The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Canon RF 85mm f1.4 and the Canon RF-S 55-210mm F5.0-7.1 IS STM for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Canon RF 85mm f1.4 is the longer of the two lenses at 99mm. The Canon RF-S 55-210mm F5.0-7.1 IS STM with a length of 94mm, is 5mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Canon RF 85mm f1.4 also has a larger diameter of 77mm compared to the Canon RF-S 55-210mm F5.0-7.1 IS STM's 69mm diameter.
Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of Canon RF 85mm f1.4 and Canon RF-S 55-210mm F5.0-7.1 IS STM to get a better idea of how their sizes compare in real life.
Comparison image of the Canon RF 85mm f1.4 and the Canon RF-S 55-210mm F5.0-7.1 IS STM Size and Weight The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Canon RF-S 55-210mm F5.0-7.1 IS STM weighs 270g, 57% (366g) lighter than the Canon RF 85mm f1.4's weight of 636g.
Filter Threads
The Canon RF 85mm f1.4 has a filter size of 67mm whereas the Canon RF-S 55-210mm F5.0-7.1 IS STM has a 55mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 67mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Canon RF 85mm f1.4:
And these are the 55mm filters that we recommend for the Canon RF-S 55-210mm F5.0-7.1 IS STM:
Lens Mounts
Both the Canon RF 85mm f1.4 and the Canon RF-S 55-210mm F5.0-7.1 IS STM has the same Canon RF lens mount . Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Canon RF lenses are Canon R6 V , Canon R6 III and Canon C50 .
Focal Range
Canon RF 85mm f1.4 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 a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
136mm .
On the other hand, the Canon RF-S 55-210mm F5.0-7.1 IS STM has a focal range of 55-210mm and 3.8X zoom ratio which has an effective (full-frame 35mm equivalent) focal range of 88-336mm when used on a APS-C / DX format camera.
