Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM 85mm
The f/1.8 aperture and ring-type USM motor deliver fast, quiet autofocus and strong subject isolation in a lightweight 425g body. Its Super Spectra coating effectively suppresses flare and ghosting while maintaining high contrast, and the lens offers full-time manual focus override. This is best for portrait photographers on the Canon EF system who need a flattering short-telephoto perspective without the cost or weight of an f/1.2 lens.
Snapshot
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong af (94th percentile) 94th
- Strong social proof (93rd percentile) 93rd
Cons
- Below average bokeh (19th percentile)
- Below average aperture (21st percentile)
- Below average user sentiment (30th percentile)
- Below average versatility (33rd percentile)
What owners think
How owner sentiment changed over time
ExclusiveBased on when customers actually wrote their reviews - so you can see whether early praise held up.
Based on 39 dated customer reviews, grouped by calendar quarter. Period analysis is in English.
The proof
Performance
Specifications
Full Specifications
Optics
| Type | Prime |
| Focal Length Min | 85 |
| Focal Length Max | 85 |
| Elements | 9 |
| Groups | 7 |
| Aspherical Elements | 1 |
| Coating | ultra multi-coating (UMC) |
Aperture
| Max Aperture | f/22 |
| Min Aperture | f/1.8 |
| Constant | No |
| Diaphragm Blades | 8 |
Build
| Mount | Canon EF |
| Format | Full-Frame |
| Weight | 0.4 kg / 0.9 lbs |
| Filter Thread | 58 |
AF & Stabilization
| AF Type | USM |
| Stabilization | No |
Focus
| Min Focus Distance | 853 |
| Max Magnification | 1:7.7 |
vs Competition
| Spec | Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM 85mm | Tamron Di III 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD | Nikon NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8 | Sigma Contemporary 16-28mm f/2.8 DG DN | Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12060 | Sony G SELP28135G.SYX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focal Length | 85mm | 17-70mm | 17-28mm | 16-28mm | 12-60mm | 28-135mm |
| Max Aperture | f/22 | f/2.8 | f/2.8 | f/2.8 | f/2.8 | f/4 |
| Mount | Canon EF | Fujifilm X | Nikon Z | Sony E | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
| Stabilization | false | true | false | false | true | true |
| Weather Sealed | false | true | true | true | true | true |
| Weight (g) | 425 | 544 | 450 | 450 | 320 | 420 |
| AF Type | USM | RXD | Stepping Motor | Stepping AF Motor | linear motor | SSM |
| Lens Type | prime | zoom | zoom | zoom | zoom | zoom |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | AF | Bokeh | Build | Macro | Optical | Aperture | User Sentiment | Versatility | Social Proof | Stabilization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM 85mm | 94.4 | 18.9 | 62.8 | 46.5 | 55.6 | 21 | 29.9 | 33.3 | 92.6 | 37.8 |
| Tamron Di III 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD Compare | 53.7 | 87.4 | 69.6 | 85.9 | 91 | 84.6 | 63.5 | 89.3 | 85.1 | 83.4 |
| Nikon NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8 Compare | 87.4 | 87.4 | 75.9 | 85.9 | 88 | 84.6 | 90.8 | 67.3 | 68.8 | 37.8 |
| Sigma Contemporary 16-28mm f/2.8 DG DN Compare | 87.4 | 87.4 | 75.9 | 77.8 | 97.2 | 84.6 | 75.8 | 68 | 62.7 | 37.8 |
| Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12060 Compare | 98.1 | 87.4 | 84.6 | 51.9 | 91 | 84.6 | 44.3 | 93.1 | 67.8 | 83.4 |
| Sony G SELP28135G.SYX Compare | 94.4 | 78.4 | 77.7 | 34.1 | 88 | 67.1 | 63.5 | 92.4 | 55.7 | 93.4 |
Price
Value & Pricing
B&H Photo 2 offers From CA$688
We started tracking prices for this product on May 29, 2026. The chart appears once we have more data.
Usage Scores
A full written review is coming soon. The specs, scores, prices and charts above are always up to date.
