Best Canon Portrait Lens – Tested And Reviewed!
Want to know what the best canon lens is for portraiture? Here we put the best three through their paces in a real-life test to see once and for all which is the best canon portrait lens. We’ll be using 3 different locations and be shooting under challenging conditions to see which one comes out on top. These lenses exceed the £2000/$3000 price range so let’s see if these canon lenses are worth the money for portrait photography.
Let’s get straight into the test and see which one comes out on top!
NB: Below there are some affiliate links and TSOP will receive a small percentage of some purchases made.
The camera
For this test, we'll be using the Canon R5 as the camera body. It's a solid choice since it's widely used by professional photographers. Other compatible camera bodies for these lenses include the Canon R8, R3, R6, and R1. You can read all about this body and the entire Canon R Range here.
The Canon 5 with the RF 50mm 1.2 lens
The Canon lenses
RF 50mm f1.2 – The fasted lens that excels in sharpness and low-light conditions. This is a prime lens (fixed focal length) and the shallow depth of field and beautiful, creamy bokeh you achieve with this lens can be a game changer. This makes it a prime choice for portrait photographers who want to isolate their subject from the background, particularly in low-light environments. Its wide f/1.2 aperture also allows you to shoot at faster shutter speeds, even in dimly lit settings.
This 50mm lens retails at £2500/$2099
The Canon RF 50mm f1.8 (nifty fifty) vs RF 50mm f1.2 – Review and comparison
RF 85mm f2 – Technically this is not one of Canon’s pro ‘L’ series lenses and it’s titled as a macro lens, but believe me when I say it will work great for portraits too. This is thanks to the 85mm focal length and wide aperture combined. The Canon RF 85mm f/2 not only performs brilliantly for portraits, but its macro capability allows for exceptional close-up photography too, offering a unique flexibility in tight spaces. This is also a prime lens and the 85mm focal length provides flattering compression, ideal for headshots, while still allowing you to work within the confines of small studio spaces. This is also the cheapest option out of the three lenses in this test at £619/$549.99 meaning it’s a great choice for those on a budget.
Learn about focal lengths and compression in photography here.
RF 70-200mm f2.8 – The only telephoto lens tested today is the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8. This lens is also great for low-light performance and produces fantastic bokeh making it perfect for both candid and posed portraiture. This lens is more suited to outdoor photography and isn’t known as a specific portrait lens but will be great in an outdoor portrait shoot. The image stabilization helps keep your pictures sharp, even when shooting handheld at longer focal lengths. It retails for around £2.2K/$1499
We will be putting the three lenses to the test today. From left to right: Canon RF 50mm F1.2, Canon RF 85mm F2, Canon 70-200mm F2.8
The test
The point of this test is to push these three lenses to their best potential in a portrait scenario—we want to see which one works best for the job! We’re going to compare the depth of field, compression, and how each lens works for headshots and full-body portraiture. And we’re going to have a thorough play with these lenses to see just what they are capable of!
We’re shooting in three different locations in this test, all with their own environmental challenges. The first place that we’ll be putting these lenses to test is against a long fence, the second is a wide-open field and the third is in dense woodland. Our model, Rosie, is dressed in a colour palette that matches each of these environments respectively – though she will have the odd accessory change to better suit each specific shooting location!
The main challenge for all three locations is going to be the weather. It’s cloudy and grey and we are shooting during the back end of winter. There are not a lot of colours but the cloudy conditions do mean that the light is already diffused. To make sure that there’s enough light in the face, we’ll be using a reflector when needed to bounce some of the diffused light back into the model’s face.
Learn about studio lighting here.
Portrait Photography Tips – Settings, Composition, Colour & Lighting
A reflector is great for redirecting the diffused light back into the model’s face.
Get access to ALL our online courses - 1000’s of videos, worksheets, critiques of students work, personalised support and much more with our monthly membership.
Shooting in location 1
Location 1
The first location, against a long wooden fence, offered a neutral backdrop with natural textures, perfect for showcasing how each lens handles depth of field and background blur. Our model is dressed in a beige and green colour palette as to harmonise with the natural colours of the environment.
Our settings will change during each situation, and I will note them with each picture below. To learn how to control exposure in photography properly, click here.
The results from location 1
Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 lens
f/1.2, 1/600th second, ISO100, 50mm
f/1.2, 1/2000th second, ISO 100, 50mm
f/2.8, 1/640th second, ISO 160, 50mm
Canon RF 85mm f/2 lens
f/2, 1/640th second, ISO 100, 85mm FL
f/2.8, 1/500th second, ISO 100, 85mm FL
Canon RF 70-200mm lens
As this lens is a zoom lens, we’re going to push it to the full 200mm focal length.
f/2.8, 1/500th second, ISO160, 200mm FL
f/2.8, 1/640th second, ISO 160, 200mm FL
f/2.8, 1/500th second, ISO 160, 200mm FL
Shooting in location 2
The results from location 2
The second location is in a wide-open field – a public footpath that goes through a farmer’s field. There’s not really a lot of visual interest with this location, which is going to be a challenge!
50mm
f/2.8, 1/500th second, ISO 125, 50mm FL
85mm
f/2.8, 1/500th second, ISO 160, 85mm FL
f/2.8, 1/640th second, ISO 160, 85mm FL
70-200mm
f/2.8, 1/500th second, ISO 250, 200mm FL
f/2.8, 1/640th second, ISO 160, 200mm FL
f/2.8, 1/640th second, ISO 320, 200mm FL
Shooting in location 3
The results from location 3
For this location in woodland and we’ve changed the accessories the model is wearing to harmonise with the scene better.
50mm
f/2.8, 1/640th second, ISO 250, 50mm
f/2.8, 1/500th second, ISO 320, 50mm
85mm
f/2.8, 1/640th second, ISO 250, 85mm
f/2.8, 1/640th second, ISO 250, 85mm
f/2.8, 1/500th second, ISO 200, 85mm
70-200mm
f/2.8, 1/640th second, ISO 640, 200mm
f/2.8, 1/500th second, ISO 250, 200mm
f/2.8, 1/500th second, ISO 250, 200mm
Conclusion
Clearly, they are all great lenses for portrait photography and any of them will help you gain great portraiture. If you are on a budget then the Canon 85mm f/2 is a great choice for the money, and with this lens, you can try your hand at macro photography too! If you are interested in macro, then check out our full macro course here.
Canon’s 50mm f/1.2 is probably one of the best headshot lenses you will use. It produces fantastic results but remember it comes at a cost of £2500!! For a cheaper option at this focal length, you could use the nifty fifty instead. Check out our review of the nifty fifty here.
For me, the best Canon portrait lens in these scenarios was the Canon RF 70-200mm f2.8. I know for studio portraiture it wouldn’t necessarily be the best portrait lenses but for outdoor portraiture, it was simply fantastic to use and produced the best results in my opinion. But again, it has a £2300 price tag so make sure you are going to get your money’s worth from it!
We’d love to hear from you! After reading through our tests of the Canon lenses, which one do you think comes out on top for portrait photography? Do you have experience with these lenses in different environments or lighting conditions? Share your thoughts, questions, or any tips you might have in the comments below—we’re always excited to hear what you think!
Like this? - Check out more free tutorials below
I hope you liked this blog comparing the Canon RF portrait lenses. If you did, please leave us a comment and support us by sharing it with your friends and subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of this page for more.
We also have an excellent learning community on social media so please join us there as well.
Thanks for watching and remember – Learn more at The School of Photography.
