EF 85mm f/1.8 USMvs A1
Canon
EF 85mm f/1.8 USM (1992)
Starting from £349 new
Best for Portrait & wedding photography
View EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
VS
Sony
A1 (2021)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
View A1
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Portrait & Wedding Photography — EF 85mm f/1.8 USM (1992): A thirty-year-old design that still outperforms lenses twice its price — the definitive portrait prime for Canon DSLR shooters.
Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting — A1 (2021): 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.
Who should buy what
A1 (2021)
- Professional photographers who need resolution and speed without compromise
- Sports and wildlife photographers demanding the absolute fastest Sony
- Studio and fashion photographers who also shoot sport or events
- A9 III or A7R V owners who want a single body that does everything
Quick take: The ef 85mm f/1.8 usm is the most affordable; only the a1 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EF 85mm f/1.8 USM (1992) | A1 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £349 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | f/1.8 (max aperture) | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | — | 50.1MP |
| Video | 85cm minimum focus distance | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Ring-type USM — fast, near-silent, with full-time manual override | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points |
| Stabilisation | None (relies on body IS if available) | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | N/A | 30fps electronic with full AF/AE |
| Battery Life | N/A | ~430 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 425g | 737g (with battery) |
| Dimensions | 75mm diameter × 71.5mm length | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | N/A | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps |
| Screen | N/A | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon EF / EF-S | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | N/A | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | N/A | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EF 85mm f/1.8 USM | A1 |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Wedding | — |
More comparisons with EF 85mm f/1.8 USM
Camera family history