Photography News

 

Canon's latest RF lens continues the introduction of the high-quality VCM primes, joining the 24mm, 35mm and 50mm, all taking 67mm filters and all a very similar size. These are Hybrid lenses, intended for both stills and video and the features offered reflect this. 85mm is, of course, the classic portrait focal length, and the staple lens diet for wedding and social photographers across the decades. There is a vast choice of 85mm lenses, some general in use and some of a more specialist nature, but the choice is there. So let's set forth on our journey of discovery, matching up the new lens with the equally new 32.5MP Canon R6 Mark III.

 

Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM Handling and Features

The lens is of moderate size, measuring just 76.5mm x 99.8mm and weighing in at 636g. A generously sized round lens hood is provided and this bayonets securely onto the lens. The fit is slick and positive and the retaining catch makes sure it stays firmly in place. Within the bayonet fit for the hood is a standard 67mm filter thread, a size that is shared with the other VCM lenses in the range.

 

 

First up is the control ring, which can be programmed to exposure compensation (when the shutter release is half depressed), ISO, aperture or shutter speed, via the camera menu, depending on the mode chosen and the preferences of the photographer. If desired, the wider focus ring can be programmed to be the control ring, and in this case, the original control ring becomes inactive.

Closest focus is 0.75m for a maximum magnification of 0.12x. AF is driven by a VCM (Voice Coil Motor) for fast, accurate and virtually silent AF. Focus snaps in every time with no hint of hunting.

Optical construction is 14 elements in 10 groups, including 1 UD (Ultra Low Dispersion) and 1 GMo (Glass moulded aspherical). The rounded diaphragm comprises 11 blades for the best possible bokeh. ASC and SSC coatings complete the picture, along with a Fluorine coating on the front element to help repel moisture, dust and grease. The whole lens is sealed and is moisture and dust resistant.

 

 

There is an AF/MF switch, an AF cancel button and a release for the aperture ring. With support for videography in mind, the aperture ring can be set to "A" in which case the camera controls the aperture, or it can be set manually on the aperture scale. In the latter case, there are no click stops, nor is there any option to switch them in. There is no inbuilt IS and this is covered by the camera IBIS. This offers up to 8 stops advantage at the centre and 7 stops at the edge. The lens is not compatible with extenders.

The lens is actually a gem to handle and like any 85mm lens, snaps beautifully into focus. The depth of field of an 85mm also makes for some gorgeous out-of-focus backgrounds. Having said that, it is a short telephoto and not as versatile for general use as a short standard zoom would be, but then that is not its purpose. The fast f/1.4 aperture also helps, and the lens is not so bulky as an f/1.2 version would inevitably be. A delightful lens to use.

 

Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM Performance

There need be no fears regarding sharpness with this lens, as it has sharpness in abundance right from the start.

Central sharpness is excellent at f/1.4 and f/2, outstanding at f/2.8 and f/4, excellent from f/5.6 to f/11 and very good at f/16. The edges are excellent from f/1.4 right through to f/8, and very good at f/11 and f/16.

 

Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM MTF Charts Previous Next

How to read our MTF charts

The blue column represents readings from the centre of the picture frame at the various apertures and the green is from the edges.

For this review, the lens was tested on a Canon R6 Mark III body using Imatest. Want to know more about how we review lenses?

 

CA is highly corrected, approaching zero and is unlikely to be an issue.

Distortion measures +0.05%, which is as close to being rectilinear as makes no difference. Architectural shots will be rendered with a high degree of accuracy.

 

Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM Chromatic Aberration Charts Previous Next

How to read our CA charts

Chromatic aberration (CA) is the lens' inability to focus on the sensor or film all colours of visible light at the same point. Severe chromatic aberration gives a noticeable fringing or a halo effect around sharp edges within the picture. It can be cured in software.

Apochromatic lenses have special lens elements (aspheric, extra-low dispersion etc) to minimize the problem, hence they usually cost more.

For this review, the lens was tested on a Canon R6 Mark III body using Imatest.

 

Bokeh, gorgeous and delicious, is the forte of the 85mm, and will delight brides and grooms as well as anyone who is the subject of a fine portrait lens.

