Canon RF 135mm f/1.8 'L' IS USM lens review

Is this the most finely-crafted portrait lens of all time?

All pictures taken by me on Canon EOS R5 and R7 cameras.

...or on YouTube Memberships:

Equipment I use to make my videos (Amazon affiliate link - I earn a commission on purchases):

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Music:
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

[ericmerlin]

In my EF lenses, my EF 135 F/2 is by far my best lens! ❤️ my 135

[lqr]

the EF135/2 was my favorite lens from 1997 to, well, actually it was the only one of 15 lenses I kept when I switched to RF. But the RF135 is shockingly good. Wide open, the 135/1.8's CORNERS are sharper than the 135/2's CENTER. My test target has 55lp/mm, meaning the lines are only 2 pixels thick on the R5 sensor, but it renders them very sharply anyway. The AF is somewhat faster and I assume more accurate. The IS is definitely not the 8 stops (on an R5) that Canon claims but is still probably 2 stops better than the 135/2 would be.

[krejn]

Scary how optically precise the RF L lineup is

[vadersgoldfish]

Finally bought one today. Yeah! Was on my wish list for over a year. 😁

[kilaueaproductions]

That has to be one of the sharpest lenses ever made! I've been watching a bunch of your videos and I don't think I've seen anything quite like this before.

[Skipsul]

Would love you tackling those 200mm f/2 beasts too at some point.

[browniepinoy]

This is the review I was waiting for. Thanks for reviewing this.

[brianode]

The EF 135, 100 macro IS, and 85 1.4 are my favorites adapted on my R5/R6 bodies.

[zamorafotography]

I just purchased a copy of this lens and it does come with a case.

[AlcottJake]

As someone who adores my Sony 135 f1.8 GM - the inclusion of stabilization on this lens is definitely a source of envy. I would certainly short-list this lens if I was on the Canon system

[swistedfilms]

That sharpness at f/1.8 was amazing! I don't know that I would use this focal length very often but maybe I should challenge myself to do so.

[Vaquero_interestelar]

hello, could you make a comparison between this 135mm RF vs 135mm EF? It would be fantastic!! thank you.

[tbgtom]

Love this lens. I rented it myself recently and immediately fell in love with it. Cannot wait until I can get my hands on a permanent copy.

[Twobarpsi]

135mm is my favorite focal length. This lens is very sharp!

[BLEEJazz]

Bought this lens 3 weeks ago. Awesome lens.

[the_wiki]

For anyone who doesn't have money they are trying to burn, the EF 135L is still amazing and works beautifully on an EF-RF adapter. They are downright cheap in comparison.

[julianstrau]

Has the Canon RF 135mm f/1.8 replaced the Sigma Art 105mm f/1.4 as your favorite portrait lens? 🙂

[thequyetphan]

I got a chance to try this lens out in a outdoor portrait session. I used this lens on a Canon R6, and oh boy this thing is sharp as hell.

[andreigheorghe]

I can't wait to see the review of the last of the nikon Z trinity, the Z 70-200 f2.8 S.

[groundhoppingwlkp]

Why no coma test? 135mm are pretty often used in astrophotography, so it would be interesting for many people