Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens USA
The Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens is a highly practical medium telephoto lens with superb delineation and portability. Images are sharp and clear at all apertures. Through computer simulations, the lens has been designed to give beautiful background blur. Since the front lens group does not rotate during focusing, special filter effects are not affected.
Note! Lens is compatible with full frame format cameras.
Go To
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Focal Length | 85 mm |
| Aperture |
Maximum: f/1.8 Minimum: f/22 |
| Camera Mount Type | Canon EF |
| Format Compatibility |
35mm Film / Full-Frame Digital Sensor Canon (APS-C) |
| Angle of View | 28° |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 2.79' (85 cm) |
| Magnification | 0.13x |
| Maximum Reproduction Ratio | 1:7.69 |
| Groups/Elements | 7/9 |
| Diaphragm Blades | 8 |
| Features | |
|---|---|
| Image Stabilization | No |
| Autofocus | Yes |
| Tripod Collar | No |
| Physical | |
|---|---|
| Filter Thread | 58 mm |
| Dimensions (DxL) | Approx. 3.0 x 2.8" (7.62 x 7.11 cm) |
| Weight | 14.99 oz (425 g) |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 941 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
99%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Fast / accurate auto-focus (851)
- Consistent output (502)
- Lightweight (488)
- Nice bokeh (452)
- Easily interchangeable (427)
Cons
- Heavy (58)
- Slow focus (26)
- Weak casing (17)
- Blurry focus (9)
- Chromatic aberration (9)
Best Uses
- Low light (500)
- Weddings (426)
- Sports/action (284)
- Portraits (263)
- Night photography (233)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Photo enthusiast (244), Semi-pro photographer (231), Pro photographer (134), Enthusiast (85), Semi-professional (77)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (487), Yes (28)
Most Liked Positive Review
I think they forgot the red stripe
Wow, am I glad I bought this lens. I used to be all about zooms until I discovered the joys of wide apertures. I had my 50/1.8 always on my 30D until this...Read complete review
Wow, am I glad I bought this lens. I used to be all about zooms until I discovered the joys of wide apertures. I had my 50/1.8 always on my 30D until this came along. Although I’d been wanting something more wide angle, I needed a portrait and sports lens more. A lot of people talk about walk around lenses and this lens is fine for me. I can always find an interesting way to shoot something with being able to have the nice DoF control of 1.8. Indoors, the 1.6x camera crop makes it a bit long for anything but upper body portraits, but obviously you can do the math on that before getting this beauty.Its size is very nice. It’s about as long as the camera is thick, so it’s very compact and light but it still feels really solid. I dropped this lens (attached to my 30D) from waist height right on its front onto a snowy sidewalk. Aside from some dings, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. I’ve also had it out in the snow where it’s gotten pretty soaked and there are no issues whatsoever. I thought for sure that the focusing ring would be a little harder to turn, but it’s just like new still. The USM truly is next to silent as well. AF is about twice as fast as the 50/1.8 and about half as fast as the 70-200/2.8, which I expected just based on the prices. (I base this off of how easily the lens focuses on something in the background of what I’m shooting and back to the subject itself in AI Servo). I think my 30D might need to be calibrated, or lowlight AF is just not too good on the 30D because I was shooting indoor cycling and I was pretty let down that very few of my shots were sharp. Outside, AF is great and I’ve shot passing cars wide open and they’re very sharp.It’s nice that the 50/1.8 is so cheap, but having full time manual focusing is so nice on my 85 (and every other Canon EF lens). I find f/1.8 on my 85mm to require manual focusing at close distances because I don’t want any misfocused shots. I’m actually trying to not rely on AF as much because manually focusing makes me slow down and compose better. Plus, close up portraits wide open need the attention so you get the eyes in perfect focus. The bokeh is nice and lights are very round.I think this stacks up VERY well against L glass, especially for the price. Of course the 85/1.2 is an experience of its own that I haven’t had. I couldn’t think of any way to improve this lens and it has never let me down. I got it for [$]on a rebate from Canon and it’s already paid for itself a couple times. That makes me VERY happy. Just try to find someone that doesn’t recommend this lens.Here are some of my best examples of its sharpness and bokeh[@]
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Good Prime for portrait, not perfect
I bought this prime mainly for portrait and close up of people/animals/objects. The lens is very fast and light, the assembly is of good quality and overall is a good bang for ...Read complete review
I bought this prime mainly for portrait and close up of people/animals/objects. The lens is very fast and light, the assembly is of good quality and overall is a good bang for your bucks (in the range of $400-$450). I'm really happy about its sharpness and it's very fun to use, the colors of the subjects are nice and the contrast is perfect. Overall, a good lens and it gives all you would expect from it.
