Super Sharp and Good Value? A Review of the Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM Lens

Canon has three 85mm prime lenses available for its mirrorless full frame cameras, and the f/2 Macro IS STM is by far the cheapest. How well does it perform and how much value does it offer given its price of $599?

In this short video, Christopher Frost puts the Canon RF 85mm f/2 IS STM through its paces. The lens was announced back in July 2020 but didn’t hit the shelves until October and has been a welcome addition to the RF lineup given that the two other 85mm RF lenses are more than three times the price. The global pandemic is almost certainly a contributing factor, but I’d be keen to bet that intense demand for the lens is the reason that it’s currently unavailable. 85mm is an incredibly popular focal length, and with this model, Canon has opted to include macro and stabilization properties — this might be why it’s f/2 rather than the slightly more classic f/1.8 that's seen in most affordable 85mm lenses, such as its DSLR predecessor, the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM.

Will you be placing an order? Or perhaps you're waiting for yours to arrive? Let us know in the comments below.

Andy Day's picture

Andy Day is a British photographer and writer living in France. He began photographing parkour in 2003 and has been doing weird things in the city and elsewhere ever since. He's addicted to climbing and owns a fairly useless dog. He has an MA in Sociology & Photography which often makes him ponder what all of this really means.

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3 Comments

I wrongly bought a Canon RF 600MM IS STM lens and cannot fit into my EOS 200D and EOS M6Mark 11. Is there any adapter or any device that can be used to connect this lens to the camera. Or else this lens will become paperweight

No, there is no adapter. You should sell it imho.

bad news, its paperweight there isn't a way to adapt a mirrorless lens to a mirror camera