Flare is not generally an issue, but artefacts can be generated when severe lighting is allowed to shine directly into the field of view.

Vignetting is well under control, with just a hint of corner darkening being as much an advantage as a disadvantage with portraiture, concentrating our eyes on the main subject.

 

Aperture Vignetting f/1.4 -0.9 f/2 -0.8 f/2.8 -0.8 f/4 -0.8 f/5.6 -0.7 f/8 -0.7 f/11 -0.7 f/16 -0.7

 

Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM Sample Photos Previous Next

 

Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM Aperture range Previous Next

You can view additional images in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own reviews, photos and product ratings.

 

[HOOK]position_1[/HOOK]

Value For Money

The [AMUK]Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM|Canon+RF+85mm+f/1.4L+VCM[/AMUK] lens is priced at £1679.00

There is quite a choice of 85mm lenses for Canon RF, including:

• [AMUK]Canon RF 85mm f/2 IS Macro STM|Canon+RF+85mm+f/2+IS+Macro+STM[/AMUK], £619
• [AMUK]Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM|Canon+RF+85mm+f/1.2L+USM[/AMUK], £2999
• [AMUK]Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS|Canon+RF+85mm+f/1.2L+USM+DS[/AMUK], £3499
• [AMUK]Laowa 85mm f/5.6 2x Ultra Macro APO|Laowa+85mm+f/5.6+2x+Ultra+Macro+APO[/AMUK], £499
• [AMUK]Lensbaby Velvet 85mm f/1.8|Lensbaby+Velvet+85mm+f/1.8[/AMUK], £499
• [AMUK]NiSi Athena 85mm T1.9 Cine|NiSi+Athena+85mm+T1.9+Cine[/AMUK] Lens, £1139
• [AMUK]Samyang MF 85mm f/1.4|Samyang+MF+85mm+f/1.4[/AMUK], £299
• [AMUK]Samyang VD SLR 85mm T1.9 Mk II|Samyang+VD+SLR+85mm+T1.9+Mk+II[/AMUK], £412
• [AMUK]Zeiss Otus ML 85mm f/1.4|Zeiss+Otus+ML+85mm+f/1.4[/AMUK], £2350

Top-of-the-line 85mm lenses do not come cheap, but the new Canon lens does look like it is pitched at a realistic level.

 

 

Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM Verdict

For stills, a superbly sharp 85mm lens perfect for portraits, weddings and social events plus of course all the usual applications for a short telephoto. For video, virtually silent VCM focusing plus a silent click-free aperture ring. Wedding photographers may well be delighted with this new offering from Canon, although if soft-focus effects are required, then filters will need to be used. As part of the VCM range, it also matches almost exactly in size and weight with the rest of the range, making a very attractive set of high-quality prime lenses.

There is much to like about this lens, and it duly receives a 5-star rating and the accolade of Editor's Choice.

 

Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM Pros

• Excellent to outstanding sharpness
• Virtually no CA
• Modest vignetting
• Very well made
• Virtually rectilinear
• Moisture and Dust resistant
• Smooth bokeh
• Superb handling
• Fair pricing

 

Canon RF 85mm f/1.4L VCM Cons

• Some flare in extreme conditions

 

[REVIEW_FOOTER]R_features=4.5|R_handling=5|R_performance=5|R_value=4.5|R_overall=5|A_level=5|A_text=Editor's Choice – A superb Hybrid 85mm lens perfect for both stills and video shooting.|E_id=8027[/REVIEW_FOOTER]

.borders { border: 1px solid #ccc !important; border-collapse: collapse; } .borders td,.borders tr { border: 1px solid #ccc !important; } .borders { border: 1px solid #ccc !important; border-collapse: collapse; } .borders td,.borders tr { border: 1px solid #ccc !important; }

The L-Mount Alliance was first unveiled at Photokina 2018. It was positioned as a long-term ecosystem play—one that harmonized multiple brands and prioritized system longevity over short-term competition. For years, the alliance remained relatively compact, dominated mainly by lens options that often leaned toward the premium end of the market, produced by brands that pioneered the alliance, such as Leica, Panasonic, and Sigma.  

