Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM Autofocus Lens

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM is an outstanding lens with one weakness - price. All right, so it's not really a weakness, but US$1,600 is too steep a price for casual and amateur photographers.

With this lens’s almost infinitely variable depth of field and its high image quality, along with an ability to suck in light from the dimmest of scenes, it has the capability of making friends fast and keeping them for a long time.

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  Excellent performance wide open and throughout the aperture range., Whisper quiet and fast AF performance, Huge light gathering ability

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  Hood (although not front element) rotates with MF ring, Price (Although worth it if you have a genuine use)

The Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM Lens is the widest aperture lens Canon currently makes (review update: the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens now shares this aperture) - allowing handholding and action stopping in the darkest conditions.

In keeping with Canon's Kyosei philosophy of living in harmony with the environment, the lens features only lead-free glass.

You should draw your own conclusions based on your photographic objectives and the need for light gathering capacity, background blur in out of focus areas (bokeh), and for autofocus speed as well as cost and weight considerations.

The 85mm focal length is particularly desirable in a prime lens because it's so versatile. It's great for portraiture because it provides a good working distance without introducing distortion.

Gary Wolstenholme reviews the new version of Canon's flagship medium telephoto lens, the EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM.

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  Outstanding sharpness in the centre of the frame, Beautiful out of focus blur, Very good build quality, Very low level of chromatic aberrations

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  Manual focus ring could be better damped, Autofocus is slow when compared to slower aperture lenses, Lens can be rotated in wrong direction on the lens mount when lens release button is pressed.

As you see from the fragment above, I discovered a bent for writing. As a pensioner, after testing all the lenses there are to be tested, I will be fully occupied anyway. Speaking seriously, the Canon EF 85 f/1.2L II USM lens really looks a bit as if optics specialists had much more to say than...

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  solid workmanship and a very robust barrel,, sensational frame centre image quality,, very good frame edge image quality on the APS-C sensor,, good frame edge image quality on stopping down to the range about f/2.8-4.0,, very good chromatic aberration correction,, low distortion,, low astigmatism,,...

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  high price,, the manual focus ring works too loosely,, too limited accessory kit,, significant vignetting on full frame near the maximum aperture,, too high coma level.

The Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 USM L II is THE portrait lens in the Canon lens lineup and within this scope it offers excellent if not outstanding field capabilities. It has an extremely sharp center quality and a superb bokeh.

The new version of Canon's flagship medium telephoto lens costs around £1730 and sports a unique fast maximum aperture of f/1.2, fast, silent autofocus and is sealed against dust and moisture.

I shoot a lot of weddings and portraits and this lens is a game changer. I've been saving up to make the purchase and finally did! I have done a couple weddings and some portrait sessions with it and absolutely love everything about it. The focus is fast, and the quality is outstanding.

I read much about this lens on the internet and was impressed by the sharpness and the buttery soft bokeh it produced with its shallow depth of field. Decided to jump in and bought a used one when it came up. At first, when I put it on my 5D mk iii, I thought I bought a defective lens.

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  good portrait lens, good contrast, very sharp

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  heavy, expensive, slow AF, non-IS

I love this lens, the DOF is extremely low as one would expect. I can shoot in near total darkness as long as I have a light for focus assist. Ambient light looks true and beautiful!With that said however this lens is the worst of all I own for backlit subjects.

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  Superior build quality

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  Semi-sharp images, chromatic aberration

Camera-tech comes and goes, but photography is really just about light. That’s why you should buy the best lenses you can afford. They will probably last longer than you.

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  35f1.4L, 85f1.2L, 135F2L - these are the Trinity of Canon lenses. There is no better portrait lens made, period. Due to the depth of field, pairing it with a 5dmkii, 50d or 7d is HIGHLY recommended - micro focus adjustments will allow you to calibrate the optics to your camera body.

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  None

Use for portraits and weddings outstanding backgrounds be very careful attaching the lens because the goss on the rear is very close to the mounting ring Was this review helpful?

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  Nice Bokeh, Consistent Output, Durable, Rugged

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  Heavy

Get this lens after all of your essential lenses, this is a specialty lens that has its quirks.

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  f/1.2 is fantastic if you know how to use it. So much light and bokeh!

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  f/1.2 is horrible if you don't know how to use it. Heavy. Focus really difficult.

This has been on my wish list for portraiture since the original version was released. So when I had the chance to grab the MkII version at a bargain price I could not resist. It's the perfect focal length for a portrait with the perspective being very flattering to the subject and the working...

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  Amazing image quality, f/1.2 aperture., f/1.2 aperture. (I know I said already but it's so good I'm saying it twice!), Beautiful isolation of subject from background., Beautiful smooth unbeatable bokeh., Solid weather sealed build., Superb lens flare control especially for a lens of this aperture.

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  Slow focus compared to L lenses or 50mm f/1.4 & 85mm f/1.8., 72mm Filter not standard size for L lenses (Except 135 and 180 I suppose)., Cost is huge compared to 85mm f/1.8 which is a d*** fine lens also.

Excellent product!!!

This is the best lens I've ever owned, and I've had a lot of high end lenses. Yes the focus is slow, but it's not nearly as slow as some people make it out to be. I was able to track my running dogs no problem. You just have to plan ahead and prefocus to a spot if you'll need it to be fast.