Picked up a new toy - EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM - AFMA test shot

[Jonathan Brady]

I decided to indulge myself (further) and pick up a used, pristine, copy of the EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM. It's a couple of years old but looks brand new. The previous owner said something to the effect of "I thought I'd use it all the time and then I just never did". It shows too. Seriously, the lens looks flawless. Even the hood is unscuffed.

Anyway, as I always do upon arriving home with a lens, I took my Siberian Husky, Maya, outside for a few pics so I could check and see if the lens needed any AFMA. In both somewhat distant shots and close up shots, it appears as though no AFMA is needed. Here's a full size image to check out the level of sharpness this lens can produce, if you'd like to see


She was about 8' away

I was impressed enough with my standard conversion in LR, but I figured I'd really jazz it up and I opened it in DPP4 first, applied DLO at "50", and then exported it as a .tiff file with no sharpening from DPP4. I then opened the .tiff file in LR and processed it to taste.

I'm pretty happy

So... lens testing is DONE and now it's time to put this lens to work some time soon! VERY excited

Oh... picked it up for $500, in case anyone is wondering. I didn't even try negotiating the price as I felt it was VERY fair.

--
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If indisputable knowledge of a subject were a requirement to answer questions on DPR forums, the forums would die overnight.

 

[diness]

I decided to indulge myself (further) and pick up a used, pristine, copy of the EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM. It's a couple of years old but looks brand new. The previous owner said something to the effect of "I thought I'd use it all the time and then I just never did". It shows too. Seriously, the lens looks flawless. Even the hood is unscuffed.

Anyway, as I always do upon arriving home with a lens, I took my Siberian Husky, Maya, outside for a few pics so I could check and see if the lens needed any AFMA. In both somewhat distant shots and close up shots, it appears as though no AFMA is needed. Here's a full size image to check out the level of sharpness this lens can produce, if you'd like to see


She was about 8' away

I was impressed enough with my standard conversion in LR, but I figured I'd really jazz it up and I opened it in DPP4 first, applied DLO at "50", and then exported it as a .tiff file with no sharpening from DPP4. I then opened the .tiff file in LR and processed it to taste.

I'm pretty happy

So... lens testing is DONE and now it's time to put this lens to work some time soon! VERY excited

Oh... picked it up for $500, in case anyone is wondering. I didn't even try negotiating the price as I felt it was VERY fair.

--
My signature - attached to every post:
If indisputable knowledge of a subject were a requirement to answer questions on DPR forums, the forums would die overnight.

Cool pickup! As an owner of the similarly designed 135L, how does this one compare so far? Does it seem to have any of the "magic" of the 135L?

 

[Jonathan Brady]

Cool pickup! As an owner of the similarly designed 135L, how does this one compare so far? Does it seem to have any of the "magic" of the 135L?

Tough to say yet, I've only had it for about 2 hours, and most of that time was spent eating lunch and then driving back home!

It basically looks like someone grabbed both ends of the 135L and just stretched it out. It's not quite 50% longer and not quite 50% slower (aperture wise), otherwise, at least initially, they seem to be brothers, fraternal twins even! Sharp as hell wide open, GREAT bokeh at all distances, and pretty fast AF speed, just like the 135L.

The seller was also selling the 85L and I asked him to bring it along (if he didn't mind) so I could play with it a tad. I was SO impressed. It has aberrations, much like the 85/1.8, when shot wide open but MAN the bokeh and shallow depth of field is RIDICULOUS. Additionally, the colors are GREAT straight out of camera, unlike the 85/1.8. I didn't find the AF to be quite as slow as people say it is. It's no 85/1.8, but it certainly wasn't like waiting for paint to dry, like some would have you believe. If it's at MFD and you want to focus on something further away, yes, it takes a while. Vice versa too. But if you're in the general vicinity, it's decently quick. Certainly faster than my experience with the EOS M. He said he shot sports with it wide open - but he's QUITE an accomplished photographer (he's selling all his Canon stuff because he now works with a full Hasselblad setup... that he didn't even pay for... grrrr....). One thing that stuck with me the most about the 85/1.2, the ergonomics of the lens. I don't think I've ever heard anyone comment on it before. The lens tapers in from the bulky area down to the mount and when mounted, there are indentations on both sides. The indentation on the left is PERFECT for your left thumb, when your left hand is cradling the lens. It fits SOOOOO well. I also didn't really notice the heft of the lens. Especially given the ergonomics. That lens felt AMAZING in hand and the test shots I took had the AF spot on. I just know I'm going to end up buying a copy and my bank account is going to hate me for it.

