Dustin Abbott posts his Canon 85mm 1.4L IS USM review

Dustin Abbott posts his review on the esteemed 85mm 1.4L IS USM.

It has beautiful rendering, great low light potential, and a much better autofocus system than any previous Canon 85mm option.  Most importantly, if you want both f/1.4 and an image stabilizer, it is the ONLY option.  It is going to deliver better real world results than most alternatives due to the IS, and that’s doubly true if you shoot with a 5Ds/5DsR (or some future high resolution body).  I can say without question that it is the most versatile tool available at the 85mm focal length, and is a much more practical lens for most shooters than the much slower focusing 85mm f/1.2L II.  I really like the images coming out of the lens when viewed globally, but I’m not wowed by them, either.  And that’s the reality of where lens design is at the moment:  there are so many good options that it is hard to make one that stands out from the crowd.  I think this is the lens that will probably end up in the majority of working professional’s kits, and rightly so, but don’t be surprised if some elect to stay with the 85mm f/1.2L II, or that others have a Sigma, Zeiss, or Tamron in their kits instead.  That’s the reality of modern photography and a highly competitive marketplace.  The good news is that we, the consumers, reap the benefits of having so many great options.

The Canon 85mm 1.4L IS USM at a glance;

• Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/22
• One GMo Aspherical Element
• Air Sphere and Fluorine Coatings
• Ring-Type Ultrasonic Motor AF System
• Optical Image Stabilization
• Dust- and Water-Resistant Construction
• Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm

If you are interested in the Canon 85mm 1.4L IS USM please see our preferred vendors;

• Amazon
• Canon USA
• BHPhotoVideo
• Adorama

Richard CanonNewsRichard CanonNews

Richard has been using Canon cameras since the 1990s, with his first being the now legendary EOS-3. Since then, Richard has continued to use Canon cameras and now focuses mostly on infrared photography. Richard is the founder and editor of CanonNews since 2017, and has worked as a writer on CanonRumors and other websites in the past.

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