Canon EF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS III USM vs Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| CanonEF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS III USM | CanonEF 85mm f/1.2L II USM | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | September 2018 | March 2006 |
| Optics | ||
| Lens type | Zoom | Prime |
| Focal length | 70–200 mm | 85 mm |
| Maximum aperture | f/2.8 | f/1.2 |
| Minimum aperture | f/32 | f/16 |
| Optical construction | 23 elements in 19 groups; retains the optical layout of the EF 70–200mm f/2.8L IS II USM | Eight elements in seven groups with a floating optical construction |
| Special elements | One fluorite and five UD elements | Ground aspherical lens according to Canon Japan |
| Coatings | Air Sphere Coating and revised optical coatings; fluorine coating on front and rear element surfaces | Super Spectra coatings according to Canon UK |
| Diaphragm | Eight blades with a circular aperture | Eight blades with a circular electromagnetic diaphragm |
| Angle of view | Diagonal 34°–12°; vertical 19°30′–7°; horizontal 29°–10° | 28°30′ diagonal, 24° horizontal and 16° vertical |
| Mount and compatibility | ||
| Mounts | Canon EF | Canon EF |
| Image circle | Full frame | Full frame |
| Compatibility | Canon EF mount full-frame and APS-C cameras | Canon EF cameras with full-frame or APS-C sensors |
| Teleconverter support | EF1.4X III gives 98–280 mm f/4 and 0.30× maximum magnification; EF2X III gives 140–400 mm f/5.6 and 0.44×; autofocus remains available but is slower | Canon EF1.4X II and EF2X II extenders cannot be used according to the manual |
| Adaptor support | – | Canon UK confirms EOS M compatibility with the EF-EOS M Mount Adapter |
| Focus and stabilisation | ||
| Autofocus | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum focus distance | 1.2 m | 0.95 m |
| Maximum magnification | 0.21× | 0.11× |
| Optical stabilisation | Yes | No |
| Autofocus detail | Ring-type USM; full-time manual override after One-Shot autofocus while holding the shutter button halfway | USM autofocus; Canon claims up to 1.8× the autofocus speed of the original EF 85mm f/1.2L USM using a faster CPU and revised algorithms |
| Focus distance detail | Internal focusing; maximum 0.21× magnification at 200 mm | Electronic manual focusing; full-time override after One-Shot AF while half-pressing the shutter, with camera and mode exceptions listed in the manual. The Digital Picture confirms camera power is required and the lens extends when focusing |
| Magnification detail | – | Canon manual gives EF12 II tube magnification 0.15–0.25×, EF25 II 0.33–0.42× and 500D close-up lens 0.17–0.28× |
| Stabilisation detail | Up to 3.5 stops under CIPA testing at 200 mm on an EOS-1D X Mark II; Mode 1 for still subjects and Mode 2 for panning; Canon notes tripod results depend on the tripod and shooting conditions | No optical stabilisation according to ePHOTOzine's exact-model specification |
| Design | ||
| Dust and moisture resistant | Yes | No |
| Filter diameter | 77 mm | 72 mm |
| Maximum diameter | 88.8 mm | 91.5 mm |
| Length | 199 mm | 84 mm |
| Weight | 1,480 g | 1,025 g (better) |
| Controls | AF/MF, IS on/off and IS mode switches; focus limiter selects 1.2 m–infinity or 2.5 m–infinity | AF/MF switch, focusing ring, distance window, infrared index and depth-of-field scale |
| Filter detail | – | Front screw-in filter; one filter at a time according to Canon's manual |
| Zoom design | Internal zooming maintains physical length (Digital Camera World) | – |
| Weather resistance | Dust- and moisture-resistant construction with a rubber gasket at the mount | Canon Japan explicitly lists no dust or drip resistance |
| Dimensions detail | 88.8 mm maximum diameter × 199 mm length, measured from the mount to the lens front; add 24.2 mm for front and rear caps | 91.5 mm maximum diameter × 84 mm length; 1,025 g lens-only. Add 21.5 mm with E-72U and rear cap, or 24.2 mm with E-72 II and rear cap |
| Weight detail | Approximately 1,480 g lens only according to Canon's instruction manual, UK store and Camera Museum; a Canon USA one-page specification chart instead lists approximately 1,440 g | – |
| Tripod mount | Included removable rotating B (W II) tripod mount ring; detach the lens from the camera before removing the collar | – |
| Lens hood | ET-87, with release button and reversible mounting for storage | Supplied ES-79 II clip-on hood; reversible for storage according to Canon's manual |
| In the box | ET-87 hood and LZ1326 lens case according to the UK store; tripod mount ring included according to Canon's instruction manual | Lens, E-72U front cap, Lens Dust Cap E, ES-79 II hood, LP1219 pouch and user manual according to Canon UK |
| Release detail | Marketed in September 2018 according to Canon Camera Museum; Canon USA's 7 June announcement had scheduled US shipping for August 2018 | March 2006 sale month confirmed by Canon Camera Museum and Japan support. Canon explicitly identifies this model as the successor to the September 1989 EF 85mm f/1.2L USM |
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