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Learning the 85F1.2.....

canon-5Dcanon-5D Registered Users Posts: 28 Big grins
edited August 26, 2005 in People
Greetings: I have had this awesome lens for about 3 weeks now and I must say that it is the most challenging optic I have used! When shooting in the wider apertures, the DoF is so narrow that the old 'focus & recompose' trick often results in shots where the smallest movement has moved the in-focus plane away from the eyes (where I always try to focus with portraits!). Here are a few shots of my daughter Julia......trying to relearn to use various focus points on my 1D!! For anyone considering this lens, if you truly want THE BEST portrait lens, this is the one!! The colours and contrast are unbelievable as well as the incredible thin DoF you can achieve at f1.2. Thanks for looking and comments are always welcome!!


85L-1D-JuliaN.jpg

Camera: Canon 1D
Shutter speed: 1/8000 sec
Aperture: 1.2
Exposure mode: Manual
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Evaluative
Drive mode: Single frame shooting
ISO: 200
Lens: 85.0 mm
Focal length: 85.0mm
AF mode: One-shot AF

85L-1D-JuliaJ.jpg

Camera: Canon 1D
Shutter speed: 1/3000 sec
Aperture: 1.8
Exposure mode: Manual
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Evaluative
Drive mode: Single frame shooting
ISO: 200
Lens: 85.0 mm
Focal length: 85.0mm
AF mode: One-shot AF

85L-1D-JuliaM.jpg

Camera: Canon 1D
Shutter speed: 1/6000 sec
Aperture: 2.0
Exposure mode: Manual
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Spot
Drive mode: Single frame shooting
ISO: 200
Lens: 85.0 mm
Focal length: 85.0mm
AF mode: One-shot AF

85L-1D-JuliaF.jpg

Camera: Canon 1D
Shutter speed: 1/6000 sec
Aperture: 1.4
Exposure mode: Manual
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Spot
Drive mode: Single frame shooting
ISO: 400
Lens: 85.0 mm
Focal length: 85.0mm
AF mode: One-shot AF

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    aurafloraauraflora Registered Users Posts: 471 Major grins
    edited August 26, 2005
    Hi there...


    Amazing color detail and clarity as well as compostion. I see that you have learned how to "handle" this challenging lens....I see quite an improvement from your first post of your loving subject. Even though your early most was great--these are wonderful.

    Michal
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    ashbyashby Registered Users Posts: 72 Big grins
    edited August 26, 2005
    I hate seeing those great pictures of your beautiful daughter. I just know that for the price of an 85L I could be that good, too. Very nice work!
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    wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited August 26, 2005
    Hey, those are wonderful! Gotta love that narrow depth of field. Nice job.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
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    BlurmoreBlurmore Registered Users Posts: 992 Major grins
    edited August 26, 2005
    Have you found it to be tonally neutral?
    Your shots are great. The owner of the studio I work for has this chunk of glass but rarely uses it for portraits. He uses the 28-70 f2.8 L mostly because of the versatility and speed of changing from 3/4 to full body. I have seen some commercial work he has done with the 1.2 lens and nothing compares to it. I use the 85 1.8 for my portrait work, and I have found it to be tonally cold. As with most lenses it really sharpens up 1/2 a stop from wide open. I am accustomed to shooting portraits with an 150mm f4 Hasselblad lens, and I wanted to try to achieve the seperation this lens gives at f8 with my 20D, I have found that f5.6 or so is needed on the 85 1.8 for equivalent seperation, and the bokeh is good but not suprisingly, as smooth as the Zeiss glass. 5.6 I have found can exceed the 1/250 sync speed, and stopping down gives the appearance that the subjects were chromakeyed on the background. I'm experimenting with ND filters to correct this. Here are some samples with the 85mm f1.8.

