Why 85mm Is Misunderstood 

I took a trip to Ireland for work (hair stuff) and brought an 85 because I was going to be shooting hair models and wasn’t thinking of tourist stuff when I packed, but on that trip I recall shooting a castle with what I had on me and it changed everything. I was blown away by how massive the castle felt in the frame and I couldn’t believe how straight the lines were. It looked so regal and other worldly. So on my next trip (Iceland) I brought an 85 and a 135, and my friends thought I was crazy, I was doing it wrong, but to this day I see photos of wet people in the mist of a tiny and warped Skógafoss, surrounded by other tourists, while I was shooting my wife in the parking lot with a 135mm as the powerful waterfall engulfed the frame as though it were coming for us while little tourist ants speckled about the distant background to be easily removed later.

85 has to be one of my all time favourite FLs. It gives such a gorgeous look, even when NOT shot wide open. Even at f2.8 or so, it provides such a wonderful look! Clients LOVE that 85 look, from my experience. ❤❤

I never had 85 prime. But I used 50mm. 1.8 with crop camera for a long time. It was on my camera 95% of the time.

I never realized this point about the background for the 85mm. Very interesting! Definitely have to put mine back on the camera for a renewed perspective on it now, Thanks so much!

There's an urban landscape / architecture shooter I've seen about who almost exclusively uses an 85 (and it shows - the lens itself is very travel worn). It's quite amazing what he does with it.

Thank you, Martin. Some people have to be hit on the head before they get it - I am one of those folks. Your clear emphasis on the background helped me finally understand this lovely focal length/lens. I have a vintage Nikkor 85 1.8 on a D800 as my usual second body for prime/portrait, and the Z 180-600 on a Z9 for my equine sports (jumping) shots. They happen pretty fast once the horse leaves the ground to jump over the rail, and they are pretty far away, with the distance varying significantly from jump to jump (and with only seconds between them). But for the quiet moments, the wonderful quiet moments, I will be exploring a better understanding of the 85mm. All the best to you - I am truly grateful.

I absolutely love my 85 1.4 for street photography and portraiture. Its fantastic focal length forces you to think and work outside the box, adapt, and change how you shoot.

Good video! As all of your content. Because of you I just bought a Canon Eos 6d brandnew! Yes, no mistake - brandnew, no clicks. A guy planned 2014 to start Photobusiness, but quit before start. The camera stucked on the shelf, wrapped in foil in the box. I couldnt believe it, but took the risk. Now I hav a brandnew camera made a decade ago. And I am so fascinated about the images.

Those are excellent points about the background with the 85mm... Thanks.

I like the space it can give the subject(s) in the frame when shooting from further away. Particularly when it’s a couple, it's like you're not invading their intimacy or moment they are sharing, it gives a passer-by even voyeuristic/cinematic look. I don't have an 85 prime, I have a 55 and 105. but I probably use 85 on my zoom more than any other focal length.

This one of the best videos you made. I didn't see people on RU-vid paying attention on background when photographing with 85mm

I use the Canon RF 85 1.2 and have zero regrets. I love this lens regardless if i have it wide open or stopped down to around f8. Photographing cars at outdoor car shows gives me plenty of room to get the entire vehicle in frame while giving wonderful blurred images of the cars out of the DOF. I couldn’t be happier with my 85. Great video and thank you for the insight.

The timing of this coming across my feed is impeccable. I only recently started back on shooting with my 85mm because I really liked the F1.2 look and I didn’t want it sitting around. Being on the telephoto end, I’ve found it great for street and urban photography as I’m no longer up close with people but standing afar to get that look.

Great video, I love my 85mm 1.8 I use it quite a lot for my gig photography in smaller venues and paired with the 6D it's awesome.

Yes!! I just shot a wedding on Sunday and a significant number of shots were with 85mm F1.8 G. I just looked at my F stops…many at 2.8 or so…and just enough clarity of background elements (including people reacting) to make that lens a winner. I also agree: no need for F1.4 or 1.2 in most scenarios.

I used to love the 35mm with film. Recently I spent a few days shooting with just the 35 and 85mm primes. I found 90% of my shots were on the 85mm. For some reason I didn't find my old fave the 35mm cutting it now. Funny how tastes change with time.

