your favorite glass

**rparmar** · 09-16-2009, 04:03 AM

Originally posted by Igilligan

Oh the 85 1.2 is better than a salve... It is more like a Balm!

You're saying the 85/1.2 is the bomb?

(No doubt! I have seen great images from it.)

pingflood · 09-16-2009, 05:54 AM

The 85/1.2 and to a greater extent the 50/1.2 seem to both be capable of amazing results but sometimes (too often, many owners say) just don't get things quite right. Still, I wouldn't turn either down.

k100d · 09-16-2009, 07:32 AM

Originally posted by pingflood

The 400/5.6 -- I've shot nearly 3000 frames with it on the 50D and a few thousand more on the 1Ds2. Never let me down. Fantastic wide open, autofocus so fast you wouldn't believe it until you tried one, color and contrast out of this world. And all for $850 used.

35L 85L 400L dream kit for me

k100d · 09-16-2009, 07:32 AM

Originally posted by Ratmagiclady

That's my dream lens right there: the FD version, anyway.

the good thing about the FD 85 1.2 is that it isn't as beastly as the EF ones
how much do they usually go for now?

Samsungian · 09-16-2009, 07:56 AM

85mm 1.2 L FD tends to hit $600.

Theres been a resurgence in FD lens values for their pro & semi pro glass.

Why?

Its ALL easily adaptable to Panasonic G-1, GH1, GF1, & Oly micro 4/3 Pen also. Really though its the G1 buyers driving up FD prices. Most of the FD glass I still own is up above what I paid for it 5 to 15 years ago. It all used to be next to worthless 3 or 4 years ago. I should get a G1 , but then I'd rather get a GH1 but thats pricey so I wait...

Well in the meantime I did buy a FD to micro 4/3 adapter, but I'm still waiting for a digital GH1 to drive my old FD glass.

Its always funny to me that people will trash 2x crop bodies on forums in general and sing the praises of 1.5x crop due to telephoto effect. Not sure why 2x crop being 2x isn't seen as even better than 1.5x for even better perceived telephoto effect?

Here's a thread that may still be filled with images from FD glass mounted on G1:

Panasonic G1 - Canon FD/Leica/Nikon - FM Forums

Originally posted by k100d

the good thing about the FD 85 1.2 is that it isn't as beastly as the EF ones
how much do they usually go for now?

er1kksen · 09-16-2009, 09:22 AM

I have to say I really love my EF 85mm f1.8, maybe it's not the 85L, but it's still fantastic...

My old Meyer-Optik Gorlitz 50mm f1.8 screwmount (now broken, sadly) was a quirky, somewhat flawed little lens, but at the same time it was so much fun to use and delivered such great results in the right situations (plus had some interesting character to its bokeh...) that it'll always have a special place in my heart.

kibipod · 09-16-2009, 02:23 PM

My wife and I rent Canon 50mm and 85mm f1.2 whenever she gets professional assignments or we feel like we are rich

We both love these two lenses. We own 85mm f1.8 and currently that is my favorite lens.

Nesster · 09-16-2009, 02:39 PM

The reason I bought a Nikon FE: to get the Nikkor 24/2.8 and 35/2 at prices less than equivalent old Pentax glass.

Fixcinater · 09-20-2009, 12:40 PM

Best lens overall: Pentax 50mm f/1.4 Super Tak. Does the super sharp thing, does the somewhat dreamy portrait thing, does a lot of things really really well, including color rendition and bokeh.

Canon 300mm f/4 IS is another one. Super sharp wide open, super fast AF, great IS implementation, fairly compact.

nostatic · 09-20-2009, 01:21 PM

Originally posted by Fixcinater

Canon 300mm f/4 IS is another one. Super sharp wide open, super fast AF, great IS implementation, fairly compact.

Funny, I was shooting some auto racing yesterday with 70-200/4 IS and was thinking, "I need more reach." The 300/4 IS is the logical candidate as I shoot handheld and it seems like a good compromise of size/reach/speed.

trumil9 · 09-20-2009, 01:32 PM

It is very hard to make a pick. Not every lens is good every time.
wide: Flektogon 2.8/20, Canon 1.4/24, Distagon 4.0/40
short: Canon 1.4/35
50 to 80: Zuiko 1.4/50, Tomioka 1.2/55, S-Takumar 4.0/50, Fujica 3.5/55, Tomioka 2.8/60, Mamiya-Sekor C 1.9/80
80 to 100: Canon 1.2/85, Planar 1.4/85, Apo-Lanthar 3.5/90, P.Angenieux 1.8/90, Tamron AD2 2.8/90
100 to 135: Apo-Lanthar 2.5/125, Polaris 1.8/135, P.Angenieux 3.5/135
135 to 180: Sonnar 4.0/150(for me the best 150mm ever), Tamron AD2 2.5/180, Sonnar (zebra) 2.8/180
zooms:
Tamron AD2 2.8-3.8/35-80
Tamron AD2 2.8/80-200
BTW - 90% pictures I take using Canon lenses

edl · 09-20-2009, 01:42 PM

I'm very happy with my Nikkor 85/1.4 AF-D - it's very sharp with great bokeh at 1.4. Truly a fantastic lens.

