Portrait-Length Prime for Hybrid Creators
Built for photographers and videographers alike, the Canon RF 85mm f/1.4 L VCM is a fast short-telephoto prime lens with a function-first build that caters to the hybrid nature of modern image-making, emphasizing high image quality, responsive AF, minimized focus breathing, and intuitive, silent, and customizable handling.
Optimized for Photo
A popular focal length for portraiture and events, this short-telephoto lens is also a unique option for landscapes and street applications where the narrower field of view, along with bright f/1.4 design, can isolate subjects with shallow depth of field and create flattering perspectives.
- Versatile 85mm focal length is ideal for portraiture thanks to an ideal mixture of slight compression and a narrow, selective field of view; this results in a flattering rendering of full-length and half-length subjects with good subject-background separation.
- Impressively fast f/1.4 maximum aperture affords control over depth of field and also greatly benefits low-light shooting, making this an ideal lens for handheld use in available lighting and indoor locations.
- Optical design includes one ultra-low dispersion (UD) element and one aspherical element to reduce chromatic and spherical aberrations for impressive clarity, color accuracy, and sharpness.
- Air Sphere (ASC) and Subwavelength structure (SWC) coatings reduce flare and ghosting for improved contrast.
- Rounded 11-blade diaphragm creates a smooth, rounded out-of-focus rendering.
Optimized for Video
When used for video applications, the slightly long focal length and selective field of view is ideal for tight shots in two-camera setups and for working with distant subjects and more selective framing.
- Manual aperture ring with de-click switch to make smooth, silent iris pulls.
- Focus breathing is especially well-controlled, helping to maintain a consistent composition and field of view when racking focus.
- Linear focus motor for intuitive manual focus control.
- Matched design with other Hybrid series primes; all lenses have the same 67mm front filter ring and general size for ease in rigging and working with multiple lenses on a shoot.
The focusing system has also been tuned to suit both photo and video tasks, offering a useful mixture of speed and control.
- Voice Coil Motor (VCM) focusing system offers an ideal balance of speed and quiet performance that is especially beneficial to video recording.
- This lens also excels with close-up subjects thanks to a 2.5' minimum focusing distance and 0.12x maximum magnification.
- AF/MF switch and full-time manual focus override for intuitive focus control when needed.
Design Details
Despite being a fast portrait-length lens, this 85mm f/1.4 remains relatively compact and lightweight for regular use. Its design and size is matched to the other Hybrid lenses and is built for everyday use for a wide range of shooting applications.
- Effectively the same dimensions (3 x 3.9") and weight (1.4 lb) as other Hybrid series prime lenses; these lenses also share a 67mm front filter ring diameter.
- In addition to the manual aperture ring, this lens has a customizable Control Ring and Function Button, which can be programmed to control a range of shooting settings.
- L-Series level durability and weather resistance for working in inclement conditions.
