If you own a Canon DSLR, you may be thinking about buying a portrait photography lens.
Most professional photographers recommend the 85mm lens for portrait photography, but if you’re a Canon DSLR shooter, you are faced with a choice of 8 different lenses available at Adorama at prices ranging from $270 to well north of $2,000. (Prices accurate as of July 23, 2014.) Which one is best for you? That depends on your budget, but also on what kinds of portraits you want to shoot.
Best Canon 85mm Lenses
If you’re new to using a Canon 85mm lens, you may wonder why that focal length is ideal for portrait photography applications like headshots, family photos, or wedding photography.
The human face and body can look vastly different depending on the focal length you use when shooting portraits. Too short a focal length — like 10mm or 15mm — and your subject will look oddly angular. Too long a focal length — like 150mm or 200mm — and your subject will appear wider.
85mm models fall right into the sweet spot of different lenses that work well for portraiture. At 85mm, your subject will look true to life rather than too angular or too wide.
Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM Lens
Canon designed the RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM lens for its R cameras specifically with portraiture in mind. It’s an impressive lens for low-light situations with a reliable and fast autofocus system. Plus, the Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics help reduce chromatic aberration while an Air Sphere Coating minimizes ghosting.
A close focusing distance of 2.79’ lets you fill the frame with your subject for headshots, bridal portraits, and more. This lens also fully integrates with Canon’s Eye Detection AF feature found in top cameras like the EOS R and EOS RP.
The lens casing is resistant to dust and weather, too, so you can comfortably use it in a professional portraiture kit and know it will work in nearly any environment for years to come.
Key Specifications:
- Focal Length: 85mm
- Aperture Range: f/1.2 – f/16
- Lens Mount: Canon RF
- Minimum Focus Distance: 2.79′ (0.85m)
- Weighs: 2.6 lb (1.19kg)
Samyang 85mm f/1.4 Aspherical Lens (Manual Focus)
Overview: With its low price and surprisingly high DxOMark overall score, the Samyang 85mm f/1.4 is a manual-focus only lens, but its aspherical multi-layer elements reduce flare and ghosting, producing sharp, contrasty images that in many ways (especially distortion) rival those produced by pricer name-brand optics. The lens has 8 diaphragm blades, is moderately light at 19 ounces, consists of 9 elements in 7 groups, focuses down to 3.3 feet, and takes a 72mm filter.
Web reviews: Mark Golstein at Photography Blog says the focus is a bit “dreamy” at the widest aperture but sharpens up by f/4, and calls it “a very affordable alternative to the OEM offerings.” Photozone says that while image quality is not super-sharp, it is “certainly good enough for portraits,” describing the lens as a “very affordable introduction to shallow depth of field photography.”
Key Specifications:
- Sharpness 13P-Mpix
- Transmission 1.7TStop
- Distortion 0.1%
- Vignetting -1.5EV
- Chr. aberration 5µm
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
Overview: With its slightly smaller f/1.8 widest aperture, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 is a lightweight, compact, relatively affordable portrait photography lens with image quality performance that rivals that of its larger, more expensive, wider-aperture siblings.
Web reviews: Ken Rockwell says the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 “outperforms the exotic special-purpose Canon 85mm f/1.2L II” and is “an easy lens to recommend.” “Its quality is reasonably sharp and wide open, but really shines from f/2.8 on,” notes The Digital Picture.
Key Specifications:
- Sharpness 15P-Mpix
- Transmission 2TStop
- Distortion 0.4%
- Vignetting -1.6EV
- Chr. aberration 3µm
Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM
Portrait photographers who are looking for a solidly built and reliable 85mm lens for the Canon RF mount will appreciate the RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM Lens. Despite a surprisingly affordable price tag, this lens features optical image stabilization of up to 5 stops and a 12-pin communication system for speedy AF response times.
While it’s billed as a macro lens, the maximum aperture of f/2 is perfect for many portrait applications. Photographers will love the subtle bokeh effect at wider apertures, thanks to this lens’ nine-blade circular aperture.
A lens control ring on the barrel offers photographers a variety of customization opportunities. You can program the ring to adjust shutter speed, ISO, aperture, exposure compensation, and other commonly used settings.
Key Specifications:
- Focal Length: 85mm
- Aperture Range: f/2 – f/16
- Lens Mount: Canon RF
- Minimum Focus Distance: 1.14′ (0.35m)
- Weighs: 1.10 lbs (500g)
Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM
For many photographers, image stabilization is a must. Fortunately, Canon’s 85mm f/1.4L IS USM lens for full-frame DSLRs offers up to four stops of image stabilization. Whether you’re photographing a bride getting ready in a dim hotel or capturing headshots during blue hour, this lens makes the impossible possible.
With a maximum aperture of f/1.4, your portraits will depict gorgeously soft bokeh while maintaining a tack-sharp subject. The inner focusing ring features an ultrasonic motor, so autofocusing is quick, efficient, and nearly silent.
If you’re looking for a reliable DSLR portrait lens that will help you master any lighting scenario, this is the perfect choice for you.
Key Specifications:
- Focal Length: 85mm
- Aperture Range: f/1.4 – f/22
- Lens Mount: Canon EF
- Minimum Focus Distance: 33.4″ / 85cm
- Weighs: 33.4oz (950g)
Zeiss 85mm f/1.5 Planar T* ZE
Overview: With a distortion-free performance (thanks to a 9-blade circular aperture) and nearly circular diaphragm design, the manual focus Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 Planar T* is an updated classic. It focuses down to 3.3 feet, has 6 elements in 5 groups, and takes 72mm filters.
