Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS - Review

Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM - DSLR Lens with IS Capability, Black - 2271C002: A Must-Have for Portrait Photography

If you are a professional photographer or an enthusiast looking for a lens that can take your portrait photography to the next level, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM is definitely worth considering. With its large, bright f/1.4 aperture, image stabilization at up to 4 stops of shake correction, and GMo aspherical lens with Air Sphere Coating Technology, this lens has everything you need to capture stunning, sharp images with beautiful bokeh.

First Impressions

As soon as I received the Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM, I was impressed with the build quality and design. This lens is a part of Canon's prestigious L-series, which means that it is built with the highest quality materials and craftsmanship. The matte black finish gives it a sleek and professional look, while the wide focus ring and smoothly operating zoom ring make it easy to handle and adjust.

Image Quality

When it comes to image quality, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM truly shines. The large f/1.4 aperture and 14 elements in 10 groups make it incredibly versatile, allowing you to capture stunning portraits with a shallow depth of field or sharp landscapes with a wide depth of field. The aspherical lens with Air Sphere Coating Technology helps to reduce glare and minimize ghosting, resulting in images that are incredibly clear and detailed.

One of the standout features of this lens is its Image Stabilization (IS) capability. With up to 4 stops of shake correction, you can capture sharp images even in low light situations or when using slower shutter speeds. This makes it ideal for handheld photography and allows you to capture stunning images without having to lug around a cumbersome tripod.

Performance

The Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM is incredibly fast and responsive, thanks to the Ultrasonic Motor (USM) and high-speed CPU that work together to provide silent and accurate autofocus. I was impressed with how quickly it was able to lock onto my subjects, even when shooting in low light conditions. The lens also has full-time manual focus, which allows you to make fine adjustments to the focus without having to switch out of autofocus mode.

Usability

As someone who has been using Canon lenses for years, I found the Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM to be incredibly easy to use and adjust. The wide focus and zoom rings are smooth and easy to rotate, which makes it simple to fine-tune your focus and framing. The lens also has a distance scale and depth-of-field scale, which makes it easy to adjust to different shooting situations.

Customer Reviews

Don't just take my word for it – the Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM has a stellar rating on Canon's website, with an average score of 4.7 out of 5 stars across 213 reviews. Many of the reviewers praised the lens for its beautiful bokeh and sharp image quality, with one reviewer calling it "one of Canon's best prime lenses." Others were impressed with how well the Image Stabilization worked, even when shooting handheld in difficult conditions.

Conclusion

Overall, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM is an incredibly versatile and high-performing lens that is ideal for portrait photography, landscapes, and other shooting situations where you want to capture stunning, sharp images with beautiful bokeh. With its large f/1.4 aperture, IS capability, and GMo aspherical lens with Air Sphere Coating Technology, it is definitely worth the investment for professional photographers and enthusiasts alike. If you are looking for a lens that can take your photography to the next level, I highly recommend giving the Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM a try.

Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS

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