Fixcinater · 09-20-2009, 02:54 PM

Originally posted by nostatic

Funny, I was shooting some auto racing yesterday with 70-200/4 IS and was thinking, "I need more reach." The 300/4 IS is the logical candidate as I shoot handheld and it seems like a good compromise of size/reach/speed.

Indeed it is. Handholdable all day long, usable MF ring (doesn't feel like a Takumar, but it does the job), fairly bright viewfinder for the length.

I borrowed one for about a month and shot the snot out of it, and once I'm back into a day job slot, it'll be one of my first camera-related purchases. Half the size/weight, quarter of the cost of the 300mm f/2.8 IS, and better IQ than the 400mm f/5.6 makes it a winner in my book.

Still AF-able with a 1.4X extender on non-pro bodies, too.

Not Registered · 09-21-2009, 03:40 PM

I had the 300 f4 IS for a while and it was great. Fast AF (although not the faster I have seen) and nice close-focusing capabilities. Only one think that I didnt like it. If you put a canon TC on it, the AF is on the shaky side and the borders suffers when shooting wide open. That was my experience with the 40d. With FF I would expect to perform even worse on the borders.

uccemebug · 10-17-2009, 01:15 AM

Originally posted by nostatic

While I loved my FA ltd primes, moving to a different system forced me to look at different glass. I settled on Canon for a couple of reasons, some of them I can't really afford yet (35/1.4, 50/1.2, 85/1.2). But I did pick up the 24-105/4 IS (better than the 16-50* copies I tried) and the 50/1.4 (a lot cheaper than 31/1.9).

The lens that really sold me though was the 70-200/f IS. I tried it in the store and was smitten, and today my copy showed up. It is everything the 50-135* was and maybe a little more. With the FF the DOF is about the same, and the lens IS is at least as good as the body IS. But this thing is wicked sharp at all focal lengths and apertures. There is some fall off at 70mm wide open but that is about it. It isn't much heavier or bigger than the 50-135*, and in fact with 67mm opening seems almost a bit small on the 5D2.

So what's your "can't live without" glass?

I like MF lenses. On the Pentax system I am very pleased with the unglamorous SMC 28mm f/3.5. All of my pics with that lens seem .. alive.

With my Minolta film gear it's my 20mm. Whenever it goes on the lens, it's pretty much stuck there.

09-16-2009, 07:56 AM	#20
Samsungian Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Colorado USA Posts: 1,337	85mm 1.2 L FD tends to hit $600 85mm 1.2 L FD tends to hit $600. Theres been a resurgence in FD lens values for their pro & semi pro glass. Why? Its ALL easily adaptable to Panasonic G-1, GH1, GF1, & Oly micro 4/3 Pen also. Really though its the G1 buyers driving up FD prices. Most of the FD glass I still own is up above what I paid for it 5 to 15 years ago. It all used to be next to worthless 3 or 4 years ago. I should get a G1 , but then I'd rather get a GH1 but thats pricey so I wait... Well in the meantime I did buy a FD to micro 4/3 adapter, but I'm still waiting for a digital GH1 to drive my old FD glass. Its always funny to me that people will trash 2x crop bodies on forums in general and sing the praises of 1.5x crop due to telephoto effect. Not sure why 2x crop being 2x isn't seen as even better than 1.5x for even better perceived telephoto effect? Here's a thread that may still be filled with images from FD glass mounted on G1: Panasonic G1 - Canon FD/Leica/Nikon - FM Forums Originally posted by k100d the good thing about the FD 85 1.2 is that it isn't as beastly as the EF ones how much do they usually go for now?

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09-16-2009, 04:03 AM	#16
rparmar Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2008 Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,823	Originally posted by Igilligan Oh the 85 1.2 is better than a salve... It is more like a Balm! You're saying the 85/1.2 is the bomb? (No doubt! I have seen great images from it.)

09-16-2009, 05:54 AM	#17
pingflood Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Borås, Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,169	The 85/1.2 and to a greater extent the 50/1.2 seem to both be capable of amazing results but sometimes (too often, many owners say) just don't get things quite right. Still, I wouldn't turn either down.

09-16-2009, 07:32 AM	#18
k100d Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,911	Originally posted by pingflood The 400/5.6 -- I've shot nearly 3000 frames with it on the 50D and a few thousand more on the 1Ds2. Never let me down. Fantastic wide open, autofocus so fast you wouldn't believe it until you tried one, color and contrast out of this world. And all for $850 used. 35L 85L 400L dream kit for me

09-16-2009, 07:32 AM	#19
k100d Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,911	Originally posted by Ratmagiclady That's my dream lens right there: the FD version, anyway. the good thing about the FD 85 1.2 is that it isn't as beastly as the EF ones how much do they usually go for now?

09-16-2009, 09:22 AM	#21
er1kksen Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Forestville, NY Photos: Albums Posts: 1,801	I have to say I really love my EF 85mm f1.8, maybe it's not the 85L, but it's still fantastic... My old Meyer-Optik Gorlitz 50mm f1.8 screwmount (now broken, sadly) was a quirky, somewhat flawed little lens, but at the same time it was so much fun to use and delivered such great results in the right situations (plus had some interesting character to its bokeh...) that it'll always have a special place in my heart.

