Canon 70-200 or 85MM????

pragmatist

pragmatist

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Matty
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I am looking to get into portrait and wedding photography and have 2 lens's on my shortlist. I can only really afford one and will have to hire the other for the time being. should i go for the 70-200 F2.8 II or the 85mm F 1.2L.
Bearing in mind it's for studio portrait and weddings.
Thanks,
Matt
 
70-200 2.8 because it is a lot more versatile. You will find that almost every single wedding tog has this zoom lens in their arsenal. At a wedding, in anything other than portraits the 1.2L would need to be used at f2+ atleast otherwise you're dof wouldn't be workable.
 
I'd go for the zoom. The prime is very tempting, but I would use at f/2.8 most of the time (that's what I do with 1.8 one) and it doesn't have 200mm. You could buy 1.8 as a bonus lens - cheap and very sharp.
 
The Mark I 85mm is a bit sluggish focusing too cos there's so much glass to move.
 
pragmatist said:
I woluld imagine the 85mm F1.2 wins hands down for studio portraits but the 70-200 for versatility!
Click to expand...

I wouldn't think so. Studio portraits would be normally be done at f/5.6-11, and some would really benefit from 200mm on FF.

85mm if anything is a low light lens.
 
Zoom every day IMO. Versatility is much more important as a jobbing tog - the f1.2 prime is a luxury that probably won't pay itself back; if you still hanker after a fast prime for low light then a f/1.8 teamed up with your 5D2 at high ISO will do relatively the same job for much less money.
 
Both lenses are what you choose them to be. The zoom is much more versatile and for wedding photography probably the best choice, the 85L on the other hand has it's own charms and two American photographers in particular have made a nice business out of getting to really know this lens, using its attribures and creating a style which is sought after.

See this thread here, particularly Phamster and Ryan O Hicks images.
 
Good link Ed - Hicks is pretty good; nice style, good eye for it.... not so keen on Phamster.... a bit wishy washy for my liking but you can instantly see what he's using the lens to do, create eye-catching bokeh :)
 
70-200 as your workhorse, everything else is secondary to that for a working tog.

Add the frills later, make sure you've got a decent flash to go with it.
 
I have the 70/200 f4 and the 85 1.8. Much as I love my 85 the 70/200 is so much more versatile than the prime. I'm not a wedding tog just an ordinary joe but if I were a wedding tog I think I'd still feel the same. The 85 gives superb results and doesnt cost a fortune but on a crop, even on a FF I think I'd put a 50 1.8 in my bag too especially at the price it goes for and the results it gives, good in low light too.
Matt
 
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