Mastering the 85mm Lens: Tips that actually work

The Unique Character of the 85mm Lens

Before we dive into the technical settings, it’s crucial to understand why the 85mm lens is so beloved, especially for portraiture. It’s not just about blurry backgrounds; it’s about a unique combination of compression, subject separation, and working distance that creates a look other lenses struggle to replicate. Understanding its core character is the first step to mastering it.

Understanding Focal Length Compression

One of the most celebrated traits of the 85mm lens is its ability to render subjects with beautiful, flattering compression. In simple terms, longer focal lengths like 85mm tend to flatten perspective. This is a huge advantage for portraits because it minimizes the distortion that wider lenses can create. Features that are closer to the camera, like the nose, aren’t exaggerated, leading to a more natural and proportional representation of the human face.

If you’ve ever taken a close-up portrait with a 35mm or even a 50mm lens, you might have noticed a subtle “bulging” effect. The 85mm eliminates this, slimming facial features in a way that clients and subjects almost universally prefer.

This compression also affects the background. It makes the background elements appear closer and larger than they actually are, which helps fill the frame behind your subject. This effect, combined with a shallow depth of field, is key to creating images where the subject is clearly and powerfully isolated from their surroundings.

The Magic of Subject Separation and Bokeh

When photographers talk about an 85mm lens, the word “bokeh” inevitably comes up. Bokeh refers to the quality of the out-of-focus areas of an image, specifically how the lens renders points of light. A good 85mm lens, especially one with a wide maximum aperture like f/1.8, f/1.4, or even f/1.2, is engineered to produce exceptionally smooth, creamy, and pleasing bokeh.

This beautiful background blur is a product of three things working together:

• A wide aperture: This lets in a lot of light and creates a very shallow depth of field (the amount of the image that is in sharp focus).
• A long focal length: The 85mm focal length naturally compresses the background, enhancing the blur effect.
• Distance: The further your background is from your subject, the more blurred it will become.

The result of this powerful combination is what we call subject separation. Your subject appears tack-sharp and three-dimensional, seemingly lifting right off the silky, painterly background. This effect instantly draws the viewer’s eye to what matters most in the frame and is the secret behind countless professional-looking portraits.

The Perfect Working Distance

Beyond the technical optics, the 85mm lens offers a distinct practical advantage: a comfortable and respectful working distance. To frame a headshot or half-body portrait, you’ll naturally stand several feet away from your subject. This creates a personal space that is far less intimidating than a wide-angle lens, which would require you to get right “in their face” to achieve a similar framing.

This comfortable distance helps subjects relax, forget about the camera, and offer more genuine, natural expressions. You’re close enough to direct them easily without shouting, but far enough away that they don’t feel crowded or self-conscious. It strikes a perfect balance—more intimate than a long telephoto lens (like a 200mm) but more personal and less intrusive than a wide-angle (like a 35mm).

Nailing Critical Focus: Your Top Priority

The very qualities that make the 85mm lens magical—its subject separation and buttery bokeh—also make it incredibly demanding. When you shoot at a wide aperture like f/1.4 or f/1.8, your margin for error is virtually nonexistent. Mastering focus isn’t just a recommendation; it’s the fundamental skill required to unlock this lens’s potential. For more on lens choices, explore prime lenses vs. zoom lenses for travel photography.

Why Your Focus is Razor-Thin

This all comes down to a concept called depth of field (DoF). Think of it as a slice of perfect sharpness in your scene. With an 85mm lens at a wide aperture, that slice is incredibly thin, sometimes only millimeters deep. Everything in front of or behind that slice will quickly fall off into a soft blur.

Here’s a practical example: If you’re shooting a tight headshot at f/1.4 and you nail focus on your subject’s eyes, their eyelashes will be perfectly sharp. However, the tip of their nose might be noticeably soft, and their ears will be even softer. This is the double-edged sword of the 85mm—it creates beautiful separation but punishes even the slightest focusing error. Discover how to use an 85mm lens for stunning travel portraits.