What it really disappoints me is a very bad purple fringing and a very bad chromatic aberration around small details, particularly in high contrast and high luminosity situations. They say that stepping the aperture helps reducing these well-known defects, but as far as I can say, they are still annoying up to f4.0 in a consistent number of pictures, so this is an annoying defect that spoils the evaluation what is, apart from that, an excellent lens. I'm happy of the purchase, but there is margin of improvement.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 941 customers
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Displaying reviews 1-20
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Pros
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
- Purple fringing wide open
Best Uses
- Portraits
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
I use the 85 1.8 as a portrait lens on a Canon 7D. For this purpose, it is a fine lens, giving good bokeh and being acceptably sharp wide open. I was debating getting this and a Sigma 1.4, but the price of the Sigma is much higher, and the focusing on Canon bodies seems to be hit and miss.
I have not tried this lens for indoor sports yet, but it has good reviews for that. Compared to my 50 1.8 lens, it is much faster and more reliable. Compared to my Canon 24-105L IS and 70-200 2.8L IS, the AF is quick, but around the same.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Fast
- Rugged
- Sharp
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Sports/Action
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
This lens is hard to beat for the price. OK ... it's not an L lens. But you'd be hard pressed to prove it in everyday shooting. Nice sharpness, especially in the mid f/stops. Nice length for portraits and everyday kind of shooting. The 1.8 is especially nice for a lens in this range (and this price). Very helpful if you're shooting indoor sports. What you lose in reach you make up for by getting to reduce your ISO. Although it does put a premium on getting the focus right.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Night Photography
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
Smooth operation,fast and sharp!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Nice Bokeh
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Sports/Action
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
purchased mainly for portraits and occasional basketball pics. I was so shocked by the beatiful bokeh (which I have read about). You have to see it in person to appreciate it. For indoor sports you will have to be close to the action and have ideal lighting which most gyms do not to get spectacular indoor sports pics. I will be saving my pennies for a 135 f/2 for that.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Blurry Focus
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
I bought this lens and thought I did the research on it but I must of missed the mark. I think its sole purpose is portraits but for me it is not wide enough. It is a smooth lens just slow focus. All in my opion. Takes nice pictures.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
- Color Fringe
Best Uses
- Portraits
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
I bought this lens to get those portraits with that creamy bokeh that just melts. It delivers on that at 1/5 of the cost of the 1.2.
The only issue I have with it is extremely bad purple color fringing on high contrast areas. It gets ridiculous if you take a picture of a bare tree limbs on a blown out sky.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Sports/Action
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
This lens is terrific for 5th grade basketball in dark gymnasiums. Very fast shutter speeds freeze action. The background blur is beautiful. My first time using it, and the other parents wanted copies of the photos.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Durable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Nice Bokeh
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Difficult to Clean
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Sports/Action
- Video
- Weddings/Events
- Wildlife Photos
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
What I can say about this is awesome. This is a must have lens. You dont have to pay more than $2000 for the 1.2 version unless you are rich. It sharp and performs as well as the 1.2
Pros:
Light weight
Good construction
Sharp
Fast
Cheap
Cons:
Doesn't come with lens hood and case.
Easy to let dust get in.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Night Photography
- Sports/Action
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
Leave your big, heavy, inaccurately-focusing zoom lens at home and put this baby on your camera. It is just the right size and weight to balance perfectly on my 5D classic. The focus is accurate, the images are sharp and the bokeh is wonderful. Use it wide open for outdoor portraits or stop it down for scenics.
If you like to use manual focus, you will like this lens a lot more than most modern lenses. The focus ring moves smoothly and has a long range of motion to allow precise focus.
Since the mechanism is much simpler than the problem-prone zoom lenses, the chances of getting a lemon are very low.
This is a good lens for an artist who wants L-lens optics and function, but does not need the high price, water sealing, and ultra-heavy constuction.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Night Photography
- Sports/Action
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
I bought this lens after reading so many positive reviews about it.. It seems to be well constructed and feels very solid...I was blown away after seeing the shots I took with this 85mm from both my Canon 40D and 5D Mark 2.. Very sharp and good contrast.. Every bit as good as my 17-40mm Canon L lens.. The 85mm 1.8 is an L lens without the red stripe and missing the big price tag as well.. Another positive I should mention..I saved 150 dollars buying from B@H even after paying tax.etc to Canada.. Very happy with this experience.. Happy New Year everyone..
