Is the Canon 85mm 1.8 overkill for a 60D? video and photo

C Walker

C Walker

Well-known member
I'm itching to buy a prime for my 60D. I currently shoot with a Tamron 17-50, but it would be nice to have something with a shallower DOF. I shoot some photos for fun, usually bike races and cars, so more reach would be nice to have. 70-200 is out of my price range for now. I'm just worried the 85mm would be too long for day to day video work. Maybe a 35mm prime would be better? I don't know... Thoughts?
 
I own and shoot with this lens and its pretty good - sometimes prone to ca in certain circumstances. f2 being better than f1.8
 
That will fall right into the range of my primary lens for closeups on FF (85 X 1.6 = 136mm). It will look awesome I am sure, but kind of limited for general use.
 
J Davis said:
I own and shoot with this lens and its pretty good - sometimes prone to ca in certain circumstances. f2 being better than f1.8
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thanks for the info! Local shop will have one on monday, I think I'm going to run by and give it a test. I might hate it for handheld photos, which is 99% of the photos I take unless it's timelapse. This would be primarily a video lens.
 
gonzo_entertainment said:
That will fall right into the range of my primary lens for closeups on FF (85 X 1.6 = 136mm). It will look awesome I am sure, but kind of limited for general use.
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That's the other thing, if I'm shooting video of someone, I don't wanna be right in their face with the camera. Then again, I have a HMC150 I could use for that.
 
For weddings, I consider the 85/1.8 to be a sniper lens on my 7D. I can catch candids with good isolation and very fast AF.

For video, I used it to isolate couples on the dance floor and used a Manfrottto 560B for support. Worked very well.
 
Samuel H said:
I use my 50mm more often than my 90mm, but you've got that covered already, and it does add some flexibility; in any case, if you don't need the AF for stills, I'd rather get the samyang 85mm f/1.4: a bit softer actually, but with absolutely incredible bokeh, check the tests in the links here: http://www.similaar.com/foto/equipment/us_lensc.html#samyang
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you love samyangs. :D I've been checking them out...very very nice. thanks!
 
Kin Lau said:
For weddings, I consider the 85/1.8 to be a sniper lens on my 7D. I can catch candids with good isolation and very fast AF.

For video, I used it to isolate couples on the dance floor and used a Manfrottto 560B for support. Worked very well.
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That's kind of what I'm going for, but I also hope to move away from weddings. I'm going to the local camera shop tomorrow to test one out. Also, have you ever used this Manfrotto: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/737980-REG/Manfrotto_561BHDV_1_Fluid_Video_Monopod_W_Head.html. The 560 looks like a much cheaper alternative.
 
I actually have both the 560 and 562 - I used my own head instead. The 561 and 562 are identical otherwise below the head. They are also much stronger/robust than the 560, but the 560 is good enough if your setup isn't heavier than a 7D + 85/1.8 but your future options will be much more limited.
 
Kin Lau said:
I actually have both the 560 and 562 - I used my own head instead. The 561 and 562 are identical otherwise below the head. They are also much stronger/robust than the 560, but the 560 is good enough if your setup isn't heavier than a 7D + 85/1.8 but your future options will be much more limited.
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Currently I'm sporting either an HMC150, with Rode mic, sometimes a light or a 60D with a Tammy 17-50 with a Indipro follow focus. The HMC far outweighs the 60
 
Cracker, for a general purpose video lens you might wanna look at the Rokinon/Samyang/Bower 35mm F/1.4 manual lens. On a crop camera, it's 50mm equivalent. A fantastic lens. The Canon 85mm F/1.8 is a FANTASTIC lens as well. It's great for still as well as video. Problem is it's a tight focal length---great for close-ups but doesn't serve you well for general coverage. You'll have to stand very far back just to get medium shots.
 
paul31003 said:
Cracker, for a general purpose video lens you might wanna look at the Rokinon/Samyang/Bower 35mm F/1.4 manual lens. On a crop camera, it's 50mm equivalent. A fantastic lens. The Canon 85mm F/1.8 is a FANTASTIC lens as well. It's great for still as well as video. Problem is it's a tight focal length---great for close-ups but doesn't serve you well for general coverage. You'll have to stand very far back just to get medium shots.
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The OP already stated in his 1st post, that he has a 17-50, and is looking for more reach.
 
Kin Lau said:
The OP already stated in his 1st post, that he has a 17-50, and is looking for more reach.
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Yes, but on the last line of the said post, he asks if he should consider a "35mm prime." What he wants first and foremost is a "shallower depth of field," whether it be via longer lens or faster lens. At least, that's how I understood the first post.
 
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