I bought mine a few years ago also.....

Yup, you're right - it's suddenly back in stock everywhere again for the first time in 2 months or so according to what I've seen (and been reading elsewhere), hence all the "wtb" threads that have been around! Ah well - at some point I have to let go of my lens lust to save for a 7d, which probably should be the priority across the next few months, wonderful though the 135 is. I keep telling myself I'll stumble over a bargain 135 eventually (since I don't care if the finish is a bit rubbed as long as the optics inside are sound )

Bob, make sure you see the recent threads here and here for WHY we're going so gaga over the 135. It yields scary gorgeous results once you learn how to work with the shallow depth of field it offers.

rainbow

divamum wrote:

Yup, you're right - it's suddenly back in stock everywhere again for the first time in 2 months or so according to what I've seen (and been reading elsewhere), hence all the "wtb" threads that have been around! Ah well - at some point I have to let go of my lens lust to save for a 7d, which probably should be the priority across the next few months, wonderful though the 135 is. I keep telling myself I'll stumble over a bargain 135 eventually (since I don't care if the finish is a bit rubbed as long as the optics inside are sound )

Bob, make sure you see the recent threads here and here for WHY we're going so gaga over the 135. It yields scary gorgeous results once you learn how to work with the shallow depth of field it offers.

I will chime in here and say that there really is not a learning curve with the 135 L. Initially, the DOF is deep enough because you are actually farther from the subject than you are accustomed to with the crop camera. Yet you still get the creamy bokeh. And the focus seems spot on (I have not heard of bad copies of this lens).

I like this lens enough that I will always go with my 5D 135 combo instead of my 40D 85 f/1.8. I will go with my 40D 135 over the 85 as well and figure out a way to stand farther back, compose tighter, etc. (especially for indoor sports).

jrmyrnsm

I agree with what many have said in that the 85 1.8 on a crop body is an awesome setup. I got a 85 1.8 about 6 months ago and it is a go to lens for just about anything. Its super light, super sharp, no distortion, and it really makes your subjects jump out of the background especially at 2.2 or wider. If you can get far enough away from the subject the 85 (~135 ff equivalent) is an easy choice, however, if I'm a little more restricted by how far I can get from the subject my new 35 1.8 has become a new favorite as well, and paired with the 85 its an awesome travel or low light kit. If you find yourself shooting in the 80-85 range dont even think about it, just get that 85 1.8 and go shoot. Its a blast!

canon400d

rainbow wrote:

I will chime in here and say that there really is not a learning curve with the 135 L. Initially, the DOF is deep enough because you are actually farther from the subject than you are accustomed to with the crop camera. Yet you still get the creamy bokeh. And the focus seems spot on (I have not heard of bad copies of this lens).

I like this lens enough that I will always go with my 5D 135 combo instead of my 40D 85 f/1.8. I will go with my 40D 135 over the 85 as well and figure out a way to stand farther back, compose tighter, etc. (especially for indoor sports).

Well Pathfinder and Madelaine and everyone else. It just has to be the 85 1.8 or the 135L. Those photos are absolutely first class Madelaine. Thanks ever so much for your sound advice which I really do appreciate.
Regards
Bob