Vernon Chalmers Photography: Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens Hair Fashion

01 September 2024

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens Hair Fashion

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens for Portrait and Fashion Photography

Canon EF 85mm f1/8 USM Lens For Hair Fashion Action

'A cost-effective small prime lens with lots of potential' - Vernon Chalmers

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens
At first I didn't consider the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM prime / consumer lens as an option while planning for the 2015 Partners Hair Design Training Academy Graduation / Fashion Show in Cape Town.

Prime sharpness
My initial thoughts were that the Canon 85mm f/1.8 USM prime lens may be a tad short for this close-up hair fashion shooting application, but as a fast, sharp and small non-zoom lens it could just be good enough for the catwalk (if I could move with the action). With all the confidence in the world I paired it with the EOS 70D; using the EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM lens on the Canon EOS 6D for the group / wider angle shots.

Just love 85mm... after shooting with 400mm for months

Great value and sharpness for a consumer lens and I am sure there are a few similar priced Sigma and or Tamron 85mm lenses that could possibly do the same job. If you're prepared to learn how to zoom with your feet the 85mm focal length could work well on full frame / crops bodies (85mm on full frame vs +- 135mm on APS-C / crop when considering the crop factor of 1.6).

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens Hair Key Features and Specification

"The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM is a popular prime lens, especially favored for portrait photography.

Here are some of its key features:

Focal Length: 85mm, ideal for portraits and medium telephoto shots.
Aperture: Fast f/1.8 maximum aperture, great for low-light conditions and achieving a shallow depth of field.
Autofocus: Ring-type Ultrasonic Motor (USM) for fast and quiet autofocus, with full-time manual focus override.
Optics: Super Spectra coatings to reduce flare and ghosting, ensuring accurate color balance and enhanced contrast.
Build: Compact and lightweight, making it easy to carry around. However, it lacks weather-sealing 1 2 3.

This lens is known for its sharpness and beautiful bokeh, making it a great choice for capturing stunning portraits and still-life photography." (Source: Microsoft Copilot)

Canon 70D / EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Lens For Hair Fashion Action

Hair-raising action photography

The main goal of covering the event was an all-round documentation of the show, guests, graduates and hair models. The biggest challenge was to shoot the extravagant hair designs with the 85mm lens on the crop-sensor Canon EOS 70D. Throughout the rehearsal I realized that it could be done as long as I move close enough with the models.

First image below is non-flash / non-action, but the others are all faster action walking / panning with the models (bounced flash). The last shot was captured during the rehearsal - no flash.

I did not really feel the need to use the Canon EOS 7D Mark II as I trusted the EOS 70D's AF and AI Servo to deliver within the same image quality parameters.

All Canon Equipment Used (during the show)