The best lens for portraits in 2023: our pick of the best 85mm lenses right now

Ask a pro photographer what's the best lens for portraits, and they'll almost certainly say an 85mm. Also known as short telephotos, these lenses confer a number of advantages for anyone looking to shoot portraits. 

The main reason is the perspective provided by an 85mm. When mounted on a full-frame camera (opens in new tab) body (meaning it'll provide the focal length on the box), an 85mm produces a flattering perspective of facial features. Wider lenses will tend to stretch them out horizontally, which can produce some fun perspectives, but isn't all that conducive to making someone look and feel beautiful.

The short telephoto length of an 85mm also enables an optimal working distance between photographer and subject. A 50mm requires you to get a little closer than a subject might be comfortable with, while anything too long (more than 135mm or so) will require you to stand weirdly far away and shout your instructions. Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but the point stands: 85mm is the way to go.

If you're using a smaller sensor than full-frame, remember that the effective focal length will increase. An 85mm lens is still fine on APS-C as it will provide an equivalent focal length of 127.5-136mm, which works nicely for head-and-shoulders images. 

If you're on Micro Four Thirds, the focal length will double to 170mm, which is probably a little long. A 45mm lens (doubling to 90mm) would be a better choice.

But whatever focal length you end up choosing, the other half of the picture is that you need a wide maximum aperture. Also referred to as fast apertures, these allow for the creation of a shallow depth of field, meaning you can keep your subject sharp while blurring the background, really making them stand out. We'd go so far as to say this is essential for portraiture. 

The larger a maximum aperture you can get, the better. There are some fabulous f/1.2 and f/1.4 lenses out there from Canon, Nikon and Sony, but these do come with a pretty hefty price tag, and are probably only worth it if you're a professional shooter. Most manufacturers make an 85mm f/1.8, and this will be enough to work with if your budget is tight. It's definitely worth looking to third-party manufacturers too, as the likes of Sigma, Samyang and Tamron make some competitively priced lenses that can be a great option.

We've included lenses at all price points, from different manufacturers, in this guide to the best portrait lenses you can buy right now.

The best lens for portraits

Canon

This is one of only two 85mm lenses for Canon cameras that features image stabilization, the other being a Tamron. Build quality is pretty epic, including a shock-absorbing front barrel, weather-seals and fluorine coatings on the front and rear elements. The ability to shoot portraits in the rain might seem superfluous but wedding photographers would disagree. The optical path is based on 14 elements and features Canon’s high-tech Air Sphere Coating which further reduces ghosting and flare. 

At 950g, this lens is smaller and lighter than the competing Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A, which lacks stabilization. It feels well-balanced on chunky full-frame DSLRs like the 6D Mark II and 5D Mark IV, with excellent handling characteristics.

Wide-aperture sharpness is marginally less magnificent than from the Sigma 85mm Art lens but still pretty extraordinary. The quality of bokeh is exceptional, with super-smooth blur and particularly minimal longitudinal or ‘bokeh’ fringing. The aperture remains more well-rounded when stopping down a little, compared with Canon’s EF f/1.2 and f/1.8 lenses for DSLRs. See our full Canon EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM review (opens in new tab).

This Sigma is available for a variety of mounts, including Canon EF. It's a weighty proposition for an 85mm f/1.4 lens, at 1,130g. Typical of Sigma’s Art series, it’s designed for premium image quality without any concessions to compactness. The complex optical path is based on 14 elements, including an aspherical element at the rear and two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) elements, placed at the centre and towards the front. Autofocus is based on a ring-type ultrasonic system. Sigma’s Art lenses are immaculately well-built but, unlike some of them, this one adds the extra bonus of weather-seals.

Autofocus is both fast and accurate. Sharpness across the entire image frame is hugely impressive, even when shooting wide-open, which is a real challenge for a ‘fast’ f/1.4 lens. We’ve noticed a little ‘onion ring’ effect in the bokeh of some Sigma Art lenses but it’s particularly negligible in this one. Bokeh remains super-smooth when stopping down, helped by a well-rounded 9-blade diaphragm. See our full Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A review (opens in new tab).

The RF 85mm f/1.2 looks ludicrously large on a svelte EOS R-series body, and is massively expensive to buy. But while it’s big in build and price, it’s utterly supersized in terms of image quality and all-round performance.

