Review: It's too expensive; everyone seems to agree on that. Or, at least, it's *very* expensive. Yes, that's more accurate. If it were /too/ expensive, then the conclusion would be that it's not worth it and thus that you should not buy it. But I think it's worth every penny. Why?
You'll get photos (particularly, portraits) that look better than anything you've ever done before. The DoF @ 1.2 is stunning, with a creamy dreamy bokeh. You thought the bokeh was good on your f/2.8L? Well, sure, it is. But 1.2 is just a whole different world. That cluttered, distracting background is transformed into a pleasant impressionist haze. For that matter, so is the back of your subject's head! If that's what you want, this lens will give it to you like never before.
You'll quickly notice, though, that the extremely shallow DoF has its downsides... such as where only one person's face is in focus because the other person, it turns out, was actually a couple inches closer/farther away. (Hmmm... it seemed like they were standing right next to each other.) This is definitely challenging. It quickly forces you to rethink how you compose your images. You end up worrying (a little) less about the background, but moving to ensure that your subjects (if > 1) are on the same plane. It takes a little while to really get the hang of it. But when it all comes together, the images... oh, my my...
If you have L-series lenses already, you probably take it for granted that your lenses hit their mark in a split-second. Well kiss that goodbye. The focus on the 85 f/1.2L II may be "1.8 times faster than its predecessor" but it's still slow slow slow. That is a big fat heavy piece of glass in there and your camera can only move it so fast. If you're primarily shooting indoor sports, this probably isn't the lens for you. But if waiting one entire second (or even, dare I say it, a second and a half) to find focus isn't the end of the world for you, then you'll likely find that it's worth the wait.
And, of course, when you do hit your focal point, you can take pictures practically in the dark. Getting great shots of a live indoor stage performance has become so much easier that it really feels like I must be cheating. Admittedly, I moved up from the relatively slow f/4L, but still...
Did I mention that it's heavy? Well, it is. And unless you're putting it on a 1D or 1Ds, it will make your whole camera front-heavy. Which, if you're not using a tripod, will tire your hand more/faster than you'd expect. You can "solve" this by either (a) buying the optional hand-grip/double-battery-holder for a couple hundred bucks, or (b) buying a 1D mkiii for $4500, or (c) just think of it as good exercise and imagine the great muscle definition you're going to have pretty soon!
What else?
The focus mechanism is weird. Unlike most L lenses, turning the manual focusing ring doesn't actually move the glass inside. Instead (I think) it tells the camera to do it. It feels more like "making a suggestion" rather than the hyper-precise tweaking that I'm used to. It's like steering a boat. A big boat.
Finally, the minimum focusing distance is appx 3.5 feet (just over a meter). Not really a problem for human-sized portraits, but I still wish I could get closer. If you like to get closer, and still want the f/1.2, you might consider the 50mm version of this lens... it'll focus at 1.5 feet.
BOTTOM LINE:
Although I wish it were less-expensive, and that it would focus faster and closer, I'm absolutely in love with it. I can't imagine how I ever survived without it...
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