Call me crazy but I have just bought this lens a week ago without having a camera. I am desperately waiting for my R5 to arrive. Until then I use it as a dumbbell for my biceps curls.
@@Jeppelelle Yeah, I remember seeing the price for the 800mm and thinking that it is not as shockingly bad as the EF with the same focal length. However, as we see with this video Canon does not place the FR lenses closer to the affordable part of the consumer market.
Hope to see your review on the RF 85mm f2 IS STM once it's available to the market. Really loved your review and have been a long subscriber since 2016, it just keeps getting better and better seeing how your review have improved so much over the years!
That's the sharpest lens I've ever came across. The optics look absolutely brilliant. Although you expect it to be such for the price. Definitely a beast for high resolution photography work. It's a very niche specific lens tbh. Well worthy if one is actually into it. Hats off to Canon for blowing the whole industry by a storm lately.
Christopher, please READ THIS COMMENT: you MUST put your "Silent LV Shutter" from Mode 1 to "Disabled" in the settings!!! In bright sunlight, Mode 1 and Mode 2 are not giving optimal bokeh, actually in harsh sun you get the same bokeh as on a 85 2.8 lens. I can see this bokeh fuzzyness which is caused by this wrongly setup shutter all the time. The lens can be WAY smoother on many many of the sample images. Please change that settings, you can thank me later. (it's night and day difference when you shoot 1/4000 or 1/8000)
4 года назад
It's sad to see a $2500 bokeh monster killed by just a simple menu setting. :(
There should be WAY more video about this shutter setting, because it applies to all MILC cameras.... You are buying a 1.2 lens for the 1.2 look, and not for a 2.8 bokeh.
@@EDCGadgets You can see another review at opticallimits.com the bokeh is still a little nervous sometimes, which is not uncommon for very well-corrected lenses. There is a reason why there is also a DS version next to it.
This is the sharpest lens of its kind that I have ever used. And even at f/1.2, it nails the AF every single time... even with thousands of shots. I've never experienced this kind of reliability with the older EF 85mm f/1.2L II version of the same on any DSLR. With astrophotography, you can see just how well this lens shines - presumably due to the new lens design, Blue Spectrum Optics (BR) and Air Sphere plus Fluorine coatings. I found the optics produced aberration-free deep-space images rivaling professional telescopes (in optical quality, not zoom), even when fooling around at f/1.2 & f/1.4. Coupled with the EOS Ra (astrophotography model), it's an amazing package. But for terrestrial photography, portraits, products, landscapes and even street-photography, it's superb & reliable... but it's heavy. At 1.2kg this is a hefty lens to wield. I'm rarely impressed by new equipment or technology, but this is an extraordinary lens. It's definitely worth the premium price.
I just love your reviews ... straightforward and informative ! I don't need people sniffing the lens or talking rubbish, yours are just what is needed ... keep them coming :)
The RF is clearly sharper, has much faster autofocus and better corrected aberations. Its twice the price though, and the old EF version is still quite a lens.
Hi! I think your bokeh is broken sometimes (like at 6:05 and 6:15). It comes from the electronic shutter in mode 1 and 2. It happens if you go faster than 1/1600. Bokeh is like « half cut ». If you want your best bokeh back, just use the full electronic shutter, or the full mechanical shutter, but not the default mode :)
Christopher, please try to get your hands on the new 85mm 2.0 STM IS macro. I think it would be a perfect buy, but I want to know your opinion on it. Please and Thanks!
yes RF L primes & zooms are at the top of the heap ... it would be great if canon makes RF 14-28mm f/2 (rumours) to pair with RF 28-70mm f/2 ... I would get the R5 or R6 just for that lens ... otherwise 12-24mm f/2.8 GM + A7Siii
Hi. I’m your subscriber from South Korea. Several days ago, i was looking for macro lenses for shooting our merchandise. I’m not good at English but your video was very helpful to choose and easy to understand!!
Hey Chris, love your work! Would love if you could do a review of the Canon RF 85mm F2 once that comes out... definitely a lens I'm keeping an eye out on, as I am regularly frustrated at the minimum focusing distance from my EF 85mm F1.8...!
@@ayayoutuber The Rokinon is a great option. Used it for a few jobs and it's sharp even wide open. No it doesn't have IS but neither does the Canon 85mm 1.2.