The highly complex optical path includes aspherical and UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) elements, the same Air Sphere Coating that’s featured in the latest EF 85mm f/1.4 lens, plus BR (Blue spectrum Refractive) optics. The overall aim is to maximize wide-aperture sharpness and contrast, while keeping both lateral and longitudinal chromatic aberrations, ghosting, flare and distortion to an absolute minimum.

Build quality is super-sturdy and includes weather-seals and fluorine coatings on the front and rear elements. The ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system is fast and has an electronically coupled manual focus ring that operates with smooth precision. Another addition is the ‘control ring’ which can be customized for a variety of functions.

Image sharpness is astonishingly high in the central region of the frame, even when shooting wide-open. The overall quality of bokeh is simply unbeatable, and defocused points of light remain particularly well-rounded when stopping down. See our full Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM review (opens in new tab).

Samyang has made quite a successful model out of making budget-friendly lenses for full-frame systems, and the Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 RF is an impressively refined version of this formula. It may not be quite at the level of Canon's own RF 85mm f/1.2, but at half the weight and a quarter of the price, it's hard to complain.

The Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 RF acquits itself well optically, producing images of pleasing sharpness even when full wide open. The focusing action works well, with relatively little hunting, and the mechanism is extremely quiet, though not quite silent. It's got the 12-pin connection characteristic of RF-mount, so you do get the pleasing speeds the system is known for, though one thing that's missing is the in-camera optical correction; the EOS R cameras recognise the lens, but don't have any profiles for it. That might be coming in a future update, or it might not. 

Weather-sealing is a pleasing addition to this lens, and it's a really solid choice for portraiture. If you're on a budget and looking for a reliable 85mm, this is a great choice. 

See our full Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 RF review (opens in new tab). Also, if you need to save even more, consider Samyang's previous manual-focus only version, the Samyang MF 85mm f/1.4 RF (opens in new tab).

Let’s face it, most of us are not purely portrait photographers, so it makes sense not to spend a fortune on a ‘portrait lens’ that we might not use very often, and to buy one that’s reasonably compact and lightweight, for popping in a spare corner of a gadget bag.

This Canon lens is ideal on both counts, costing a small fraction of any other Canon 85mm lens and being very much more lightweight, at just 425g. Originally launched nearly 30 years ago for 35mm film SLRs, the lens has certainly stood the test of time and is equally viable for digital bodies.

The optical path is fairly simple, based on nine elements in seven groups, but includes Super Spectra coatings to reduce ghosting and flare. The ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system is fast, whisper-quiet and has the usual full-time manual override with a purely mechanical linkage. 

Given the modest aperture rating, sharpness isn’t particularly impressive when shooting wide-open but still sufficient for plenty of detail in the eyes. Color fringing and distortion are minimal. The quality of bokeh is very pleasing when shooting wide-open but the 8-blade diaphragm isn’t quite as well-rounded as in some competing lenses, tending to give a noticeable octagonal shape to defocused points of light and bright objects when you stop down a little. See our full Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM review (opens in new tab).

Ideal if you want to literally focus all of the attention on the eye, even if the rest of a portrait sitter’s face goes soft, this lens delivers an ultra-tight depth of field. 

Autofocus is pretty sluggish, though it is improved in this Mark II edition, compared with the original lens. Unusually for a ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system, the manual focus ring is coupled electronically rather than mechanically. It’s a clever design flourish, because accurate focusing is highly critical with such a tight depth of field at f/1.2. The focus ring’s electronic encoder enables much greater precision for manual focusing than in the vast majority of autofocus lenses.

Build quality is of a fully pro-grade standard but lacks the weather seals that usually adorn L-series optics. Weighing in at 1,025g, it’s slightly heavier than Canon's EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM, but lighter than the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art.

Sharpness is pretty mediocre when shooting wide-open, even at the centre of the frame, but picks up well when reducing the aperture by small amounts to f/1.4 and f/1.8. Bokeh fringing is clearly visible when shooting wide-open, around the outlines of in-focus objects against defocused areas. See full Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L USM II (opens in new tab) review.