Let Your Camera Do the Work: Use Eye AF

If there is one tool that has completely revolutionized portrait photography with lenses like the 85mm, it’s Eye Autofocus (Eye AF). For portraiture, this should be your default setting. It allows the camera’s processor to find the subject’s eye and lock focus directly onto it, ensuring the most critical part of the portrait is perfectly sharp.

Trusting your camera’s Eye AF is paramount. Here’s how to get started on major systems:

• Sony: In your AF settings, ensure Eye AF is enabled for humans (or animals, if needed). It’s often active by default in many autofocus modes when a face is detected.
• Canon: In the AF menu, set the “Subject to detect” to “People.” Then, make sure “Eye detection” is enabled. The camera will automatically prioritize eyes when it finds a face.
• Nikon: Navigate to the Custom Setting Menu, find “AF-area mode,” and select an option like “Auto-area AF.” From there, you can enable face/eye-detection.

For instant access, consider assigning Eye AF activation to a custom button (like the AF-ON or AEL button). This allows you to engage it instantly without digging through menus, which is critical for capturing fleeting expressions. This is a great way to elevate your photography.

The “Focus and Recompose” Trap

Many photographers who learned on older DSLRs were taught the “focus and recompose” technique: you use the accurate center focus point to lock onto the subject’s eye, then, while holding the shutter half-pressed, you reframe the shot to your desired composition. With an 85mm at a wide aperture, this technique will cause you to miss focus almost every time.

The reason is simple geometry. Your camera’s focal plane is a flat, invisible wall where everything is in focus. When you pivot your camera to recompose, you also pivot that flat plane. The subject’s eye, which was on the plane, is now slightly behind it. The wider your aperture and the closer you are to your subject, the more pronounced this focus shift becomes, resulting in sharp ears and soft eyes—the opposite of what you want.

When to Switch to Manual Focus

While Eye AF is your workhorse, it isn’t infallible. There are specific creative and technical situations where switching to manual focus will give you superior results and more control.

• Shooting through objects: If you’re trying to frame a subject through leaves, a chain-link fence, or a window with reflections, autofocus will often get confused and lock onto the foreground. Manual focus lets you precisely target your subject through the obstruction.
• Low-contrast situations: In very dim light, fog, or when your subject is against a background of a similar tone, autofocus systems can “hunt” back and forth. A quick switch to manual can lock focus faster than the AF can find its target.
• Videography: For smooth, cinematic focus pulls from one subject to another, manual focus is essential. It provides the control needed to rack focus at the speed and precision your shot requires.

Pro Tip: When using manual focus, always use your camera’s built-in assistance tools. Turn on focus peaking, which highlights the sharpest areas of your image with a bright color, and use the magnification feature to zoom into your subject’s eye on the screen to confirm critical sharpness before you take the shot.

Core Techniques for Powerful 85mm Shots

Once you understand the unique character of the 85mm lens, it’s time to put it into practice. Mastering this lens isn’t just about settings; it’s about a mindset. These core techniques will help you move from taking snapshots to creating intentional, impactful images. If you’re looking to generally improve your photography, consider checking out a guide to elevating your photography.

Be Intentional with Your Aperture

One of the biggest temptations with a fast 85mm lens is to leave it at its widest aperture all the time. While the bokeh is beautiful, a great photographer knows when to use it and when to stop down for greater clarity and context. Your aperture choice should always serve the story you’re trying to tell.

Shooting Wide Open (f/1.2 – f/1.8)

This is where the magic happens, but it comes with a high degree of difficulty. Shooting at these ultra-wide apertures creates that signature dreamy look with an extremely shallow depth of field. This is a technique often employed when using HDR photograph, though the principles of controlling depth are different.

• Best for: Ideal for classic, tight headshots where only the eyes need to be perfectly sharp. It excels in low-light situations, allowing you to gather more light and keep your ISO down. This is your go-to range for achieving maximum subject separation, turning a distracting background into a wash of color. For more on specific focal lengths, the 85mm lens for stunning travel portraits is a great resource.
• Warning: This is the highest-risk setting. With a depth of field that can be millimeters thin, even the slightest movement from you or your subject can result in missed focus. Use it deliberately and rely heavily on your camera’s Eye AF.