Hi Chris, thanks for this in-depth review! I have the older EF version which is a big and heavy lens. I‘m quite happy with that, too. This lens is beyond reach for me as a hobby photographer. Best wishes, Ralf
For sure a superb lens. Interesting, the Nikon Z 50 1.2 S as well as the 1.8 S make absolutely no noise and the ⅓ less expensive Z 50 1.2 S does not know what focus breathing is, well there must be a reason why it is absurdly huge. I know, I can't compare 50 vs 85 mm and the Z 85 1.2 S is not out yet. What I mentioned above is not about focal length comparison, it's more about what can be expected when Nikon releases finally a Z 85 1.2 S. But come on, such a huge focus breathing and noise AF at that price point of the RF 85 1.2?
The autofocus full frame Canon 85mm and 50mm f/1.2 RF and EF mount lenses are not ridiculously expensive because nobody else for decades was able to produce a full frame autofocus lenses at such a wide aperture. Only Fujifilm has recently announced a 50mm autofocus lens at f/1.0 but this lens is an APS-C one. For those who really want autofocus and f/1.2 aperture this lens is very reasonably price and won't loose their value for decades. The truth is at f/8 a cheaper 85mm f/1.8 lens and a very expensive 85mm f/1.2 have nearly the same optical quality.
Hey Christopher. I like your videos since I'm not only using them to decide what lens I consider to buy (your reviews are very detailed and based on facts with example images), but also I'm learning something new about the lenses I already have. Something I would be really interested to see is how older EF, EF-S and EF-third party lenses perform on the Canon EOS R5 once you get your copy of it. Eg. RF 24-70 f/2.8 vs EF 24-70mm f/2.8 vs Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 or the EF-S 10-22mm, etc. Can you use your old lenses with your new camera or are you about to pay a premium price for some new glass for your camera.
Thanks for another excellent review, Christopher, although, I'm not sure why I watch evaluations of lenses in this price range. While I have no doubt that it is a lovely optic, I can't imagine ever justifying the price for whatever optical goodness it will offer as reward. All that said, I am looking forward to your thoughts on the EOS R5's performance. I own both Olympus and Canon systems. My Olympus system is built around the E-M1 Mk I, while my Canon system is built around the EOS R. I maintain two systems, mostly because I have at various times been concerned about Olympus future, a consideration that seems more relevant today than ever. I also, must confess to being pushed, a little at least, by all the marketing hype surrounding the full-frame form factor. A hype that not only extols the virtues of 35mm sensors, but also seems to especially target the supposed shortcomings of smaller sensors, taking particular aim at four-thirds/micro four-thirds designs, while seemingly ignoring the even smaller 1” form factor. As someone with the advantage of owning both full-frame and micro four-thirds systems, I must say that I find the comparison far from the simple one that so many big sensor boosters would like us to believe. Each camera has its strengths and weaknesses, and given the sort of shooting conditions one normally experiences (daytime), the so-called quality issue, is to my eyes, a none issue - I get superb results from both cameras, and other than some subtle character traits, I don’t see any one as being better than the other. What does surprise me a little is that the relatively old 16MP sensor in my E-M1 seems to offer about the same dynamic range as the much newer and much larger sensor in the EOR R. The only time I see any real advantage to the R, is when light levels are especially low, but then this should hardly be a surprise to anyone. Where these two systems really seem to diverge is in the areas of price, size and weight. I do like the EOS R. It’s a very nice unit, and with the RF24-105mm f4 L, it’s also a versatile combination that isn’t a terrible burden around one’s neck. Nevertheless, it has disadvantages. For example, when it’s the only lens one takes on a walk, trying to capture close-ups of butterflies, for example, which I would happily do with my Olympus 40-150mm, the results have always been disappointing. So, why would I do this? Because, as you noted with the 85mm, these full-frame RF lenses can be big, heavy and expensive. Carrying an EOS R and more than one lens is almost guaranteed to become heavy and bulky. I can still take my E-M1 with, say the 12-40 and 40-150 pro lenses, and feel balanced. I can even throw in a dedicated macro like my old four-thirds 35mm with the MMF-3 adapter, and I now have three exceptionally sharp lenses which do the job perfectly at their designed focal lengths/ranges, without undue strain on the body. I simply can’t do the same with the Canon system. Anyway, I would like to see your results from the EOS R5, because until there really is a compelling separation in image quality, I still find myself mostly picking up my battered and beaten E-M1 over my shiny EOS R, most of the time, and unless the quality to price, and quality to weight propositions improve for the Canons, I may throw caution to the wind, and buy another Olympus body, even with the current status of Olympus Imaging in transition to a new owner. That Canon RF 85mm lens you just reviewed, really does highlight the problem with 35mm (full-frame) sensors. In Canada it costs almost $3,500.00, which sounds, and feels, even worse than it does when the price is quoted in Pounds or US Dollars. I could pick up an Olympus M.Zuiko ED 45mm F1.2 Pro, an exceptionally sharp and capable lens, at half the price. If you find yourself in need of a new subject for review, I would encourage you to borrow and OM-D E-M1 Mk I, II, or III, along with some of their “Pro” glass and evaluate the system yourself. Take the 12-40 f/2.8, or 40-150 f/2.8, with a pro body out for a hike. I think you will see what I’ve been talking about. It seems to me that there is always a compromise one has to make with any photographic product. It’s just finding the right balance. Oh. And if you do shoot with an Oly body, know this, recovering highlights is the best option. Err to the right. Recovering shadows is trickier. That is the best lesson I learned when shooting Olympus cameras. I find Canon bodies are the reverse.
