Quick answer
Portrait lens with Defocus Smoothing, a coating that softens the edges of blur discs, introduced in 2019. It has an 82mm thread and weighs about 1.2kg.
Pros
- f/1.2 aperture
- Defocus Smoothing coating
- Weather-sealed L build
Cons
- Heavy at about 1.2kg
- Rated T2.2, so it passes less light than its f/1.2 suggests
Verdict
A portrait lens with a distinct look. Choose the standard version if you need all the light.
About this lens
A 85mm f/1.2 fast short-telephoto prime lens, the Canon RF 85mm F1.2 L USM DS is designed for Canon RF mount bodies, from the Canon L series with ultrasonic-motor autofocus. The focal length is a classic choice for portraits and details.
Canon RF 85mm F1.2 L USM DS specifications
- Brand
- Canon
- Mount
- Canon RF
- Focal length
- 85mm
- Maximum aperture
- f/1.2
- Lens type
- Prime
- Format coverage
- full-frame
- Released
- 2019
- Optical construction
- 13 elements in 9 groups
- Aperture blades
- 9
- Autofocus motor
- USM
- Minimum focus distance
- 0.85 m
- Maximum magnification
- 0.12x
- Filter thread
- 82 mm
- Weight
- 1195 g
- Length
- 117.3 mm
- Diameter
- 103.2 mm
Specification source: global.canon
What can you shoot with the Canon RF 85mm F1.2 L USM DS?
- Portraits
- Weddings
- Beauty
Its very wide maximum aperture suits low light and shallow depth of field with strong background blur.
Full-frame equivalent and field of view
Calculated from the focal length and crop factor. Not measured.
| Sensor | Crop | Equivalent | Horizontal FOV | Diagonal FOV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full frame | 1.0x | 85mm | 23.9° | 28.6° |
| APS-C | 1.6x | 136mm | 15.1° | 18.1° |
Frequently asked questions
What does DS mean on the RF 85mm F1.2 L USM DS?
DS stands for Defocus Smoothing. A coating on two elements softens the edges of out-of-focus highlights.
Does the DS coating cost light?
Yes. Canon rates the lens at T2.2, so exposure matches roughly an f/1.9 lens even though the aperture setting is f/1.2.
RF 85mm F1.2 L USM or the DS version?
The DS gives smoother bokeh, mainly at wide apertures. The non-DS has better light transmission.
Alternatives for Canon RF from other brands
All Canon RF lensesSame mount, overlapping focal range, closest maximum aperture first.