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Sports/Action
- Wildlife Photos
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
great for portrait
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Excellent manual focus
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
Cons
- None whatsoever
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Night Photography
- Sports/Action
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
I expected this lens to be sharp, but I was pleasantly surprised to see how nicely the manual focus ring works. Many modern lenses are intended to be used in autofocus mode and are difficult to manually focus due to a short range of rotation or lack of smoothness in the focus ring. Not so with this lens.
Autofocus works quite nicely too, of course. This really is a lovely lens. Perfect for portraits on a full frame camera. Might be good for indoor sports and wedding candids too. Wish all my Canon lenses worked as well as this one.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Beautiful Color
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Ease of Use
- Great background blur
- Lightweight
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Sports/Action
- Weddings/Events
- Wildlife Photos
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
A few years ago I advanced from canon point and shoot to a canon 60d slr. I have learned that a camera is in large part as good as the lenses you buy for it. For those people who don't have unlimited funds to spend on lenses, I was thrilled with the price and the function of this lens. Tood basketball game photos with it the day I bought it. WOW is all I can say. Portraits fabulous also.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Images shared by Deb the Canon gal
First time using this lens - sample photo
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Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Nice Bokeh
- Rugged
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
This is a superb lens! I use the Canon 85mm f/1.8 USM Autofocus Lens primarily for pet and portrait/candid photography, and am thrilled with clarity and sharp lines it produces. The large aperture produces images with fantastic bokeh, but be careful at f/1.8 as it renders images with a very shallow depth of field. Durable construction adds to the pros of this lens. You can feel the quality when just holding it in your hand. A must-have prime lens for the portrait photographers bag. Worth every cent!
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Images shared by K
Sandi
Images shared by K
Chuey
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Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easily Interchangeable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Nice Bokeh
- Rugged
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Heavy
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Night Photography
- Portraits
- Sports/Action
- Weddings/Events
- Wildlife Photos
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
How do you say perfect? f1.8... YES, thats right! This lens is a masterpiece. Not only for the quality, but for the affordability as well. If you are on a crop-sensor camera it's great because it's going to get you the 136mm that is the "PERFECT" length lens for portraits! This was proven by people a lot smarter than me.
If you are on a FULL-FRAME camera it's going to be great as well.
NO MOVING PARTS
FAST AND NEARLY SILENT FOCUSING!
VERY SHARPE!!
Oh, I almost forgot...
The only problem with this lens is that it's not versatile, which is why I will be returning it and getting the 24-70 f2.8
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
I use this for video! Beautiful performance!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Easily Interchangeable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
- Rugged
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Portraits
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
Love it so far. Great in low light, great bokeh, fantastic portrait lens!
- Was this a gift?:
- Yes
Pros
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Night Photography
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
My favorite lens!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Images shared by shannonzahnle
at like, 2.8 or something, maybe
Images shared by shannonzahnle
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- You may also flag this review
Pros
- Easily Interchangeable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Lightweight
- Nice Bokeh
- Strong Construction
Cons
- No Image Stabilization
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Landscape/Scenery
- Weddings/Events
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
I am a self-taught photographer, and was trying to find a relatively inexpensive lens that would be fun to experiment with, good in low lighting, and just something different than what came in my basic lens kit.
After much research I found this little gem.
This lens, has been a really fun to work with. So far I was able to shoot at an event with VERY low (RED) lighting was still able to get pretty decent pictures!
It doesn't have an image stabilization... which makes it more of a challenge! I tend to have a steady hand so it hasn't been too bad.
It has also been a great lens for portraits! Highly recommend!
- Was this a gift?:
- No
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Images shared by Julie the Self Taught Photog
Dog Portrait- Low Lighting
Images shared by Julie the Self Taught Photog
Dangerous Pies- Low Lighting
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- You may also flag this review
Pros
- Consistent Output
- Durable
- Fast / accurate auto-focus
- Nice Bokeh
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Indoors/Low Light
- Night Photography
- Video
- Weddings/Events
- Wildlife Photos
Comments about Canon 85mm f/1.8 EF USM Autofocus Lens:
Beautiful picture, fast focus, excellent DOF.
- Was this a gift?:
- No
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What's in the Box
- 58mm Snap-On Lens Cap
- Lens Dust Cap E (Rear)
- 1-Year Warranty
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