Samyang AF 85mm F/1.4 EF / F

This Samyang prime pairs an 85mm focal length with a bright f/1.4 maximum aperture. That combination suits portrait work on full-frame cameras, and low-light portrait and event shooters are its natural audience. Samyang introduced the design in 2018, and it remains in production.

It comes in Canon EF and Nikon F versions. Both carry the same optical formula, so pick the version made for your camera system.

Because it is a prime, you frame by moving rather than zooming. The main trade-off is the absence of built-in image stabilization.

The Canon EF version weighs 1 lb 1.1 oz (485 g), and that figure applies only to this mount version. The body measures 3.46 in (88 mm) across and 2.83 in (72 mm) long.

A screw-in filter attached directly to the lens must match its 77mm thread, so any filter you buy needs that size.

At 85mm on full frame, this lens frames head-and-shoulders portraits from a comfortable working distance. That distance keeps faces looking natural and leaves room to position lights or talk with a sitter. At an indoor event, the same framing isolates a speaker at a podium. The framing also suits tight shots of performers on a small stage when you cannot get close.

The f/1.4 maximum aperture is the main attraction. It admits far more light than slower zooms, so you can hold usable shutter speeds in evening window light or dim reception rooms. It also gives very shallow depth of field at close portrait range, separating a face from a busy background. Stop down when you want both eyes sharp.

Closest focus is 3 ft (90 cm), which suits head-and-shoulders portraits; step back for three-quarter and full-length views. Nine aperture blades help the opening stay round when stopped down. Out-of-focus highlights then render as circles rather than polygons, which flatters background lights at evening events.

Weather sealing guards the lens against moisture and dust during outdoor portrait sessions or location work in changeable weather. A passing shower need not end the session. The glass is also better protected when wind lifts dust at an outdoor location.

There is no built-in image stabilization. At this focal length, handheld shooting needs a shutter speed fast enough to steady the camera. At f/1.4 in dim rooms that speed is often available. When you stop down, raise ISO or use support such as a monopod for posed sessions.

The front element has no fluorine coating, so moisture and fingerprints do not shed as easily. Carry a cloth and clean carefully after outdoor work. A protective filter is another option, since the 77mm thread makes one easy to fit.

The design includes aspherical elements among its nine elements in seven groups. Aspherical surfaces are specially shaped to help correct optical faults, including distortion and spherical aberration. Distortion can make straight edges appear curved, so that correction can help when a portrait background contains architecture or horizons.