Canon RF 85mm F1.2 L USM

Reviewers rate the centre exceptional from f/1.2, with very high contrast wide open; the borders are very good, though one lab test found the corners comparatively soft until about f/4. Lateral colour fringing and distortion are negligible. Longitudinal fringing is very low for an f/1.2 lens: a trace of purple and green outlining remains at f/1.2 and is practically gone by f/2. Vignetting is strong wide open, about two stops, and fades by f/4.

Bokeh is smooth, especially in front of the subject, although hard-edged background detail can occasionally look busy and highlights show onion-ring texture and corner cat's eyes. Autofocus is quiet, accurate and reliable with Eye AF, and testers range from calling it fast to saying the heavy focus group keeps it short of sports speed. Build is rated top-tier L quality with weather sealing; the drawbacks are weight, size, no IS and a very high price.

Owners describe it as a lens that delivers razor-sharp portraits with lovely background blur at f/1.2, and wedding and event shooters rely on it in low light. On an R5 or R6 the AF is reported as very fast, while one owner advises against pairing it with the RP.

The complaints are the size and 1,195g weight, which dwarfs bodies like the R6 and tires the hands, the cost of 82mm filters and bag space, the price, and the learning curve of working with such thin depth of field. Some event shooters prefer a longer lens because they cannot always get close enough with 85mm.