 

[Trevor Sowers]

Cool pickup! As an owner of the similarly designed 135L, how does this one compare so far? Does it seem to have any of the "magic" of the 135L?

Tough to say yet, I've only had it for about 2 hours, and most of that time was spent eating lunch and then driving back home!

It basically looks like someone grabbed both ends of the 135L and just stretched it out. It's not quite 50% longer and not quite 50% slower (aperture wise), otherwise, at least initially, they seem to be brothers, fraternal twins even! Sharp as hell wide open, GREAT bokeh at all distances, and pretty fast AF speed, just like the 135L.

The seller was also selling the 85L and I asked him to bring it along (if he didn't mind) so I could play with it a tad. I was SO impressed. It has aberrations, much like the 85/1.8, when shot wide open but MAN the bokeh and shallow depth of field is RIDICULOUS. Additionally, the colors are GREAT straight out of camera, unlike the 85/1.8. I didn't find the AF to be quite as slow as people say it is. It's no 85/1.8, but it certainly wasn't like waiting for paint to dry, like some would have you believe. If it's at MFD and you want to focus on something further away, yes, it takes a while. Vice versa too. But if you're in the general vicinity, it's decently quick. Certainly faster than my experience with the EOS M. He said he shot sports with it wide open - but he's QUITE an accomplished photographer (he's selling all his Canon stuff because he now works with a full Hasselblad setup... that he didn't even pay for... grrrr....). One thing that stuck with me the most about the 85/1.2, the ergonomics of the lens. I don't think I've ever heard anyone comment on it before. The lens tapers in from the bulky area down to the mount and when mounted, there are indentations on both sides. The indentation on the left is PERFECT for your left thumb, when your left hand is cradling the lens. It fits SOOOOO well. I also didn't really notice the heft of the lens. Especially given the ergonomics. That lens felt AMAZING in hand and the test shots I took had the AF spot on. I just know I'm going to end up buying a copy and my bank account is going to hate me for it.

 

[Abu Mahendra]

I reckon the 35L II should be your next acquisition, seeing your affinity for primes.

 

[Jonathan Brady]

I reckon the 35L II should be your next acquisition, seeing your affinity for primes.

 

[David Pavlich]

Nice! One of the true real bargains in the L line.

David

 

[Scott Larson]

Cool pickup! As an owner of the similarly designed 135L, how does this one compare so far? Does it seem to have any of the "magic" of the 135L?

I've used both switching back and forth and I'd swear they were the same lens. Contrast, color and sharpness were identical wide open. Of course this lens is f2.8 wide open.

I always use this lens if I know I'm going to be shooting at 200mm 100% of the time, like at a volleyball game. I can move it around faster than a 70-200mm f2.8 lens. It also takes me back to the 80's when I shot high school football games with one of the FD 200mm lenses.

I think this is one of the overlooked gems in Canon's lens line up.

 

[dgumshu]

That was a steal at $500. Congratulations on that buy.

 

[Geo Goetz]

I love mine too . Also works great with the Kenko DGX Pro 300 1.4x.

 

[clark321]

i also love mine.

You mentioned the lens tappers near the end. This tappered part is designed to take a tripod mount ring. Just picked one up and it fits perfectly.

 

[Damoo]

The 85mm f1.2L II is every penny worth at this time. I wouldn't see Canon coming up with a new one in the next 5 years atleast.

Sony FE85mm f1.4 (new one) seems to be great going by the reviews. But I would still rate the Canon the best at that focal length.

 

[Dan_168]

The 85mm f1.2L II is every penny worth at this time. I wouldn't see Canon coming up with a new one in the next 5 years atleast.

Sony FE85mm f1.4 (new one) seems to be great going by the reviews. But I would still rate the Canon the best at that focal length.

I love both 85L and 135L and shooting both of them on my Canon 1DS3 and Sony A7R II regularly, one thing I found on the 85L that bothers me sometimes is the "cat eye" bokeh, which the new Sony 85 G Master and Zeiss Milvus 85 doesn't have based on some sample picture people posted online, but i have no first hand experience on either Milvus or G Mater yet and if they in fact have no such issue I will be getting them.