Jason Talks Gear - Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L

This is part of a series of blog entries written by Jason about the more technical side of Jason Scott Photography. 

My favorite lens is the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM.

The 85mm has been my favorite for a while now, because it creates beautiful images.  The resulting photos are always more appealing to see and share than photos taken with other lenses.

I think the 85mm f/1.2 photos have a very unique look and feel.  Every time I use this lens, I'm mesmerized by the results.

Here is are some examples from my nephew’s 5th birthday party.

I love these photos. When I look at them, I can “feel” the emotion of the moment and be connected to the event. I can almost drift into the photos.

Creating an “emotionally connected” photograph can go a long way at any event, especially your wedding.

So, how does the 85mm f/1.2 lens do it?  Here is the geeky stuff:

The glass on the front of this lens is big and lets in a lot of light.  This “front element”  is the lens' entrance pupil and collects the light needed to create a photo. This results in VERY low F-numbers.

The F-number is a ratio of the lens's  focal length to the diameter of its entrance pupil.  By using the F-number, we can see how different the 85mm f/1.2 is from other lenses.

For example, the Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 L IS II USM Telephoto Zoom Lens is an expensive professional lens, and we can zoom it to exactly 85mm. However, the photos from the 70-200 seem less emotionally engaging – why? Because the 70-200 only has a maximum aperture of f/2.8.  The 85mm f/1.2 lets in six times as much light.

Lenses with higher maximum apertures (wider openings/ lower F-numbers) create a much lower depth of field.  This decreased depth of field creates the aesthetically pleasing background blur and isolates the subject.  For me, this gives photographs a sense of feeling.

I love this lens, and I wish everyone used it!

To find out more about the professional gear we use when we photograph Sarasota Weddings and Siesta Key Beach Portraits, click here.

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