Best lenses for bokeh in 2025: fast primes for brilliant background blur

Best lenses for bokeh
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The best lenses for bokeh produce that perfect soft, creamy blur in the background that photographers crave. Helping your subjects stand out vividly from their backgrounds, bokeh lenses are ideal for portraits, still-lifes, wedding shoots, street photography, nature and a whole lot more.

Bokeh lenses will typically be prime lenses with wide maximum apertures, as these will have the kind of optical construction that is necessary for a tight depth of field – see the bottom of this page for a more detailed explanation of what I look for in a bokeh lens, or watch our video guide: what is bokeh?

Photographers can be guilty of becoming obsessed with the sharpness of lenses and how much infinitesimally fine detail they can resolve. The lenses on this list may not be the sharpest tools in the box, but they deliver gorgeous, bokehlicious images with bags of character. For some, that counts for a lot more. So, here are some top choices of bokeh lenses to suit a wide range of cameras, and budgets…

Matthew Richards
Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! Here he brings his expertise to bear on the best bokeh lenses.

The quick list

The best lenses for bokeh

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Best budget Canon RF

Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM

(Image credit: James Artaius)
The best budget Canon RF lens is a little bokeh beauty

Specifications

Focal length on APS-C: 80mm
Autofocus: Yes
Stabilizer: None
Min focus distance: 0.30m
Max magnification: 0.25x
Filter thread: 43mm
Dimensions (WxL): 69.2 x 40.5mm
Weight: 160g

Reasons to buy

+
Super affordable
+
All-purpose focal length
+
Fast aperture

Reasons to avoid

-
No stabilization
-
No weather sealing

One of the cheapest Canon RF lenses is also one of the best! It's on the front of my camera so much that it's become my de facto body cap – but a body cap that takes amazing stills and video, with a versatile focal length that covers almost every eventuality, so my camera is always ready to pick up and start shooting.

The fast f/1.8 aperture offers two big upsides. Firstly, it opens nice and wide to enable your camera to gather tons of light, meaning it's great for working in low light conditions. And secondly, it delivers dreamily shallow depth of field for those blurry backgrounds and cinematic scenes. I love that this is such a compact lens, too, as it enables me to keep my setup nice and small – ideal for my everyday-carry camera, or when keeping your setup light and lean. It's also a great portrait lens on APS-C format Canon R system cameras.

Read my full Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM review

Best Canon RF lens

(Image credit: James Artaius)
Canon RF mirrorless owners should start saving for this superb lens

Specifications

Mount: Canon RF
Elements/groups: 13/9
Diaphragm blades: 9
Autofocus: Ultrasonic (ring)
Optical stabilizer: No
Minimum focus distance: 0.85m
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.12x
Filter size: 82mm
Dimensions: 103x117mm
Weight: 1,195g

Reasons to buy

+
Exceptional image quality
+
Fabulous bokeh

Reasons to avoid

-
Dwarfs the Canon R bodies
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Big... and expensive!

Canon seems on a mission to compensate for the relatively slimline, lightweight bodies of its new mirrorless full-frame cameras by launching big, heavy lenses! This 85mm f/1.2 is a prime example in every way, and its price tag is pretty massive as well. The premium glass includes aspherical and UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) elements, along with high-tech Air Sphere Coating and BR (Blue spectrum Refractive) optics. The overall construction feels particularly robust, complete with weather-seals and fluorine coatings on the front and rear elements.

A ‘DS’ version of the lens is also available, featuring a Defocus Smoothing Coating, not that it really needs it. The BR optics do a great job of minimizing axial or ‘bokeh fringing’, virtually eliminating coloured fringes around outlines of objects in front of and behind the point of focus. The overall quality of bokeh is absolutely fabulous, making the most of the super-fast f/1.2 aperture rating, and it remains terrific when stopping down a little. Despite the price, its overall performance and image quality make this lens worth the money.

