Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L II USM Lens good for Studio Photgraphy?

Also, don't forget that when you are using the 85mm on the 500D or the 550D, the 1.6x crop factor will make it zoom even more. If you have the 50mm on your camera, it will give you a focal length of about 80mm. An 85mm will give you an effective focal length of almost 130mm. That means you will need a very large studio and you will have to be farther away from you model.

I recommend a 50mm. I use the f/1.8, but I've heard amazing things about the larger aperture versions.

Last tip, with such a wide aperture, be sure to focus on the eyes. If you focus on the nose, the eyes could easily be out of focus.

It is a great lens and you would find great use out of it for a multitude of different assignments. However, on a 1.6X crop body, 85mm translates to a 135mm in 35mm terms, which may be too long for convenient full-body portraits. Of course you can back up more from your subject, but that may not be always possible in a confined enviroment (such as a studio).

For full-body portraits, consider getting the 50mm f/1.4 or 50mm f/1.8

Also consider the (way) cheaper Canon 85mm f/1.8 in place of the f/1.2 version. It is quite a stellar performer too, unless you REALLY need the ultra-wide aperture, it will just do as good as a job as its much more expensive cousin.

Wow! All lenses are designed differently, but it does surprise that the front element came off as easily as that. When I was shooting with a 24-120 Nikkor a few years ago, I noticed the scene I was shooting at was fogged. I looked back at the front of the lens, and it was fine. I looked through the camera again and fog! When I lifted the camera and looked into the lens vertically, the front element was loose and flapping like a lid! I couldn't believe it. A local repair tech tightened a few set screws within the lens and I was fine. I'd run the lens to a repair tech for a quick look. Hopefully the lens wasn't gas sealed. No dust got in, right? I want to say no. You may be able to reach a Canon tech at HQ, too. One of my old lenses years back did that. I just screwed it back, too.

You'll need a big studio to get back far enough to do full body shots with an 85mm, whichever version you choose.

Add in the 50mm f/1.4 or the 1.2L would make it a little easier, but you'll still have to back off a fair distance to get a whole body.

Having said that, the 85mm f/1.2L is one of Canon's best.

Hey,

This is a wonderful lens, you'll love it, in studio or outside.

However, it focuses slower than the f/1.8 version, which also costs 3x less. Fast focus is something you need when photographing models, your lens needs to focus fast!

It's also bigger and heaver than the f/1.8 version.

But the background is more blurred and amazing! Much better than what you would get with the 1.8 lens.

If you need fast focus, get the 85mm f/1.8 lens. If you need even a wider aperture, more blurred background, get the f/1.2 version. They're both sharp at the widest aperture!