I recently wrangled my way into owning one of my dream lenses, the Canon 85mm f/1.2L. It’s been on my wishlist for some time now, and was destined to remain there, mainly because it’s expensive. It’s also heavy, a kilo on its own, and it’s slow to focus (there’s a lot of glass in there), and to top it off it’s expensive, (expensive enough to mention twice).
At its basest level the camera is a tool, a device for the manufacture of images. Canon make a good 85mm f/1.8 that retails for roughly one fifth the retail price of this one, and is both light-weight. and fast to focus. It’s a shame that it leaves me blank, cold, and unmoved.
One of this things I love about photography is that it engages both hemispheres of the brain – the left can concern itself with the physics while the right applies those physics to making nice pictures. As one side is falling in love with the optical integrity of a lens, the other can swoon over the gloopy front element. This can produce an odd relationship with gear, and as a self-confessed gear-head I have to consider which side of my brain is driving whenever I hand my debit card to a dealer…
The F/1.2 however has been an object of desire since well before I had the chance to shoot with it. Boasting both great clarity and sharpness even when wide open, its F/1.2ness offers remarkably smooshy bokeh. Translation – Smooth out of focus areas that are attractive yet not distracting.
It has a front element that looks almost gooey with a translucent glutinous enormity that one feels one could push one’s way into if one so desired. Translation – The front bit looks nice.
The lens is so big looks daft on my smaller camera but the heft is justified, a bit like Mjolnir or a steam locomotive, it is both literally and metaphorically a heavyweight. Translation – Whilst is weighs almost as much as Thor’s magic hammer, I seem to be willing to carry it.
Sometimes meeting your hero can be awful. Sometimes a a humble tool can’t live up to dream you imagined for it. Even though it has limitations on top of those listed above. Even though the decision to buy it had a right-hemisphere bias – I’m happy with my dream machine.