Stopping Down (f/2.8 – f/5.6)

Don’t be afraid to give yourself more room for error. Stopping down the aperture increases the depth of field, bringing more of your subject and their environment into sharp focus. A slightly smaller aperture often produces sharper images overall.

• Best for: This range is perfect for ensuring both eyes and other key facial features (like the nose and mouth) are sharp. It’s the sweet spot for half-body or full-body portraits where you want the subject’s outfit and form to be clear. For small groups or environmental portraits, stopping down to f/4 or f/5.6 provides enough context in the background to tell a story without being distracting.

Lock in Your Shutter Speed

The old “1/focal length” rule for shutter speed (which would suggest 1/85s) is simply not sufficient for modern high-resolution cameras and the subtle shake that a longer lens magnifies. To guarantee sharp images free of motion blur, you need to be more aggressive.

For a static subject, like a posed portrait, aim for a minimum shutter speed of 1/200s. This provides a solid buffer against your own handshake. If your subject is moving at all—even just talking, laughing, or walking—increase that to 1/500s or faster. This will freeze their motion cleanly and ensure your critical focus isn’t undone by a slight movement.

Frame with Your Feet, Not a Zoom

This may seem obvious, but it’s a fundamental skill that separates good prime lens users from great ones. There is no zoom ring to fall back on. Your body is the zoom. This forces you to be more engaged with your environment and your subject, leading to more thoughtful compositions. When considering lenses, it’s worth exploring the debate on prime lenses vs. zoom lenses for travel photography.

• For a tight headshot: Move closer. Fill the frame with your subject’s face to create intimacy and impact.
• For a half-body shot: Take a few steps back. This allows you to include their hands and posture, which adds another layer to the portrait.
• For a full-body shot: Move further back. This is where you start telling a story about the person in their environment. Consider stopping down your aperture to f/4 or f/5.6 to keep them sharp while still rendering a pleasing background.

Hunt for Clean Backgrounds

The 85mm lens is a master at blurring backgrounds, but it’s a tool for simplification, not a magic eraser. A cluttered, high-contrast background will still be a cluttered, high-contrast blur, which can be incredibly distracting. The quality of your bokeh is directly tied to the quality of your background. For capturing expansive scenes, consider learning about panorama photography.

Before you raise the camera, scan the area behind your subject. A few small adjustments can make a world of difference.

• Look for simple backdrops like a solid-colored wall, an open field, or a distant tree line. Simple textures work better than complex patterns.
• Maximize the distance between your subject and the background. The further the background is from your subject, the smoother and creamier the blur will be.
• Watch out for “nervous” or “busy” bokeh. This often happens with dense tree branches or chain-link fences, where you get lots of small, harsh highlights. Sometimes taking just two steps to the left or right can completely clean up the scene.

Beyond Portraits: Creative Applications for Your 85mm

While the 85mm lens has rightfully earned its title as the “king of portrait lenses,” limiting it to just headshots would be a disservice to its incredible versatility. Its unique combination of reach, compression, and subject separation opens up a world of creative possibilities far beyond the studio.

Compelling Street Photography

The 35mm and 50mm lenses often dominate street photography, but the 85mm offers a distinct advantage: discretion. Its longer focal length allows you to act as an unseen observer, capturing genuinely candid moments from a comfortable distance. You can stand across the street and isolate a single person lost in thought amidst a bustling crowd, or frame an intimate interaction between two people without ever intruding on their space.

The key is to use the lens’s compression to your advantage. Look for interesting layers in a scene and let the 85mm flatten them, creating compelling compositions that focus the viewer’s attention directly on the human element you’ve chosen to highlight.

Cinematic Video Interviews

There’s a reason the 85mm look is so sought-after in filmmaking. The flattering compression renders facial features naturally, while the shallow depth of field separates the subject from their environment, creating an immediate sense of professional polish. This is perfect for sit-down interviews where the focus needs to be entirely on the speaker.

