Why I Splurged for Canon's 35mm f1.4 ii

(Photo Source)

Outstanding colors. Creamy bokeh. Stunning clarity. Minimal chromatic aberration.

These are a few things you can expect from Canon's 35mm f1.4 ii lens. This lens replaced its popular 1998 predecessor in August 2015.

This weather-sealed lens has been my go to for portraits this past year and I have fallen in love with the results. I utilize this lens on my Canon 80D, which is a crop sensor camera. The focal length of the lens after the 1.6 crop factor is about 56mm. However, in my next switch to a full frame camera body, it will still be a desirable wide angle lens at its original 35mm focal length.

I enjoy using this lens for portraits because you are able to stand at a close enough distance to direct and give feedback to your subject. A longer telephoto lens takes that experience away a bit, making it more difficult to connect with your subjects in my opinion.

(An example of the distance I stand when photographing a model using this lens. Photo credit: Jessica Dyer, @jesscdy)

What impresses me the most about this lens is the quality of the original photos. My editing style veers on the minimal side as I mostly like to make on the spot, manual camera adjustments to achieve the look of my final photos. As a result, this lens has helped greatly in that it produces sharp and clear images to begin with. Thanks to Canon's blue refractive technology used in this lens, it has done away with chromatic aberration for the most part. I've grown so accustomed to not seeing with those pesky purple lines that it bothers me when I do see it with other lenses I've used.

To purchase this lens or any other lens, I highly recommend checking out Canon's refurbished page. They have both refurbished camera bodies and lenses of all types. It's widely known that Canon's refurbished products are like new and uphold to top quality checks as you'd expect. Sometimes, a purchased lenses that has been barely used and returned will end up on the refurbished page and you can get it for a few hundred dollars off (Score!). You can then use your saved money for more important things such as buying french fries. I mean, what?

I have bought this particular lens as well as another from Canon's refurbished line in the past year and have had zero complaints so far. The refurbished lenses also come with a one year warranty. The only thing is that you do not get the original packaging for the lens. However, it does comes with the dust bag (L series lenses only) and a new lens cap.

Here are some helpful links to Canon's refurbished pages if you'd like to check it out. Right now, they are running one of their annual sales around Father's Day and offer an extra 10% instant discount till June 17th. So, if you have a lens in mind as a mid-year present to yourself...I'd check it out. ;)

Refurbished camera bodies: https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/cameras/refurbished-eos-digital-slr-cameras

Refurbished lenses: https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/lenses-flashes/refurbished-lenses

Refurbished Canon 35mm f1.4 ii: https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/ef-35mm-f-1-4l-ii-usm-refurbished-l-series-wide-angle-prime-lens

Here are some sample photos I've taken with this particular lens:

(Bianca, @biancafe0la)

Kelsey, @yvng_kc

Dayane, @dayanehabchy

Unknown dapper man seen at Downtown Crossing in Boston

Jean, @jeanwang

Thanks for reading and I hope this blog post was able to help you make a decision in buying a lens for your portrait needs. Please feel free to reach out for questions or leave a comment regarding portrait shooting or Canon purchases below!

Cheers!

Icy

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