See our full Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM review

Best budget Nikon Z

(Image credit: Matthew Richards)
This is the perfect 'budget' bokeh lens for Nikon Z mirrorless cameras

Specifications

Mount: Nikon Z
Elements/groups: 10/7
Diaphragm blades: 9
Autofocus: Stepping motor
Optical stabilizer: No
Minimum focus distance: 0.37m
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.17x
Filter size: 62mm
Dimensions: 75x87mm
Weight: 420g

Reasons to buy

+
Quick and virtually silent autofocus
+
Fast f/1.4 aperture rating
+
Dual customizable control rings
+
Reasonably priced

Reasons to avoid

-
No A/M focus mode switch
-
No customizable function button
-
Lacks S-line credentials

Can't stretch to Nikon's Z 50mm f/1.2 S? This f/1.4 alternative is considerably cheaper, but almost as good. The lens has 10 elements in 7 groups, including an aspherical element. Even when shooting wide open at f/1.4, the center sharpness is very good. As I stopped down, the sharpness extended nicely to the edges and corners of the frame. The bokeh produced is smooth and pleasing, which is a big plus for portraiture and creative shots. I also found distortion to be minimal, and lab tests seem to back up my observation of minimal color fringing throughout the aperture range.

What really stood out to me is its compact and lightweight design. This makes it an ideal companion for content creators and hybrid photographers who are often on the move and need gear that won’t weigh them down. Overall, I think this lens offers a compelling combination of performance, features, and portability.

See our full Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4 review

Best Nikon Z

(Image credit: Matthew Richards)
Nikon's mighty 'Plena' lens takes bokeh to the next level

Specifications

Mount: Nikon Z
Elements/groups: 16/14
Diaphragm blades: 11
Autofocus: Stepping motor
Optical stabilizer: No
Minimum focus distance: 0.82m
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.2x
Filter size: 82mm
Dimensions: 98x140mm
Weight: 995g

Reasons to buy

+
Razor-sharp
+
Fabulous bokeh
+
Great handling

Reasons to avoid

-
Necessarily chunky
-
Expensive to buy

Everything about this lens screams quality. Build quality is exceptional and, while sharpness might not be the top priority for a 'bokeh' lens, it's super-sharp where you need it, like in the eyes of a portrait sitter. It's got really top-drawer glass and high-tech coatings that ensure absolutely scintilating image quality in every respect, while an 11-blade diaphragm helps to maintain well-rounded bokeh discs when stopping down.

It's a pricey lens to buy and pretty hefty at just under a kilogram but, if you want the very finest lens for bokeh with your Nikon Z-system camera, it has to be the Plena.

See our full Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena review

Best Sony FE

(Image credit: Future)
It's at the top of the tree for Sony owners, both in quality and price

Specifications

Mount: Sony FE
Elements/groups: 13/10
Diaphragm blades: 11
Autofocus: Dual linear motors
Optical stabilizer: No
Minimum focus distance: 0.7m
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.25x
Filter size: 82mm
Dimensions: 90x127mm
Weight: 950g

Reasons to buy

+
Superb all-round optical quality
+
Beautiful bokeh

Reasons to avoid

-
Pretty big
-
And pretty expensive too

Sony’s G Master lenses have earned a solid reputation for overall performance and image quality in general, and for beautiful bokeh in particular. Typical of the breed, this 135mm f/1.8 prime utilizes XA (eXtreme Aspherical), Super ED and regular ED elements in its construction, along with an 11-blade diaphragm that maintains a particularly well-rounded aperture when stopping down a bit.

Along with impressive sharpness and contrast, the lens delivers sumptuously smooth bokeh, helped not only by the long focal length but also by the sheer optical quality. The only slight niggle is that defocused lights near the edges and corners of the frame can take on a very elliptical appearance. The upsized sibling to the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 G Master, this 135mm lens delivers similarly superb all-round performance and gorgeous bokeh. The tough decision is which focal length you find more appealing.