[Read More]

 

Contradictory to what you're told when you first pick up a camera, it is OK to have blur, and quite a lot of it, in your shots when you're photographing the right subject and want to emphasise speed or create a sense of motion. When we say it's OK we don't just mean a shot you accidentally took out of focus will pass off as something creative, you have to deliberately adjust your camera's settings or know how a quick twist of your lens will give you the blur that's needed to add a sense of action to your shot.

[HOOK]position_1[/HOOK] 

1. How To Add Blur

The two ways we are going to look at are slowing down your shutter speed and using zoom blur (movement of your lens). The second can be a little harder to get a grasp of but after a few tries, it should become easier.

 

 

2. Shutter Speeds

If you've never shot action-style images before you may first think that a subject that's moving through your frame quick will need a quicker shutter speed to ensure you capture them as they move through your frame. You can do this but most of the time you'll just end up with a shot that freezes them in place and all sense of motion will be lost. However, there are a couple of exceptions to the rule such as a rally car or cyclist hurtling through a muddy puddle. As they move through the water, they'll more than likely cause spray to fly everywhere and a quick shutter speed will freeze the spray as it jumps up towards the sky, surrounding your subject. It's the spray here that helps emphasis the action and their pace so using a slower shutter speed will mean this excitement would be lost.
 

3. Slow Things Down

For times when there's no mud and water flying everywhere try slowing your shutter speed down to add some much-needed motion to the shot. How slow you have to go will depend on how fast your subject is moving, how much light is around etc. and the whole process can be a little unpredictable, however, it's worth sticking with and experimenting as you can get great results, some of which are surprising sometimes.
 

4. Balance

The hard bit can be trying to get the balance of blur and in-focus parts of the shot right. Most of the time a blurred background that has streaks running through it in the direction your subject is moving with a sharp subject sat against it is what you'll be looking for, however, if your subject is a little blurred it can emphasise motion and add further drama to your shot. Don't go too over the top with the blur though as they can just end up merging together which makes it hard for the eye to focus, meaning it's hard for the viewer to settle on one point of the image and it can make it look like you just took a bad shot.

 

 

5. Focus

For shots where you want your subject to be sharp, make sure you're focused on them as you follow them through the frame. A quick autofocus system will help ensure your shot is focused quickly and accurately. Trying to focus manually with fast-moving objects can be tricky, however, it can be done if you plan on pre-focusing on a spot, say on a particular bend on a track, you know your subject will have to pass through. Just remember to lock your focus after you've set it up and be ready to hit the shutter button at the right time.

Switching to continuous shooting mode which most cameras now feature will increase your chances of capturing the action when panning or pre-focusing on one spot. You'll need to start shooting just before your subject comes into frame though to ensure you don't miss a shot due to shutter lag. If you're panning make sure you keep the pan going even after your subject has left the frame and you've got your shot.
 

6. Flash

To brighten your subject so they pop from your frame and to freeze them in place while the background is blurred switch to slow sync flash which combines a slow shutter speed with a burst of flash. The slow shutter speed means the camera will blur the background and further subject movement. Depending on if you're using front or rear curtain will change when the flash is introduced, freezing your subject's movement at different points of the shot.

 

 

7. Zoom Blur

To really emphasise your sport and action shots, giving them a dynamic edge, try using zoom burst to create blur that you deliberately create by twisting the zoom on your lens as you take a shot.

As well as emphasising movement it can help make your subject, who's not blurred, 'pop' from the frame. A burst of light from a flashgun will help freeze your subject and add sharpness to the image.

On paper, it's a simple technique but it can take some time to actually master. You need a lens that will zoom and experimenting with different lens lengths will change the overall effect. Changing the starting point of the zoom and the length of time you zoom for and how quickly you move the lens will also change the final look of the shot. For action shots, it's best to use shorter exposures which you start while you're moving the lens. Starting zoomed out and pulling the zoom in during the exposure makes it easier to capture a sharp shot of your subject with the zoom blur surrounding them.

