Some say the bokeh is legendary on these 85's, I wouldn't disagree. There have been definite improvements in coatings in the EF versions, but all the 1.2/85mm's still have their fair share of fringing. Both of these lenses are sharp wide-open, particularly in the center of frame and get very sharp when stopped down - amazingly, the EF wasn't any sharper even though it was released decades later. I own both of the FD 1.2/85mm variants as well as previously owning the second EF successor - I had sold the latter to fund the manual lenses and couldn't be happier. The perfect balance of softness and sharpness it catches light and holds it just the right way to soften highlights without losing depth in the shadows.įor stills: its large and heavy, but even if I'm going somewhere involving a long walk, squeezing through public transport or risking damage or theft, I frequently prefer to grab a bag for the camera - rather than grabbing a smaller lens, or a smaller camera - and struggle my way through the day because I know that I'll come home with a picture that I love rather than many that are so so.ĭid I mention that when I bought mine, I thought I was being ripped off because when it arrived the front element was covered in scratches and plenty of internal dust (which wasnt listed on the advert, and the f***ers wouldn't grace me with a partial refund to have the camera CLA'd?) - well having begrudgingly used it, immediately, on a short film set I quickly realised it didn't matter at all! My copy of this lens is a total beauty. What interests me - having owned hundreds of various lenses (from FD to Zeiss to no-brand Russian oddities) is the character of a lens, the usability, how enticing it is to pick-up and ultimately if the resulting pictures help to capture magic.įor me, my taste, and my use: this lens is magical, I'm drawn to it, I use it for stills photography (variously t90, FTb, A7riii) and for cinema (bmpcc4k and Alexa Mini LF) and of all the 85mm I've used this lens renders almost every shot with a stunning depth and beauty that I've rarely found elsewhere.

Those are ten a penny and can be found elsewhere. I don't want to give a technical review of the lens.

Bmpcc 4k canon fd