Tokyo at 85mm

[tim-b]

I've been hankering after an 85mm prime (on full-frame) for some time now, and with a trip to Japan for the New Year coming up, I finally jumped into the bokeh-rendered world of fast medium-teles - albeit the shallow-end, budget couldn't stretch to the f1.2 L I really wanted. But that doesn't mean the f1.8 was a disappointment - in fact I was blown away by it, so much so that it stayed on my camera (usually wide open ) right up until the last day when I got up for the sunrise on a trip to a small fishing town.

I decided early on to try taking more people pictures - one of the reasons I wanted the 85 was to improve my photography in this area....usually my photos of people are kind of in the periphery of what I'm doing, but for this trip I wanted to really take a different direction and push myself with something I'm less comfortable doing. I'm really pleased with the results - of course had some issues with missed focus points (with the shallow dof), and a lot to get used to with the compositions and picking moments - particularly when the subject is moving. People are very unpredicatable sometimes!

Anyway enough rambling, a few of my pics below, and the rest on flickr. C&C welcome and appreciated!


japan6-001 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-006 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-007 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-009 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-014 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-017 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-052 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-022 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-055 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-066 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-080 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-075 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-077 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-090 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-092 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-106 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-127 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-128 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-129 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-143 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-139 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-146 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-153 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-164 by motion_captured, on Flickr


japan6-166 by motion_captured, on Flickr

Thanks for looking, full set here.

[chrisgtx]

Great pics.I almost booked a holiday to Japan for my 40th but the cost was just too much,maybe one day.

[Ben Magoo]

Awesome stuff! Although now I'm watching a hand full of 85mm lenses on eBay!

[Pupp]

Really enjoyed these; great lighting and vibrancy

[flat-planedCrank]

Great set of shots Like your processing too.

85mm f1.8 is a great lens, speedy af too

[curtisl]

Nice one Tim. I enjoyed looking at the set.

[Nick Grant]

Nice work dude

[doodlebug]

Awesome work.

[Kermit power]

Lovely shots there!

I keep looking at that lens and wondering. I've got a 50mm f/1.8 and 100mm f/2.8 Macro, so wondering if I've got space between those for the 85?

[tog]

Nice stuff

I'd agree that the 85 1.8 is a cracking little lens, and a bargain to boot. I've had mine years and have never really felt the need or desire to get the 1.2 version. That and a 35mm make my ideal 2-lens, 2-body kit, and is my standard outfit for as much as possible. Perfect for my approach to weddings too.

[flat-planedCrank]

tog said:

Nice stuff

I'd agree that the 85 1.8 is a cracking little lens, and a bargain to boot. I've had mine years and have never really felt the need or desire to get the 1.2 version. That and a 35mm make my ideal 2-lens, 2-body kit, and is my standard outfit for as much as possible. Perfect for my approach to weddings too.

The 1.2 is a bit other-worldy

Slower af though

[2slo]

flat-planedCrank said:

The 1.2 is a bit other-worldy

Slower af though

The latest version is better than the earlier ones

[tog]

flat-planedCrank said:

The 1.2 is a bit other-worldy

Slower af though

The extra half-stop and reduced depth of field do appeal, but the extra weight, extra size, and extra care and time required focusing don't. The fact it's more costly is less of a consideration. The 35mm 1.4 is worth (to me) the extra over the f2, but the 85 I'm happy with. (For now - never say never!)

[RobbieKB]

tim-b said:

japan6-007 by motion_captured, on Flickr

The pick of a fantastic set for me Tim, with the colourful lass and the bokeh in close second! Top work. I'm mightily tempted by the 85mm.

[tim-b]

Thanks guys for the kind words and interest . RE: the lens, I've got a feeling the f1.8 is the better option for me than the f1.2, at least until I get better at nailing the focussing - had quite a few nice shots that I had to chuck, and I'm sure a lot of the keepers I did get only just squeezed into the DoF and would have been OOF at f1.2. Anyway, it's definitely a keeper!

My next challenge is to keep this motivation up now I'm back home, it's much harder than finding inspiration in a foreign land when you're in holiday mode as well...

RobbieKB said:

The pick of a fantastic set for me Tim, with the colourful lass and the bokeh in close second! Top work. I'm mightily tempted by the 85mm.

Thanks, I was lucky to get both the eyes and hands on the focal plane here! And the composition demonstrates the perfect length of the lens, IIRC I didn't crop the image at all

[Gemm]

I like the squid shot too. I'm a veggie now but I remember they were so yummy!

[Nick Grant]

tim-b said:

Thanks guys for the kind words and interest . RE: the lens, I've got a feeling the f1.8 is the better option for me than the f1.2, at least until I get better at nailing the focussing - had quite a few nice shots that I had to chuck, and I'm sure a lot of the keepers I did get only just squeezed into the DoF and would have been OOF at f1.2. Anyway, it's definitely a keeper!

If you use the 1.2 you won't go back, yes there is a special technique to using it but in has a special magic about it You cannot focus and then recompose in camera though, ever!

[Elderly]

Hmmmmmm ...... I almost NEVER do C.& C.
In fact I liked your motor racing photography
SO much that you are possibly the only person who has ever prompted
me to post an opinion on their photographs.
Your use of colour and patterns and composition and moments captured etc really
appealed to me, but I'm afraid I don't see many of those elements combining succesfully in the pictures in this set, they are good but unlike your motor racing shots I don't consider them special -
the colourful girl with bokeh behind her and black 'bokeh' on her tights comes
closest for me.

Edited by Elderly on Tuesday 22 January 13:14

[tim-b]

Nick Grant said:

If you use the 1.2 you won't go back, yes there is a special technique to using it but in has a special magic about it You cannot focus and then recompose in camera though, ever!

The first part is why I shouldn't try one, at least until I have sufficient points with the missus to drop four figures on a new lens

But apart from the cost, I remember you mentioning the difficulty of focussing when you got yours, which held me back a bit...

And Gemm; 'vegetables are what food eats' (pinched that from an article I read this morning)

[RobbieKB]

tim-b said:

RobbieKB said:

The pick of a fantastic set for me Tim, with the colourful lass and the bokeh in close second! Top work. I'm mightily tempted by the 85mm.

Thanks, I was lucky to get both the eyes and hands on the focal plane here! And the composition demonstrates the perfect length of the lens, IIRC I didn't crop the image at all

I tell you what I didn't do: I didn't just spend the money I had set aside for a landscape lens on an 85mm. Nope, not this guy.