I got a 50mm F/1.8 some months ago. Next up will be an 85mm F/1.8 for portraiture work and a 16mm for real estate contracts. 😊

I use my 85/1.2 (Nikon) for volume photography ( schools, sports teams, etc. ). Previously I used a 50/1.8. It's not a scientific study or anything, but I've been getting approximately 20% more $ orders using the 85/1.2 overall. For my sports portraits I often shoot outdoors, (baseball in particular) and I've seen almost 30% more $ orders over the 50mm. With that aside, I hadn't thought about the differences in composition as much since I have a pretty standard setup (in the shade, trees and grass in the background, using a 36" modifier and 200w flash). I've just started to set photo challenges (e.g., pick a prime and shoot for a weekend) for myself to motivate me to get out and shoot more for myself and be more creative, and this video has encouraged me to use the 85 first and see how things turn out. Thanks for the thoughtful video!

I agree, it's not all about blurring the background, it's about telling a story. Although a blurry background does make the subject appear in the center of attention, it does give a creative look, actually I think that shooting at narrower apertures requires more skills, it requires more attention to details. If you own a 85mm f1.8 lens (like I do), in most cases there no need to buy a f1.4 lens. I might buy a 85mm f1.4 if I would find a very good deal, otherwise 85mm f1.8 is good enough for me.

When I was shooting for Penthouse® or Playboy® magazine I use a 85mm for most of my small camera (35mm) images it will give you a great looking image with good prospective!

85mm is probably my fav focal length, partially because I started with a 50mm on an aps-c body, great video!

The few times I've used my 85mm F2, the subjects were happy because they looked nice in the photos. I was not happy with it because I knew something was missing and I didn't know what it was, hence I go back to my 35 and 50mm all the time. When I see this video in the recommendations, I know this is the video I need to watch. Thank you for the advice and I can't wait until the coming weekend.

Great timing for me, been thinking about what to do with the 85/1.8 on my shelf. Great video, punchy, gets straight to the point, loads of crunchy advice. Thank you.

Love the 85mm; just cut back on its use as I noticed all my shots were looking like 85mm shots (imagine that); same compression, similar framing. All I need to do is step back into 35mm framing, close down another stop or two, and 85mm will probably feel fresh again.

Thanks mate! a very insightful take on 85mm! actually made me consider getting one! And the shots throughout the video are absolutely stunning!

I've had the 85mm F1.8 for years and are ashamed to say that I have used it very little and curse myself for not doing so because it always gives superb results.

Thanks for making this video. TWO BIG things I learned today, from your video, are... ONE "I have to think more, about what things in the background / surroundings I want to include in the image". I must be more deliberate in both blocking and aperture setting. TWO I have been guilty, shooting wide open mindlessly. (Either I was trying to blur out everything other than the subject because I thought the surroundings were too ugly, or I did it simply because the lens (Vintage Canon FD85mmf1.2 -L) opens up to f1.2...pure laziness..) Well, I'm going to mount that 85mm now, and go out and shoot with these two things in mind! Thanks again.

You’re absolutely right, a f/1.8 is more than good enough….. however, the f/1.2 from Fuji (xf56mm v2) is an absolute beast - having that extra stop, especially in low-lit venues (churches or hotels etc) makes an enormous difference…. Also the edges are as sharp as a pin - I no, I no, we all probably crop our images in post a little… But if your budget allows, there is a significant difference between them. If in doubt, rent one first! C.

I forgot to add that back in my film days I had an array of prime lenses, since zooms weren’t very good back then, as well as large and expensive. I found that when I traveled, I’d take a 28mm, 85mm, and 200mm, and those covered everything I wanted to do. So my appreciation for 85mm lenses on 35mm cameras goes back about 50 years.

That is very nice advice! I used it many times in the same direction you did but now I feel encouraged to retake my lens and experiment with it. Thanks!

1.8 on an 85 is a great sweet spot for high impact and reliability. 1.2 can feel a bit too much, too "look what I can do." Having said that, all the fun is f2 and below!

