---
product_id: 1142913
title: "Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras - Fixed"
brand: "canon"
price: "R21246"
currency: ZAR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
category: "Canon"
url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/1142913-canon-ef-85mm-f-1-8-usm-medium-telephoto-lens
store_origin: ZA
region: South Africa
---

# Ring-type USM fast autofocus f/1.8 ultra-wide aperture 85mm fixed focal length Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras - Fixed

**Brand:** canon
**Price:** R21246
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 📸 Elevate your portraits with pro-level clarity and creamy bokeh — don’t miss the magic!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras - Fixed by canon
- **How much does it cost?** R21246 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/1142913-canon-ef-85mm-f-1-8-usm-medium-telephoto-lens)

## Best For

- canon enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted canon brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Low-Light Mastery:** Bright f/1.8 aperture captures sharp images with dreamy bokeh even in challenging lighting.
- • **Silent & Swift AF:** Ring-type Ultrasonic Motor ensures whisper-quiet, lightning-fast focus for decisive shots.
- • **Compact & Lightweight:** Only 15 oz and pocket-friendly size for effortless all-day shooting without fatigue.
- • **Filter-Friendly Design:** Non-rotating front element lets you use polarizers and specialty filters without hassle.
- • **Portrait-Perfect Compression:** 85mm focal length delivers flattering subject isolation and natural perspective.

## Overview

The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM is a lightweight, medium telephoto prime lens designed for Canon EF-mount SLRs. Featuring a fast f/1.8 aperture and ring-type ultrasonic motor, it delivers sharp, beautifully blurred portraits with quick, quiet autofocus. Its compact form and non-rotating front element make it ideal for creative filter use, while its affordable price point offers exceptional value for enthusiasts and professionals alike.

## Description

Product Description The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Standard & Medium Telephoto Lens is highly practical and ideal for a range of applications including portraiture. Its fast f/1.8 maximum aperture is effective in low light and ideal for shallow depth of field focus control. An ultrasonic autofocus motor (USM) provides fast, smooth and quiet AF action and because the front lens group does not rotate during focusing, polarizing and special filter effects can be used effectively. From the Manufacturer Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens.

