Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM vs Samyang 85mm f/1.4 Aspherical IF
Side-by-side comparison from our catalogue data. Better values are highlighted only where a clear difference exists.
Verdict at a glance
- Samyang 85mm f/1.4 Aspherical IF is faster by 11.8 stops (f/1.4 vs f/85.0), letting in more light.
| Spec | EF 85mm f/1.8 USM | 85mm f/1.4 Aspherical IF |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Canon | Samyang |
| Mount | Canon EF | Canon EF |
| Type | Prime | Prime |
| Focal length | 85mm | 85mm |
| Max aperture | f/85.0 | f/1.4 (faster) |
| Released | 1992 | n/a |
| Blades | 8 | n/a |
| Format | full-frame | n/a |
| Groups | 7 | 7 |
| Af motor | USM | n/a |
| Elements | 9 | 9 |
| Weight g | 425.0 | n/a |
| Filter mm | 58 | 72 |
| Length mm | 71.5 | n/a |
| Diameter mm | 75.0 | n/a |
| Min focus m | 0.85 (closer focusing) | 1.1 |
| Max magnification | 0.13 | n/a |
Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
The EF 85mm f/1.8 USM is a fast, compact short telephoto that has been a staple Canon portrait lens since 1992. Ring-type USM focusing and full-frame coverage.
Pros
- Quick, quiet USM autofocus
- f/1.8 aperture
- Light for its focal length
- Full-time manual focus
Cons
- Purple fringing at wide apertures
- No image stabilization
- Fairly long minimum focus distance (0.85 m)
Samyang 85mm f/1.4 Aspherical IF
A manual-focus 85mm portrait prime for full-frame DSLRs with an f/1.4 aperture. It delivers smooth background blur.
Pros
- f/1.4 aperture
- Smooth background blur
- Full-frame coverage
Cons
- Manual focus only
- Slower to use for moving subjects