Conclusion

The Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS is the almost perfect lens for portrait photographers looking for that extra pizzazz in their images.

With its unique DS coating, the already enthralling bokeh produced by the standard, non-DS RF 85mm f/1.2L USM lens becomes even softer and more dreamy, without sacrificing any of the outstanding sharpness that both lenses offer in spades.

The main trade-off for the buttery-smooth bokeh is the loss of light - effectively 1 1/3 stops darker when shooting at f/1.2 - which means that you'll need to slow your shutter speed or bump up the ISO to compensate, neither of which are a great option.

The other cost is purely a financial one - several hundred pounds/dollars/euros more, in fact, than the already eye-wateringly expensive standard RF 85mm f/1.2L USM.

The Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS creates an incredibly seductive bokeh effect that's hard to ignore once you've tasted it, though. It may be one of the most niche lenses that we've ever tested, and one of the most expensive, but it's also one of the most distinctive...

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4.5
Features	4.5
Ease-of-use	4.5
Image quality	5
Value for money	4