Review: 8 Ultrasonic for a fraction of the price of the bigger and better lens. Just arrived a couple of days ago - I've been drooling so long for this lens's big brother, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L. After considering countless written reviews, comparisons and videos in YouTube, I decided to buy the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 Ultrasonic for a fraction of the price of the bigger and better lens. Just arrived a couple of days ago. Well packaged and immobilized inside a sturdy cardboard box used by desertcart for shipping and delivery. Its a question of money and timing. I know I'm going to upgrade my Canon EOS 6D body during later this year for either a new 6D Mark II (coming soon) or a 5D Mark IV. So by purchasing the f/1.8 I keep within my planned budget and can start to enjoy this lens. Another consideration is that I'm not a pro. I'm not making a living with my cameras. I've been a serious enthusiast photographer for over 4 decades which means I don't make but spend good money in photography gear within realistic limitations and great personal gratification. The consensus among photographers is that the smaller Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 is a good to excellent prime lens and a very good value for the price. Having the lens in my hand I can say this is a very decent prime glass, well built (not an "L" level), responsive, small and light. My preliminary evaluation is that the copy of the lens I received is focusing right and quick with my 6D. Its giving me crisp images with nice bokeh at f/2. So far so good. There are a number of other brands making good primes and maybe better lenses in this focal length. I'm giving this lens 5 stars not because it is the "best" 85mm. But for the high level of quality and the low price, Canon is giving us the option to buy a good solid lens with nice autofocus, crisp images and very good bokeh. I agree with the opinion that the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 Ultrasonic lens is one of the best values around so I gave it the 5th star. This doesn't mean that I'm not going to keep drooling for the bigger, heavier, brighter and special bokeh of the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L II prime lens. Also the rumor is that later this year Canon is going to release a new EF85mm f/1.4 L IS lens. :-)
Review: One of Canon's best for price/performance - The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 II USM lens is a moderate weight (15 oz), very well built lens. It does not come with the appropriate hood, the Canon ET-65 III. You get both a lens cap and a mount cap, all packed inside tight conformal foam to protect the lens during shipping. There's also a very brief manual and the usual warranty paperwork. The lens offers AF and manual focus, and allows manual focus even when AF is set to on, a very useful feature for low-light and other challenging focus situations. This is a USM lens, and as a direct consequence focus is fast and precise, just as you'd expect. The AF/Manual switch is in a reasonable location, close to the camera body. There is a range indication on the barrel of the lens behind a transparent window which serves to keep dust and debris out of the workings of the lens. Manual focus is controlled with a broad, easy to manage textured ring about mid-body on the lens. During focus, nothing external on the lens body moves or rotates, so there are no complications for using polarizing filters, and no concerns about the lens "pumping" air and so causing dust contamination in either the lens or camera with use. The lens lacks any form of image stabilization. IS is showing up in more and more lenses, though for the price... perhaps this is one of the justifications for building IS into the camera body. I'm sure that this design wouldn't be anywhere near its current price point with IS added to the build. One last point is that since the lens is a fairly fast design, perhaps there is less overall need for IS (though that argument falls completely apart the first time you *do* need it!) It takes a 58mm filter, though I highly recommend the use of the ET-65 III hood rather than a filter; filter use should be limited to polarizers, neutral density filters and so on, rather than keeping a filter on the lens with the idea of protecting it. Here's why: filters create a flat surface over the end of the lens that can (and often does) create low-level reflections. These are most apparent in low-light shots, but they are almost always there. In the case of a UV filter, no other benefit is gained (UV can't get through the lens system anyway) other than physical protection. The hood, however, keeps the lens out of harms way quite effectively, and it increases contrast and reduces flare at the same time by preventing light from entering the lens at high angles of attack. I have shot with both hoods and filters, and after decades of experience, I have to come down firmly on the side of hood technique. It only takes one shot ruined by a filter reflection to wake up to this reality; and hoods never, ever compromise an image. They're simply the best way to go. Finally, the hood for this lens is inexpensive, well worth the extra few dollars it costs. Aperture is controlled by an 8-blade system. The available f-stops range from f/1.8 wide open to f/22.0 fully stopped down. MTF (sharpness) peaks at f/5.6, and vignetting is almost gone by that setting. On my camera, an EOS 50D, resolution loss from diffraction effects begin at f/7.6, so in many ways, the "sweet spot" for this lens for me lands naturally at f/5.6. On a camera with a lesser sensel density such as the 40D, diffraction doesn't set in until higher f-stops, but you're beginning to lose sharpness from other effects, so I'd still call the sweet spot as f/5.6 (which also provides a fairly extensive depth of field) for shots where detail is the primary consideration. For portraits, you'll want to go right for f/1.8 if lighting conditions allow in order to take advantage of the shallow and pleasing DOF isolation this lens is famous for; background blur is very soft yet very strong, while the in focus region remains deep enough to keep the important features of the face in focus from ear to nose. The loss of MTF at f/1.8 is noticeable, especially once you get a feel for how the lens performs at f/5.6, but in my opinion, the compromise is perfectly acceptable in a portrait context. There's another benefit as well; at 85mm, and especially on a crop body like the 40D or 50D, this lens allows you to get some distance from your subject which tends to make them more comfortable, while giving you the modest compression that is the hallmark of any telephoto lens. Portraits "pop" and backgrounds blur away with commendable speed. Head-and-shoulders work will put you at about eight feet, and as the lens can focus down to just under three feet, this gives you considerable control over framing without ever running into a limit imposed by the lens design. This is also a truly excellent lens for not-very-wide field astrophotography, although at critical focus and maximum aperture, chromatic aberration will make itself felt on the brightest stars, which you will then have to compensate for. I have successfully used this lens to capture the the Orion nebula, Andromeda galaxy, Triangulum galaxy, and a number of other astro objects that range from the easy to the difficult, all using no more than a standard (non-tracking) tripod, this lens, and the EOS 50D. On a crop body, 85mm (136mm effective FOV) is definitely the place to be to compromise between star trailing and magnification, and the f/1.8 aperture allows fast enough exposures to eliminate trailing at ISO 1600 and above. I carry this lens nested in a large camera bag (a Tamrac 5612 Pro 12, *highly* recommended); I rarely put the lens on the camera until I am ready to use it, and when I am done, I take it right back off, cap it, and bag it without wasting any time or motion. I do both the assembly and disassembly "blind" in the bag, using the bag top to shield the camera and lens from the wind and environment as best I can manage. The lens has a raised alignment dot that makes blind assembly practical. It's the size of the overall investment that drives this behavior, of course; both the camera and a lens like this deserves -- demands -- good care and that is just what I try to provide. Physically speaking, this lens isn't as large as you might think. Canon did a great job of packing a lot of glass (nine elements in seven groups) into a decent form factor of 3" diameter by 2.8" long; even with the hood mounted, this lens provides a fraction of the intimidation factor of, for instance, the 70-200mm f/2.8L. But at 85mm, it can still "get in there" and catch a lot of action without forcing you to crop to extremes. It's light enough that you can shoot for quite a while before fatigue sets in, an issue that will rear its head in any situation that goes on a while, like a wedding or a play (and that low-light capability is great for stage work, where a flash annoys literally everyone.) Plus it is black, and so looks more like it is designed as part of the same camera system, unlike the L's with the white bodies. That's also less distracting in a dark theater. I can honestly say that this is definitely one of my favorite lenses. I have a fair collection of primes to compare it to, some of which are L glass, and I've got some great L zooms as well; yet for portraits, I inevitably turn to this specific lens as it outperforms everything else I own in the successful shooting methodologies I find myself returning to over and over. Frankly, at the price, I think it is perfectly fair to characterize this lens as a "must-have"; if you're ever going to shoot a portrait, trust me, this is the lens you want (even over the 85mm f/1.2L, which has far too narrow a depth of field for most reasonable portraiture, though you can't beat it for light-gathering.) Like Canon's 100mm f/2.8 macro lens, the 85mm f/1.8 is one of those where you're left scratching your head as to why it doesn't have an "L" designation. It is an outstanding performer. If Canon were to re-do this lens, I'd like to see them add image stabilization, and perhaps some modern anti-CA elements, as this is the one area where this lens occasionally bites the photographer in high-contrast situations. Until that day, though, this lens is unmatched by anything else in Canon's line for price/performance, and I can't imagine anyone ever regretting its purchase.

