The new 85L

Now two weeks after receiving my new lens, the somewhat exotic EF 85 mm f/1.2L II USM, I begin to be able to handle it. Sure, I have used the 50/1.4 and 85/1.8 for some time now, but this lens is really something special and unique! The praises for this lens never seem to stop in the forums, and I now understand why - creamy drop-dead gorgeous out-of-focus blur, not comparable with anything else that I have tried, and the amount of blur that can be created is really over all expectations!

However, a lens this special is not mastered easily - focusing with such thin depth of field is a real challenge. I have for the first time had the need to change focus screen to a high precision matte surface screen, an Eg-S. This really helps in judging focus as well as manual focus when need. As a matter of fact, the standard focus screens only show lenses wider than f/2.8 as if they were f/2.8, which makes it very difficult to focus properly as the DOF can be as thin as 8 mm (!), and that is thin.

Not only that, it also required microadjustment for the first time. It is quite amazing how easy the new microadjustments are, in comparison with sending the lens in for adjustment (and the bill associated with it!). A +8 adjustment made the lens focus perfectly.

Finally, a test shot to show how insanely short the depth of field is. And this is supposed to be the railing of my balcony - hardly discerable. Nothing fancy, only a snapshot.