This is one of only two Samyang autofocus lenses for Canon DSLRs, and the only 85mm in the Samyang range. Build quality feels solid and robust, and comes complete with weather seals. It’s a relatively short and light lens - at 485g, it’s not much heavier than Canon’s EF 85mm f/1.8 USM and is a similar size.

Like the Samyang manual lens for EOS R-series cameras, this autofocus lens for DSLRs includes a hybrid aspherical element and Ultra Multi Coating. However, there’s no need for an aperture control ring as onboard electronics enable full communication and aperture adjustment from the camera body. The autofocus system is driven by a Dual LSM (Linear Supersonic Motor), similar to the linear ‘stepping motors’ used in a number of recent Canon lenses. As such, manual focusing and override of autofocus is courtesy an electronically coupled control ring.

Autofocus proved quick and consistently reliable in our tests, while ‘fly by wire’ manual focusing is smooth and precise. Centre-sharpness is a bit lacklustre at f/1.4 but gets into its stride at f/2. However, sharpness is downright disappointing towards the edges of the frame. Even so, that’s not necessarily a deal-breaker for a portrait lens. Bokeh is of good quality wide-open, and remains so when stopping down a little, thanks to a well-rounded 9-blade diaphragm. See full Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 review (opens in new tab).

Nikon

With its relatively modest f/1.8 aperture rating, this lens enables great quality while maintaining a reasonably compact and lightweight construction that compliments Z-series mirrorless cameras. In the 85mm sector, however, a slightly faster aperture is often preferred, so this Nikon Z lens has something to prove.

Quality optics include two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and Nano Crystal Coat. There are no aspherical elements, but this can be a bonus for bokeh. Up-market build quality includes comprehensive weather-seals, and autofocus is courtesy of a quick yet virtually silent stepping motor. The large, electronically-coupled control ring enables high-precision manual focusing and can also be used for adjusting the likes of aperture and exposure compensation.

In terms of image quality, sharpness and contrast across the entire frame are simply spectacular, even when shooting wide-open. Meanwhile, bokeh is absolutely gorgeous and noticeably smoother than from Nikon’s AF-S 85mm f/1.4G, with better-rounded defocused points of light. Resistance to ghosting and flare is also remarkably good. See our full Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S review (opens in new tab).

Frankly enormous for an 85mm f/1.4 lens, this Sigma weighs in at 1,130g. Typical of Sigma’s Art series, the design is firmly focused on image quality without any concessions to reducing size and weight. The complex optical path consists of 14 elements, including an aspherical element and two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) elements. Autofocus is based on a ring-type ultrasonic autofocus and is both speedy and precise.

Sigma’s Art lenses are all immaculately well-built and, unlike some of them, this one adds the bonus of weather seals. However, you don't get optical image stabilization.

We're particularly impressed by the corner-to-corner image sharpness of this Sigma, which is pin-sharp even when shooting wide-open. Bokeh is also beautifully smooth, helped by a well-rounded 9-blade diaphragm, and there's little sign of any ‘onion ring’ effect that we've noticed from some Sigma Art lenses in the past. See full Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art review (opens in new tab).

Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art is already on the large side, but this 105mm stablemate is simply colossal. Nicknamed the ‘bokeh master’, it goes long on focal length and is extra-large in construction. Tell-tale signs include an oversized 105mm filter thread, due to the large diameter of the forward optical elements, and an included tripod mounting ring to more evenly balance the 1,645g weight of the lens.

The lens has premium components including three FLD (Fluorite-grade Low Dispersion) elements, two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) elements, and one aspherical element. Fine-tuning and firmware updates are available via Sigma’s optional USB Dock, but this lens lacks weather seals.

There’s no beating this lens for bokeh - it's immensely soft and smooth. Axial and lateral chromatic aberrations are very well controlled, and there’s no shortage of sharpness, although the competing Nikon AF-S 105mm f/1.4E ED (opens in new tab) is very marginally sharper at the centre of the frame. You might also find the ultra-thin depth of field difficult to work, and the lens's sheer size can be a bit intimidating for portraiture. See full Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art review (opens in new tab).

A big attraction of this lens is its smallness. Compact and lightweight, it’s easy to pop into a spare corner of your gadget bag for as and when you need it. It’s refreshingly inexpensive for an own-brand Nikon lens as well, undercutting most rivals for price. Even so, it has a high-quality optical path based on nine elements, although there are no aspherical or ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements.