## Features

- 85 millimetre standard lens with f 1.8 maximum aperture for Canon SLR cameras, Lens Type:Telephoto Zoom Lens
- Ring-type ultra-sonic monitor (USM) brings subject quickly into focus, Focal length: 85 millimetre, closest focusing distance: 2.8 feet
- Natural angle of view and perspective is ideal for portraits and natural images
- Designed to produce beautiful background blur; weighs 15 ounces
- Measures 3 inches in diameter and 2.8 inches long; 1-year warranty. Refer User manual for troubleshooting steps.
- Lens not zoomable

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B00007GQLU |
| Best Sellers Rank | #990 in SLR Camera Lenses |
| Brand | Canon |
| Built-In Media | Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens, E-58U 58mm Snap-On Lens Cap, Lens Dust Cap E (Rear), Warranty |
| Camera Lens | Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras - Fixed |
| Camera Lens Description | Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras - Fixed |
| Color | Black |
| Compatible Camera Mount | Canon EF |
| Compatible Devices | Canon Cameras, Canon Digital SLRs |
| Compatible Mountings | Canon EF |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 2,343 Reviews |
| Exposure Control Type | Automatic |
| Focal Length Description | 85 |
| Focus Type | Ultrasonic |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00082966212901 |
| Has Self-Timer | No |
| Image stabilization | no image stabilization |
| Item Weight | 425 Grams |
| Lens | Telephoto |
| Lens Coating Description | Super Spectra Coating |
| Lens Design | Prime |
| Lens Fixed Focal Length | 85 Millimeters |
| Lens Mount | Canon EF |
| Lens Type | Telephoto |
| Manufacturer | Canon Cameras US |
| Maximum Aperture | 1.8 f |
| Maximum Focal Length | 85 Millimeters |
| Media Type | ProductImage |
| Minimum Aperture | 22 f |
| Minimum Focal Length | 85 Millimeters |
| Model Name | Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM |
| Number of Diaphragm Blades | 8 |
| Photo Filter Size | 58 Millimeters |
| Real Angle Of View | 0.31 Radians |
| Screen Size | 3 Inches |
| UPC | 763615733892 082966212901 |
| Warranty Description | 1 year coverage for labor, 1 year coverage for parts |
| Water Resistance Level | Not Water Resistant |
| Zoom Ratio | 1:1 |

