Recommend me an 85mm!

[Resolutionary]

Good evening PHers!

To get straight to it - I have decided I simply have to have an 85mm prime. Ideally a 1.4.

Trouble is there appear to be so many options its making my head hurt, so I'm looking for advice and / or first hand experience / suggestions.

My Canon bodies:
- 70D
- 6Dii
- 5Diii

I have a selection of primes already (50mm 1.8, 100 2.8, 24mm 2.8) but from review-binging and speaking to friends of mine it seems I'm missing a trick here.

Leaning towards Sigma as I like their newer stuff.

Thoughts, opinions, alternatives?

Thanks!

[Simpo Two]

You'll find f1.4 interesting after f2.8. Basically 'which molecule do you want in focus?'

[Tony1963]

Simpo Two said:

You'll find f1.4 interesting after f2.8. Basically 'which molecule do you want in focus?'

Why would that be?

[C n C]

Simpo Two said:

You'll find f1.4 interesting after f2.8. Basically 'which molecule do you want in focus?'

Nope - for that you need the 85mm f1.2L

[Tony1963]

C n C said:

Nope - for that you need the 85mm f1.2L

If you can get it to focus in time.

[toohuge]

On canon, I think the 85 1.8 is a super, super performer. It’s miles more affordable than many others and apart from the ca wide open, used between f2 onwards it’s really, really good.

Other than that for canon - not what you’re looking for exactly but the 135 f2 is sublime, massively under rated but gives a wonderful image - a real treat.

In your situation - the 135 for a portrait prime would be my choice. Especially as you have the 100 2.8 which is fairly close in focal length so vanishing dof differences aside the 135 would bring a different perspective

[RDMcG]

I have a Canon 85 f1.2. Superb but the thing weighs a ton so I don't use it that much.

[8bit]

I have the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 (not the Art version) and I love it. DoF can be wafer thin if you're shooting fairly close, I mostly shoot cars and with fairly typical composition for me (car occupying about 1/3 of the frame) I have to stop it down a bit to get more than half the car in focus. Focus fall-off is lovely and smooth, OoF areas render beautifully and it's very sharp on the in-focus areas. Almost no distortion, light fall-off at the corners is pretty pronounced but very natural at wide apertures but easily corrected in post. Probably my favourite lens.

DSC_3110-Edit by Niall Porter Photography, on Flickr

DSC_9683-Edit-Edit by Niall Porter Photography, on Flickr

DSC_8229 by Niall Porter Photography, on Flickr

[anonymous-user]

Simpo Two said:

You'll find f1.4 interesting after f2.8. Basically 'which molecule do you want in focus?'

I haven't found that to be the case.

Until I sold all my gear a few weeks ago, I had a Sony 85mm 1.4 G Master lens and I absolutely loved it. It was by far my favourite lens out of anything I have ever used. Ever.

Even at 1.4 it was extremely sharp right across the frame.

I shot with it wide open at 1.4 the vast majority of the time, and rarely had an issue with depth of field or focus. I shot mostly cars, people, groups of people, countryside scenes, documentary stuff etc.

If I was only allowed two lenses, they would be a 35mm 1.4 and a 85mm 1.4. I could shoot for the rest of my life with just those two. Such a great combination.

[Simpo Two]

Lord Marylebone said:

Simpo Two said:

You'll find f1.4 interesting after f2.8. Basically 'which molecule do you want in focus?'

I haven't found that to be the case.

Until I sold all my gear a few weeks ago, I had a Sony 85mm 1.4 G Master lens and I absolutely loved it. It was by far my favourite lens out of anything I have ever used. Ever.

Even at 1.4 it was extremely sharp right across the frame.

I shot with it wide open at 1.4 the vast majority of the time, and rarely had an issue with depth of field or focus. I shot mostly cars, people, groups of people, countryside scenes, documentary stuff etc.

If I was only allowed two lenses, they would be a 35mm 1.4 and a 85mm 1.4. I could shoot for the rest of my life with just those two. Such a great combination.

Well this a good case of 'YMMV'. I tried a 50mm f1.4 for low light - eg church weddings when I couldn't use flash. But if your subject - in my case people - happen to be side on, you can have the left eye sharp, or the right eye, but not both. In practice I never used it wider than f2.0 because I needed a little DOF to get a usable photo. That was of course before the days of bonkers high-ISO capability which changed the game somewhat.

There's also the fact that certain f1.4 lenses may have fabulous glass, even if you never use it at f1.4, so you buy it for its other qualities.

[Turn7]

8bit said:

I have the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 (not the Art version) and I love it. DoF can be wafer thin if you're shooting fairly close, I mostly shoot cars and with fairly typical composition for me (car occupying about 1/3 of the frame) I have to stop it down a bit to get more than half the car in focus. Focus fall-off is lovely and smooth, OoF areas render beautifully and it's very sharp on the in-focus areas. Almost no distortion, light fall-off at the corners is pretty pronounced but very natural at wide apertures but easily corrected in post. Probably my favourite lens.

DSC_3110-Edit by Niall Porter Photography, on Flickr

Thats astonishing DOF for F2....Cars not too shabby either !

[tog]

I've had the Canon 85 1.8 for years and have always rated it - small and light, and reasonably priced, although I got mine as a second hand bargain at Focus at the NEC about 20 years ago.

However I got the new 85 1.4 a couple of years ago and I'm very happy - much faster focussing, sharper and although it is of course bigger and heavier than the 1.8, it is not excessively so like the Sigma Art lens. I also have the 135 f2 which is a cracking lens. It's a real unsung bargain of the Canon range, though is probably a bit long for portraits on a crop-frame body.

