# Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II AF really that bad?



## Ozarker (Feb 8, 2017)

Over and over we've read that the AF on Canon's EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM is very slow.

I know this is a special lens to many shooters. I think I've also read that an f/1.4L replacement is in the works.

My question are whether the AF is really that slow? For portrait work? 

This just might be one of those classic lenses that will have no match in the future, so I'm wondering what actual owners really think. Do you shoot at f/1.2 often? Would f/1.4 really be that much of a bokeh trade off if the new lens comes with IS and faster focus?

I have the 135 f/2L (my fastest lens), but the focal length is limited indoors.


----------



## AJ (Feb 8, 2017)

CanonFanBoy said:


> Would f/1.4 really be that much of a bokeh trade off


Have a look here:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-85mm-f-1.2-L-II-USM-Lens-Review.aspx
Scroll down 2/3 of the way to the picture of the girl beside the fence, with the green background.
Hover over the fstops to see the effect on bokeh.


----------



## Jopa (Feb 8, 2017)

The AF is good enough to shoot action with some experience. For regular portraits - it's more than fast. Wonderful lens. It's sharp at the center @ 1.2, and super sharp @ 2.8.


----------



## Click (Feb 8, 2017)

Very nice pictures, Jopa. I especially like the last one.


----------



## Jopa (Feb 8, 2017)

Click said:


> Very nice pictures, Jopa. I especially like the last one.



Thank you Click!

This is my favorite so far -
very enjoyable lens...


----------



## Click (Feb 8, 2017)

Cute little girl.  Lovely shot.


----------



## Jopa (Feb 8, 2017)

Click said:


> Cute little girl.  Lovely shot.



Thank you! With optics like this Canon pretty pictures come out effortlessly


----------



## pwp (Feb 9, 2017)

I had a copy of the 85 f/1.2 Series-I and you could only describe the AF as glacial! I didn't keep it long. The 85 f/1.2 II is a big upgrade in more than just the AF. The 85 f/1.2L II's improved focus mechanism is about 1.6x faster than the original lens - noticeably faster and a very nice improvement, but not as fast as Canon's fastest autofocusing lenses. While this lens certainly has the aperture and image quality to be an excellent indoor action sports lens, the AF performance is only "good enough" in my opinion - and not matching the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens' AF performance. 

Check out http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-85mm-f-1.2-L-II-USM-Lens-Review.aspx from Bryan Carnathan.

-pw


----------



## dexstrose (Feb 9, 2017)

The AF can be slow, but on point. When you focus on subjects that are not too far away from each other, its not that bad. The 85 1.2 forces me to slow down before taking the shot. 

To me, the combination of 1.2, color saturation, contrast, and sharpness makes my pictures stand out. 

When I first got the 85 1.2, I found that when I used back button focusing at 1.2, my images were blurry. When I used my thumb, I jabbed the camera forward to create camera shake.


----------



## reef58 (Feb 9, 2017)

I rented one for a week and found the AF speed acceptable and quicker than I imagined it would be based on internet experts. That being said it is not super fast, but not hindering for most subjects.


----------



## raptor3x (Feb 9, 2017)

If you're shooting with a 1-series body then it's still on the slow side but not terrible. If you're shooting with anything else it is quite slow.


----------



## Ryananthony (Feb 9, 2017)

raptor3x said:


> If you're shooting with a 1-series body then it's still on the slow side but not terrible. If you're shooting with anything else it is quite slow.



This is interesting. It is the first time I've heard of a 1 series speeding up the AF of something other then a big white. Good to know.


----------



## YuengLinger (Feb 9, 2017)

raptor3x said:


> If you're shooting with a 1-series body then it's still on the slow side but not terrible. If you're shooting with anything else it is quite slow.



Noticeably faster on the 5DIV than the 5DIII. I've been surprised by how much better it's tracking with AI Servo. For a child strolling towards camera, not moving too erratically, works fine.

It is a lens for a special purpose--portrait photography. Considering that at f/1.2 and 4-5 away the DoF is about as thin as rice paper, the AF is exquisitely accurate.


----------



## Larsskv (Feb 9, 2017)

Demonstration of AF speed on a 5DIV here:

https://youtu.be/vVJIlPQclk0

By personal experience I can tell you that the 85LII focuses much faster on 1DX/1DXII, than on a 6D or 5Ds. It isn't fast on a 1DX, but it's fast enough for most practical use. As long as you don't have to focus from near to far, I would say it's hard to notice that the AF is a little slow. 

The batteries on the 1D series are more powerful. That must be the main reason why AF is often faster on 1D bodies.


----------



## Ozarker (Feb 9, 2017)

Jopa said:


> The AF is good enough to shoot action with some experience. For regular portraits - it's more than fast. Wonderful lens. It's sharp at the center @ 1.2, and super sharp @ 2.8.



Very nice!


----------



## Ozarker (Feb 9, 2017)

AJ said:


> CanonFanBoy said:
> 
> 
> > Would f/1.4 really be that much of a bokeh trade off
> ...



Thanks AJ. It doesn't look like much of a difference to me. Might just have to wait on the updated version that will probably have the BR coating too.


----------