Build quality is good, complete with a rubber weather seal on the mounting plate and a fast, ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system. However, it’s only has seven diaphragm blades, rather than the more usual nine that you tend to find in 85mm primes. Bokeh is impressively smooth though, with points of light remaining fairly well-rounded when stopping down a little.

This little Nikon really punches above its weight for sharpness, even at its widest aperture. Both lateral and axial chromatic aberrations are minimal, the latter helped by the modest aperture rating. There’s a slight touch of pincushion distortion, but it’s hardly an issue in portraiture. See our full Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.8G review (opens in new tab).

This Nikon lens is much smaller and only about half the weight of the competing Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art, but much more expensive (especially in the UK). It’s only natural to feel you’re not getting as much for your money.

On the plus side, this Nikon’s relatively compact and lightweight build make it somewhat easier to manage. Autofocus is typically quick and quiet for a ring-type ultrasonic system, and the mount has a weather-seal ring. Nano Crystal Coat minimizes ghosting and flare.

Shooting wide-open, sharpness drops off more than with most other f/1.4 lenses, while bokeh is a little fidgety and less smooth than it could be. At least there’s only minor degradation after you stop down a little. See our full Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.4G review (opens in new tab).

Well known for its manual-focus lenses, South Korean manufacturer Samyang only makes two autofocus lenses for Nikon cameras, the other being the AF 14mm f/2.8 F. Build quality feels rugged and the lens is weather-sealed. It’s particularly small and light for an 85mm f/1.4 lens, and not much bigger or heavier than the Nikon f/1.8.

The optical design incorporates a hybrid aspherical element and Ultra Multi Coating, while autofocus is driven by a quick and reliable Dual LSM (Linear Supersonic Motor). An electronically coupled control ring takes care of Manual focusing and autofocus override, proving to be smooth and precise for manual focussing.

Centre sharpness isn't great at f/1.4 but improves greatly by f/2. However, sharpness is disappointing towards the edges of the frame and there's some noticeable lateral chromatic aberration. Bokeh is very smooth when shooting wide-open, and remains good when stopping down a little, thanks to a well-rounded 9-blade iris. See our full Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 review (opens in new tab).

There are an increasing number of budget-priced fully manual lenses for Nikon Z system cameras, that lack any electronics and therefore can’t communicate with the camera body. So there’s no autofocus, you have to set the aperture manually and there’s no EXIF data stored with images. This Yongnuo is entirely different, not only featuring autofocus but also boasting a customizable Lens function (L-Fn) button and a customizable control ring. In our lab tests we noted that sharpness was exceptional across the frame, even when used wide open at f/1.8. See our full Yongnuo YN85mm F1.8 DF DSM review (opens in new tab).

Sony

Following on from Sony’s 35mm and 50mm f/1.8 lenses, this one has a similar look and feel. It’s certainly not cheap for an 85mm f/1.8 but only costs about a third as much as Sony’s f/1.4 G Master lens and feels a much more fitting size and weight for E-mount mirrorless bodies.

With a typically minimalist design, there’s no aperture ring nor a focus distance scale, although the lens does have an AF/MF switch and customizable focus hold button. Autofocus is courtesy of a quick and virtually silent linear stepping motor, with an electronically coupled manual focus ring that works with smooth precision. The weather-resistant build quality feels very good, while the optical design incorporates an ED (Extra-low Dispersion) element and a well-rounded 9-blade diaphragm.

Sharpness in the central region of the frame is outstanding, even when shooting wide-open. Bokeh is equally impressive, remaining smooth and dreamy even when reducing the aperture a little.

Compact and lightweight with impressive handling and performance, it’s ideal for A7 and A9 series cameras, although Sigma's 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens will give you an extra two-thirds of an f/stop to play with. See our full Sony FE 85mm f1.8 review (opens in new tab).

Throwing compactness to the wind, this Sigma tips the scales at a hefty 1,130g and is equally bulky. But thanks to its uncompromising 14-element optical path that includes an aspherical element and two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) elements, image quality is brilliant. Sharpness is outstanding right across the image frame, while the 9-blade diaphragm helps produce super-smooth bokeh. Chromatic aberration is minimal, and you'll struggle to spot even a trace of lens distortion.

