The Canon RF 85mm f/1.4 L VCM lens enters a crowded lineup of portrait choices, but it lands in a candy spot between measurement, value, and efficiency. An 85mm prime has lengthy been a favourite for portraits, and this launch raises a key query: the place does it sit amongst Canon’s current 85mm decisions?
Coming to you from Gordon Laing, this detailed video introduces the Canon RF 85mm f/1.4 L VCM lens and exhibits the way it compares to Canon’s different 85mm primes. The lens is available in at $1,650 and is lighter than the RF 85mm f/1.2 L whereas providing a brighter aperture than the funds RF 85mm f/2 STM. At 636 g, it weighs about half as a lot because the RF 85mm f/1.2 L and solely barely greater than the STM model. This stability makes it sensible for occasions and lengthy portrait periods with out giving up shallow depth of discipline. Laing exhibits how its focus velocity and silence stand out in opposition to Canon’s earlier 85mm lenses, an edge that issues if you’re capturing dwell topics.
The video additionally compares the brand new lens to Canon’s EF 85mm f/1.4 L IS, displaying how the RF model not solely trims measurement and weight but additionally produces sharper focus particulars. The RF 85mm f/1.4 L VCM isn’t the widest aperture within the lineup, however the checks reveal it to be sooner and crisper in autofocus efficiency than the RF 85mm f/1.2 L. It additionally handles background blur in a means that retains topics remoted whereas sustaining clean transitions. That distinction can shift your selection should you worth responsiveness and element over most blur.
Key Specs
Focal Size: 85mm
Aperture: Most f/1.4, Minimal f/16
Lens Mount: Canon RF
Lens Format Protection: Full body
Minimal Focus Distance: 2.5′ / 75 cm
Magnification: 0.12x (1:8.3 ratio)
Optical Design: 14 components in 10 teams
Aperture Blades: 11, rounded
Focus Sort: Autofocus
Picture Stabilization: No
Filter Dimension: 67mm
Dimensions: 3 x 3.9″ / 76.5 x 99.3 mm
Weight: 1.4 lb / 636 g
Laing factors out that the RF 85mm f/1.4 L VCM shares the identical exterior design as Canon’s different hybrid primes, from 20mm by way of 50mm, making it straightforward to swap between them when capturing video. The lens features a de-clicked aperture ring, a spotlight change, a customizable focus maintain button, and Canon’s RF management ring with tactile suggestions. It’s weather-sealed, features a lens hood, and maintains the unified 67mm filter thread throughout the hybrid prime lineup.
His early portrait checks spotlight how the RF 85mm f/1.4 L VCM compares to the RF 85mm f/2 STM and RF 85mm f/1.2 L. The f/2 mannequin holds its personal in sharpness however can’t match the depth of discipline management of the f/1.4. The f/1.2 unsurprisingly produces the strongest blur, but the f/1.4 usually delivers crisper element with extra distinction. That distinction will matter if you need a lens that retains your topic sharp with out softening focus edges an excessive amount of. Try the video above for the total rundown from Laing.