See our full Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 GM review

Best Fujifilm X

(Image credit: Rod Lawton/Digital Camera World)
It may seem gimmicky, but this Fujifilm lens is a bokeh wonder

Specifications

Mount: Fujifilm X
Elements/groups: 12/9
Diaphragm blades: 9
Autofocus: Stepping motor
Optical stabilizer: No
Minimum focus distance: 0.7m
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.08x
Filter size: 77mm
Dimensions: 87x103.5mm
Weight: 845g

Reasons to buy

+
Super-smooth, beautiful bokeh
+
Balances nicely on X bodies
+
Autofocus works well

Reasons to avoid

-
Soft wide open (as you'd expect)
-
No stabilization

It might have been tempting to write Fujifilm's Fujinon XF50mm F1.0 WR lens off as a gimmick – the work of a manufacturer that just wanted the headline of an f/1 lens. However, I discovered that Fujifilm had truly put the work in and produced an all-around banger of a lens that's useful for day-to-day photography, not just bokeh – though of course, it does bokeh brilliantly.

Let's start with the headline feature – this lens sports an f/1 aperture, immediately setting it apart from the others on this list. Admittedly, this narrative is somewhat complicated by the smaller APS-C sensor size of X-mount – in full-frame terms, it's roughly equivalent to an f/1.4. However, the lens plays to Fujifilm's well-known strengths and produces absolutely gorgeous, creamy bokeh, with super-sharp transitions from sharp to unsharp. In testing, it reminded me of Leica's classic M-mount rangefinder lenses – and that is high praise indeed.

See our full Fujifilm XF50mm F1.0 R WR review

Best budget Micro Four Thirds

(Image credit: James Artaius)
This tiny Micro Four Thirds portrait lens is also highly affordable

Specifications

Mount: MFT
Elements/groups: 9/7
Diaphragm blades: 7
Autofocus: Stepping motor
Optical stabilizer: No
Minimum focus distance: 0.5m
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.11x
Filter size: 37mm
Dimensions: 56x46mm
Weight: 116g

Reasons to buy

+
Literally pocket-sized
+
Very affordable
+
Produces great results

Reasons to avoid

-
Lens hood not included

The Micro Four Thirds format really puts the ‘compact’ into compact system cameras and lenses. That’s mostly thanks to being based around a relatively small image sensor with a 2x crop factor. This means this small 45mm f/1.8 lens has an effective focal length of 90mm in full-frame terms, delivering portrait-friendly reach. However, depth of field is more dependent on the ‘actual’ rather than ‘effective’ focal length, so the modest aperture rating of f/1.8 makes good bokeh a challenge. There’s also the fact that the aperture is based on just seven diaphragm blades rather than nine, although that makes no difference if you’re shooting wide-open to get the tightest available depth of field and give bokeh the best chance.

As it turns out, sharpness is pretty good across most of the image frame, but, even when shooting at the widest available aperture, bokeh is a bit glitchy and lacking in smoothness. Bokeh discs are quite well-rounded when shooting wide-open but take on a noticeable heptagonal appearance when stopping down a little. This lens is competitively priced, at only about a quarter of the price of the Olympus 45mm f/1.2 Pro, but bokeh is comparatively disappointing and lacking in smoothness.

See our full Olympus M.ZUIKO Digital 45mm f/1.8 review

Best Micro Four Thirds

(Image credit: Panasonic)
A sublime prime lens with a fast aperture and optical image stabilization

Specifications

Mount: MFT
Elements/groups: 14/11
Diaphragm blades: 9
Autofocus: Yes
Optical stabilizer: Yes
Minimum focus distance: 0.5m
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.1x
Filter size: 67mm
Dimensions: 74x77mm
Weight: 425g

Reasons to buy

+
Insane quality
+
Great for portraits
+
Very well built

Reasons to avoid

-
Expensive
-
Aperture ring can’t be de-clicked for shooting video

While a focal length of 42.5mm might seem unusual it equates to 85mm in full frame terms – in other words, a beautiful focal length for portraits. With a fast aperture of f/1.2, this lens is capable of creating a beautifully blurred background and rounded bokeh when shooting ambient lighting. It has a built-in optical image stabilizer, which helps to reduce camera shake and low-frequency movements encountered in long exposures.

This isn't a cheap lens by any means but the quality of photos it takes is stunning – there's a reason it has the Leica Nocticron branding and it definitely won't let you down. It's worth mentioning, the aperture ring can't be de-clicked for stepless control when shooting video (and doesn't function at all on Olympus cameras).

See our full Panasonic Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2 review

Best for DSLRs

(Image credit: Digital Camera World)
This Sigma 'Art' lens is a top choice for Canon and Nikon DSLRs, as well as some mirrorless models

Specifications

Mount: Nikon F, Canon EF, Sigma, Sony E, L-mount
Elements/groups: 14/12
Diaphragm blades: 9
Autofocus: Ultrasonic (ring)
Optical stabilizer: No
Minimum focus distance: 0.85m
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.12x
Filter size: 86mm
Dimensions: 95x126mm
Weight: 1,130g

Reasons to buy

+
Superb image quality
+
Good value

Reasons to avoid

-
Very big
-
And very heavy!

Ideal for a wide range of cameras, this weighty, full-frame compatible lens was originally designed for DSLRs and launched in Canon EF and Nikon F versions, before being adapted later for Sony E and Leica L mount mirrorless cameras. The up-market build includes an aspherical element and two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) elements, in an optical path that comprises 14 elements in total.

Autofocus is courtesy of a conventional ring-type ultrasonic system with the usual full-time manual override. I’ve seen a slight onion ring effect in the bokeh of some Sigma lenses, appearing as concentric circles with feint lines within bokeh discs of defocused lights and bright spots. That’s not really an issue with this lens, which delivers super-smooth, high-quality bokeh. The quality is also maintained very well when stopping down. It’s undeniably big and hefty but its image quality is fabulous. All in all, it’s my top choice for Canon and Nikon DSLRs.

Read our full Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art review

Lab data and comparisons

The graphs below show the comparative performance of the lenses in this guide, based on our in-house lab tests. Sharpness is arguably less important when seeking out the best lenses for bokeh, but it’s nice to have sharpness where you want it, like in the eyes of a portrait sitter. The two Nikon Z lenses lead the way for sharpness in this group. There’s generally very little color fringing although the Canon RF 50mm is technically worst for this.

Scores for sharpness and color fringing are averaged from data taken across the entire image frame, from the center to the edges and corners, throughout the aperture range. For zoom lenses, the scores are also averaged from data measured at all marked focal lengths, and the same applies to distortion. Bear in mind that these average values don't fully reflect specific areas of performance. For example, a zoom lens might have noticeable barrel and pincushion distortion at its shortest and longest focal lengths respectively, which tends to average out when looking at the data overall. For more detailed graphs of each lens's performance, which give the full picture, check out the graphs in our full standalone lens reviews.

How to choose the best lenses for bokeh

Bokeh is a measure of the pictorial quality of defocused areas within an image. The trouble is, you can’t really measure it, as there’s no scientific test for good bokeh. It’s more a matter of subjective opinion, but there are still some conventional rules.

As with most things in photography, however, rules are only there to be broken. Bokeh is important when you're choosing the best lens for portrait photography, the best macro lenses (where you can't escape background blur!) or even the best lenses for food photography, where shallow depth of field and soft backgrounds are part of the modern style.

For starters, if you’re after good bokeh, you’ll need a tight depth of field. When choosing a lens, it’s therefore only natural to pick something with a telephoto focal length and a wide aperture rating. Both of these factors will help you to shrink the depth of field and isolate the main subject, by blurring the background. Fast 85mm primes are a particular favorite for use with full-frame cameras, whereas the best 50mm lenses can make great 'bokeh' lenses for crop-sensor camera bodies.

However, shorter focal lengths can also be useful, enabling you to get closer to your subject and gain a tight depth of field by using a short focus distance. You’ll also be able to squeeze more of the blurred background into the frame, thanks to the change in perspective and wider viewing angle.

How we test lenses

We test lenses using a mix of both real world sample images and lab tests. Our lab tests are carried out scientifically in controlled conditions using the Imatest testing suite, which consists of custom charts and analysis software that measures resolution in line widths/picture height, a measurement widely used in lens and camera testing. We find the combination of lab and real-word testing works best, as each reveals different qualities and characteristics.

Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 

His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 

In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.

With contributions from