Adding a little bit of camera movement will adjust the pattern the zoom blur creates and can be used to direct the eye on a particular path through your shot.
 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Competition Forum

We tend to mistake technological adaptation for professional maturity. As cameras grow more “helpful,” they quietly relocate our attention from seeing to supervision. We stop making decisions and start managing a system. 

Here, I do not look at a camera as an instrument, a set of specifications, or a lifestyle object. To me, a camera is a working environment. It is a space that shapes attention and assigns responsibility.

[Read More]

Big landscape scenes fall apart fast if the foreground, light, and framing are not controlled together. When you’re working near water and mountains at sunrise, small choices decide whether the scene feels intentional or scattered. 

[Read More]

 

Leading bag manufacturer Billingham launched a brand-new leisure range marking a deliberate shift from its traditional photographic bag collections.

The new range introduces three non-photographic bag designs, created with everyday versatility in mind while retaining the brand’s signature build quality and attention to detail. The collection is designed to appeal to customers looking for practical, stylish bags suitable for daily use, travel, and leisure.

The range comprises of two handbags and one tote bag, whose names have been inspired by the unsung heroes of the film set.

The three new styles are:

• Dolly Grip – Refined, functional and beautiful. This small handbag is designed for effortless everyday style.
• Key Grip – A perfectly balanced medium-sized handbag designed for everyday use.
• Best Boy Tote – A spacious statement-making tote, perfect for work, travel or everyday use.

Both the Dolly Grip and Key Grip will be available in four colour combinations:

• Khaki Canvas/Chocolate Leather
• Sage FibreNyte/Black Leather
• Black FibreNyte/Black Leather
• Burgundy Canvas/Black Leather

The Best Boy Tote will be offered in two colourways:

• Sage FibreNyte/Black Leather
• Black FibreNyte/Black Leather

Across all three designs, the range shares a consistent set of practical features, including a removable shoulder sling, multiple handy zip pockets, and an internal brass key loop, making each bag both functional and adaptable to different lifestyles.

The launch represents a notable evolution for the manufacturer, expanding its product offering beyond photographic use and into a broader leisure market, while continuing to design and manufacture from its factory in the West Midlands.

The new leisure range is now available online at www.billingham.co.uk and through a few selected retailers, with UK SRP (including VAT) as follows: Dolly Grip at £289.00, Key Grip at £359.00, and Best Boy Tote at £426.00.

There's a particular joy in slinging a mirrorless camera over your shoulder and realizing it barely tugs at the strap. That feeling multiplies when you glance down and see the lens sitting almost flush with the body, transforming what should be a serious photographic tool into something that looks more like an oversized point-and-shoot. Welcome to the world of pancake lenses, where compactness isn't a compromise but a deliberate design philosophy. 

[Read More]

Canon cameras ship with defaults that look fine but quietly work against you in real shooting. Change a few early settings and you get more honest exposure previews, cleaner files, and fewer missed shots without buying anything new. 

[Read More]

Strong photographs of trees rarely come from technique alone. They come from paying attention to what happened in that place before you arrived, and from staying long enough to feel it rather than smoothing it over. 

[Read More]

Valentine’s Day photos tend to bring out the same problem over and over: hands feel useless, bodies feel stiff, and everything starts to feel forced. The video focuses on simple couples poses that reduce that awkwardness, whether you’re working with a pro camera setup or just a phone. 

[Read More]

 

An impressive capture of a kingfisher posing above still water, Waiting by Tonyd3 has a clear and steady feel.

The bird is perched on a weathered metal loop just above the water, with its reflection mirrored beneath it. Small green plants sit alongside the metal, while the smooth surface of the water adds to the balanced look. The bird remains perfectly still, as if waiting to catch something below the surface. This calm setting and the gentle reflections create a dreamy mood that makes the whole moment feel peaceful.

Every Photo of the Week (POTW) winner will be rewarded with a Samsung 128GB PRO Plus microSDXC memory card with SD adapter, providing top-tier storage for all your creative needs across multiple devices. But that's not all! In January 2027, we’ll crown our 2026 Photo of the Year winner, who will take home the ultimate prize of a Samsung Portable 1TB SSD T7 Shield, courtesy of Samsung. It’s time to shoot, submit, and showcase your best work for a chance to win these incredible rewards!

