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85mm lens for 5DII & 1Dseries - which one?
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PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2011 8:41 am    Post subject: 85mm lens for 5DII & 1Dseries - which one? Reply with quote

Okay you guys know an awful lot and have already been there.

Next on my (shhh, she may be looking!) acquisition list is an 85mm prime lens to use on either of my Canon EOS DSLRs.

I'm starting from base and need to work out whether I go for a Canon EF model with AF (but I'm not in the market for the f/1.2 version at over £1000 Crying or Very sad ), an earlier FL/FD mount version, something in M42 mount or even a new Samyang f/1.4 model.

All suggestions received and considered seriously.


PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2011 9:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Samyang is an excellent lens, but it's not as good as the CZ Planar 85/1.4 in my opinion. The contrast and subsequent pop is incredible.


PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2011 9:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Canon 5D2 is a fantastic camera virtually you can get superb result with any 85mm lens , no matter who made it and how much do you paid for.

My list is without ranking order.

Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 75 1.5, Carl Zeiss Jena Pancolar 80mm f1.8, Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm f1.4, Carl Zeiss Sonnar 85mm f2.8, Nikon 85mm f1.8 pre-ai, Samyang 85mm f1.4, Olympus OM 85mm f2.0, Jupiter-9 85mm f2
Helios-40 85mm f1.5, Pentax SMC 85mm f1.8, SMC Takumar 85mm f1.8 etc, etc.

My personal favourites are Carl Zeiss , Carl Zeiss Jena lenses and Jupiter-9.


PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2011 9:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you can live with slower aperture, then Sonnar CZ 2.8/85 and Leica Elamarit-R 2.8/90 are fantastic lenses. Their are probably sharper at f2.8 than other suggested lenses stopped down.
Elmarit has wonderful skin tones rendering. Summicron 2/90 is great lens too, but at f2 and f2.8 is slightly behind Elmarit in terms of sharpness.


PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2011 11:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

All great lens has been mentioned by Attila above. Plus Minolta Rokkor 85, but it might have problems with 5DI/II mirror.

By the way, I just got the Samyang! Smile

I've done some small test with my other dozen portrait lens few days ago (I hope I have time to share the result) and it is proven that this lens is one of the sharpest MF portrait lens at f/1.4, and the bokeh is the smoothest-creamiest-softest of them all; only my Canon 85II L can defeat it in very small margin Smile
But I feel the color is rather brownish and the dynamic range & microcontrast can not match even Biometar, both set at f/2.8.
But for a quite cheap lens (compare to the other old 'legend') its more than great lens. I use it if I need super soft bokeh.
Currently I like Helios, Zeiss & Leica bokeh more than other lenses' bokeh.

I also just got the Jupiter-9 85/2 silver & MC. The cheapest among my portrait lens. Surprisingly the older silver one is very very great and I like it a lot. Its sharper, has more contrast and creamier bokeh than the MC.

My favorit portrait lens is Contax Zeiss 85/1.4. I got it cheaper than market price from local seller. I like every aspect of this lens. Well, except its CA at wide open. But so far its not a problem for me.

My second favorit lens is Leica-R 90/2 & Helios 40-2 85/1.5.
Leica is quite expensive, about $800 but I like the rendering, sharpness, bokeh and its "pop-out" look on some condition.

The Helios is ... well, I bought it in February at $400, but I now the price is going up madly at $600 ... in just 3 months!!
But I like the rendering a lot.

The Biotar 75 is sharper but very expensive. It could be a good investment though. The Helios 40-2 seems to have better coating. I like Helios better than Biotar but its a lot heavier so that I use Biotar more often.


The Leica 80/1.4... well, the price is unreachable. But if you are lucky you could find one with the price less than cheap old Leica 90/2.
And that luckiest guy is ... me! Smile
I'll share the story on another topic.


PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2011 2:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you all for the replies thus far.

What think you of the Canon FD 85mm F1.8 SSC?


PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2011 2:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

tikkathree wrote:
Thank you all for the replies thus far.

What think you of the Canon FD 85mm F1.8 SSC?


Inexpensive and good one for sure, require to convert it's mount. With conversion fee + lens price better idea to take a Samyang.


PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2011 5:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jupiter-9. A good copy, of course.

It's my dream lens. I sold two of them. Bad, Rino!!!

Rino.


PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2011 7:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Omar wrote:
Agree with Attila. The FDn 85 1.2 is amazing if you can find a nice one and have it converted.

So is the FD 85/1.2 aspherical, which is as good if not a little bit better.

Personally I would pick the Contax 85/1.4.


PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2011 11:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

estudleon wrote:
Jupiter-9. A good copy, of course.

It's my dream lens. I sold two of them. Bad, Rino!!!

Rino.


I have fall in love with J-9 twice!! Smile
First with the black non-MC. It's the first MF lens that spark my interest in MF lens world. Love at first sight Smile. The rendering is so unique compared to my AF lens. though it cannot stand the bright light.
Recently I got the old silver one, and wow, its much more better than the black, even the MC.




PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2011 12:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My favorite J-9 is silver too, first RF and after SLR version.


PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2011 6:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, I've now got one of these winging its way to me:
FD 85mm F1.8 SSC.

I should say that in almost the same focal length I have a Roeshlein Kreuznach Telenar 90mm f/3.8. It's a pretty little thing but it isn't razor sharp and being a slow lens doesn't offer much bokeh.







PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2011 6:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

tikkathree wrote:
Well, I've now got one of these winging its way to me:
FD 85mm F1.8 SSC...


So are you going to convert this to EF, seems pointless IMHO considering the time/effort/cost, or are you just going to use it with an FD>EF converter (and loose ∞ focus)?

JJ


PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2011 8:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

jjphoto wrote:

So are you going to convert this to EF, seems pointless IMHO considering the time/effort/cost, or are you just going to use it with an FD>EF converter (and loose ∞ focus)?

JJ


Well, I'll start by seeing how decent a copy it is and if it's okay I'll then think about getting it converted.
Whether it's worth the cost is rather down to me isn't it?
With MF lenses I'm not obsessive about infinity focus, they're a bit of fun, a challenge away from the relative simplicity AF enabled lenses. If I wanted perfect sharpness every time I'd grab an L lens.
So, we'll start with an FD-EF converter. I shan't bother with a glazed version as I've yet to get a result I'm happy with using one.


PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2011 9:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jupiter 9, Tamron 90/2.5, Trioplan 100/2.8 and of course Canon EF 85/2 are my favourites. All for different reasons.

I also have a Vivitar (Komine) 90/2.8 and a Schneider 90 (enlarger lens) which are good.

Asking which lens will always bring many different answers, but I lose interest when they start to cost as much as modern AF lenses that don't have fungus, stick apertures or other faults.


PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2011 11:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

tikkathree wrote:
Well, I've now got one of these winging its way to me:
FD 85mm F1.8 SSC.


you'll be happy with this lens Wink

tf


PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2011 1:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

trifox wrote:
tikkathree wrote:
Well, I've now got one of these winging its way to me:
FD 85mm F1.8 SSC.


you'll be happy with this lens Wink

tf


S'funny, I was expecting that you'd say that Stan Laughing


PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2011 1:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

martinsmith99 wrote:
I lose interest when they start to cost as much as modern AF lenses that don't have fungus, stick apertures or other faults.


Yup. me too. If I need a sharp screwdriver, I'll grab a new one but an old thing on its fourth handle and second blade. If I need to shoot targets at 600 yards I'll grab an accurate rifle and not some old boomerang. Same goes for MF lenses. Maybe I'm a mean tightwad.


PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2011 10:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have the 5D MkII and it's a great camera.

I would say : go for the EF 85 f1.8 which is a very good canon AF lens and it's not too expensive (under 400€).

Then if you want special rendering, you can go for the Helios-40 1.5/85, or the Samyang 1.4/85, or the Jupiter-9.

I chipped the Samyang and it works fine.
The Helios-40... well, I felt in love with it.
The J-9, I don't use it often because I pick first the Helios or the Samyang.


PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2011 11:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ii have the Canon FD 85/1.2L (modified without infinity but normal 5D mirror at the moment), Zeiss 85/1.4 (C/Y AE) and Jupiter 9 85/2.0.

The Zeiss was my first 85mm lens - bougth it years agor for my Contax/Yashica cameras, I loved it sometimes, made some good images. But some images are destroyed because of the Ninja stars, and some because of the lack of IQ when I use it with extension tubes. Nearly all my lenses have to work good with the extension rings to become a favorite Smile

Bought and converted the FD 85. Big lens with great IQ, even for close up wide open good enough for me. No Ninja stars Smile
I think because this lens (and some further Exakta mount lenses) I will grind my EOS 5D mirror!

