Canon Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens Review

The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM is a classic portrait lens. It's been around for years, and for good reason. It gives you that flattering, compressed look with a nice, bright f/1.8 aperture to blur backgrounds. This is a no-frills, get-the-job-done lens. It's built for full-frame Canon DSLRs, so it's a solid, chunky piece of glass that feels reliable in your hands.

The optical performance is solid for the price. That f/1.8 aperture lands in the 77th percentile, so you get great background separation and decent low-light ability. The bokeh quality is also good, sitting in the 74th percentile. But the autofocus is just okay, ranking in the 47th percentile. It's not the fastest or quietest by today's standards, and it hunts a bit in low light. There's no image stabilization either, so you'll need steady hands or good light.

This lens is all about value. You're getting that classic 85mm portrait look without breaking the bank. Prices float between $499 and $600 depending on the vendor, so shop around. At the lower end, it's a fantastic deal. At $600, you start to wonder if you should look at newer options. But for pure portrait shooting on a budget, it's hard to beat.

Compared to newer third-party options, it's a trade-off. A lens like the Meike 55mm F1.8 Pro might have faster, quieter autofocus and sometimes stabilization, but it's a different focal length. The Viltrox 35mm f1.7 is wider and often cheaper, but it won't give you the same flattering compression for headshots. This Canon lens is a known quantity. It's not the most versatile or high-tech, but it does one thing very well for a fair price.

Buy this if you shoot portraits on a Canon DSLR and want a reliable, affordable prime lens. It's perfect for headshots, half-body shots, and events where you can control the distance. Don't buy it if you need fast, silent autofocus for video, or if you shoot in bad weather often. It's a specialist, not a generalist.