One thing I learned early on, is that if you put the camera where the perspective does what you want, then, you only have to chose a lens that crops in to the desired framing. That's the simplest way I know how to put it. It solves 99% of lens choices (remaining one percent is when you can't get the needed aperture for some reason with the available lenses). No matter what lens length that ends up being. That's all there is to it. By manipulating perspective and crop, you can have a subject that seemingly literally kisses the moon or towers over cities. Dogmatic views that X lens is only for Y subjects is something I never understood. 85mm can work great on landscapes. On full sized portraits. On extreme closeups. Like any other lens. It just depends on what you want the perspective to do.

I'm primarily a studio portrait photographer and the 85mm is hands down my favorite lens to use

I cannot tell how many times I go back and look over a group of shots and the ones with the 85mm f/1.8 are the stand outs? But I had never realized that the ones where the background was included were the ones I preferred! Such a great lesson! Your photos are also quite lovely! New to the channel today.

85mm lenses are among my favorites. Olympus also has a great 75mm (150mm equivalent). I loved that lense too. Used it for a wide variety of subjects.

I use an 85mm f/1.8 lens on my APS-C camera for street photography for the compression. Of course, I need to step back farther from the scene, but I get very candid and intimate moments because no one sees the camera. I use it across a range of f-stops. Street photos at 1.8 really stand out.

Nice work! Very good points. What you are describing is exactly how I use my 135 f1.8 and even the 300 f2.8. I have been blowing the 85 backgrounds to smithereens though... I will consider this for 85 as well. Thanks.

a lot of times i throw my beat up vintage 55mm 1.9 on my a6000 when I want to go out with a compact setup, which comes out to about 85mm with crop factor. it's a lot more versatile than people give it credit for.

I have a Sigma 85 1.4 Art. Had a Tamron 85 1.8 before. Sold it to a friend. Lovely focal length. Especially for my township photography. Where the hills were super enlarged, especially at sunset. Sort of gave my images an African Ethereal feel. Haven't done much with the Sigma. Hope to do more as summer tends towards us.

I have an 85 1.8 which I have used for portraits and street work. I love it and consider it a primary lens, along with my 55 Zeiss and the 24-105 zoom. It's lighter and smaller than a 135 1.8, which is a tank, great lens, super fast, but just so heavy.

Love 85mm. Great advice. Thanks again

So with 85, if you stand back for example 30 feet so you can capture more of the scene, at f1.4, the depth of field is over 3 feet or 1 meter. That should be enough to keep a couple in focus.

I bought a manual 85mm from Samyang to shoot deep space objects. Other times I have used it I found it was really sharp. The depth of field seems paper thin. It definitely has a personality. Because it is very fast, I want to use it indoors, but it requires so much distance, it limits the application. I think the algorithm sent me this video because I saw a street photography video using the 85mm. I might try that.

Your photos are so stunning Martin. Thank you for your informative videos and efforts you put in.

Samyang XP 85mm f/1.2 here. No regrets, absolutely lovely rendering. Speedboosted it is ~97mm FOV. My favorite lens. Big, 86mm filter. Sunny days with ND and flash delivers the goods. Dreamy and creamy bokeh. Portraits work best f/2.8 to f/8, depending. Great for city streets at night. A true photon hoover. ❤

I use an 85mm Canon EF on my Nons 660 (Instax) indoors with a flash. The camera has no electronics, so I have no way to adjust the aperture. It stays 1.8 all the time on that camera. And because I stand further back, the low flash is further away, and the results are outstanding.

Love the view you're giving on the 85 in general! About the f-stop: when I'm looking at 85's, for me its nice to have 1.2 or 1.4, but I think the real strength of a 1.2 compared to a 1.8 is its sharpness at f2 !! Same goes for the 1.4. I love shooting wide open though and do it a lot. I own a 85mm f1.4 Sigma DG DN and I wonder quite often, if my choice was the "right" decision. At the time I got it, realistic options were the Sigma 1.4, the GM 1.4 and the G 1.8. I think each of these lenses have their strengths and weaknesses. For reference: I shoot mostly weddings with the 85. Imho the 1.8G would have been a great choice and might have saved me some money to sooner get a 24mm 1.4. The reasons why I chose the sigma over the other two: the GM was too expensive in comparison, but I rented it a few times and I do really love this lens. The Sigma was said to be sharper and faster than the 1.8G. Is it that much of a difference? Today, I don't think so, but I keep my sigma since it's a fantastic lens (though it has its downs, too). What would I get today? Well, if budget is not a question, definitely the Sony 85mm 1.4 GM II. But as money is a thing for me, I would get the Sony 1.8G and save me some money for other lenses (in my case the 24mm 1.4 GM) and still have an awesome lens.