Photo by cattyal

 

The most popular approach to flower photography is to include the whole flower but by getting in very close or by choosing a less conventional crop you can create a rather exciting image. Plus, it's a technique you can try all year round as you can just buy your flowers from the supermarket when there's none showing their heads in your garden.

[HOOK]position_1[/HOOK]

1. Work Near A Window 

A greenhouse is a great location for shooting close-ups of flowers as there's plenty of light, you're sheltered from the wind and if the windows are slightly dirty the light will be nicely diffused. If you don't have a greenhouse work indoors next to a set of patio doors or a large window and use a net curtain or muslin to diffuse the light.

 

2. Direction, Apertures & Focus 

Position your vase/flower pot so you can work directly above it then begin experimenting with different apertures and shooting distances to change the overall effect. Start with a nice wide aperture to minimise your depth of field and switch to manual focusing as you can get in closer than your camera thinks. Although, it’s not even really necessary to have any part of the image in focus as the flower colour and shape can produce attractive abstract swirls of soft colour.

If you don’t have the ability to get in close then try some creative cropping. The sweep of a single Lily petal or the shape of an Iris lend themselves to close crops.

  3. Multiple Exposures  If your camera has it, try experimenting with the Multiple Exposure Mode. This mode allows you to take several shots on the same 'frame' which the camera then combines to create one shot. Having the lens sharply focused then defocusing as you move from exposure to exposure will give you a soft, dreamy look to your photograph.

 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Competition Forum

From copyrighted light bulbs to illegal selfies, here are the strangest regulations governing your shutter button. Most photographers operate under a simple assumption: if your eyes can see it, your camera can capture it. Point, shoot, done. Nobody can tell you otherwise. Except they absolutely can. 

[Read More]

Autofocus is fast, reliable, and so baked into modern cameras that you probably never question how it’s tied to the shutter button. This argues that default setup quietly forces a trade you don’t have to accept once you start separating focus from exposure. 

[Read More]

[COMMENT_IMG]direct|320788|320788_1770192128.jpg[/COMMENT_IMG]

 

The latest winner of our popular daily photography theme which takes place in our forums have been chosen and congratulations go to dke (Day 4 - Flower Photography).

 

Daily Theme Runners-Up

If you didn't win this time, keep uploading your images to the daily competition forum for another chance to win! If you're new to the Daily Theme, you can find out more about it in the Daily Theme Q&A. 

Well done to our latest runners-up, too, whose images you can take a look at below.

  Day 1

Frost Photography

[COMMENT_IMG]direct|146271|146271_1769941497.jpg[/COMMENT_IMG]

 

Day 2

Commute Photography

[COMMENT_IMG]portfolio|162081|3906537[/COMMENT_IMG]

 

Day 3

Glass Photography

[COMMENT_IMG]portfolio|289105|3816361[/COMMENT_IMG]

  Day 5

Car Photography

[COMMENT_IMG]direct|51474|51474_1770301465.jpg[/COMMENT_IMG]

 

Day 6

Football Photography

[COMMENT_IMG]direct|44488|44488_1770389116.jpg[/COMMENT_IMG]

 

Day 7

Food Photography

[COMMENT_IMG]portfolio|189602|3746570[/COMMENT_IMG]

 

You’ll find the Daily Themes, along with other great photo competitions, over in our Forum. Take a look to see the latest daily photo contests. Open to all levels of photographer, you’re sure to find a photography competition to enter. Why not share details of competitions with our community? Join the camaraderie and upload an image to our Gallery.

Photography has never been cleaner, sharper, or more technically flawless. Paradoxically, it has never felt easier to hesitate before pressing the shutter or posting the image. 

[Read More]

Fog can turn a strong landscape into a flat sheet, even when the scene looked deep in person. The fix is rarely a single slider, and the right masking move in Lightroom can make fog read like real space instead of gray mush. 

[Read More]

The new Photoshop update adds adjustment layers that feel tailor-made for real estate edits, especially when a scene is flat and hazy. If you shoot homes, rentals, or interiors, the difference between “fine” and “booked” often comes down to controlled, believable separation in the sky, water, and key surfaces. 

