Ugh, Ive been staring at lens reviews for weeks and honestly Im just getting more annoyed. Im shooting senior portraits for my niece next month in Seattle and the lighting here is always so tricky with the clouds, plus I really need that creamy bokeh look to make the background disappear. I keep seeing people swear by the RF 85mm f/1.2 L because it is basically the gold standard but man, that price tag is absolutely brutal, like I cant justify spending three grand right now. Then I checked out the RF 85mm f/2 Macro and some forums say its perfect for the price, but others are complaining about the autofocus being noisy and slow which scares me since she moves around a lot. Is the cheaper one actually gonna frustrate me during a real session or am I just overthinking the tech specs? Should I just bite the bullet and go for the L lens or is there a middle ground I am missing? Its driving me crazy because I want these photos to look pro but I am not made of money...
Honestly, the Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM is totally fine for seniors. I get the AF worry, but on the R6 II it tracks just fine for portraits. The L glass is incredible but overkill for most.
- Save the cash for a good light reflector
- The f/2 bokeh is plenty creamy
- Seriously, your niece wont notice the difference in speed Dont sweat the specs too much!
Adding my two cents here because I totally get the stress! Forget the L lens for now, honestly. If you want that pro look without draining your bank account, you have to look at the Canon RF 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM. It is honestly magical for portraiture and gives you way more compression than an 85mm. If that is still pushing your budget, look at this route instead:
- Rent the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM for the weekend just for the shoot. It saves you thousands but gives you the exact look you want.
- Grab a used Canon EF 85mm f/1.4 L IS USM and use the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R to save some cash. The f/2 macro is fine, but the focus speed really does lag compared to the L glass. You got this!
Lol I was literally about to post the same thing. Glad someone else brought it up.
Honestly, I had such a rough time with the middle-ground lenses back when I started. They never quite nailed that look I wanted, which was super annoying. I kinda wish I had just looked into renting the high-end stuff for the weekend instead of buying. It is definitely cheaper than dropping three grand and saves you from regret if the gear isnt actually doing what you need for those Seattle clouds.