09-16-2009, 02:23 PM	#22
kibipod Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 276	My wife and I rent Canon 50mm and 85mm f1.2 whenever she gets professional assignments or we feel like we are rich We both love these two lenses. We own 85mm f1.8 and currently that is my favorite lens.

09-16-2009, 02:39 PM	#23
Nesster Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NJ USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 13,072	The reason I bought a Nikon FE: to get the Nikkor 24/2.8 and 35/2 at prices less than equivalent old Pentax glass.

09-20-2009, 12:40 PM	#24
Fixcinater Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: San Diego, CA, USA Posts: 409	Best lens overall: Pentax 50mm f/1.4 Super Tak. Does the super sharp thing, does the somewhat dreamy portrait thing, does a lot of things really really well, including color rendition and bokeh. Canon 300mm f/4 IS is another one. Super sharp wide open, super fast AF, great IS implementation, fairly compact.

09-20-2009, 01:21 PM	#25
nostatic Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: socal Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,575 Original Poster	Originally posted by Fixcinater Canon 300mm f/4 IS is another one. Super sharp wide open, super fast AF, great IS implementation, fairly compact. Funny, I was shooting some auto racing yesterday with 70-200/4 IS and was thinking, "I need more reach." The 300/4 IS is the logical candidate as I shoot handheld and it seems like a good compromise of size/reach/speed.

09-20-2009, 01:32 PM	#26
trumil9 New Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 7	It is very hard to make a pick. Not every lens is good every time. wide: Flektogon 2.8/20, Canon 1.4/24, Distagon 4.0/40 short: Canon 1.4/35 50 to 80: Zuiko 1.4/50, Tomioka 1.2/55, S-Takumar 4.0/50, Fujica 3.5/55, Tomioka 2.8/60, Mamiya-Sekor C 1.9/80 80 to 100: Canon 1.2/85, Planar 1.4/85, Apo-Lanthar 3.5/90, P.Angenieux 1.8/90, Tamron AD2 2.8/90 100 to 135: Apo-Lanthar 2.5/125, Polaris 1.8/135, P.Angenieux 3.5/135 135 to 180: Sonnar 4.0/150(for me the best 150mm ever), Tamron AD2 2.5/180, Sonnar (zebra) 2.8/180 zooms: Tamron AD2 2.8-3.8/35-80 Tamron AD2 2.8/80-200 BTW - 90% pictures I take using Canon lenses

09-20-2009, 01:42 PM	#27
edl Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: San Francisco Posts: 457	I'm very happy with my Nikkor 85/1.4 AF-D - it's very sharp with great bokeh at 1.4. Truly a fantastic lens.

09-20-2009, 02:54 PM	#28
Fixcinater Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: San Diego, CA, USA Posts: 409	Originally posted by nostatic Funny, I was shooting some auto racing yesterday with 70-200/4 IS and was thinking, "I need more reach." The 300/4 IS is the logical candidate as I shoot handheld and it seems like a good compromise of size/reach/speed. Indeed it is. Handholdable all day long, usable MF ring (doesn't feel like a Takumar, but it does the job), fairly bright viewfinder for the length. I borrowed one for about a month and shot the snot out of it, and once I'm back into a day job slot, it'll be one of my first camera-related purchases. Half the size/weight, quarter of the cost of the 300mm f/2.8 IS, and better IQ than the 400mm f/5.6 makes it a winner in my book. Still AF-able with a 1.4X extender on non-pro bodies, too.

09-21-2009, 03:40 PM	#29
Not Registered Guest	I had the 300 f4 IS for a while and it was great. Fast AF (although not the faster I have seen) and nice close-focusing capabilities. Only one think that I didnt like it. If you put a canon TC on it, the AF is on the shaky side and the borders suffers when shooting wide open. That was my experience with the 40d. With FF I would expect to perform even worse on the borders.

10-17-2009, 01:15 AM	#30
uccemebug Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Tokyo Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 962	Originally posted by nostatic While I loved my FA ltd primes, moving to a different system forced me to look at different glass. I settled on Canon for a couple of reasons, some of them I can't really afford yet (35/1.4, 50/1.2, 85/1.2). But I did pick up the 24-105/4 IS (better than the 16-50* copies I tried) and the 50/1.4 (a lot cheaper than 31/1.9). The lens that really sold me though was the 70-200/f IS. I tried it in the store and was smitten, and today my copy showed up. It is everything the 50-135* was and maybe a little more. With the FF the DOF is about the same, and the lens IS is at least as good as the body IS. But this thing is wicked sharp at all focal lengths and apertures. There is some fall off at 70mm wide open but that is about it. It isn't much heavier or bigger than the 50-135*, and in fact with 67mm opening seems almost a bit small on the 5D2. So what's your "can't live without" glass? I like MF lenses. On the Pentax system I am very pleased with the unglamorous SMC 28mm f/3.5. All of my pics with that lens seem .. alive. With my Minolta film gear it's my 20mm. Whenever it goes on the lens, it's pretty much stuck there.