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Review of the Canon RF F1.2 L USM DS
Reading time: 7 minutes - September 22, 2022 - by Markus Igel

Test Report - Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM DS

Legends and sagas always exist around the lenses from the Canon L segment and we had one of the portrait lenses from the Canon RF system there for a test. The 85mm f/1.2 with the DS coating, which provides a particularly soft bokeh while not losing sharpness. If you're into weddings, portraits, food or tabletop, this lens will certainly get your fingers moist. Since it is simply unique like no other lens, the brands Nikon, or Sony had also launched lenses in the past, which has a coating to soften the bokeh.

What is the DS coating made of?

The DS coating is the softening coating that affects the bokeh in the foreground as well as in the background. Now this coating consists of a fluorine layer on 2 glass elements of the lens. So the DS here stands for: Defocus Smoothing.

For whom is this lens intended?

Once in a nutshell, for whom Canon had developed this lens:

  • 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

Below we have attached some test images. These are not particularly post-processed, only distortion has been taken out and some color +amp; exposure adjustment and post-sharpening for web. No dodge +amp; burn, no stamping, no clarity or texture was added.

Portrait sample images

With this lens, we can't pass up the opportunity to take some fancy portrait shots at an aperture of 1.2 to show what this lens is capable of here as well. The images have seen an Adobe Lightroom preset and are therefore somewhat processed. The pictures were all taken with the Canon R5 and at open aperture!

Our model was here, the dear Sabrina: Instagram | Website

Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM DS

If you are looking for a lens with a special look, you will get your money's worth with this lens. The construction of this lens is not only convincing because of the large open aperture of 1.2. An advantage of the particularly soft bokeh, is simply in the observation of the image, because it makes the portrait look calmer and softer. This lens is also particularly interesting for videographers, because it also gives the special and soft image look in videos.

Conclusion on the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2

The Canon RF 85mm DS performs very well and especially the special cropping is noticeable in the open f/1.2 range. In direct comparison to 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 lenses. Working with this lens works like a charm, the focus sits on the R6 or even the R5, it's snappy and the sharpness is fantastic. The lens draws the background soft as a down and the subject sharp as a pepperoni! A nod to the scope of food photography and because there is simply hardly a more apt comparison. This lens simply offers a look which seems to be out of this world, as if the blur was set in post with Adobe Photoshop and the mask was used to crop it via AI. The color reproduction 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 smooth bokeh
  • Double coating leads to even effect
  • Very open aperture at F/1.2
  • Outstanding exposure performance
  • Clicking aperture ring

Disadvantages of the lens

  • Weight
  • Low light performance
  • Strong vignetting, but this can be easily corrected with Lightroom
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