However, the Canon features three indisputable assets. Firstly, its image stabilization unit is very efficient and other f/1.4 rivals don’t have it at all. Secondly, it is physically smaller and lighter than the competitors. Thirdly, it does have the tell-tale name on its casing.

• +

  excellent image quality in the frame centre,, very good image quality on the edge of APS-C sensor,, very good image quality on the edge of full frame,, slight lateral chromatic aberration,, lack of any serious problems with distortion,, negligible astigmatism,, low vignetting on APS-C,, silent...

• -

  noticeable longitudinal chromatic aberration,, distortion level higher than that of direct rivals,, performance against bright light leaves a bit to be desired,, too high vignetting on full frame.

The classic 85mm f/1.4 is probably one of the most sought after lenses for portrait photography, and of course the various other short telephoto applications. Canon now introduce the full frame EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM lens, falling in the range between the inexpensive EF 85mm f/1.8 USM and the high...

The Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM is a fantastic choice for professionals and enthusiasts looking for a new 85mm lens to add to their arsenal. It is much, much better than the admittedly much cheaper 85mm f/1.8, and even adds some extra functionality when compared with the more expensive f/1.2 lens -...

If you’re a Canon full-frame DSLR user who’d like a fast, well-built, optically stabilised medium telephoto prime lens, be prepared to fall in love with the EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM. The image quality and centre sharpness it’s capable of wide-open is very impressive.

• +

  Lighter than Canon's EF 85mm f/1.2 L II USM, Incorporates optical image stabilisation, Impressive central sharpness at f/1.4, Accepts filters and adapters via common 77mm thread size

• -

  Chromatic abberation isn't completely absent, Considerably more expensive than EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

I traded in my 85L 1.2 for this lens and am glad I did. To my eyes the images are equal and the focus and handling is better. The IS allows for low light shots too. Overall one of Canons best lenses.

This lens gives you the ability to get shots like no other lens. Very sharp with beautiful dreamy backgrounds. You have to put it on your camera and live with it for awhile to learn what Fstop you should use to go along with the distance from the subject.

The opticsare very sharp and the lens is more responsive than the f/1.2 version. However, this lens is much more prone to sun flare than the 85mm f/1.2 version because the lens hood is too short.

this image is why you get this lens...focus is so shallow it makes the image dimensional and brilliant. Straight from the camera resized for review. window light one reflector, simple clean and beautiful

This is truly the 85mm I've been waiting for, as it has the best of both worlds the speed of the 1.8 and the sharpness of the 1.2. Wide open this glass is pretty sharp from center to corners. This lens feels like an L lens!!

• +

  SharpAwesome Build Quality

This lens has blown me away. As other's have said it's much faster then the 85 f1:2 but it's also great on nailing the focus. I've been a prime lover for years and this will be replacing my 50mm So much more reliable than the canon 50 mm and yummy bokeh like the 1:2. Way to go Canon!

So....I have owned the coveted 85 1.2 and truly loved the surreal look it gives images BUT, when you miss focus on a gem expression I just want to throw it against a brick wall! Well thank you Canon for this bad boy. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this lens!

Great capability. Weighs a ton, but is good balance both on my heavy 5D and my light-ish 300D Rebel. Haven't challenged it with a lot of situations yet but did well in a low light trial run.

I have had my 85mm f1.4 lens about two weeks and have been using it for a number of images shot during that time. It is more than a portraiture lens. I have also used it for some landscape, birds, etc. The lens weighs two pounds and feels solid rather than heavy.

Great portraits with Canon 5D IV. Nails it. Thanks, Canon!