Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsTypical of Canon products, well made and precise. ...
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2018
Typical of Canon products, well made and precise. Focus hits well even at 1.4 and close range. Quick also. The IS in testing does indeed help. As cameras continue to add megapixels this should help as any little shake is more noticeable. The 77mm filter is also a common size which is helpful. Some say it lacks the "magic" of the 1.2. I only see that in portraits taken from a further distance where the 1.2 is smoother. Using both I'd say you'll get more keepers with this, but on "some" shots the 1.2 just has that it factor. Also if sharpness matters this is the one compared to the 1.2. With that said...., Becareful in portraits where too much sharpness can be had (Sigma, Ziess). It really depends on the subject, texture, makeup etc. So its hard to compare exactly having shot with the Sigma it does have a sharpness edge, but I don't shoot architecture so that didn't put it over the top. Because if the Sigma is a 10 on sharpness this is a 9. The 1.2 is a 7-7.5. (it's not too soft, its just not as sharp) Though, again sharpness can be overated in certain scenarios.
Update after a few months: I'm still a fan. It's still quiet and fast and provides enough keepers even at 1.4-1.6. The look is close to the 1.2 but not quite the same. But I'd still choose this because only those that have shot both might be the only ones to be able to see the difference. It's not the sharpest but it's sharp enough. There is some fringing depending on the backlighting so be aware of that if you're shooting that way. It's not terrible but it's a bit more than I'd hoped. The IS is the real deal, maybe the most effective IS on any lens I've used. Though that could partly be because IS on an 85 has less to deal with than IS on say a 200. Looking forward to how this continues to render as cameras seem to keep increasing the MP count. If I had a 1.2 I wouldn't upgrade unless you need the speed, because the fringing upgrades and sharpness aren't probably worth it. The reason to upgrade would be the keeper rate if you shoot quickly and are missing with the 1.2 AF. If I had a choice to buy either I would buy this. The 1.2 while somewhat magical in it's rendering (if one can work it properly) has optics that are aging and I'd worry about that as newer cameras may demand more recent glass. Not that some old lenses are still usable, but the 1.2 maybe not be one of them since it's already a bit finicky on todays cameras. But if you don't mind the extra work the 1.2 is a legend.
