Canon LTM canon 85mm f/1.5 Price

[aoresteen]

I am very interested in the Canon 85mm f/1.5 lens, preferably the Serenar labled version.

What is a resonable & fair price for one? I know that they are scarce and opticlly not the best but I'd like to try one on my M3.

Thanks!

 

[raid]

I suggest a range of $350-$550, depending on quality

 

[raid]

 

[mdarnton]

Raid, I will take all you send me at that price. They have consistently been going on Ebay for twice that, and I haven't seen a single one sell for anywhere near that.

 

[raid]

Then I am way off. I have not checked recent prices for a while. Sorry about that.
Rokinon and Samyang have an 85/1.5 for below $400 ...

 

[f16sunshine]

I sold a perfect chrome one here on the Forum last year for $650.
Found it unused in the box in Bellingham Washington. Had to have the helicoid cleaned and re-greased. Great lens just too HUGE!! 😱

Others have sold on this forum between $500-$700.
The all chrome one seems to haul in the lowest price and the most weight.

The optics are all the same. Nice lens. Too fast for RF use at wide open so what's the point?
I use a Zeiss Planar f1.4/85mm or f2/100 on a reflex instead. Sharper, lighter, more accurate to focus.

Cheers!

 

[Mackinaw]

......Too fast for RF use at wide open so what's the point?.......

Just curious, but why is this? Focus shift? Just hard to accurately focus wide-open?

Jim B.

 

[uhoh7]

I paid 500 for a very nice one from the UK about 3 years ago.


75 Lux and Canon 85/1.5 by unoh7, on Flickr

I think only 1900 or so were made.


DSC01548 by unoh7, on Flickr

 

[raid]

I can focus the lens wide open on the Bessa T

 

[Nokton48]

I got one five or six years ago for about $450 (I think?)
What was expensive was the lenshood from Kevincameras :/
sold it to a local Dealer for his personal collection. $$$$

 

[uhoh7]

The optics are all the same. Nice lens. Too fast for RF use at wide open so what's the point?

They say that about all superspeed lenses, but I use them all the time on the M9. Takes practice that's all. Obviously not all will be keepers, but the keeper rate is same as with a a A7 once you get used to it. I shoot the 75 lux at 1.4 often.

With the Canon I would have to test again to learn how it's calibrated, but once you learn the "english" it will work. An 85/1.4 will also miss focus on DSLRs too. That does not stop people from using them. 🙂

 

[Nokton48]

Not too fast to use wide-open on RF. Takes practice and steady position, that's all. Worked great on M2, M5 and M4-2. Very doable. Same with Canon RF bodies

 

[f16sunshine]

Just curious, but why is this? Focus shift? Just hard to accurately focus wide-open?

Jim B.

Hi Jim

It was a combination of things starting with my primary use... portraits.
The weight made it sort of difficult to hand hold with the relatively tiny frame lines that 90mm brings up framing was not great..
At a head and shoulders distance (which was near MFD), the lens was really not easy to use at wide open or even stopped down a bit.
On my M5 it was plenty accurate enough to focus but, a tiny movement by subject or user and one can miss.
With a reflex you see real time if the subject moves a bit. It's easier to look through the viewfinder and wait until the perfect second.
I just always grabbed the reflex when I wanted a fast med tele (which is often).
It's a beautiful lens. There are just better ways to get the job done.


Cheers!

 

[f16sunshine]

They say that about all superspeed lenses, but I use them all the time on the M9. Takes practice that's all. Obviously not all will be keepers, but the keeper rate is same as with a a A7 once you get used to it. I shoot the 75 lux at 1.4 often.

With the Canon I would have to test again to learn how it's calibrated, but once you learn the "english" it will work. An 85/1.4 will also miss focus on DSLRs too. That does not stop people from using them. 🙂

Sure, There are just better ways to get the job done.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

This reminded me of the existence of the wonderful 100mm f/2, which is also enormous

 

[raid]

Old images with this lens

I will dig up this lens for some newly taken images with it. I love using it wide open. This is the challenge. Do I get the eye lashes and pupils sharp? Both? 🙂

 

[aoresteen]

Raid, nice shots! I love the 2nd one.

Thanks for all the feedback on prices. I'll set my max budget at $800. There's one on the bay that is way too high - asking price is $1280 with the correct shade & torpedo finder. My gut told me that it was high. Thanks for confirming it.

 

[uhoh7]

Sure, There are just better ways to get the job done.

As you know the DOF at 85/1.4 is sliver thin no matter what. Just a slight movement on your feet with a close target and focus is gone. There is no easy way to shoot, it's tighter than a .95 50 WO!

The Canon got a rep for "soft wide open" mostly for this reason. In truth it's outstanding. WO it's fine and stopped down the thing is really sharp. Itoh design.


Canon LTM 85/1.5 @1.5 by unoh7, on A7r

I used mine a ton before I got the 75 Lux. 🙂

 

[Nokton48]

Here's mine from years ago.

001 by Nokton48, on Flickr

If you ever see the hood cheap, grab it! I looked for many years and finally bit the bullet with Kevin at $250

 

[uhoh7]

That hood is awesome 🙂

Finder looks nice too.

Prices from early 50s:


Canon System2 by unoh7, on Flickr