[Read More]

The LUMIX S1II sits in a tricky spot: it has to satisfy stills, video, and paid work without forcing you into a slow, fragile setup. If you’ve been bouncing between systems trying to get speed, clean files, and dependable video in one body, this is the kind of camera that can end the search or expose a new compromise you didn’t expect. 

[Read More]

   

The idea of movement isn't usually a thought that first springs to mind when you try to describe what a landscape shot is. However, when you start to think of popular landscape topics such as waterfalls, rivers, trees, clouds and the sea, you suddenly realise movement, which makes shots more dynamic, crops up more often than you think.

[HOOK]position_1[/HOOK]

Slowing your shutter speeds can create a sense of movement in your landscape shots. Just remember you'll need to use a smaller aperture to limit the amount of light that reaches your camera's sensor. If you don't, you'll end up with a shot that's overexposed. If you find your shots are still a little on the light side, fit an ND filter to further reduce the amount of light going through your lens. For shots where you want to exaggerate the power/strength of your subject or for shots that have people/vehicles moving or birds in-flight, you'll need quicker shutter speeds, a steady hand and good panning technique all of which we'll look at later on.

  1. Waves

For shots of waves crashing against cliffs and sea walls you'll need a quick-ish shutter speed, around 1/125 should help you capture the power on display. Just remember, unless you want a soaking, to keep yourself and your kit out of the wave's reach. Have a lens cloth handy and remember to wipe your kit down thoroughly once you're back home.

For shots where the waves turn into a mass of soft, blue and white blur use exposures which are 5 seconds or more. If it's a particularly bright day make sure you have an ND filter to-hand and use the smallest aperture and ISO possible. If you want the waves to have a little more shape to them use a slightly shorter exposure. How short you go will depend on the amount of shape you want and how choppy the sea is on the day so you may end up experimenting with a few different exposures before you land on the one that gives you the shot you're after.

 

 

2. Waterfalls

We've covered waterfalls in a previous article so here are just a few quick tips to get you started. For a more in-depth look, take a look at our previous technique: Shooting waterfalls.

• What shutter speed you use will be determined by how much blur you want, the focal length you're using and the amount of light available.
• Pick an overcast day when you're going to be using longer exposures. Your shot is less likely to have contrast problems too when there's a touch of cloud cover.
• An ND filter can help you extend your exposure times while a Polarising filter will reduce the amount of glare/reflection coming off the water.
• Turn the waterfall's movement into a mass of blur - 1/8 sec longer
• Faster shutter speeds will enhance the power/force of the waterfall, freezing the movement of the water as it cascades and splashes on rocks.
• Have a go at photographing water bubbles.

 

  3. Clouds

Cloud formations can appear and vanish again even before you've thought about taking a shot so if you do spot an interesting one make sure you snap it straight away. Keep an eye on your histogram to make sure your shot doesn't have areas which are overexposed and if the formation is really spectacular cut some of the foreground out, moving the horizon down so the sky fills more of your shot. Use slower shutter speeds to blur the movement of the clouds and look out for trails left by planes too as the crisscrossing lines can make an interesting abstract shot.

 

4. Birds and People

If you want to capture birds in-flight you'll need a quick shutter speed, continuous autofocus and a good panning technique. As soon as you see a bird come into shot lock your focus on it straight away and follow it through the frame, panning even after you've taken your shot. To freeze the movement you'll need to use a shutter speed around 1/500sec but if you want to blur the movement of their wings try something slower around 1/30sec.

When it comes to people, how fast your shutter speed is will depend on what they're doing. For example, someone who's water skiing will be moving a lot quicker than someone rowing across a lake.

For more tips on panning and capturing people moving take a look at our articles:

• Panning tips
• Capture motion
• Shutter speeds explained

      5. Trees

Leaves blowing in the wind are an obvious way to capture movement in a forest but for something artier, try creating a drag landscape. For tips on how to do this take a look at our articles:

• Drag landscapes
• Drag landscapes in the woods

 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Competition Forum