I like how you channel starts rolling. Got myself a 85mm equivalent for the XT1 and noticed this right away. Background is key and you have to think even more out of the box. And you need space. The 35mm is much easier to handle. I played around with 35mm on the 5D and use the 56mm on the Fuji now trying to teach my eye and push my photography further.

For about 4 years I use a 85mm f1.4 lens (Sigma) on a Canon 6D II, and it gives beautiful images. I use it for portrait photography, like headshots.

So true, background. I use the 85 1.8 on my EOS 1 and the 5DC. On my F2, I use the 105 f2.5. I'm usually at f/2.2 and 2.8. For close up head shots, the original EF 100 f2.8 macro at F4 to f5.6. with the F2 head shots, 105 f2.8 macro.

My 85, 1.8 has been sitting idle. Thanks for this video, gonna take it out for a spin this weekend and the whole narrative on the background impact is spot on.

The 85mm was the second lens I purchased for my first 35mm SLR. The 35mm was my first. I used the 85 for reportage, photojournalism, documentary, head & shoulder portraits, and street photography.

Nothing is quite as nice as a fast 85 for controlling background. I'll take one over a 35 or a 135 all day. I don't often open it all the way up to 1.2, but it's nice to have it when I want it, despite the weight. I like your emphasis on background. Enjoyable analysis thank you.

Another exceptional Video here Martin! Wonderful images! 85 is quite a unique focal length, and one that many fail to exploit, not necessarily a fault of their own. Background can not be overstated enough, and I am glad You did. Anyone watching this take note of what Martin says, and be grateful for the ‘free’ sharing of his knowledge and experience! I’d give up a wisdom tooth or two to spend a day or so with Him myself! 😃 I had great luck with my AF-D 85mm f/1.8 back in the day, shooting weddings on film. I used it for group shots, with great results. Stay safe and Happy Shooting! Please support this Man by liking and sharing!

85 is one of my favorite focal lengths for portraits- both cropped in close and far away. It also gives a more relaxed and natural vibe, because of the way the lens compresses things and it makes it easier for you to give your subjects some space. Since you need to get kind of far away for an 85 to get the full scene, I like to use it when I’m photographing couples and I tell them I’m just testing the light and because I’m further away than I would be with a wider angle lens they sometimes forget I’m even there and I tell them to just talk and relax for a minute and I end up getting the most natural, relaxed, “real” shots. I recently switched from a full frame DSLR to a crop sensor mirror list camera but I still love the 85 mm focal length. Although I find myself using the 56mm a little more often now - but that’s basically equivalent to an 85 mm on my crop sensor.

I have a Canon 85mm 1.8 and Love it. This video inspired me yesterday, so this morning I took the 85mm out for a spin. Thanks to you I changed the way I compose for my prints. The out of focus background is going to be subject from now on. The sharp focus foreground object is only going to complement the blurry background. God Bless You, and thanks again for your contributions to the Art Community.

Wow man, this is a really cool video! I look at my 85mm lens differently now, thanks! I checked out your photos on Instagram and they are awesome!

The insights are much appreciated as I very recently got a 50mm lens and have not yet done anything with it. The thinking is helpful, however, as the lens is the Canon 50mm F/1.8 RF-mount which will be used with the Canon R7 which is an APS-C camera so it will be operating as an 80mm lens which is close to the 85mm you talk about. Mostly plan to use it for photographing my 2.5 y/o granddaughter and I think it will work well for that.

I use my Nikon 85mm f/1.2 S a lot for indoor concerts and events where the light-gathering ability makes a huge difference in enabling me to keep my shutter speed up enough to freeze motion (think indoor BMX, dance shows, concerts, etc). I absolutely love this lens!

