The Best Portrait Lens : 50 mm 1.2 L or 85 mm 1.2 L

If u are an amateur or professional photographer , u might have asked yourself these questions

"which is the best portrait lens in canon?"
"is the EF 50 mm f 1.2 L good enough for portraits?"
"Is the 85 mm f 1.2 L II the ultimate in portrait photography?"
"i need to invest in one portrait lens, which one do i buy?"

I am an amateur photographer myself but as i own both these lenses , i want to answer the above questions in my own way and hopefully that will help you decide which lens is best suited to your photography tastes
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Canon EF 50 mm f 1.2 L USM :

I've always wanted a 50 mm prime lens and after spending a lot of time watching videos and reading reviews, i decided to pick up the high end, top of the line 50 mm 1.2 L lens.

Why do u need a 50 mm?  : - there are several reasons and here are some of them

1. Field of Vision : the field of vision in a 50 mm lens is closest to that of the human eye. which means images captured from a 50 mm lens is very similar to what the human eye can see (distance wise). this works perfect on a full frame DSLR and on a crop sensor u get magnification of 1.6 which is pretty handy when it comes to taking candid portraits of people at weddings
2. General walk around lens : i have been shooting street candids for quite sometime now and using the 70 to 200 mm f 2.8 L IS II is THE WORST LENS to use as it draws a lot of attention. u cannot be discreet carrying such a heavy set up and expect people not to notice. however with a 50 mm lens , street photography seems like a cake walk. and i consider it to be the "gold standard" lens for street candids
3. Size Matters : 50 mm lens are smaller in size and lighter compared to the standard zoom lens or telephoto lens and so is better for travel. one body and one 50 mm lens does the trick every time. 
4. Versatility : portraits, candid shots at weddings, travel photography and even macro (with a reverse ring or extension tubes) , this is a highly versatile lens to use. 

My friend and fellow photographer Staj captured using a 50 mm f 1.2 L on a 5D Mark III body

• sharp image 
• excellent background bokeh at wide aperture of f 1.2
• good photo detail and pretty wide enough to show what Staj was doing here. 

Some of my fav shots using the 50 mm 1.2 L USM lens In Doors

and outdoor portrait shots

as u can see the 50 mm f 1.2 L USM is excellent in low light and awesome for outdoor shooting. 

Canon 85 mm f 1.2 L II USM : 

i was really happy after i picked up the 50 mm f 1.2 L lens and never really thought of getting another portrait lens. another good friend and fellow wedding photographer Roshan Rao had just picked up a new 85 mm f 1.2 L lens and he just couldnt stop raving about it. so on my next portrait assignment i decided to borrow his lens and exclusively shoot with the 85 mm. 

all i can say is, what the 50 mm could do, the 85 mm could do even better!. the portraits were truly stunning and images were sharp even at the widest aperture of f 1.2. 

take a look at Staj, shot with the 85 mm f 1.2 L II USM lens on a 5D Mark III body

i was standing at the same place , and took 2 shots, one with the 50 mm and one with the 85 mm. The difference of 35 mm between both the lens makes a huge impact when u compare both the photos. 

its not just the magnification, the image on the right is a better portrait since Staj in better focused and one doesn't have to worry about the surrounding distractions. 

some more examples of the 85 mm 1.2 L II USM lens

1. Indoors (low light)

and outdoors

each and every shot, wide open , had clear, crisp and sharp images with jaw dropping background blurs. and its pretty easy now to understand why its considered "the ultimate gold standard" in portrait photography because it delivers, every time. 

Advantages of 50 mm f 1.2 L over 85 mm f 1.2 L II USM

1. general purpose lens, excellent for street photography, candid shots etc
2. Faster AF
3. smaller, lighter and great to travel with
4. has the ideal focal length of 50 mm , wider coverage in the frame

Cons : Yes there are few cons as well

1. reasonably sharp at f 1.2 but has focus issues, focus shift
2. back focus problems seen in some cases, for me 3 in every 10 shots has focus problems
3. expensive compared to the f 1.4 and 1.8 versions

Advantages of the 85 mm f 1.2 L II USM

1. exclusive portrait lens meant for indoors and outdoors and studio setting, candid at weddings etc
2. sharp at widest aperture f 1.2
3. every shot is nearly perfect

Cons : 

1. very expensive! 
2. very heavy and thus does not make a great travel lens
3. slower AF , much slower than the 50 mm f 1.2, horrible for action and fast moving people

having said that both are amazing lenses and it all depends on what kind of photography u are into. if u are into street photography then the 50 mm f 1.2 L wins hands down. and if u are into fashion photography or want to make a living selling portraits, then the 85 mm f 1.2 L II USM is the ultimate choice. 

or if someone asks me i tell them "i use the 85 mm f 1.2 L II USM lens only when i get paid  otherwise its mostly the 50 mm f 1.2 L USM"

If u can afford it, pick them both :) or if u are on a tight budget the 50 mm 1.4 and 1.8 and 85 mm 1.8 are much affordable options.