The Jupiter I have found in one of my bags, have not much experience with it.

But I think that FD 85/1.8 is a good lens too - with good price/quality ratio! And not that much weight to carry..


PostPosted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 1:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

If still interested, I maintain a list of short reviews for a huge bunch of portait lenses from 75 to 105mm. It's here: http://www.prime35.com/85mm-portrait-lenses-compared/

My personal favorites on 5DmkII are:

- Olympus Zuiko 85/2 for its beautiful rendering, colors and sharpness wide-open;
- Zeiss Sonnar 85/2.8 for its insane micro-contrast and 3D;
- Nikkor 85/1.4 for... pretty much everything you can wish for in a portrait lens;
- Zeiss Planar 85/1.4 for sharpness, contrast and 3D;
- Nikkor 'K' 85/1.8 for its vintage rendering (it reminds me of Helios-40 with less swirling but very similar in-focus to OOF transition);
- All versions of Nikkor 105/2.5 for their beautiful rendering and overall quality.

I am not very fond of Korean Samyang 85/1.4 (renders too smooth, contrast rather low), Chinese Mitakon 85/2 (not enough quality in all respects), Russian Jupiter-9 (I have a good copy, but its contrast is still way low for day-to-day shooting; nice as a special effect lens) and Helios-40 (same thing - it's a special effect lens, one quickly gets tired with its characteristic behavior). Yet, those lenses have their use - just not my choice for a day's shooting.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 1:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ZoneV wrote:
The Zeiss was my first 85mm lens - bougth it years agor for my Contax/Yashica cameras, I loved it sometimes, made some good images. But some images are destroyed because of the Ninja stars, and some because of the lack of IQ when I use it with extension tubes.

Notably, only AE versions of CZ Planar 85/1.4 exhibit those "ninja stars". In MM versions, the aperture has been changed to produce regular octagons when stopped down. I used both lenses; optically, this seems to be the only difference.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 2:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

aoleg wrote:
If still interested, I maintain a list of short reviews for a huge bunch of portait lenses from 75 to 105mm. It's here: http://www.prime35.com/85mm-portrait-lenses-compared/

My personal favorites on 5DmkII are:

- Olympus Zuiko 85/2 for its beautiful rendering, colors and sharpness wide-open;
- Zeiss Sonnar 85/2.8 for its insane micro-contrast and 3D;
- Nikkor 85/1.4 for... pretty much everything you can wish for in a portrait lens;
- Zeiss Planar 85/1.4 for sharpness, contrast and 3D;
- Nikkor 'K' 85/1.8 for its vintage rendering (it reminds me of Helios-40 with less swirling but very similar in-focus to OOF transition);
- All versions of Nikkor 105/2.5 for their beautiful rendering and overall quality.

I am not very fond of Korean Samyang 85/1.4 (renders too smooth, contrast rather low), Chinese Mitakon 85/2 (not enough quality in all respects), Russian Jupiter-9 (I have a good copy, but its contrast is still way low for day-to-day shooting; nice as a special effect lens) and Helios-40 (same thing - it's a special effect lens, one quickly gets tired with its characteristic behavior). Yet, those lenses have their use - just not my choice for a day's shooting.


Ahaa.. I finally found the owner of that review page Smile It was one of my favorite portrait lenses review reference beside the one in this mflenses.com (old Attila's post). Nice to know you.

Previously I was interested in Olympus 85/2, but I read some reviews that its not very good. But you said otherwise. Could you tell it more?

Any significant character differences between Nikkor 85/1.4 Ais with the AF-D ?

About J-9, my black J-9 was very low contrast outdoor or when too many source light in the frame, but the older silver J-9 has very good contrast and sharper than the black one.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 3:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I did some contrast test for my three J-9 version, at sunny midday.
From top : the old silver, black, black MC

I dont know if the silver one is really better or I got the bad copy of the black MC.





PostPosted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 5:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

aoleg wrote:
If still interested, I maintain a list of short reviews for a huge bunch of portait lenses from 75 to 105mm. It's here: http://www.prime35.com/85mm-portrait-lenses-compared/



Yes, thank you, I'll have a good read tonight.