The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon EF 85mm F1.4L IS USM and the Canon 600mm f4.0L IS USM for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses. Canon 600mm f4.0L IS USM is the longer of the two lenses at 456mm. The Canon EF 85mm F1.4L IS USM with a length of 105mm, is 351mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon 600mm f4.0L IS USM also has a larger diameter of 168mm compared to the Canon EF 85mm F1.4L IS USM's 87mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Canon EF 85mm F1.4L IS USM weighs 950g, which means it is 4410g (82%) lighter than the Canon 600mm f4.0L IS USM which has a weight of 5360g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Prime Lenses in Canon EF Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both the Canon EF 85mm F1.4L IS USM and the Canon 600mm f4.0L IS USM has the same Canon EF lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon EF lenses are Canon 1D X III, Canon 6D MII and Canon 5D MIV.
Focal Range
Canon EF 85mm F1.4L IS USM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 85mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 136mm.
Canon 600mm f4.0L IS USM is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 600mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.6x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 960mm.