The EF 85mm f/1.4L IS USM from Canon is a short telephoto prime well-suited to portraiture applications. As an L-series lens, it is characterized by a sophisticated optical layout that includes one glass-moulded aspherical element to greatly reduce spherical aberrations and distortion for improved sharpness and clarity. Individual elements also feature an Air Sphere coating (ASC) to suppress lens flare and ghosting for greater contrast and colour fidelity in backlit situations.

Complementing the optical attributes, this lens also incorporates a four stop-effective optical image stabilization system that minimizes the appearance of camera shake for sharper handheld shooting. A ring-type Ultrasonic Motor (USM) also affords quick and accurate autofocus performance, along with full-time manual focus override for fine-tuned control. Additionally, as with all L-series lenses, this 85mm f/1.4 has a dust- and weather-resistant construction, as well as a fluorine coating on exposed elements, to benefit its use in harsh environmental conditions.