    21754284-M-1.jpg

    Date Taken:2005-05-07 11:47:01Date Modified:2005-05-16 16:31:12Make:CanonModel: Canon EOS 20D Size: 1940x2910 Bytes: 606775 Aperture: f/2.5 ISO: 100 Focal Length: 85mm Exposure Time: 0.02s (1/50)
    21338709-M.jpg

    Date Taken:2005-04-27 15:17:04Date Modified:2005-04-28 01:32:03Make:CanonModel: Canon EOS 20D Size: 3504x2336 Bytes: 1894237 Aperture: f/9.0 ISO: 100 Focal Length: 85mm Exposure Time: 0.004s (1/250)

    the chroma-key effect

    26784266-M.jpg
    Date Taken:2005-06-30 16:38:21Date Modified:2005-07-01 17:32:05Make:CanonModel: Canon EOS 20D Size: 1780x2670 Bytes: 623648 Aperture: f/2.8 ISO: 400 Focal Length: 85mm Exposure Time: 0.004s (1/250)Flash:Flash fired, compulsory flash modeExposure Program:Aperture priorityExposure Bias:-0.33ColorSpace:sRGB


    crushing the backgroundpretty well at f2.8

    Maybe some day I will be able to afford the 85L, but untill then I love my 1.8
    http://blog.jasonknauer.com
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    gluwatergluwater Registered Users Posts: 3,599 Major grins
    edited August 26, 2005
    ashby wrote:
    I hate seeing those great pictures of your beautiful daughter. I just know that for the price of an 85L I could be that good, too. Very nice work!
    It's not just the lens that makes the picture.

    I don't think you could ask for a much more adorable model than Julia. I love the bright vibrant colors in the first shot and the mischievous pose in the third. You really know how to use that lens to it's potential.

    Nick
    Nick
    SmugMug Technical Account Manager
    Travel = good. Woo, shooting!
    nickwphoto
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    canon-5Dcanon-5D Registered Users Posts: 28 Big grins
    edited August 26, 2005
    auraflora wrote:
    Hi there...


    Amazing color detail and clarity as well as compostion. I see that you have learned how to "handle" this challenging lens....I see quite an improvement from your first post of your loving subject. Even though your early most was great--these are wonderful.

    Michal
    Thanks a lot Michal! Still learning......these are the 'few' shots from many that turned out well! It is an interesting lens as far as learning the FoV and the DoF that you can achieve, but it is a lot of fun to use!!
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    canon-5Dcanon-5D Registered Users Posts: 28 Big grins
    edited August 26, 2005
    gluwater wrote:
    It's not just the lens that makes the picture.

    I don't think you could ask for a much more adorable model than Julia. I love the bright vibrant colors in the first shot and the mischievous pose in the third. You really know how to use that lens to it's potential.

    Nick
    Thanks!! This lens is typical of an L lens........superb colour and contrast!
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    canon-5Dcanon-5D Registered Users Posts: 28 Big grins
    edited August 26, 2005
    Blurmore wrote:
    Your shots are great. The owner of the studio I work for has this chunk of glass but rarely uses it for portraits. He uses the 28-70 f2.8 L mostly because of the versatility and speed of changing from 3/4 to full body. I have seen some commercial work he has done with the 1.2 lens and nothing compares to it. I use the 85 1.8 for my portrait work, and I have found it to be tonally cold. As with most lenses it really sharpens up 1/2 a stop from wide open. I am accustomed to shooting portraits with an 150mm f4 Hasselblad lens, and I wanted to try to achieve the seperation this lens gives at f8 with my 20D, I have found that f5.6 or so is needed on the 85 1.8 for equivalent seperation, and the bokeh is good but not suprisingly, as smooth as the Zeiss glass. 5.6 I have found can exceed the 1/250 sync speed, and stopping down gives the appearance that the subjects were chromakeyed on the background. I'm experimenting with ND filters to correct this. Here are some samples with the 85mm f1.8.



    crushing the backgroundpretty well at f2.8

    Maybe some day I will be able to afford the 85L, but untill then I love my 1.8
    Nice shots!! I too had the 85F1.8 and I agree that it is a great lens! Certainly focuses faster than the 85L. Where the 85L really shines is the colour and contrast, which are much better in my opinion. But yes, it is VERY expensive; Canon should make great glass like this a little more affordable.
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    canon-5Dcanon-5D Registered Users Posts: 28 Big grins
    edited August 26, 2005
    wxwax wrote:
    Hey, those are wonderful! Gotta love that narrow depth of field. Nice job.
    Yeah, if you want narrow DoF, just dial in f1.2 and you better not move a muscle as you take the shot!! :D
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