I just bought this lens a week ago. The Samyangs smaller footprint looked more appealing but I was unsure how it would flare when shooting backlight portraits. Was surprised in this review that they had a similar flare so thinking I should of got the Samyang. The canon 85 1.2 is heaps bigger than I expected from watching videos but performance is ridiculous.
I had 5D mark IV with 85mm f1.2. Then decided to switch to the Eos R and use Canon 100mm EF and other light weight Canon EF lenses. Trust me, the lighter your gear is, the more you’ll be able to shoot. I’m not a fan of heavy big cameras and lenses.
Thanks again for another lovely video! I had suggestion for your channel. Would it be possible to add playlists by mount as well? Many might not care about EF lens tests, but just RF, or see all the Sony, Tamron, Sigma, and co. FE lenses in one list. Thanks a lot for the consideration. :)
Great review... Don't really think this lens is worth the astronomical price. Same as many others, looking forward to your review of the RF 85mm f2 IS Macro STM
I don't get it ... F 1.2 and just OK Bokeh at 85mm wide open ? ... it's kind of disappointing really that there are 85 1.4 lenses out there that outperform this beast in the Bokeh category.
Maybe that's why they made the DS version? Personally I love my RF 85 1.2 and think the bokeh is totally fine... though I will admit I care much more about the rendering of the subject than I do about the background blur
@@DanielFazzari that is true of course, in the video the bokeh did not look so smooth to my eyes especially given the aperture of F1.2. but I read in a comment from this video that it's also a matter of changing a camera setting that affects Bokeh, so maybe it's that 🤷
Great review Chris and thank you for your unbiased opinions. I am considering this lens or the Samyang XP 85mm f1.2 lens that you praised long time ago. Manual Focus is not a issue for me and only interested in the image quality of both lenses. How does the samyang xp 85mm f1.2 compare to this canon rf 85mm f1.2 wide open in terms of rendering, bokeh, sharpness and microcontrast ?
I need this!!! I have a adapted 135 f2, Would you say this is a better performer? I'm trying to see if it's worth the cost of this lens to buy. I do alot of portrait type work.
Idk how i can replace my 70-200 iii with this one. I like taking backlit shots and 70-200 is so perfect for it… i don’t think this lens handles backlit well
@@christopherfrost sorry, I wasn’t specific enough. I meant to ask, at what focal length, *in general* do you get the least amount of distortion? Not limited to this lens. In your experience, since you’ve tested a wide range of lenses. Thanks!
Impresive piece of glass... leapfrogs the old 85mm 1.2 II for I can see... (i used to have that old 85mm 1.2 mark 2.. but change it to the 1.4 with IS for practicallity)
To be honest that is a really cheap lens if you compare it to any Leica, especially considering it's smashing them with optical performance. So yeah, it costs a lot but it has NO competition if you want the best.
@@ShawnLPorterPhotography So you're asking me if this Canon lens has focus breathing? Well, why not watch this very video, and find out? My point is that if you watch both videos, you can make the comparison yourself without any help. That's why my videos are standardised
Hello, is this lens compatible whit the Canon M50? I ask in the store and they say "Yes" but for that amount of money i think they say yes to everything i ask.. Thanks!
@@christopherfrost I figured it out :/ That's why I decided to ask you, I haven't found a site on RU-vid or on any website that says that it does work ... I think stores and manufacturers have a more difficult time tricking people, thanks to this type of platforms and people like you, thank you very much for taking a few minutes to answer me, I have saved a lot of money, I think I will go for the Sigma: 56 mm :D