If you can live with the size and weight, there’s no beating this lens for image quality and it’s great value for a full-frame FE-mount 85mm f/1.4. See our full Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art review (opens in new tab).

This is Sony's own premium portrait lens option, from its top-quality GM (Gold Master) range of optics. As well as being super-sharp, the quality of bokeh is wonderfully soft and dreamy, and remains so even when stopping down a little, helped by a very well-rounded 11-blade diaphragm. It’s undeniably a very pricey lens but its performance more than justifies the cost. See our full Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM review (opens in new tab).

The atx-m 85mm f/1.8 FE from Tokina is one of a growing number of lenses for Sony FE-mount cameras. 

Despite the lens 'only' featuring an f/1.8 maximum aperture rating, that's just part of the story as it manages  to deliver some really quite beautiful bokeh for defocused areas. In fact, we have to say the quality of the bokeh is more pleasing than many (more expensive) 85mm f/1.4 lenses. 

It's also capable of delivering good detail, with excellent sharpness in the central region of the frame. It's a little disappointing to not see any weather-sealing, but otherwise this lens feels very solid and sturdy. Team it with one of Sony's newer E-mount bodies that sports sensor-shift image stabilization and you have a great portrait set-up. See full Tokina atx-m 85mm f/1.8 FE (opens in new tab) review.

Fujifilm

With an effective focal length of 84mm, this lens enables a natural working distance for portraiture on Fujifilm’s APS-C format X-series cameras. Even so, gaining a tight depth of field is more of a challenge - so the maximum f/1.2 maximum aperture is much more essential than on a full-frame camera.

This is the very latest XF85mm, which has been completely redesigned to offer the sharpness and autofocus performance demanded by the latest cameras in the Fujifilm range. Just as importantly for many shooters, this 2022 version offers weatherproofing.

In our lab tests, we remarked that center sharpness is superb at f/1..2, and improving even further at f/2. Mid-frame and corner sharpness aren't quite so amazing, but are still above average for an APS-C-format lens. See our full Fujifilm XF56mmF1.2 R WR review (opens in new tab).

Pentax

With Pentax determinedly pushing on with its DSLR line of cameras and not a sight of any mirrorless cameras in the future, then there better be some decent lenses to shout about. Luckily Pentax has done just that with the mighty HD PENTAX-D FA* 85mm f/1.4ED SDM AW portrait lens. If you're shooting with a full-frame Pentax DSLR like the K-1, this is the ultimate lens for you if you're shooting portraits. 

It's expensive when compared to equivalent lenses its larger rivals, but this is one impressive lens. With an ultra-fast maximum aperture of f/1.4, Pentax has equipped the lens with an unusual concave front element, while there are three Super ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and an aspherical optical element to suppress aberrations and axial chromatic aberration. What's more, Pentax has designed the lens to reduce distortion to nearly zero at a focus distance of 4 metres. This makes it perfect for portraiture. It's certainly a big and heavy lens, but you'll be rewarded with a state-of-the-art lens for portraits.

Micro Four Thirds

Thanks to the 2x crop factor of the Micro Four Thirds system, this lens has an effective focal length of 90mm, which is a good start. Suitable for a range of Olympus, Panasonic and Blackmagic cameras,  it also has a fast aperture rating of f/1.8, bringing some much-need help in getting a tight depth of field, which is generally a struggle with MFT cameras.

Measuring just 56 x 46mm and weighing in at a mere 116g, this Olympus lens is exceptionally portable for a portrait lens. Autofocus is driven by an ultra-quiet stepping motor, while high-precision manual focusing is available via a ‘fly by wire’ focus ring.

Sharpness remains good across almost the entire image frame, even when shooting wide-open, where it only drops off towards the extreme edges and corners. However, bokeh simply isn’t as smooth as it could be, and when stopping down a little, points of defocused light take on a pronounced heptagonal shape, due to the seven-blade diaphragm. The Olympus 45mm f/1.2 Pro does better, but costs nearly four times the price in some regions. See our full Olympus 45mm f/1.8 M.ZUIKO Digital review (opens in new tab).

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