[DailyHack]

Canon 85mm is a fantastic prime lens, always my go to lens usually, even as a walkabout, perfect on a full frame, but quite awkward on a crop sensor, used in my case predominantly on a 5dmk2 and 5dmk4

I have the f/1.8 which is a good compromise for price and quality. Nice solid feel.

I have a 50mm 1.2L (for my bokeh/dreamy kicks) which is stupidly soft wide open, you have to nail the focus, even on the 5dmk4 on auto it hunts more than I like, which can be frustrating on shoots, but if your happy manual focussing you can over come this somewhat.

...Either way the 85mm 1.8 is a classic, and won't even be without mine.

Or...if you like a little more reach the Sigma 105mm EX/HSM is also a peach, and a lens I quite like using also, especially for macro work, but a good portrait lens also.

[Resolutionary]

8bit said:

I have the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 (not the Art version) and I love it. DoF can be wafer thin if you're shooting fairly close, I mostly shoot cars and with fairly typical composition for me (car occupying about 1/3 of the frame) I have to stop it down a bit to get more than half the car in focus. Focus fall-off is lovely and smooth, OoF areas render beautifully and it's very sharp on the in-focus areas. Almost no distortion, light fall-off at the corners is pretty pronounced but very natural at wide apertures but easily corrected in post. Probably my favourite lens.

DSC_3110-Edit by Niall Porter Photography, on Flickr

DSC_9683-Edit-Edit by Niall Porter Photography, on Flickr

DSC_8229 by Niall Porter Photography, on Flickr

Those shots are exactly why I think the Sigma stuff is mega - at least in terms of bang for buck. Thanks for sharing and insight!

toohuge said:

On canon, I think the 85 1.8 is a super, super performer. It’s miles more affordable than many others and apart from the ca wide open, used between f2 onwards it’s really, really good.

Other than that for canon - not what you’re looking for exactly but the 135 f2 is sublime, massively under rated but gives a wonderful image - a real treat.

In your situation - the 135 for a portrait prime would be my choice. Especially as you have the 100 2.8 which is fairly close in focal length so vanishing dof differences aside the 135 would bring a different perspective

Actually a 135 is on my to-do list, but not immediately necessary, given I have some glass which comes close in terms of focal length - and it may not benefit my work all that much in the short term.

Lord Marylebone said:

I haven't found that to be the case.

Until I sold all my gear a few weeks ago, I had a Sony 85mm 1.4 G Master lens and I absolutely loved it. It was by far my favourite lens out of anything I have ever used. Ever.

Even at 1.4 it was extremely sharp right across the frame.

I shot with it wide open at 1.4 the vast majority of the time, and rarely had an issue with depth of field or focus. I shot mostly cars, people, groups of people, countryside scenes, documentary stuff etc.

If I was only allowed two lenses, they would be a 35mm 1.4 and a 85mm 1.4. I could shoot for the rest of my life with just those two. Such a great combination.

See, this is what I've heard - pretty much universal praise for a fast 85, and although I've not used one in practice I am intrigued and in love with the results I see from others.

I must admit, after research, although the Sigma lens is my preferred option - I am quite intrigued by the Samyang 1.4 - here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samyang-8009-Autofocus-Ca...

Reviews seem very positive on the whole, and it weighs less than half that of the Sigma! Gotta love third party competitors pushing boundaries.

Don't suppose anyone has anything to say of Samyang gear? Couple of used examples of the 1.4 floating for £300.. tell me not to.

[Simpo Two]

Just searched Amazon for 'Samyang lens Nikon'. Had no idea there was such a range, including TS, and hopefully the low prices don't mean low quality.

[8bit]

Resolutionary said:

Those shots are exactly why I think the Sigma stuff is mega - at least in terms of bang for buck. Thanks for sharing and insight!

No problem, I love all my Sigma glass, they definitely have their own "look" IMHO. I have a Sigma 105mm f/2.8 macro lens that I use as a long-ish prime most of the time rather than keeping it just for macro. It's *incredibly* sharp, even wide open, and the OoF rendering is stunning.

Resolutionary said:

Don't suppose anyone has anything to say of Samyang gear? Couple of used examples of the 1.4 floating for £300.. tell me not to.

I could be wrong but most (if not all) Samyang lenses are manual-focus only? Not an issue for some but my eyesight is nowhere near good enough to be able to manual focus, certainly not through a viewfinder anyway.

[C n C]

8bit said:

Resolutionary said:

Don't suppose anyone has anything to say of Samyang gear? Couple of used examples of the 1.4 floating for £300.. tell me not to.

I could be wrong but most (if not all) Samyang lenses are manual-focus only? Not an issue for some but my eyesight is nowhere near good enough to be able to manual focus, certainly not through a viewfinder anyway.

Whist historically Samyang have been manual focus (I have a manual focus 14mm f2.8 for Canon full frame), it appears that they have started doing AF lenses. Currently available for Canon DSLRs is a 14mm f2.8 and an 85mm f1.4

They also have some available for Canon mirrorless, and a wider range for Sony mirrorless.

[Simpo Two]

8bit said:

I could be wrong but most (if not all) Samyang lenses are manual-focus only?

Add 'AF' to my search terms, you'll see some including the 85mm f1.4.

[rene7]

I'd get the bog standard canon usm 1.8 85mm - super fast focus for £300 or so - a real bargain IMO
I'd have that over any Sigma or Tamron or other third party lens any day