Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L USM II

[Octane]

Hi all,

Yesterday, I purchased a new toy. The Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L USM II.

I was going to purchase the 70-200mm, but, changed my mind at the last minute and went with the prime.

I figured the prime is sharper than the zoom and will be wonderful for creamy bokeh in portraiture work. An added bonus is that it will double up as a fast astrograph.

I really look forward to using this toy with the 5D Mark II in January.

Here's a few test images from my parents backyard.

Regards,
Humayun

[matt]

Very nice, Humayan:thumbsup:

Which camera did you use for these shots?

Just out of curiosity...what's 'creamy bokeh'???

[Tilt]

Yes indeedy, very nice lens. Which camera body was used with these test shots?

Michael

[Octane]

Matt and Michael,

Cheers, guys!

Matt: I used my trusty 350D for those. Bokeh is the lens blur in the background (you can see the perfect circular blurring in some shots).

Ken Rockwell describes bokeh as "the rendition of out-of-focus points of light. Bokeh is different from sharpness. Sharpness is what happens at the point of best focus. Bokeh is what happens away from the point of best focus. Bokeh describes the appearance, or "feel," of out-of-focus areas. Bokeh is not how far something is out-of-focus, bokeh is the character of whatever blur is there."

Cheers!

Regards,
Humayun

[AlexN]

Bokeh is a Japanese word, it means blur..

Fantastic shots from a great lens Humayun. You'll find that the 200 F/2.8L decimates the 70-200 F/2.8 for sharpness and bokeh, at the expense of flexibility.. I know what I would choose!! Primes are the way to go!

Alex.

[matt]

Thanks for the explanation, Humayan.

[Octane]

Alex and Matt,

I've already found it to be an awesome lens in the quick test shots that I've taken. I was taking some of my cats this morning. Wow! I'll upload them later.

Can't wait to see how it performs as an astrograph. If Zane's 180mm and 300mm Nikkor ED lenses, that I've used in the past, are anything to go by, this should be a killer! :)

And, Matt, you're welcome!

Cheers, guys.

Regards,
Humayun

[RB]

Congrats H,

That's excellent mate, you'll love this prime, for both terrestrial and astro work, it's one of the sharpest lenses Canon makes.



Alex, don't you think decimates is a little strong?
I agree that primes are sharper and are prefered but I wouldn't say it decimates the 70-200mm f/2.8.
The zoom is a top performer too and the versatility of the zoom is a bonus for terrestrial shots, not to mention how handy it is for astro when doing various widefields.

See if you can pick which one is the prime 200mm L and which one is the zoom 70-200mm L IS @ 200mm from the 100% crops attached.

First two shot at f/8.
The next two shot at f/2.8.

:)

[Octane]

Andrew,



Thanks, mate. :)

I almost forgot, I used your 200mm f/2.8L, a long time ago, to image the Small Magellanic Cloud, and, it came out ace. Pinpoint stars from edge to edge.



I think I can pick them... :)

Regards,
Humayun

[RB]

Yep you did have a lend.
I thought you did the Corona Australis region ?



LOL send me a pm with what you reckon. :lol:

I love the 200mm f2.8L prime.
It's my second fav astro lens and equal with the 135mm on my list.
My fav lens is the 300mm f/2.8 L.