Yourlensreview - Lens - Canon EF 85 F/1.8 USM

- Relatively cheap (€350,-)
- Sharp at 1.8, stunning from 2/2.2 onwards
- Fast auto focus
- Compact
- Sturdy build, no L, but it can take a beating

- Some CA wide open

I really have been in doubt wether to get me the 85LII or this little thing. In retrospect, I really am glad I went for the 1.8. The auto focus of the L was just too slow, bothersome to say the least. Not to mention the utterly useless manual focus at the L - the focus by wire just totally sucks.

This little thing does 90% of what the L does for 20% of the price. Yes, the L delivers less DOF, more contrast and it's sharper at the same aperture (it showed the same characteristics though, stopping down just a little made great improvement.). But thing little thing is sharp wide open and it becomes mad at 2.2+. Bokeh is just sublime, on par with my 70-200.

I bought it to complement my 70-200/2.8LIS, so I was a bit afraid it wouldn't give me enough advantages so that the 85 would stay in the bag.... Well, actually, it does give you added value. Today, I had to photograph some shy students, the 70-200 would have been too large... by far. Because the 85 is so small, they didn't notice me as much and the didn't expect the reach from such a small lens. The 85L would have been less discrete, a big disadvantage to me.

It turned out great. This thing is a gem, optically good - very good, small and compact. Took some great photos with it today :) The isolation the 70-200 gives, but at a shorter focal length, that's why it works for me.

All the sample shots are default Lightroom 1.2 conversions. No added contrast or sharpening.

- Very sharp, beautifull wide open but really stunning at 2.2 and smaller
- Bokeh is just perfect, even with a difficult background.
- Very little CA
- Low weight/profile
- Fast and silent focus, very accurate

It is 85mm, you like it or you dislike it, I do like it.

This lens is great bang for the buck, it's very cheap for the performance it offers. Sharp and very usable wide-open and it gets better when stopped down just 1 stop. Little CA but it can produce it if you ask for it. (See last sample image).

It's made of durable plastic. I've compared my new lens with the show-model at a very large photography-store and it's just the same. That lens looked like it was used alot but didn't show any signs of wear; So even thou it's not an L-lens, it should do very well.

I will always carry this lens with me, a perfect addition to my 70-200/4L when there is little light or when I need the shallow DOF.

Highly recommended if you do any portrait-work or just like the shallow DOF for this focal length.