Into Oblivion ?

With as many lenses as I have in my arsenal of photographic equipment collected over 40 years - I simply don't use all of them. Some stay in the shadows, so to speak. Others have been used a lot and then forgotten.

One of the reasons I have a lot of lenses is that many vintage lenses, e.g. medium format lenses that used to cost a fortune, have come down in price so much that it has become affordable to stock up on many lenses that I could never afford in the past. This has, of course, increased the total number of lenses I have at home.

Many have their special purpose, while others are for general use. And then there are those that just aren't made for "everyday" photography.

One of these "neglected" lenses, a modern one, is the Canon RF 85mm f 2 IS. I took it out the other day and brought it to work with me to use on the way home after work. Nowadays the daylight comes very early, as we are not far away from the brightest time of the year, when the sun rises around 03.34 in Stockholm - so taking pictures on my way home is a thrill!

It really inspired me to do more photography!

So, the Canon RF 85/2 IS lens, huh ?
(620 images since 2021)

Yes, I don't know why I didn't use it much.

I bought this lens at a time when I bought the Canon EOS R camera, which does not have image stabilization built in. So I thought a good 85mm lens with IS would add the option of image stabilization, which would come in handy. What I didn't know was that a short time later (1-2 years) I bought the Canon EOS R6 camera. And that one has built-in IS, which means that any lens will be stabilized.

So somewhere along the way, the RF 85/2 IS became a lens I almost never used. Which is strange, because it is very sharp, very flexible - and has an unusually short minimum focusing distance of 35 cm. Normally 85mm lenses give you only 1 meter or 0.9 meter minimum focus distance.

I somehow misjudged

this underrated Canon RF 85mm f/2 IS lens. Nevertheless as of lately - I am using it again. And it is a delight of doing so!

The wonderful benefits of re-discovering a lens

Is the joy of realizing a lens' potential and character as well its usefulness. So nothing is really forgotten. Even if it sometimes means that I don't use a lens for many years - until I suddenly rediscover it!

Sigma 60-600 mm f 4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sports
(101 images since 2022)

Strange... I have never taken this lens out into the wild, even though I bought it several years ago. Here you could really say that it is totally forgotten, even though it is such a damn good lens!

Now I could add that it really is a big, heavy lens. No doubt about it!

You mostly hear about the Sigma 150-600 mm lens (both SPORT and CONTEMPORARY versions), and there are tons of them available second hand. But you almost never hear about the 60-600mm version.

But it is the SPORT 60-600 that is really fantastic. I sometimes wonder if this version is not a step above the 150-600mm version! Especially when used on a tripod - boy, can you get a lot of sharpness out of this super-telephoto lens. Add a tiny bit of AI sharpness and you get a stellar performance down to the finest details.

I tested it on a tripod - and I think it is an amazing lens, very sharp - especially when you stop down just a tiny bit - it delivers! On the other hand, it is a big, heavy lens - and probably not your everyday walk around lens. But maybe that is exactly what I should be doing. Especially now that the light levels are so much brighter... I could take it with me, in a backpack, and use it on the way home from work...

Canon EF 200mm L IS
(3200 more than 10.000 images since 2008)

It is an almost legendary lens at this stage. One that shoots like no other. It's not made anymore, and Canon never made a newer RF version.

I also believe that Canon has announced a date when they will stop offering this lens. Somewhere around 2026 or 2027, but I am not sure. I don't know for sure, but it has an end date.

Update: Canon USA has confirmed that the Canon EF 200mm f/2L IS USM will have service support from Canon until at least December 31, 2027

It is a truly stunning lens

very sharp - and ... well, white, big and a bit heavy, kind of bulky like most white lenses. I used it a lot during the travels Daniel and I did in 2009-2012. After that, it went into a shadowy existence that has lasted ever since.

Travels with 200/2 L IS

When I started dating Daniel in 2009 and we started traveling a lot; I often took the EF 200/2 L with me, and got a lot of amazing images! Lisbon in Portugal, Hawai'i Big Island, Stromboli Volcano (Italy), and other places.

Well, despite its high price tag, and it's brilliance - there are pretty good alternatives to the Canon EF 200/2 IS L, lighter, smaller and almost as good. Still, there is something about the 200/2 L IS that makes the images just incredible... So, here is what i think the cloest good options:

Good alternatives:

I mean, you can have the endless lighter, and smaller, excellent Canon EF 135/2 L - or why not the Canon EF 70-200/2.8 L IS II or III. Both wonderful alternatives, albeit the 70-200/2.8 is both heavier and larger than the light EF 135/2 L.

NOTE about the EF 70-200/2.8 L IS
versions (I, II, III)

For unknown reasons, the Mark III version appears to be slightly less sharp than the Mark II version, but a tiny bit sharper in the corners.

In reality, I would recommend getting the II version and save a buck. The lens is a stunner - do doubt. I tested it myself many times, while borrowing it from Daniel. Also, it is considered the best 70-200 zoom Canon ever made. The RF version today too, is a stunner - but way more expensive - and can't be adapted to any earlier EOS cameras. whether digital or film.

Daniel I remember absolutely loved it. Especially for vacation, it is perhaps the best flexible, bright zoom lens you can think of. Taking wonderful portraits of people without being too obtrusive.

It is however heavy and quite big, too albeit not as much as the 200/2 L IS ... Still, I don't mind that when I know a lens is really a very good performer.

The reason I never bought the
a Canon EF 70-200/2.8 L IS II

because I was afraid it would make my 200/2 L IS obsolete, due to the higher usefulness and flexibility with the 70-200/2.8 L IS II zoom.