Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Prime Lens(use)

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM is a popular prime lens known for its excellent portrait capabilities, fast aperture, and high-quality optics. It’s a favorite among photographers for portrait photography, offering sharpness, great depth of field control, and fast autofocus. Here’s a detailed overview of the lens:

Key Features:

1. Focal Length & Aperture:

• Focal Length: 85mm, ideal for portrait photography as it provides a natural perspective and flattering compression of facial features.
• Maximum Aperture: f/1.8, which allows for great low-light performance and shallow depth of field, resulting in smooth background bokeh. This makes it ideal for isolating subjects and creating artistic portraits.
• Minimum Aperture: f/22.

2. Optical Design:

• Lens Construction: The lens has a construction of 9 elements in 7 groups. It incorporates high-quality optics to deliver sharp, contrasty images with minimal distortion.
• Super Spectra Coating: Canon’s Super Spectra coating helps minimize flare and ghosting, which can occur when shooting in backlit conditions or bright environments. This ensures better contrast and color accuracy.

3. Autofocus System:

• Ultrasonic Motor (USM): The lens is equipped with Canon’s ring-type USM autofocus motor, which is fast, accurate, and quiet. This makes it ideal for capturing moving subjects or for video work where silent focusing is essential.
• Full-Time Manual Focus: Even in autofocus mode, the lens allows full-time manual focus override, so you can fine-tune the focus without switching out of AF mode.

4. Bokeh:

• The large f/1.8 aperture and 8-blade diaphragm contribute to the lens’s beautiful, creamy background blur (bokeh). This makes it especially well-suited for portraiture and subject isolation.

5. Build Quality:

• Compact and Lightweight: Weighing only about 425g (15 oz) and with a length of 72mm (2.8 inches), the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM is relatively compact and easy to carry.
• Filter Size: The front filter thread is 58mm, allowing for easy attachment of filters and lens hoods.

6. Focus and Distance:

• Minimum Focusing Distance: 85cm (2.8 feet), which is typical for a lens of this focal length and suitable for portrait distances.
• Maximum Magnification: 0.13x, which isn’t designed for macro work but provides a good enough magnification for close-up portrait shots.

Performance:

1. Image Quality:

• Sharpness: The lens is sharp wide open at f/1.8 and improves when stopped down, offering excellent image quality throughout the aperture range.

2. Low Light and Depth of Field:

• With the wide f/1.8 aperture, this lens performs exceptionally well in low-light environments. It also allows for significant control over depth of field, producing shallow depth that is excellent for portraits and creative compositions.

Pros:

• Excellent value for a fast 85mm prime lens.
• Bright f/1.8 aperture for low-light performance and beautiful bokeh.
• Fast and quiet autofocus thanks to the USM motor.
• Compact and lightweight design.
• Great image quality with sharpness and minimal distortion.

Cons:

• No Image Stabilization: Lacks built-in image stabilization, so handheld shooting in very low light might require higher ISO or a tripod.
• Plastic Build: While it is durable, the lens construction is primarily plastic, which might feel less premium compared to Canon’s L-series lenses.

Ideal Use Cases:

• Portrait Photography: The 85mm focal length and f/1.8 aperture make this lens ideal for portrait work, providing flattering perspectives and excellent subject-background separation.
• Street Photography: Its relatively compact size and fast aperture also make it suitable for street or candid photography, especially in low-light situations.
• Low-Light Shooting: Great for indoor and low-light scenarios due to the wide maximum aperture.

Compatibility:

• Adapters: Can be used with Canon’s EOS R and EOS M mirrorless cameras via the appropriate mount adapter.

Price Range:

•  In Bangladesh, the price usually ranges from BDT 30,000 to 40,000, depending on the retailer and any ongoing promotions.