Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS

Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS

Legacy Portrait Optics with Unmatched Bokeh Smoothing The Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS is a premium L-series short telephoto prime carrying 40 years of heritage from Canon’s line of 85mm f/1.2 lenses. Sharing its core optical formula with the standard RF 85mm f/1.2L USM, this version adds Canon’s unique Defocus Smoothing (DS) coating, delivering exceptionally soft, gradient bokeh that makes it a specialized choice for portrait and wedding photographers who prioritize the quality of out-of-focus rendering above all else.

Defocus Smoothing for Exceptionally Creamy Bokeh

The lens’s signature DS coating is a vapor-deposited treatment applied to two elements within the lens, gradually decreasing the light transmission factor from the center to the periphery of the optic. This apodization effect softens and smooths defocused backgrounds and specular highlights in a more gradual, linear fashion, producing a dreamier, less clinical bokeh than the standard RF 85mm f/1.2L USM.

Same Proven Optical Foundation

Built on the same extreme-large-diameter single-focus optical design as its standard counterpart, the lens features a Blue Spectrum Refractive (BR) optical element, an Ultra-low Dispersion (UD) element, and one aspherical element. This combination extensively suppresses chromatic aberration and other optical distortions, delivering the sharpness and color accuracy expected from Canon’s L-series lineup, even with the added DS coating.

Wide f/1.2 Aperture for Low-Light Portraiture

With a maximum aperture of f/1.2, the lens excels in challenging low-light conditions while offering extensive control over depth of field for selective focus. Note that the DS coating results in reduced light transmission, giving the lens an effective T-stop of T2.2, a trade-off portrait photographers accept in exchange for the smoother bokeh characteristics it produces.

Air Sphere Coating for Flare and Ghosting Control

An Air Sphere Coating (ASC) treatment is applied to help reduce flare and ghosting, ensuring clear, high-contrast images even in bright or backlit shooting conditions. This helps preserve color fidelity and image clarity, complementing the lens’s bokeh-focused design with reliable optical performance in demanding lighting.

Fast USM Autofocus with Customizable Control Ring

A ring-type Ultrasonic Motor (USM) delivers fast, near-silent autofocus along with full-time manual focus override, ensuring photographers can quickly and quietly lock focus during portrait or wedding sessions. A customizable Lens Control Ring adds intuitive, tactile control over exposure settings like ISO, aperture, or shutter speed directly from the lens barrel.

Familiar L-Series Handling and Build

With the same 13-element, 9-group construction, 9-blade circular aperture, 82mm filter thread, and approximately 1.195kg weight as the standard RF 85mm f/1.2L USM, the DS variant offers photographers an identical handling experience. This makes it easy for photographers already familiar with the standard lens to adopt the DS version without adjusting to a different form factor.

Why Choose the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS?

This lens takes Canon’s acclaimed RF 85mm f/1.2L USM optical design and adds a specialized Defocus Smoothing coating, producing exceptionally soft, gradient bokeh that’s difficult to achieve with conventional optics. Its proven BR optics, fast USM autofocus, and familiar L-series handling make it a compelling choice for portrait and wedding photographers who want the absolute smoothest background rendering available. Brand new, it’s an excellent option for photographers who have identified bokeh quality as their top creative priority and are willing to trade a stop of light transmission to achieve it.