I do use an 85mm, but not as much as I'd like. It's the Canon 1.2 and after hearing discussions like yours I do have a small amount of regret for not getting the 1.8, however, all the research I did proir to making the purchase showed it to be a much more superior piece of glass. When all is said and done, I am happy with it. For all of my short zooms as well as the 70-200, I opted for the 4.0 modles, just because for those, I could not see spending so much more for 1 f stop. Also, with the 70-200,,, the weight difference was a major factor as well.

I like your approach. Thank you for it. I use an 85mm Jupiter f2 lens. It’s so soft that it’s practically unusable, but once in a while it’s nice to give it a try. For example winter nights in the city look great with it.

Beautiful work! Thank you for sharing your expertise and artistic vision. The 85mm is going to be my next lens.

I’ve always used the 85 mm focal length over any other because as you said the compression brings the background elements closer . That being said I’ve owned the older Nikon 85 mm 1.8 D and then the Nikon Z 85 1.8. And now own the Z 85 1.2 and it’s not just about background blur , this 1.2 has such a beautiful micro contrast and Colours are just lovely , you can tell right away it has something special .

Despite having been taking photos for years this is one of the best education videos I have seen. Very insightful, with some inspirational photos too. Actually have an 85 Sigma 1.4 turning up for my A7rv tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing what I can do! Thanks for all the tips.

Great video, the 1.8 will do everything I need. I have no need for a faster lens.

This has really sparked my imagination! Thank you Martin. I will be using my 85 exclusively for a while...

What a great take on the 85, not a gear review. I shoot a lot of stage performances, one of my favorite lenses is the 135 however it doesn't allow me to get enough in the frame at times. Haven't bought an 85 yet and have been using a 90mm 2.8 macro instead but really would like something a bit faster. Now the background... wow, it's SO KEY to supporting a photo. I find myself moving my position around the stage to include elements, other performers, etc in addition to the subject. 85 is good for this and keeps it simple enough, 50 is often too wide and can look boring. Well done video, youtube needs more of this.

Thank you for this reminder. Using fixed focal length prime lenses makes the photographer more aware and intentional about the contents and composition. Limitation in a good way that dictates the photographer to move, plan and be creative. I have the Nikon Z 85 1.8, along with the 35 and both are excellent.

This is a very much needed video on the 85mm lens. I use the Nikkor 85mm 1.8 G lens on a Nikon D750 camera. It is excellent for taking pictures of the grandchildren in the backyard and in parks etc.....

This is one of the more informative videos I’ve seen on camera lenses. I think this hit it right on the head. Great job!

So I was a lucky one because 85mm 1.8 was my all-rounder for a long, long time. I really enjoy using prime lenses and 85mm is forcing me to move, to think, to actually compose and f/2.4 to 3.2 is a sweet spot. At least for me. Now I use 70-200 f/2.8 but this amazing lens has still special place in my ❤️

I have had a Canon 85/1.2 L Mk II for many years. It is a brilliant lens. I am "that guy" that loves the blown out backgrounds, but like you indicate in this video it can also allow for gorgeous environmental portraits at f/2 or f/2.8.

I remember the first time I put on my now old canon A1 a 85mm f1.8 ( if I remember well the aperture) and I said : woooaooo !. It was short , rather light and what it shows on the viewfinder was just amazing ! I already own a 28-85 zoom but it was probably f4 and there with the fast aperture the subject was absolutely isolated. I was under its charm and it never stops. I always prefer it vs the 105.

My 85 is one of my favorites for my landscapes. Definitely not the typical for landscape shots. But I love it . I use the canon EF 1.2

Thank you for this video! I got an 85 equivalent for my micro four thirds and sometimes I feel lost how to use it. This is really helpful and showing your examples!!!

Been shooting a long time on crop sensors and recently bought a FF Sony. Two days ago I brought my out 85f1.8 and man, that lens rocks. A usually don't shoot a the widest aperture even at 28, 35, 40 or 55mm and that made even more sense on the 85mm. Especially as how thin the plane of focus is on a FF. I took a lot of images of our greyhound mix and I had to stop down to at least 5.6 to get all of her face in focus. Even at full body distance. And as 85s usually renders lovely even stopped down it made I totally fell in love with that lens. I will try out even more and your advice makes a lot of sense to me. Thanks for the tip and make sure to use it wisely.

