Canon EF 85mm 1.4 vs Samyang RF 85mm 1.4

David Franklin wrote:

I've thought about the 85mm focal length as well. Used to have the EF 85mm f/1.2 II, but after finding that sharp focus exactly where I wanted it at f/1.2 was very difficult to master with my DSLR's, I sold it and bought a 100-400 II with the proceeds plus a few more bucks. Got way more use out of that lens. I don't really see any 85mm f/1.4 right now as a good solution for me. It would be "neither fish nor fowl" - neither an f/1.2 bokeh plus resolution king, nor a decent macro lens.

Now, waiting for my pre-ordered R5 (will it ever come?), I have pre-ordered the RF 85 f/2.0 Macro. My motivation is mostly that I want two lenses in one - a moderately fast prime 85mm for portraits, and, hopefully, a pretty good 1:2 macro at longer than "normal" focal length, but shorter than my more specialized Sigma 150mm f/2.8 1:1 macro. The biggest questions about this lens are obvious. Will it render objects very sharply at 1:2 by stopping down 1 or 2 stops, or even wide open? And, will it offer great bokeh and excellent center sharpness at somewhat farther focus distances at f/2.0 with a nice and not too steep fall off at the edges and corners for portraits. These two characteristics rarely coincide in one lens, but if they both do so in this RF lens, it will be a great one for me.

Heck, I'd really rather have an RF 85mm f/1.2 and maybe an upcoming RF 100mm macro, but my bank account won't reach that far under the current economy. I hope the 85 f/2.0 comes through for me. Wish me luck.

I have the EF 85mmf1.2L II and the EF 85mmf1.4L IS USM I use adapted with the EOS R and R5  The f1.2 is for portaits and images with character and soul.  The f1.4 is much faster in focussing instantly and It is for action photography, indoor sporting events and any indoor event where there is likely motion.