The Viltrox FE 85mm f/1.4 Professional is a professional-quality lens, however it’s not the highest-end providing from Viltrox. The Lab sequence is the premier line of optics from Viltrox, and with this Professional sequence lens being a $599 cut price, I began to marvel if it was too good to be true. An 85mm f/1.4 lens is my all-time favourite piece of glass. If I solely needed to choose one lens, it will be this focal size and aperture. The sector of view feels pure to me as a walk-around lens, and the shallow depth of area and good low-light efficiency make it fairly versatile. Positive, the f/1.2 variations are very dynamic, however I want the smaller dimension and lighter weight that an 85mm f/1.4 offers me. All that is to say that when the Viltrox 85mm f/1.4 Professional got here into my possession, I used to be excited to strive it out. The Viltrox 85mm f/1.4 Professional is a improbable possibility for portraits on a funds. Viltrox 85mm f/1.4 Professional Evaluation: How It Feels In contrast to the Lab lenses from Viltrox, this 85mm Professional has a way more fundamental and conventional physique design, and I a lot want it. The Lab lenses use an LCD panel that reveals aperture and distance to focus which is visually spectacular however in addition they have a poorly listed aperture ring. The Viltrox 85mm f/1.4 Professional goes again to a traditional aperture ring that adjustments in third-stop increments. It will also be set for {smooth} rotation should you want it for video work. I like the standard aperture ring design on this lens.
The aperture ring may be set to {smooth} or stepped performance. The entrance of the lens has a regular bayonet-style lens hood and takes 77mm filters. There’s a smooth-turning handbook focus ring and a customizable button on the lens as effectively. The lens additionally has an AF/MF selector swap and is ruggedly constructed with full-weather sealing. There may be additionally a built-in USB-C port beneath the lens mount for any wanted firmware updates. This explicit 85mm weighs about 28.2 ounces (800 grams), so it’s in step with my need for a compact walk-around lens however is barely heavier than the competitors. There’s a twin voice-coil motor that drives the lens parts shortly and I didn’t have any points maintaining with the motion. Right here you possibly can see the rubber ring to maintain moisture out, and the USB-C port for firmware updates. The hood is fairly commonplace on this lens and the general dimension is simple to journey with. Viltrox 85mm f/1.4 Professional Evaluation: How It Shoots Flare resistance is superb on the Viltrox 85mm, with solely somewhat little bit of ghosting within the scene, which is current even when the aperture is stopped down. I didn’t discover any washed-out areas, and when taking pictures towards shiny lights for backlit portraits and sunsets, the lens carried out effectively. There’s a little little bit of longitudinal chromatic aberration (LoCA) when taking pictures at wider apertures that must be seemed out for. This causes a shade fringing within the foreground and background areas that fall out of focus. It’s not a horrible end result by any stretch, however you will note somewhat bit. It is a large entrance factor however the lens coatings do a superb job of stopping flare.
Flare resistance is sweet, and taking pictures in direction of the solar is not any drawback. Santiago is a vibrant metropolis filled with fascinating scenes., The bokeh goes to be an enormous consideration for a quick 85mm lens like this. This lens can obtain a really shallow depth of area, and cheaper lenses are inclined to sacrifice good bokeh to be able to come beneath funds. The Viltrox 85mm f/1.4 has some very fascinating bokeh and in some conditions, it even has a really classic-looking character to it. At f/1.4, there’s a robust cat’s eye impact to the specular highlights and it creates a swirly form of look to the pictures. That is virtually a pseudo-Petzval impact, and it’s fairly pretty. Stopping the lens down offers us {smooth} transitions throughout the planes of focus, and backgrounds don’t have an excessively harsh look to them. Specular highlights do have a slight cleaning soap bubble character however are clear and freed from onion rings. Total, the Viltrox isn’t going to provide the refined expertise of the Sony G-Grasp 85mm f/1.4 II, nevertheless it does have some fascinating character, and I actually just like the outcomes for the cash. The swirly bokeh impact may be very classic-looking, and I prefer it so much.
Shallow depth of area and tender backgrounds are glorious on this lens. Specular highlights have a little bit of cleaning soap bubble happening, however are in any other case clear. The 85mm f/1.4 lens is so good for separating topics from their environment. This additionally occurs to be an extremely sharp lens. Element at f/1.4 is great and solely will get barely higher by way of distinction when stopping down the aperture. The corners are additionally spectacular: at f/1.4, there’s a little little bit of vignetting, however the element is great, even within the extra excessive corners. Stopping the lens down introduced somewhat extra distinction and publicity out of the corners, however the lens is sharp no matter the place you focus it. I additionally checked the lens respiration, which manifests as a change within the area of view when focusing from close to to far. There may be positively some current, however should you had been doing video work at common portrait distances and pulled from one topic to a different, you wouldn’t discover a lot shift. The middle element is phenomenal, even at f/1.4. Corners are surprisingly sharp. Most portrait lenses wouldn’t fear about most sharpness within the corners.
An 85mm may be nice for portraits, however you can too compress landscapes too. The Viltrox 85mm f/1.4 Professional Is My New Favourite on E-Mount So we’ve a lens that focuses shortly and delivers sharp outcomes. It is usually well-corrected and has fascinating bokeh. I traveled with this lens to Santiago, Chile, and appreciated how compact it was, too. The burden isn’t off-putting however it’s a little heftier than the Sony 85mm f/1.4 G-Grasp. I’m fairly excited a couple of lens that has few flaws, an fascinating look, a rugged construct, and all for less than $599. The worth for the greenback is wonderful right here in a time when costs simply appear to solely go up and the “Professional” moniker on this lens actually lives as much as its identify. The one factor I don’t like about this lens is the truth that it is just accessible for Sony E-mount. I feel many RF and Z customers would like to get this sort of high quality for this low of a value.
Are There Options? The Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 is an superior lens, nevertheless it offers up a cease of sunshine and prices the very same cash. The G Grasp 85mm f/1.4 II is unparalleled on this vary with among the greatest optics and bokeh you should buy. Nonetheless, you actually need to pay an enormous value to get it. The Sigma 85mm f/1.4 offers related outcomes with very clear bokeh, however it is going to additionally run you greater than twice the value. Ought to You Purchase It? Sure. If in case you have an E-mount digicam and desire a good 85mm portrait lens, the Viltrox 85mm f/1.4 Professional is a no brainer for the value.