Canon L USM II Camera 85mm
The 85mm f/1.8 prime combines a bright aperture with a short-telephoto perspective that flattens and flatters portrait subjects. Fast, near-silent USM autofocus and a light 490g body make extended handheld sessions comfortable. This lens suits budget-minded portrait shooters who want shallow depth of field and natural subject isolation in a compact package.
Snapshot
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong macro (95th percentile) 95th
- Strong stabilization (83rd percentile) 83rd
Cons
- Below average bokeh (1st percentile)
- Below average aperture (1st percentile)
- Below average optical (18th percentile)
- Below average versatility (34th 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 5 dated customer reviews, grouped by calendar quarter. Period analysis is in English.
The proof
Performance
Specifications
Full Specifications
Optics
| Type | Zoom |
| Focal Length Min | 85 |
| Focal Length Max | 85 |
Aperture
| Max Aperture | f/85 |
Build
| Mount | Canon EF, Canon EF-S |
| Weight | 0.5 kg / 1.1 lbs |
AF & Stabilization
| Stabilization | Yes |
Focus
| Min Focus Distance | 85 |
vs Competition
| Spec | Canon L USM II Camera 85mm | Nikon NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8 | Tamron Di III 28-75mm f/2.8 VXD G2 | Sigma Contemporary 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN | Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12060 | Sony G SELP28135G.SYX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focal Length | 85mm | 17-28mm | 28-75mm | 10-18mm | 12-60mm | 28-135mm |
| Max Aperture | f/85 | f/2.8 | f/2.8 | f/2.8 | f/2.8 | f/4 |
| Mount | Canon EF, Canon EF-S | Nikon Z | Sony E | Sony E | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E |
| Stabilization | true | false | false | false | true | true |
| Weather Sealed | false | true | true | true | true | true |
| Weight (g) | 490 | 450 | 540 | 260 | 320 | 420 |
| AF Type | - | Stepping Motor | VXD | Autofocus | linear motor | SSM |
| Lens Type | zoom | zoom | zoom | zoom | zoom | zoom |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | AF | Bokeh | Build | Macro | Optical | Aperture | User Sentiment | Versatility | Social Proof | Stabilization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon L USM II Camera 85mm | 54.6 | 0.8 | 36.7 | 95.2 | 18.4 | 0.9 | 36.7 | 33.6 | 63.6 | 83.2 |
| Nikon NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8 Compare | 87 | 88.1 | 73.6 | 86.3 | 87 | 85.8 | 90.8 | 68.1 | 64.6 | 38 |
| Tamron Di III 28-75mm f/2.8 VXD G2 Compare | 54.6 | 88.1 | 67.2 | 87.3 | 87.8 | 85.8 | 80.4 | 78.2 | 83.1 | 38 |
| Sigma Contemporary 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN Compare | 54.6 | 83.5 | 87.3 | 93.3 | 81.6 | 85.8 | 80.4 | 69.1 | 68.8 | 38 |
| Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit H-ES12060 Compare | 98 | 88.1 | 83.1 | 50.4 | 90.2 | 85.8 | 44.2 | 93.1 | 63.5 | 83.2 |
| Sony G SELP28135G.SYX Compare | 94.2 | 80.2 | 75.5 | 31.2 | 87 | 69.9 | 63.3 | 92.4 | 50.2 | 92.8 |
Usage Scores
A full written review is coming soon. The specs, scores, prices and charts above are always up to date.