Portrait / short tele prime · Full frame

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L USM

The Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L USM is a full frame prime lens (85 mm, f/1.2) for Canon EF. It belongs to the portrait / short tele prime class — ideal for head-and-shoulders portraits with flattering perspective and creamy backgrounds.

85 mmf/1.2Canon EF
85 mm
Focal length
f/1.2
Maximum aperture
29°
Diagonal angle of view (Full frame)
Full frame
Designed for

Specifications#

Brand
Canon
Model
EF 85mm f/1.2L USM
Lens type
Portrait / short tele prime
Focal length
85 mm
Maximum aperture
f/1.2
Image circle
Full frame (36×24 mm)
Mount(s)
Canon EF
Projection
Rectilinear
Autofocus motor
ultrasonic (USM)
Lensfun correction profile
Yes — distortion/vignetting/TCA

Equivalent focal length on different cameras#

Field of view and depth-of-field equivalence when this lens is used on bodies with different sensor sizes (natively or via an adapter).

Camera formatAt 85 mmEquiv. aperture (DoF)
Full frame85 mm · 29°f/1.2
APS-C128 mm · 19°f/1.8
APS-C (Canon)136 mm · 18°f/1.9
Micro Four Thirds170 mm · 15°f/2.4

Depth of field & background blur#

Computed on its native Full frame format (CoC 30 µm). “Blur @2 m” is the size of an out-of-focus point at infinity, as a percentage of frame width, with the subject at 2 m — a simple bokeh index. Full table: 85 mm f/1.2 on full frame.

FocalApertureat 1 mat 2 mat 5 mat 10 mHyperfocalBlur @2 m
85 mmf/1.20.9 cm3.8 cm24.5 cm99.0 cm201 m8.7%
85 mmf/43.0 cm12.7 cm82.2 cm3.39 m60.3 m2.6%
85 mmf/86.1 cm25.5 cm1.68 m7.39 m30.2 m1.3%

Handheld & night-sky limits#

NPF assumes typical 20–24 MP sensors (≈6 µm pixels on full frame, ≈3.9 µm on APS-C, ≈3.3 µm on Micro Four Thirds).

BodyMin. handheld shutter (longest focal)500 rule at 85 mmNPF at 85 mm, f/1.2
Full frame1/80 s6 s3 s
APS-C1/125 s4 s2 s
APS-C (Canon)1/125 s4 s2 s
Micro Four Thirds1/160 s3 s2 s

Compatible cameras#

Bodies in our database with a native Canon EF mount.

Adapt it to other systems#

Sony E-mountCanon RFNikon ZFujifilm X-mountMicro Four ThirdsL-MountCanon EF-MFujifilm G-mountHasselblad XCDNikon 1 (CX)Pentax QSamsung NXNikon FPentax K

Similar lenses#

Frequently asked questions#

Is the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L USM full frame?

Yes — it covers the full 36 × 24 mm frame.

What is the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L USM equivalent to on APS-C?

On a 1.5× APS-C body it frames like 128 mm, and like 136 mm on Canon APS-C.

What is the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L USM good for?

As a portrait / short tele prime it suits head-and-shoulders portraits with flattering perspective and creamy backgrounds.

Sources & licences#

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources