Christopher Frost’s Top Portrait Lenses Range From Swirly to Razor-Sharp
Christopher Frost narrowed 800 lenses to three portrait standouts, from Canon’s flattering 85mm DS to Sigma’s f/1.4 monster and Lomography’s swirly Petzval.
1. Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS
After testing more than 800 lenses, Christopher Frost lands on Canon’s RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS as the safest and most flattering portrait choice. Canon introduced it on October 24, 2019 as the first RF lens to feature Defocus Smoothing, and that treatment is built to smooth out-of-focus highlights for a more pleasing bokeh, which makes this the lens for anyone who wants a classic head-and-shoulders look with a premium finish.
| 2. Sigma 135mm F1.4 DG | Art |
|---|---|
| If the Canon is the polished classic, Sigma’s 135mm F1.4 DG | Art is the heavy hitter. Sigma says it is the world’s first autofocus 135mm lens with a maximum aperture of f/1.4, and it announced the lens on September 9, 2025 with a release date of September 25, 2025; Frost says it is one of the most impressive lenses he has ever tested. The mix of 135mm reach, huge bokeh, high resolution, and autofocus fast enough for sports makes this the one for photographers who want extreme subject separation and a more compressed, larger-than-life portrait look. |
The wider portrait field around it tells the same story. Nikon’s Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena and Fujifilm’s XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR are singled out for image circles that are larger than necessary, helping reduce cat’s-eye bokeh distortion, while the Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR shows how far medium-format portrait work can go if the budget is there.
3. Lomography Petzval 55mm f/1.7 Mark II
Lomography’s Petzval 55mm f/1.7 Mark II is Frost’s wild-card pick, and it is the lens for anyone who wants portraits with real personality instead of neutral restraint. Lomography describes it as a modern reinvention of an original 1840 optical design, and its dedicated Bokeh Control Ring lets you move from ordinary blur to the unmistakably swirly Petzval background without changing the aperture.
That makes it a creative tool first and a technical statement second, which is exactly why it stands out in a list that also includes Canon’s ultra-clean rendering and Sigma’s razor-edged precision. Frost even says he has used the Canon RF 1200mm f/8 L IS USM for portraits of his wife, which is a perfect reminder that portrait photography is really about the look you want, not just the focal length you expect.
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