There are two reasons to shoot with a very fast lens — a lens that can go to f1.8 or wider.
Reason one: you have very little light available. This is becoming much LESS of a concern as digital cameras can now take workable images at ISOs as high as 6400 and above.
Reason two: the look you can get with extreme narrow depth of field. This is the big reason for shelling out the big money and carrying the weight of these lenses. And once you shoot with a very fast lens you will never be quite the same — it will eat away at you until you sell everything you own to get one.
Bottom Line: The look of extreme narrow depth of field is compelling.
It is quite staggering how the cost of these lenses jumps with each f-stop faster than 1.8. Check these recent prices for Canon 50mm lenses:
All were shot with the Canon 85mm 1.2 which I rented. I generally would shoot wide open — why lug the glass around and then stop down from wide open? The reason I have not forked over the big bucks for this beast is that I need a few more rental sessions before I feel I can handle it. It's like a sports car that I am not yet up to driving.
Left
Right
This really WAS shot by the light from a mobile phone. There was some ambient light behind Nicole, but all the light on her face was from the phone.
85mm, f1.2, 1/125, ISO 1600
Shot by candle light, with a bit of window light from the other side, which turns a lovely shade of blue compared to the reddish candle light.
85mm, f1.2, 1/125, ISO 1600
This is just a study to see how the narrow depth of field works with a textured background. We focus on Nicole's closer eye, and at some point the background has to come into focus.
85mm, f1.2, Flash, ISO 200
Another study with narrow depth of field and a textured background. We focus on Nicole's closer eye, and at some point the background has to come into focus.
85mm, f1.2, Flash, ISO 200
We shoot through some oak leaves at Nicole to test narrow focus in the great outdoors.
85mm, f1.2, 1/750, ISO 100
Nicole inside some window screening. The focus is on her further eye, and at some point the screen has to pass through the plane of focus.
(I generally don't like images like this - created to seem to threaten women for no particular reason. I think this has visual interest and has teaching value, but it is also disturbing.)
85mm, f1.4, 1/750, ISO 1600
A common fast-lens look: right in the face, fairly close up.
85mm, f1.2, 1/200, ISO 100
A portrait using window light to wash across Nicole's face.
85mm, f1.2, 1/500, ISO 800
This really WAS shot by the light from a mobile phone. There was some ambient light behind Nicole, but all the light on her face was from the phone.
85mm, f1.2, 1/125, ISO 1600
Shot by candle light, with a bit of window light from the other side, which turns a lovely shade of blue compared to the reddish candle light.
85mm, f1.2, 1/125, ISO 1600
This is just a study to see how the narrow depth of field works with a textured background. We focus on Nicole's closer eye, and at some point the background has to come into focus.
85mm, f1.2, Flash, ISO 200
Another study with narrow depth of field and a textured background. We focus on Nicole's closer eye, and at some point the background has to come into focus.
85mm, f1.2, Flash, ISO 200
We shoot through some oak leaves at Nicole to test narrow focus in the great outdoors.
85mm, f1.2, 1/750, ISO 100
Nicole inside some window screening. The focus is on her further eye, and at some point the screen has to pass through the plane of focus.
(I generally don't like images like this - created to seem to threaten women for no particular reason. I think this has visual interest and has teaching value, but it is also disturbing.)
85mm, f1.4, 1/750, ISO 1600
A common fast-lens look: right in the face, fairly close up.
85mm, f1.2, 1/200, ISO 100
A portrait using window light to wash across Nicole's face.
