Test report - Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM DS
Legends and myths always surround the lenses from the Canon L segment and we had one of the portrait lenses from the Canon RF system for a test. The 85mm f/1.2 with the DS coating, which ensures a particularly soft bokeh without losing sharpness. If you're into weddings, portraits, food or tabletop, you're sure to get your fingers wet with this Lens. Because it is simply so unique, like no other lens, the Nikon and Sony brands have also launched lenses on the market in the past that have a coating to soften the bokeh.
What is the DS coating made of?
The DS coating is the aforementioned softening coating, which affects the bokeh in both the foreground and background. This coating consists of a fluorine layer on 2 glass elements of the Lens. The DS stands for: Defocus Smoothing.
Who is this Lens intended for?
A brief summary of who Canon developed this Lens for:
- Portrait photographers / fashion photographers
- Wedding photographers
- Reportage photographers
- Tabletop photographers (food or toys / action figures)
The most important technical data at a glance
- Open aperture of F/1.2 | T 2.1
- Weight of 1 195 g
- Close focusing distance of 0.85 m
- Filter diameter of 82 mm
- Image stabilizer: No
- 2 glass elements with DS coating
Sample images of the Lens
We have attached some test images below. These are not particularly post-processed, only the distortion has been removed and the colors & exposure adjusted and sharpened for web. No dodge & burn, no stamping, no clarity or structure was added.
Portrait sample images
With this Lens you can't miss the opportunity to take some nice portrait shots at an aperture of 1.2 to show what this lens is capable of. The pictures have seen an Adobe Lightroom preset and have therefore been edited a little. The pictures were all taken with the Canon R5 and at open aperture!
Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM DS
Anyone looking for a lens with a special look will get their money's worth with this lens. The design of this lens not only impresses with its large open aperture of 1.2, but the particularly soft bokeh is also an advantage when viewing the image, as it makes the portrait appear calmer and softer. This lens is also particularly interesting for videographers, as it also gives videos a special and soft image look.
Conclusion on the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2
The Canon RF 85mm DS performs very well, and the special cropping is particularly noticeable in the open aperture range of f/1.2. In a direct comparison with the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM up to an aperture of 3.2, you can still see a difference between the two Lens. Working with this Lens works as if by itself, the focus sits on the R6 or even on the R5, it is snappy and the sharpness is fantastic. The lens makes the background as soft as a down and the subject as sharp as a pepperoni! An allusion to the area of application of food photography and because there is simply no better comparison. This Lens simply offers a look that seems to be out of this world, as if the blur had been set with Adobe Photoshop after the fact and the mask had been used for cropping via the AI. The color rendition of the 85mm is also very good.
My personal feedback at this point: I hope to see more lenses with the DS coating!
Advantages of the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM DS
- Incredibly soft bokeh
- Double coating leads to an even effect
- Very open aperture with F/1.2
- Outstanding imaging performance
- Clicking aperture ring
Disadvantages of the Lens
- Weight
- Low light performance
- Strong vignetting, which can be easily corrected with Lightroom
