Since I bought my 85 mm lens, I knew I needed to try and take it on a shoot to give a full review. So I asked Angelica to come out with me on a short walk at sunset to take some shots. It was last minute with little to no planning. The only stipulation I had was that I could only use my new lens. Here’s what I got:
The lens a workhorse. It’s sharp, fast, and the bokeh is so clean . There’s only two major problems.
1. It’s heavy. It’s not back-breakingly heavy, but it’s heavy enough to be noticeable after only 30-45 minutes of carrying it around and shooting. It definitely makes it difficult to carry around and switch on/off between shots.
2. It’s a bit too tight. 85mm on my cropped camera is about the same as a 135mm. At normal standing distances, my photo is really zoomed into the face and shoulders. Most people don’t like pictures taken THAT close, but it can be nice to highlight details in wardrobe or makeup. To each their own.
It was a chore to use this lens exclusively for a day, but I think the photos came out great. I have another shoot lined up for the weekend where I’ll be mixing in this lens with my usual kit to get a variety of shots.
Andy Chen Photography 