SUMMARY
Ben Harvey compares the Canon 135mm f/2 and Laowa 200mm f/2 lenses for portrait bokeh and background separation. While the 200mm lens produces noticeably smoother rendering and more obliterated backgrounds in full body shots, its longer focal length can sometimes make backgrounds appear busier due to compression. At closer shooting distances, the difference between the two lenses narrows, with both delivering excellent results for head-and-shoulders portraits. Practical considerations for the 200mm include increased subject distance and the cost of large filters for daylight shooting.
TAKEAWAYS
The Laowa 200mm f/2 offers superior background separation for full body portraits compared to the Canon 135mm f/2.
At closer ranges, both lenses provide similar, high-quality background blur for head-and-shoulders shots.
The 200mm lens requires greater subject distance and larger, more expensive filters.
The 135mm f/2 lens holds its own surprisingly well against the newer 200mm lens in side-by-side comparisons.