By placing your subject a good distance from the background, you can achieve that classic cinematic look with a beautifully blurred backdrop that eliminates distractions and adds significant production value. This focal length turns a simple interview setup into something that feels intentional, focused, and high-quality. For more on achieving stunning results with specific lenses, consider exploring Canon’s RF lens options or general advice on prime vs. zoom lenses.

Abstract and Detail-Oriented Shots

The 85mm’s extremely shallow depth of field is a powerful tool for abstraction. By shooting wide open, you can transform the mundane into something beautiful and mysterious. Point your lens at everyday objects and focus on a single, tiny point. The rest of the scene will melt away into a wash of color and light.

This technique is fantastic for exploring the world on a micro level. Use it to find compelling compositions in:

• Nature: Isolate a single water droplet on a leaf, the delicate texture of a flower petal, or the pattern of frost on a window.
• Food & Product: Capture the rich crema on an espresso, the glint of light on a piece of jewelry, or the fine stitching on a leather good.

By detaching the subject from its context, you encourage the viewer to appreciate its form, texture, and the way light interacts with it, creating a captivating and artistic image. To further enhance your photographic skills, consider learning about HDR photography or explore panorama photography for broader scenes.

Common 85mm Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Mastering the 85mm lens isn’t just about knowing what to do; it’s also about understanding what not to do. Many photographers fall into the same traps when they first pick up this powerful prime. Here are the most common mistakes and, more importantly, how you can sidestep them to elevate your work.

The “Stuck at f/1.4” Syndrome

The Mistake: You get a new 85mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 lens, and the first thing you do is twist that aperture ring all the way open. And you leave it there. Every shot becomes an experiment in the shallowest possible depth of field because, let’s face it, that creamy blur is intoxicating. The result, however, is often a collection of photos with missed focus, soft features, and a complete lack of context.

The Fix: Learn to be intentional with your aperture. Think of it as a creative tool, not a default setting. While shooting wide open is perfect for dreamy, ethereal headshots, it’s not always the best choice. A portrait where the subject’s entire face is tack sharp and the background provides a hint of the environment can be far more compelling. A perfectly focused image at f/4 tells a stronger story than a technically flawed shot at f/1.4 where only one eyelash is in focus. Challenge yourself to stop down and see how it changes your images for the better. To explore more about aperture and other creative controls, check out this guide to elevating your photography.

Bad Bokeh from Cluttered Backgrounds

The Mistake: Assuming the lens’s magical blur will solve all your problems. You place your subject in front of a messy scene—a chain-link fence, a tangle of bright, crisscrossing branches, or a cluttered street—believing the wide aperture will simply erase it. Instead, the lens renders these distracting elements as a “busy” or “nervous” bokeh of jarring shapes and highlights that pull attention away from your subject.

The Fix: Actively compose your background before you take the shot. The 85mm lens compresses the background, making it a prominent part of your composition, even when blurred. The solution is often incredibly simple: move. Take two steps to your left or right. Ask your subject to shift slightly. This small change in perspective can transform a distracting backdrop into a clean, creamy canvas of color and light. Look for simple textures, solid colors, and open space behind your subject to create the most pleasing results.

Not Getting Close Enough

The Mistake: Because the 85mm has a bit of reach, it’s easy to get comfortable and shoot from too far away. This often results in loose framing where the subject feels small and disconnected within the image. The photo lacks the intimacy and impact that make 85mm portraits so powerful. The subject becomes just another element in the scene rather than the hero of the story.

The Fix: Fill the frame! Don’t be afraid to use your feet and move closer to your subject. The 85mm lens truly shines when you use it for tight headshots and compelling half-body portraits. Getting closer intensifies the flattering compression, enhances subject separation, and creates a powerful connection between the viewer and the person in the photograph. Make your subject the undeniable focal point of the image by composing with confidence and purpose. For more on lens choices, consider reading about prime lenses vs. zoom lenses for travel photography.