IRIX EF 45mm f/1.4 Review

The Canon IRIX 45mm f/1.4 is a big, heavy, manual-focus prime lens. It's built for one thing: taking sharp, beautiful photos with fantastic background blur on a full-frame Canon camera. Forget about video, travel, or autofocus. This is a specialist's tool.

The optical performance is solid, landing in the 71st percentile. The bokeh is its star feature, sitting in the 89th percentile, and that f/1.4 aperture is great for low light. But the autofocus percentile is a 49, which makes sense because it doesn't have any. You're focusing manually every single time. The build quality is also surprisingly low for a lens this heavy, ranking in just the 16th percentile.

At $595, this lens asks a lot. You're paying for the optical formula and that f/1.4 aperture, but you're giving up autofocus, stabilization, and any semblance of portability. If you absolutely need this specific focal length and speed on a budget, maybe. But for most people, that's a tough sell for a manual-only lens.

Compared to the Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 or the Meike 55mm f/1.8, the IRIX is heavier, manual-only, and more expensive. Those third-party options offer autofocus for similar or less money. The IRIX's main advantage is its specific 45mm focal length and slightly faster aperture, but you trade away everything else. It also can't touch the versatility of a zoom like the Panasonic 14-140mm.

Buy this only if you're a dedicated portrait shooter on a Canon DSLR who loves manual focus and doesn't mind carrying a brick. For everyone else, especially anyone who values autofocus or wants to shoot video, there are better and lighter options out there.