Are the 85mm f1.2L mark II and the 35mm F1.4L mark II the only lenses you need? I own a 24 - 70 and 70 to 200mm f2.8 which can pretty much cover 80 to 90% of my work (roughly)... So why would I need these 2 primes?
Basically, prime lenses perform better than zoom lenses even if some would disagree and say that the differences are not always noticeable.. at least by the untrained eye. I use the 24 - 70mm a lot and even made a video about it. But the biggest advantage primes have over zoom lenses is the ability to open wide and gather more light.
The 85mm opens up to f1.2 and delivers a marvelous bokeh, and allows a lot of light to reach your sensor which is always in handy... More options are always cool of course if you have the money! So I took the 5D Mark IV with me, threw the 85mm for all my tight shots and portraits, and the 35mm for all the wides, and close-up action shots in my bag.
If the video goes too fast for you, down below are the images, Infos, and the diagrams:
For these last shots, no diagram was needed, I used Broncolor's edge mask on my 60 x 100 softbox. You can actually build your own by simply cutting the shape of your softbox out of a piece of black fabric or cardboard (that you will have to paint black)... It will have to be smaller than your softbox to let the light bleed/ come out from the edges... And I guess that's why they call it the edge mask. If you are bad at making stuff like me, and if you want something that will last through time, get the Broncolor one and voilà, with one light you can produce this effect.
Depending on the amount of ambient light you are letting in, you can have just the silhouette or make your model slightly visible. For these images, I used the 85mm lens. So did I feel frustrated, not being able to zoom in and out? Was I tired of using my feet to get close to my subjects? The answer is No! With these two I was able to make all the shots I needed. Maybe without knowing it, I was already using these focal lengths with my zoom lenses in past... I will share more on these 2 soon, individually... But so far I am quite impressed with the results. My 85mm 1.4 was staying home these past months I might take it out more often after that and maybe test it against the f1.2. What about you folks, Do you use primes? and what are your favorites and why? Tell me in the comments below!