Photo Plus - UK (2020-01)

114 http://www.photoplusmag.com

What we love

The even bigger brother to

Canon’s RF 50mm f/1.2 lens,

the new 85mm is tailor-made

for portraiture. At typical

shooting distances, it delivers

a depth of field so tight that

you can literally focus all the

attention on a single eye. As

with the 50mm lens,

autofocus with an R or RP

mirrorless body is consistently

accurate. We love the

sharpness of this lens but we

absolutely adore the quality of

its bokeh, which is simply

scrumptious.

What’s missing?

Some say an apodization filter

(soon to be featured in an

optional edition of the lens)

gives better bokeh but it really

doesn’t need improving.

Why upgrade?

With magical abilities for

premium portraiture, this is a

lens that’s set to become a

legend in its own lifetime.

What we love

When you’re in the market for a

top-quality standard zoom, the

usual choice is between a more

‘enthusiast-level’ f/4 or a fully

‘pro-grade’ f/2.8 lens. This

magnificent new RF lens is a

whole f/stop faster than an f/2.8

lens, giving even greater control

over depth of field. More than

that, image quality is better even

than in most top-notch prime

lenses of equivalent focal

lengths, throughout the

entire zoom range. It’s pretty

mighty in the size of its build

but mightier still in performance.

We love the ability to sweep

through a range of popular focal

lengths with absolutely no

compromise in image quality.

What’s missing?

There’s no image stabilizer,

which can be an issue with R and

RP cameras lacking stabilization.

Why upgrade?

If you want a zoom lens that can

match or exceed the quality of

prime lenses, and don’t mind

the fact it’ll dwarf your

mirrorless body, buy this one.

Canon RF 28-70mm

f/2L USM

Price £2799/$2999 Tested 153

What we love

Canon surprised a few people

by going large on its 50mm

lens to pair with its downsized

mirrorless R and RP bodies.

But it really does make a point.

The legendary Canon EF

50mm f/1.2 lens for DSLRs

is sketchy in terms of AF

accuracy, because the AF

module is separate from the

image sensor and depth of field

is so tight. Using phase-

detection AF right on the

sensor, this lens can give

consistently accurate focusing

with practically zero effort, and

the overall image quality is ace.

What’s missing?

No optical image stabilization,

but that’s par for the course

with ultra-fast lenses.

Why upgrade?

If you want the best and most

versatile 50mm prime lens on

the planet, look no further. It’s a

‘standard’ prime that’s

anything but standard.

OFTHEYEAR

Pro/Top Spec

There are some serious contenders for this year’s top accolades. We pick out the best of the best

STANDARD

PRIME

WINNER

STANDARD

ZOOM

WINNER

PORTRAIT

LENS

Canon RF 50mm WINNER

f/1.2L USM

Price £2199/$2099 Tested 146

C anon R F 8 5mm f /1.2L USM

Price £3249/$2699 Tested 159