## Product Details

- **Brand:** Canon
- **Camera Lens Description:** Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras - Fixed
- **Compatible Mountings:** Canon EF
- **Focal Length Description:** 85
- **Lens Type:** Telephoto

## Images

![Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras - Fixed - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81XPZ7sQqsL.jpg)
![Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras - Fixed - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71jYO14y7ZL.jpg)
![Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras - Fixed - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81o8oyhcqHL.jpg)
![Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras - Fixed - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71hu8kbLGQL.jpg)
![Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens for Canon SLR Cameras - Fixed - Image 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41wmG5ltF2L.jpg)

## Available Options

This product comes in different **Style** options.

## Questions & Answers

**Q: So many reviews! Can someone semi pro tell me if this focal distance is worth the purchase if you already own the canon 50mm f 1.4? I have a 7D and a full frame 5D and I use the 50mm on both. I am looking to gain that "better bokeh" mainly. Thoughts? Thank you!!**
A: This is one of my favorite primes that I own. It not only has a really nice bokeh, and great contrast and color rendering. But it also has a very flattering perspective. It also makes most peoples faces look a bit better. Something about 85mm makes the face a little skinnier, while also compressing the area that is in focus a bit. 
It's heavier than most other 'Ultrasonic' EF primes. But this just makes it balance well on a 5D, 6D or 7D. 
Until you step up to L series you will have to deal with a bit of chromatic aberation and vignetting. Though that is a simple task if shooting raw. 
The 50mm is a bit more natural perspective compared to 85. But you also have to get right up on a subject with it. 
The 85 lets you get a similar shot from a few more feet away, which makes the subject more comfortable.

**Q: Does it come with the lens hood ?**
A: Comes with The Rear Cap and Front Cap.... No Hood...

**Q: Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM or Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM? What distances can you shoot from the subject for each (trying to determine best for my needs)?**
A: Closest focusing distance is 0.85m or 2.8 ft. for the 85mm f/1.8 and the closest focusing distance for the 50mm f/1.8 is 1.15 ft. or 0.35m. Depends on your style of shooting but the 85mm f/1.8 it's better for portrait.

**Q: Comptible con Canon 90D?**
A: Yes.  I have the Canon 90D and is what I use it on.  Have had no problems.

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 8 Ultrasonic for a fraction of the price of the bigger and better lens. Just arrived a couple of days ago
*by L***O on April 12, 2017*

I've been drooling so long for this lens's big brother, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L. After considering countless written reviews, comparisons and videos in YouTube, I decided to buy the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 Ultrasonic for a fraction of the price of the bigger and better lens. Just arrived a couple of days ago. Well packaged and immobilized inside a sturdy cardboard box used by Amazon for shipping and delivery. Its a question of money and timing. I know I'm going to upgrade my Canon EOS 6D body during later this year for either a new 6D Mark II (coming soon) or a 5D Mark IV. So by purchasing the f/1.8 I keep within my planned budget and can start to enjoy this lens. Another consideration is that I'm not a pro. I'm not making a living with my cameras. I've been a serious enthusiast photographer for over 4 decades which means I don't make but spend good money in photography gear within realistic limitations and great personal gratification. The consensus among photographers is that the smaller Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 is a good to excellent prime lens and a very good value for the price. Having the lens in my hand I can say this is a very decent prime glass, well built (not an "L" level), responsive, small and light. My preliminary evaluation is that the copy of the lens I received is focusing right and quick with my 6D. Its giving me crisp images with nice bokeh at f/2. So far so good. There are a number of other brands making good primes and maybe better lenses in this focal length. I'm giving this lens 5 stars not because it is the "best" 85mm. But for the high level of quality and the low price, Canon is giving us the option to buy a good solid lens with nice autofocus, crisp images and very good bokeh. I agree with the opinion that the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 Ultrasonic lens is one of the best values around so I gave it the 5th star. This doesn't mean that I'm not going to keep drooling for the bigger, heavier, brighter and special bokeh of the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 L II prime lens. Also the rumor is that later this year Canon is going to release a new EF85mm f/1.4 L IS lens. :-)

