A Look at the Best 85mm Lenses



What happens when seven different 85mm lenses are pitted against each other in a controlled test? I guarantee the results will shock you and make you reevaluate your spending habits on lenses.

In this 9-minute video, Matt Granger compares a wide variety of 85mm lenses, including the likes of the $100 Opteka, the $4,500 Zeiss Otus, and the $1,200 Sigma Art Lens

Granger conducts his test by taking the exact same shot with all seven lenses in two different settings. In the first, it’s a portrait-style shot in a studio with each lens set at an aperture of f/4. He then puts the lenses through their paces with another portrait shoot outside, with the lenses set at their widest respective apertures, so he can show you the bokeh effect each lens can produce. It makes sense that he included portrait-style shots, because that is what the 85mm lenses are most renowned for.

When he puts the image results up on screen for you to look at, they are in random order, meaning he doesn’t let you in on the relationship between lens and picture. However, he does keep the results in the same order for both shots, which certainly helps with consistency and maintaining your interest.

His methodology is as fair as one could hope for in this type of review, and while the shots and compositions aren’t particularly great, I don’t think that’s the point. It’s more to compare the results of each lens in a controlled environment, which is how all scientific testing must be carried out for the most reliable results. 

As I was watching the video, I had a pen and paper and made some quick notes about which results I liked and which were terrible (to my eye). When Granger revealed the order of the pictures (and lenses) I must admit I was quite stunned. Perhaps it was a deliberate ploy of his to reveal the price of each lens at the start of the video, but the results, in my eyes at least, don’t come anywhere close to corresponding with the price of each lens.

I think you’ll be shocked by the results too. However, as is always the case, you’re not just taking price and results into consideration. There’re also size and weight to evaluate as well. What did you think of the results and most importantly, did they make you rethink the price tag certain lenses come with?



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