this of course is an opinionated question. Looking forward to opinions!
I love My 85 1.8 have been taking some awesome shots. But I’m wondering if it’s worth it to buy a lower aperture 85 or even a 50 1.2.
I’ve realllllly been looking into 135mm 2.8. It’s so hard to decide what to get!!
Gorilla, I see this is an old post, but hey I’m new here! LoL
NO, sharpness is NOT opinionated, it’s mathematical and the math doesn’t lie!
I’ve shot tens of thousands of shots with the 85 1.8 and I NEVER shoot it wide open because it’s so SOFT wide open. At f8 it’s razor sharp though.
Lens sharpness is pretty obvious by just looking at the cost. The more it cost, the sharper it’s gonna be wide open.
If you’re shooting in dim light and need the big aperture, get the 50 1.4 or a used 85 1.2 mkl if you’re on a budget.
Of course you can check the MTF chart for each lens you’re interested in to see how much better than another a lens is at various apertures once you learn to read the charts! LoL
Also look at the reviews at “the digital picture”. He is a Canon specialist and knows Canon lenses intimately. A good tester can give a lot more info than a chart, like focus consistency and focus speed etc. chart results are the same everywhere whether at DxO or LensRentals.
You never said what you’re shooting so it’s hard to recommend. The 70-200’s go down to 85, as well as everything in between but they’re a full stop slower though pretty sharp wide open. Good luck
SS