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ One of Canon's best for price/performance
*by B***N on November 19, 2008*

The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 II USM lens is a moderate weight (15 oz), very well built lens. It does not come with the appropriate hood, the Canon ET-65 III. You get both a lens cap and a mount cap, all packed inside tight conformal foam to protect the lens during shipping. There's also a very brief manual and the usual warranty paperwork. The lens offers AF and manual focus, and allows manual focus even when AF is set to on, a very useful feature for low-light and other challenging focus situations. This is a USM lens, and as a direct consequence focus is fast and precise, just as you'd expect. The AF/Manual switch is in a reasonable location, close to the camera body. There is a range indication on the barrel of the lens behind a transparent window which serves to keep dust and debris out of the workings of the lens. Manual focus is controlled with a broad, easy to manage textured ring about mid-body on the lens. During focus, nothing external on the lens body moves or rotates, so there are no complications for using polarizing filters, and no concerns about the lens "pumping" air and so causing dust contamination in either the lens or camera with use. The lens lacks any form of image stabilization. IS is showing up in more and more lenses, though for the price... perhaps this is one of the justifications for building IS into the camera body. I'm sure that this design wouldn't be anywhere near its current price point with IS added to the build. One last point is that since the lens is a fairly fast design, perhaps there is less overall need for IS (though that argument falls completely apart the first time you *do* need it!) It takes a 58mm filter, though I highly recommend the use of the ET-65 III hood rather than a filter; filter use should be limited to polarizers, neutral density filters and so on, rather than keeping a filter on the lens with the idea of protecting it. Here's why: filters create a flat surface over the end of the lens that can (and often does) create low-level reflections. These are most apparent in low-light shots, but they are almost always there. In the case of a UV filter, no other benefit is gained (UV can't get through the lens system anyway) other than physical protection. The hood, however, keeps the lens out of harms way quite effectively, and it increases contrast and reduces flare at the same time by preventing light from entering the lens at high angles of attack. I have shot with both hoods and filters, and after decades of experience, I have to come down firmly on the side of hood technique. It only takes one shot ruined by a filter reflection to wake up to this reality; and hoods never, ever compromise an image. They're simply the best way to go. Finally, the hood for this lens is inexpensive, well worth the extra few dollars it costs. Aperture is controlled by an 8-blade system. The available f-stops range from f/1.8 wide open to f/22.0 fully stopped down. MTF (sharpness) peaks at f/5.6, and vignetting is almost gone by that setting. On my camera, an EOS 50D, resolution loss from diffraction effects begin at f/7.6, so in many ways, the "sweet spot" for this lens for me lands naturally at f/5.6. On a camera with a lesser sensel density such as the 40D, diffraction doesn't set in until higher f-stops, but you're beginning to lose sharpness from other effects, so I'd still call the sweet spot as f/5.6 (which also provides a fairly extensive depth of field) for shots where detail is the primary consideration. For portraits, you'll want to go right for f/1.8 if lighting conditions allow in order to take advantage of the shallow and pleasing DOF isolation this lens is famous for; background blur is very soft yet very strong, while the in focus region remains deep enough to keep the important features of the face in focus from ear to nose. The loss of MTF at f/1.8 is noticeable, especially once you get a feel for how the lens performs at f/5.6, but in my opinion, the compromise is perfectly acceptable in a portrait context. There's another benefit as well; at 85mm, and especially on a crop body like the 40D or 50D, this lens allows you to get some distance from your subject which tends to make them more comfortable, while giving you the modest compression that is the hallmark of any telephoto lens. Portraits "pop" and backgrounds blur away with commendable speed. Head-and-shoulders work will put you at about eight feet, and as the lens can focus down to just under three feet, this gives you considerable control over framing without ever running into a limit imposed by the lens design. This is also a truly excellent lens for not-very-wide field astrophotography, although at critical focus and maximum aperture, chromatic aberration will make itself felt on the brightest stars, which you will then have to compensate for. I have successfully used this lens to capture the the Orion nebula, Andromeda galaxy, Triangulum galaxy, and a number of other astro objects that range from the easy to the difficult, all using no more than a standard (non-tracking) tripod, this lens, and the EOS 50D. On a crop body, 85mm (136mm effective FOV) is definitely the place to be to compromise between star trailing and magnification, and the f/1.8 aperture allows fast enough exposures to eliminate trailing at ISO 1600 and above. I carry this lens nested in a large camera bag (a Tamrac 5612 Pro 12, *highly* recommended); I rarely put the lens on the camera until I am ready to use it, and when I am done, I take it right back off, cap it, and bag it without wasting any time or motion. I do both the assembly and disassembly "blind" in the bag, using the bag top to shield the camera and lens from the wind and environment as best I can manage. The lens has a raised alignment dot that makes blind assembly practical. It's the size of the overall investment that drives this behavior, of course; both the camera and a lens like this deserves -- demands -- good care and that is just what I try to provide. Physically speaking, this lens isn't as large as you might think. Canon did a great job of packing a lot of glass (nine elements in seven groups) into a decent form factor of 3" diameter by 2.8" long; even with the hood mounted, this lens provides a fraction of the intimidation factor of, for instance, the 70-200mm f/2.8L. But at 85mm, it can still "get in there" and catch a lot of action without forcing you to crop to extremes. It's light enough that you can shoot for quite a while before fatigue sets in, an issue that will rear its head in any situation that goes on a while, like a wedding or a play (and that low-light capability is great for stage work, where a flash annoys literally everyone.) Plus it is black, and so looks more like it is designed as part of the same camera system, unlike the L's with the white bodies. That's also less distracting in a dark theater. I can honestly say that this is definitely one of my favorite lenses. I have a fair collection of primes to compare it to, some of which are L glass, and I've got some great L zooms as well; yet for portraits, I inevitably turn to this specific lens as it outperforms everything else I own in the successful shooting methodologies I find myself returning to over and over. Frankly, at the price, I think it is perfectly fair to characterize this lens as a "must-have"; if you're ever going to shoot a portrait, trust me, this is the lens you want (even over the 85mm f/1.2L, which has far too narrow a depth of field for most reasonable portraiture, though you can't beat it for light-gathering.) Like Canon's 100mm f/2.8 macro lens, the 85mm f/1.8 is one of those where you're left scratching your head as to why it doesn't have an "L" designation. It is an outstanding performer. If Canon were to re-do this lens, I'd like to see them add image stabilization, and perhaps some modern anti-CA elements, as this is the one area where this lens occasionally bites the photographer in high-contrast situations. Until that day, though, this lens is unmatched by anything else in Canon's line for price/performance, and I can't imagine anyone ever regretting its purchase.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Best Addition To My Line Up
*by X***M on January 29, 2014*

