Digital Camera World - UK (2019-12)

Canon

EF 85mm

f/1.8 USM

£365/$369

A blast from the past

Fujinon

XF56mm

f/1.2 R APD

£1,049/$1,499

Pricey, but with a secret weapon

Digital Camera verdict Digital Camera verdict

4.0 Excellent 4.0 Excellent

Features Build & Performance Value Performance Value

handling

Build &

handling

Remarkably

inexpensive for an

85mm full-frame prime

lens, the Canon is

perfectly capable of

delivering gorgeous

quality for portraiture,

and it handles well too.

This lens is the

number-one choice

for portraiture on

a Fujifilm X-series

camera but the price

doesn’t compare well

with a basic lens on

a full-frame body.

122 DIGITAL CAMERA^ DECEMBER 2019 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com

4.0 5.0

Features

4.0 4.0 4.5 4.5 4.0

K i t Z o n e

his Canon lens is

attractively priced and

reasonably compact and

light, ideal for popping in

your camera bag. Originally launched

nearly 30 years ago for 35mm film

SLRs, it remains perfectly viable for

the latest digital bodies of today.

The optical path is fairly simple,

based on nine elements in seven

groups, but includes Super Spectra

coatings to reduce ghosting and flare.

The ring-type ultrasonic autofocus

system is fast, whisper-quiet and has

the usual full-time manual override

with a purely mechanical linkage.

The lens feels well-built, although

it’s not weather-sealed.

Performance

Despite the modest aperture rating,

sharpness isn’t particularly impressive

wide-open, but still sufficient for plenty

of detail in the eyes. Colour fringing

and distortion are minimal.

ith an effective focal length

of 84mm, this lens enables

a natural working distance

for portraiture on Fujifilm’s

APS-C format X-series cameras.

Even so, gaining a tight depth of

field is more of a challenge.

The basic edition of the lens

(£849/$899) addresses this with an

extra-wide f/1.2 aperture. This APD

version adds an ‘apodisation filter’ –

essentially a radial, graduated neutral-

density filter that gets darker towards

the circumference of the image circle.

This helps to smooth ‘bokeh discs’

generated by defocused bright

objects and points of light.

Performance

Sharpness is good wide-open, but

light transmittance drops from f/1.2,

equating to an aperture of f/1.7. Bokeh

is smooth, but the overall quality of

in-focus and defocused areas isn’t any

better than most 85mm f/1.8 lenses.

TW

Sharpness

Shoot wide-open and images

can look slightly soft, reducing

the signs of premature ageing.

Sharpness

Wide-open sharpness is good,

although light transmittance

only equates to f/1.7.

Fringing 0.25

There’s negligible fringing at

wide apertures, and even less

at medium to narrow settings.

Fringing 0.11

It’s average up to f/2.8, but

virtually eliminated at medium

to narrow apertures.

Distortion -0.4

The minor barrel distortion

isn’t an issue, but it’s not as

‘distortion-free’ as some.

Distortion -0.02

Essentially a distortion-free

lens – it recorded only the

merest trace of barrel.

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

f/1.8f/2.8 f/4 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16 f/22

Centre Middle

Edge

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

f/1.2 f/2.8 f/4 f/5.6 f/8 f/11 f/16

Centre Middle

Edge

3.0

Group Test Portrait lenses