Canon RF 85mm F/1.2 USM L

Specifications01

MountCANON RF

Focal length85mm

Max aperturef/1.2

TypeCinema · Portrait · Telephoto · Prime

Weight1195 g

Filter size82 mm

Physical length117.3 mm

Min focus distance0.85 m

Max magnification0.1205

Aperture blades9

Optical elements13

Groups9

Lens hoodbarrel-shaped (bayonet mount, supplied)

Sensor coverage43.3 mm

Additional Info02

SpecialL USM

Category["Canon","Canon RF"]

Keywords["Canon","Prime","Tele"]

Review AuthorKlaus

Other Featuresweather sealing, configurable control ring, fluorine coating

Review VerdictAs far as sheer optical capabilities are concerned, the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 USM L is nothing short of outstanding. It is one of the best - if not the best - lenses that we tested to date. The resolution is outlandish, especially considering its extreme max aperture. Most lenses out there would consider themselves to be fortunate if they could deliver a peak performance similar to what the RF 85mm f/1.2 delivers at f/1.2 already. Lateral CAs are negligible and image distortions are basically non-existent. There is some vignetting in RAW images but that's just normal for such a lens and can be corrected in-camera or in post-processing. In terms of bokeh, there are two schools of thinking. If it's about the capability of producing as much object separation and background/foreground blur as possible, it doesn't get any better. When looking a bit more into the details, there are a few imperfections though. The lens doesn't love hard contrasts in the (rear) focus transition zone. To be fair here - you probably won't notice this is most scenes. Out-of-focus highlights are nicely rendered. However, if you ask yours truly whether to buy this lens or the RF 85mm f/1.2 USM L DS, he'd go for the latter one. Nothing beats a creamy bokeh more but a creamier one - but that's also a matter of taste, of course. Bokeh fringing is very well controlled albeit not totally absent at f/1.2. The build quality of the lens is excellent but we expected no less in this price class. Canon used quality materials and it is, of course, dust- and moisture-resistant. The focus ring is very smooth and the added control-ring is a plus if you want to control e.g. the aperture on the lens as well. That all being said - this is also a brick of a lens. It's not overly long but "fat". And it's heavy - 1.2kg heavy - which can limit the fun factor a bit if you have to carry it all day besides all your other gear. The AF is pretty fast for such a lens although it's not "instant. Some may also miss an image stabilizer - after all Canon was able to fit one into the EF 85mm f/1.4 USM L IS. However, the centering quality tends to be better on non-IS lenses and you can now get in-camera IS anyway. Highly recommended ... of course! If you'd like to support our work, please consider shopping for this or other lenses via one of the following partners: * Amazon US * Amazon Europe * B&H US * Adorama US * KEH US (used gear)

Review Published2020-07-09T02:46:00+00:00

Optical Construction13 elements in 9 groups including 3x aspherical, 1xUD, 1xBR elements

Field Notes02

Canon RF 85mm F/1.2 USM L is a fast prime lens for portrait and low-light use, providing a wide maximum aperture of f/1.2. Designed for Canon RF mirrorless cameras.

AI-assisted summary — verify against linked sources

Catalog note · source: opticallimits