Lens Impressions

The 85mm f/1.8 is one of those lenses in the Canon range that offers a lot of performance for not much money. From what I have read, it is 'easy' (easy being a relative term) for lens makers to manufacture a fixed focal length lens of this particular focal length.

It's been around for some time and because Canon did such a good job originally there has been no need to release new versions.

It's a very easy lens to use (some lenses aren't easy to use), and it focuses quickly and accurately. It would probably be a good purchase for someone who has bought an SLR and 18-55mm kit lens.

It's quite an addictive lens. The first time I used it was on a trip where I wanted to give two lenses a thorough testing. After mounting the 85mm, I didn't want to take it off.

Use

The focal length and the narrow depth of field make for a good portrait lens. It's not a big, white lens and therefore it doesn't attract attention. Despite this, the 85mm provides quite a lot of reach - especially on a crop body camera. This makes it useful for street photography and candid portraits.

It is also good for compressed landscape scenes. The minimum focusing distance isn't very close and so it isn't that useful for close-up work on its own. However, the addition of an extension tube makes all the difference.

An extension tube reduces the minimum focusing distance considerably, and the 85mm is sharp enough to give pretty good results. Along with all its other uses, the 85mm plus an extension tube will provide you with a decent macro lens on a budget.

Light gathering capabilities

My first ever lens was the FD 50mm f/1.8 that came with my Canon A1 in 1982. For a long time I thought nothing of having an f/1.8 maximum aperture.

After I made the move to a digital SLR and invested in lenses, my maximum aperture became F4 for a long time. When I eventually got back to f/1.8 again it took some getting used to.

My camera is normally set to ISO 200 but when shooting outside in bright conditions and trying to use f/1.8 it is easy to exceed the maximum shutter speed - even 1/8000. Sometimes, there is too much light at f/1.8 even with ISO 100.

Of course, indoors this is a big bonus and means being able to shoot with flash a lot of the time.

Compared to ...

I can shoot at 85mm with my 70-200mm F4 L IS. The image quality is probably better with the zoom lens but maximum aperture is only F4. I get IS with the zoom but this doesn't help with fast moving subjects. Also, the bokeh effect isn't as good.

Both lenses have their advantages and each will be better in certain conditions shooting certain subjects.

I've never used the 85mm F1.2 L lens so can't make a comparison. I'm sure the F1.2 is a fabulous lens but it is a lot more expensive and depth of field at F1.2 is razor thin.

The 85mm f/1.8 has no Image Stabilisation but because of its light gathering ability IS isn't really needed. It is quite easy to shoot at shutter speeds that are fast enough to avoid camera shake.

Lens Details

Weight: 15 oz; 425 g
Filter Diameter: 58mm
Closest Focusing Distance: 2.8ft; 0.85m
Minimum Aperture: f/22
Supplier: Chia Colour Lab, Hat Yai, Thailand
Price: 15,750 Thai Baht
Date Purchased: March 2010
Lens Hood: ET-65III (not included)
Soft Case: LP1014 (not included)