Web reviews: The lens’s resolution surprised SLR Lens Review, which noted that the Planar “Planar seems to best Leica’s Summilux at its widest apertures”—high praise—and calls the Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 Planar “one of my all-time favorite portrait lenses.” The Digital Picture says that if you do not need autofocus, then ” you will not likely find a better-built 85mm lens for your purposes.”
Key Specifications:
- Sharpness 14P-Mpix
- Transmission 1.6TStop
- Distortion 0%
- Vignetting -1.4EV
- Chr. aberration 9µm
Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM DS
Photographers are greedy when it comes to light. More light means sharper photos, faster shutter speeds, and more certainty that we can get our shot every single time. Canon’s RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS Lens benefits from a super-wide maximum aperture so you can soak up as much light as you need.
While many of the specifications for this lens are similar to the first lens we mentioned on this list, the most amazing part of this lens is the new DS technology. DS, or Defocus Smoothing, means that areas that are out of focus are more gradual and smoother. The result is bokeh is more impressive, more natural, and more eye-catching.
If you were waiting to upgrade from an older Canon 85mm lens, now is the time to snap up this impressive model.
Key Specifications:
- Focal Length: 85mm
- Aperture Range: f/1.2 – f/16
- Lens Mount: Canon RF
- Minimum Focus Distance: 2.79′ (85cm)
- Weighs: 2.63 lb (1.19kg)
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM ART
If you’re looking for a powerful third-party 85mm lens, then Sigma’s 85mm f/1.4DG HSM ART lens is worthy of your consideration. Sigma’s Art Series is known for producing beautiful images with excellent sharpness and minimal distortion, aberration, and ghosting.
Though it lacks features like the image stabilization found in some of the more expensive lenses on this list, the price tag is competitive considering all it has to offer.
A newly designed HSM provides fantastic autofocus control while special low-dispersion glass ensures a clear image from corner to corner. The construction of the lens integrates 14 lens elements in 12 groups for heightened resolution, even when combined with 50+MP DSLRs.
Finally, a water and oil-repellent coating protects both the front and rear lens elements from smudges, streaks, and fingerprints.
Key Specifications:
- Focal Length: 85mm
- Aperture Range: f/1.4 – f/16
- Lens Mount: Canon EOS
- Minimum Focus Distance: 33.5″ (85cm)
What is an 85mm Lens Good for?
Canon 85mm lenses are great for most portrait photography applications. They’re a useful addition to your camera bag for shooting weddings, family portraits, actor or corporate headshots, or when shooting portraits of any other variety.
One of the other great benefits of an 85mm lens is that you can also use it for dozens of other kinds of subjects as situations arise. Do you need to photograph the wedding cake? An 85mm lens will work perfectly. Did you happen upon an engaging street photography scene? Your Canon 85mm lens can handle that, too.
As with any portrait lens for Canon cameras, it’s helpful to remember that your lenses are far more versatile than you may initially think. Investing in a wide-aperture, high-quality 85mm lens isn’t just about shooting portraits, it’s about knowing that you have a fantastic lens at your disposal no matter what subject crosses your photographic path.
How Far Can an 85mm Lens Shoot?
One common misconception about using different lenses is that a certain focal length will only shoot effectively at a set distance.
You can use any of the different lenses in your kit at just about any distance, provided you’re not trying to focus on something very close to you. If your 85mm lens is advertised to work with a macro lens, then you can focus on very close objects as well as distant ones.
While an 85mm lens can successfully photograph any subject from near to far, you’ll need to be between 3 and 10 feet away from your subject if you want to fill most of the frame with their face or body.
The longer you work with a lens, the easier it will be for you to anticipate the magnification of your subject in the frame. Eventually, you’ll naturally stand the perfect distance from your portrait subject to keep all the important details in your shot.
Is an 85mm Lens Worth Buying?
If you’re looking for a great portrait lens for Canon cameras, you’ll hear photographers talk most frequently about 50mm lenses and 85mm lenses. Many photographers swear by a 50mm lens for shooting portraits and a variety of other subjects because they are often inexpensive and provide beautiful bokeh at wide apertures like f/1.4 or f/1.8.
With a 50mm lens already in your kit, you may wonder if an 85mm lens is worth it. Purchasing an 85mm lens will give you many of the same benefits of a 50mm lens with one big difference: distance to your subject.
Sometimes, like during a wedding ceremony or when working with small kids, it’s hard to get closer to your subject. An 85mm lens lets you fill more of the frame, take advantage of full detail and wide apertures, and get your shot even if you can’t get as close to your subject as you’d like.
The Takeaway
Overview: 85mm lenses offer fantastic versatility for both still photography and videography. The lenses mentioned above represent the best of the best for Canon portrait photographers who crave fantastic detail, reliable focusing, and pleasing bokeh.
Whether you aim to splurge on the brand-new Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM DS Lens, or prefer the more modest price tag of the Samyang 85mm f/1.4 Manual Focus Aspherical Lens for Canon, you have plenty of options to choose from. These robust lens selections will deliver detail-rich, nuanced portraits for years to come.
