Canon RF 135mm F/1.8L IS USM

This Canon prime pairs a 135mm focal length with a bright f/1.8 maximum aperture for the RF mount on full-frame cameras. It arrived in 2022 and remains in production. That combination suits portrait, wedding and indoor event photographers who work in dim venues and want a subject separated from a busy background.

The trade-off is the fixed focal length. You frame by moving closer or further away rather than zooming, so it works best alongside a wider lens in your bag. In small rooms the 135mm framing can force you further back than the space allows.

At 2 lb 1 oz (935 g) the lens has a solid presence on the camera without being tiring for a portrait session. It measures 3.51 in (89.2 mm) across and 5.13 in (130.3 mm) long. The 82mm front thread takes screw-in filters directly, so any filter with a matching thread fits without an adapter.

On full frame the 135mm focal length frames tight views. Head-and-shoulders portraits fill the frame at conversational distances, and you can isolate a speaker or performer from across a room. For indoor sport it frames a volleyball player from the sideline. The perspective keeps faces natural at portrait distances, without the exaggeration a wide lens gives.

The f/1.8 maximum aperture keeps shutter speeds usable in dim reception halls and theatres without raising ISO. It also blurs backgrounds strongly, so clutter behind the subject fades away. Wedding speeches and candlelit dinners become workable without flash or a tripod.

That blur has a cost. Depth of field at 135mm wide open is very shallow, so precise focus on the eye decides whether a portrait works. Stopping down buys back depth of field when the light allows. Nine blades help keep the aperture shape round as it closes, which keeps out-of-focus highlights soft.

Closest focus sits at 2.3 ft (70 cm), close enough for tight head shots and details such as flowers at a wedding. The maximum magnification of 0.26x also covers small still-life subjects at a reception table.

Image stabilisation is built in, which steadies the camera at slower shutter speeds for handheld work in low light. Camera shake shows more at 135mm than at wide settings, so the built-in support earns its place on this lens. It also lets you frame detail shots handheld at wedding receptions where a tripod would intrude.

Weather sealing guards against dust and moisture, so a damp evening portrait session is less of a worry. A fluorine coating on the outer glass helps shed water and oil, which makes the front element easier to wipe clean after rain or fingerprints. Both features suit photographers who shoot weddings and events outdoors through the year.

The optical formula places low-dispersion glass among its seventeen elements. This glass helps reduce chromatic aberration, where different colours focus at different points and leave coloured fringes along high-contrast edges. A stage-lit performer against a dark background is the kind of subject where those fringes tend to show.