Wise words and great photography. I've just purchased an 85mm 1.8 g and I'm looking forward to shooting with it. I think 1.8 more than enough, unless you want a specific specialist look or shooting often in low light conditions. Also you can tweak the background a little in Photoshop to give that 1.2 look on those rare occasions that you need to and the 1.8 much lighter and less bulky with brilliant optics.

Great advice. I have the Canon 85mm f/1.8 and I admit that it's gathering dust. You've inspired me to dig it out and shoot with it. What's crazy is that I've often told people that "magic happens" when I use the 85 on my 6D. I should listen to myself more. Cheers Martin.

Good points. I actually started with a 1.8 and really liked the look. Then I started shooting more portrait shots so I grabbed a well-used EF 85mm f/1.2 which is my new favorite portrait lens. Fun fact is that the lens was designed specifically for the fashion shooting. Shooting wide open and fairly close - focus on nearest eye, I find that the blur starts just behind the subjects ears. I find that people love being photographed by this lens and they're not too sure why. I think it is as you said - the focal length is the most flattering and people are used to the wide non-flattering phone camera images. No regrets on buying this lens.

Great video. Always had a thing for the 85mm lens. I had an old tank quality screw drive 85 1.4 for my Nikon dslrs but sold it on account of bad fringing wide open. However, when it worked, I loved it. Did some street photography with it too. Now I got back into the 85mm 1.8 on my ZF. I generally love having some distance so it just shines IMO

Wonderful photos you show us here! I started with a 85mm 1.8. When that did not work I bought a used 85mm 1.4. Recently I bought a 85mm 1.2. I really like it, although 1.2 is not recommended in every situation.

I use mine for narrow landscapes as well as the people images. I bought a RF canon 85mm when I got my first mirrorless, but also grabbed a Samyang RF 85mm f1.4 fully manual to play with low light and shallow dof. I really like the Samyang for nearby landscapes focused with focus peaking, nice and sharp.

I use a Nikon z6ii & z85mm lens for nearly all my portrait shoots, I absolutely love the bokeh and the compression it gives.

I learned my lesson. There is such a thing of too much blur. I took some pictures in a beautiful pier in mexico. Looking back, you can’t tell where the picture was taken 😣

A few months ago, I upgraded my trusty old Nikon D5200 to a D850 and I needed to upgrade lenses as well. This summer I picked up a second hand Nikkor 50mm 1.4 G and a lovely Nikkor 85 1.8 G. I just leave the 85mm on the camera and use it for almost everything and have gotten some glorious close up shots of flowers with bumblebees on them. I used to carry around a 4x5 camera and am quite used to having to back up or move up to get a shot:) The lens cost me a whopping $275 US which is very affordable even for an amateur like me. BTW, your studio portraits are breathtakingly beautiful!!

I only had an 85mm 1.4, in fact it was my first lens. I have to admit, I love the photos I get from it regardless where I use it. It's so pleasing to my eyes.

3:32 super nice! Looks like a story inside a story with the background and the kids reading the book. Have my 56 1.4 on APS-C as my main lens, so basically running around with an 85er all the time. Thanks for the advice to pay more attention to the background!

I got an 85mm about 8 months ago and I love it, its good for street when feeling shy its good for portraits ive even taken some landscapes with it

Great video. Made me reflect upon my lenses and choices over the years. I have the f1.8 and I bought it because everyone said that’s the portrait lens to have (at least that focal length) and as it’s not 1.2 or 1.4 it’s also the affordable option. Anyway, it actually then sat in my bag for sometime, believe it or not, with the 24-105 being my go to. Obviously a zoom lens has certain benefits but once I started shooting in studios, out it came and what wonders! I now have my default lenses as 50 and 85 on my respective full frame bodies and I alter between them depending on whether I’m doing head to toe or less than. Recently I’ve invested in the 70-200 (albeit the f4) and I’m keen to see how that performs in portraiture although it won’t be the right choice for my home studio due to space. What I have learnt is you don’t necessarily need the ‘L’ series lens and you certainly don’t shoot wide open all the time. I have no desire at this point to buy the 1.2 or 1.4 but in time I may upgrade. I should say I’m a very keen hobbyist, just climbing onto the professional fence with the odd paid gig. I did a beach shoot in Cornwall back in July and shot all of it with my 100mm L. It’s great to have an array of lenses!

In most cases of getting a 1.2 or a 1.8 is that during those times you want to shoot relatively wide open, the 1.2 will have a faster beginning sweet spot. It always takes about a stop or two from wide open to get that good center focus rendering, and that can come in handy at lower light situations, but then again the price tag is higher.

And, yes, indeed, amen to shooting from a distance that includes enough background to show the context of the scene, and, to using the telephoto focal lengths to for the compression effect, when there is an interesting background.

👌 ... Absolutely so. Yes, I have the 85 1.8 G and love it. ( Sadly, the F100 electronics have gone nuts, so I've hardly used it. ) But I have an F2 90mm for Leica, and it lives between f2 and f4 for all the reasons you say. A couple of years back, I was at Leitz Park, Wetzlar (on a silly pilgrimage) .. and was close to wasting money on the coveted Summilux 75mm F1.7 .. when common sense steered me to a smaller, lighter, and a whole lot cheaper F2.4 75mm alternative. Slightly wider than all of the above, but it's a gem. Yep ... Background, background, background. 🤝 Thanks for the video, Martin.

This was a great video. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing your thoughts on the 85mm lens. I bought an 85mm f1.8 lens so I could shoot our church's praise and worship from the back of the room. I was using my 50mm f1.8, but I found I had to move to closer which could be distracting to congregation. The ironic thing is, I recently shot the children's church promotion ceremony, and I wound up shooting from the front row of the church, using my 85mm lens. Some of the children were just a few feet away from me. I was very happy with the close up shots of the children. A quick side note. The church's lights are dimmed during praise and worship, so I'm forced to shoot as close to wide open as possible to get enough light. However I rarely shoot at f1.8. My apertures generally range from f2.2 to f2.8. Shooting with my Nikon D750, I'm able to turn up my ISO and shoot with a wider depth of field. To answer your question; I am very happy with my f1.8 lens. I don't think I'd like an f1.4 or f1.2 as well simply because I'm an amateur photographer, and to me spending the extra money just to get a faster lens would be a waste. I know my wife would be unhappy if I went out and spent a thousand dollars for a faster lens.

This is why I absolutely love the 85mm. It brings in the far background elements quite a bit more than a 50mm would (really pleasing with diagonal lines), without compressing the perspective too much and making things look homogenous (for the lack of a better word), like a longer focal length would. 85mm still brings a sense of scale and all but brings all the elements just a bit closer together.

I've owned the Canon EF 85 1.4L for quite a while. I owned the EF 1.8 prior to that, and I found gaining the extra .4 aperture was the least important change between the two lenses. The contrast, color, image quality, bokeh quality, build quality, handling, autofocus performance etc. were all bigger factors in the final calculus than just whether or not I needed a 1.8 or 1.4 lens. At least in the Canon lineup, there is huge gulf between the L lenses and the cheaper 1.8 primes.

Hi I have been doing street photography with my 85mm for a few months now love it f8 and up is great

AI Nikkor 85 f2 here. Beatiful colours IMO

Thanks for this video the contents of which I am in total agreement. 85mm is my most frequently used focal length. I've got the 85/1.8 and 85/1.4 but like you, it's mostly the 85/1.8 that I use. The 85/1.4 is perhaps less of an all rounder than the 85/1.8 but I use it to get suitably soft bokeh and to isolate the subject matter from a distracting background.

Thoughtful video Martin. I love my 85 EF L 1.4 on my 1DX2. It makes for the most striking ‘people in place’ imagery. I love it for video too, but with the 1.36 crop at 4K it can be harder to work with but always worth the effort.

. Great video. I love my 85 1.8 The photos of the children were very-very good. The low angle really framed well and gave a sense of porportion for the subjects. Perhaps a future video addressing camera angle for subjects.