118 Better Available Light Digital Photography
The EF 85 mm f/1.2 L II USM has an integrated high-speed
CPU and uses a ring-type Ultrasonic Motor (USM) for fast and
near-silent autofocus, something that wedding photographers
will appreciate when capturing quiet moments without attracting
undue attention. The USM in the lens focuses (approximately)
1.8x faster than its predecessor. Focus is crisp, and a grippy
focusing ring offers seamless manual override, something that’s
especially useful when shooting wide open, in case you need to
shift focus by a millimeter or two. In the world of f/1.2, you can
keep a model’s eye sharp while blurring the ends of her eye-
lashes. The shallow depth of fi eld possible at its widest aperture
makes this an ideal portrait lens in the studio or on location.
Techies will be glad to know that when used in conjunction with
Canon’s EX fl ash units, the EF 85 mm f/1.2 L II USM digitally
transmits information back to the camera for processing by the
new E-TTL II fl ash algorithm that’s found in current-model
digital EOS cameras.Joe’s friend and Shutterbug col-
league Peter Burian considers
Canon’s EF 85 mm f/1.2 L II
USM to be a portrait lens, so Joe
made a portrait of this hot rod.
The 85 mm focal length plus the
EOS 30D 1.6x multiplication
factor adds a nice perspective and
cropping to this photograph.
Exposure was 1/250 of a second
at f/14 at ISO 320, and was
underexposed by −^1 / 3 stop to punch
up the colors. © 2006 Joe
Farace.
Canon’s 85 mm f/1.2 L lens
replaces the EF 85 mm f/1.2 L
USM and offers the widest
aperture of any lens in Canon’s
EF family, providing a useful
combination of focal length,
depth-of-fi eld control, and low-
light performance.