If you ask a pro photographer what the best lens for portraits is, they’ll most likely recommend an 85mm. There are a variety of great options out there, such as the f/1.2 and f/1.4 lenses from Sony, Canon, and Nikon, but these are probably only worth the money if you’re an experienced professional photographer. If you’re looking to spend the money, though, these lenses are the best for portrait photography.
Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM
The build quality of the Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM is incredibly impressive, and it features a variety of features such as a shock-absorbing front barrel, fluorine coating, and weather-seals on the rear and front elements. If you think that the ability to shoot in the rain isn’t something that most people would consider essential, ask a wedding photographer. The optical path of the lens is based on a combination of 14 elements, which helps minimize ghosting and flare, and features Canon’s Air Sphere Coating.
Compared to the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A, this lens is lighter and smaller. It also feels well-balanced when used with full-frame cameras such as the 5D Mark IV and 6D Mark II.
Compared to the Sigma 85mm Art lens, the wide-aperture quality of the Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM is still exceptional but marginally less magnificent. Its smooth blur, as well as minimal longitudinal or “bokeh” fringing, make it an ideal choice for capturing portraits. Its fast f/1.4 maximum and well-rounded stopping speed make it an ideal choice for shooting with a full-frame camera.
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A
Sigma’s 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A is a heavy-duty lens that can be used with a number of mounts, including the Canon EF. It’s typical of the company’s Art series, with its optical path featuring a robust 14 elements. It’s designed to deliver high-quality images even without compromising on compactness. Sigma’s Art lenses are built with an ultrasonic system, which is designed to create a ring-type focus mechanism. They’re also well-designed and feature weather-seals.
The Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A is fast and accurate, and its sharpness across the entire frame is impressive, even when shooting wide-open. It has a super smooth bokeh effect, as well as its 9-blade diaphragm, making it an ideal choice for capturing portraits.
Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USm
The Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 is a massive and expensive lens that’s often used by professional photographers. Despite its large size, it’s still capable of delivering high-quality images.
Its optical path is incredibly complex. It features a variety of elements, such as the UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) and aspherical elements, as well as the Air Sphere Coating, which is used in the latest Canon EF 85mm f/1.4 lens and includes BR (Blue spectrum Refractive) optics. Its objective is to maximize the wide-aperture range and minimize the effects of longitudinal and lateral chromatic aberrations, ghosting, flare, and distortion.
Its build quality is also superb, as it features a super-sturdy construction that includes weather-sealed and fluorine coating on the rear and front elements. Its ring-type autofocus system is fast, and it has an electronically-coupled manual focus ring that’s designed for smooth operation.
Even with wide-open shooting, the Canon RF 85mm F/1.2 USM delivers outstanding image quality. Its image sharpness is exceptional in the central portion of the frame, and its smooth and minimal distortion makes it an ideal choice when shooting portraits.