Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM - Review

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens: A Portraitist's Dream

If you're a Canon shooter, you know the importance of having a good portrait lens in your gear kit. And when it comes to portrait photography, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens is definitely one of the best options out there. With a maximum aperture of f/1.8, this lens is designed to offer beautiful background blur, making it perfect for capturing natural and stunning portraits.

Build Quality and Design

The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM is built solidly with a durable plastic body and Canon’s trademark quality design. It measures 3 inches in diameter and 2.8 inches long, making it a compact lens that you can easily carry around for your portrait shoots. Weighing just 15 ounces, the lens is also reasonably light, so you won’t feel weighed down while shooting.

Focal Length and Image Quality

This lens is a fixed medium telephoto lens, and its focal length is ideal for portrait photography. With an 85mm focal length, the lens has a natural angle of view and perspective that is perfect for capturing portraits and natural images. And with a maximum aperture of f/1.8, you get a shallow depth of field that beautifully separates your subject from the surrounding environment.

One of the best features of the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM is its ability to produce stunning images with exceptional clarity and detail. Images captured with this lens are sharp, with excellent color accuracy, and have a pleasing bokeh effect. The lens also performs exceptionally well in low-light conditions, which makes it a great choice for indoor portrait shoots or evening events.

Autofocus Performance

The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM also comes with Canon’s ring-type ultrasonic motor (USM) which allows for fast and accurate autofocus performance. The autofocus is quiet and smooth, which is especially important when taking portraits. Focus accuracy is crucial in portrait photography, and this lens delivers on that front, which is a testament to its build quality and design.

Compatibility and Limitations

This lens is designed for Canon SLR cameras and is compatible with both full-frame and APS-C sensor cameras. However, it's important to note that this lens is not zoomable. This means that you'll have to move around physically to frame your shots, but this limitation is easily overcome thanks to the lens's excellent image quality.

One downside to the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM is the closest focusing distance of 2.8 feet, which can sometimes make it difficult to capture full-body shots of subjects. But this limitation is hardly a deal-breaker, particularly when you consider the excellent image quality and autofocus performance of this lens.

Conclusion

Overall, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM is an excellent lens for portrait photography. It produces stunning image quality, has a natural perspective, and is easy to use thanks to its fast and accurate autofocus. Its compact size, design, and performance make it an essential for professional photographers, particularly for those who regularly shoot portraits. With a 1-year warranty and a 4.7 out of 5-star rating on Amazon from over 2,227 customers, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM is not only a reliable option but also a great investment.

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

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