My favorite lens (so far) - the EF 135mm f/2L USM

M H S wrote:

I agree with everything you said. I absolutely love the lens.

Is would be great, as noted. However, I shoot a 6d so I have some iso latitude.

I agree, IS would be great.  I don't think it would yield a TON of better photos though (some, for sure), at least for me.  I've found that with shutter speeds of less than 1/125 in pictures of kids, that their rapidly moving eyes often cause blur in the image.  So, if I were to have the same lens, but with IS, and I used a shutter speed of 1/60 for instance, I think the image would lack that sharpness that I currently see in my images around the eyes.  Add in a kids body movement (outdoors, where I usually am with this lens) and to freeze both, we're back up to 1/160-1/400 (or faster).

I do feel it is a tad bit long indoors, and have considered getting the 85 1.2 to compliment it. However, I worry that the two are so close in utility that it's not worth the cost.

I've used it indoors, but we're fortunate to have a house with some size to it.  As for the 85, I've debated MANY times purchasing this lens.  The only thing holding me back is the reports of slow focusing.  Slow focus + kids = photographer frustration.  I've also read that it's not quite as slow as some make it out to be, but if I remember correctly, that feedback has been from adult portrait shooters.

Personally, I recently traded my 85/1.8 (along with the Canon 50/1.4) for a 70-300L because I have the 100L which is obviously a similar focal length, but is stabilized.  I found I was frequently stopping the 85/1.8 down to 2.5 anyway and the 100L is great when shot wide open.  But, I now have no primes between 51mm and 99mm.  I'd love for Canon to come out with a 70 or 85mm f/1.4L.  Now that I've experienced L glass for portraits, I don't want anything else!