I have to say, I read the reviews and I fired on this thing. Oh man, I have been so incredibly happy with its performance. Through my test shots (I have not done a proper shoot yet) I have to say this lens is phenomenal with only one caveat and that might be the camera body I am using so I will go over that later. The pros: Its quiet. It is fast in both aperture rating and the fact that it is prime and focuses quickly. It is a solid metal piece. Color saturation is exquisite. Hi-lites are great. Your images almost appear 3 dimensional and you get tack sharp images. The con: I cannot call this a con simply because I am 95% sure it is because I am using this on a Canon T2i and I simply do no believe this lens is built for the cheap body (hey you gotta start somewhere) so I will describe the problem. Oftentimes while shooting with this lens especially if you have shifted from a low to high aperture or high to low etc you oftentimes can not get an accurate depiction of bokeh and any focusing area outside of your focus point. For example, if you set the aperture to say 2.2 and you focus in you will see in the viewfinder that your focus point is the only thing that is in focus, then you switch the aperture to say f 11, you will notice very little sharpness change on the object that is outside of your focus point, meaning it will look the same in the viewfinder as it does at f 2.2, you snap the photo and viola the image actually was focused as the f 11 aperture changed the focus range and got more of the background / foreground in focus. I played with this lens at a store on a Canon Mark II years ago and I did not notice this effect so it leads me to believe it is the Rebel T2i that is causing this "False focus" It is corrected for me by turning the camera off and restarting it in the aperture I am shooting or by switching the shooting mode then switching back which leads me to believe that this is strictly a limitation in the Rebel T2i innards. So do not freak out if that happens!

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