I've never owned a Viltrox lens, but I understand they are becoming increasingly good in terms of build quality, AF speed and accuracy, and performance. I tried the Sirui 85/1.4 a short while back but I wasn't happy with the results, might very well been my copy of the lens.
Anyone else interested in this lens? I wouldn't overuse an 85mm lens, but I would like to have one. I had been thinking about a used Batis 85/1.8, but this at the same price is interesting. Initial reviews seem promising.
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p.1 #2 · New: Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro FE Lens (Sony E)
Keep in mind that the "initial reviews" are ALL by people that got the lens sent for free.....just something to think about.
Having said that I own 2 Viltrox lenses for my Sony....one is great (16mm 1.8) and the other one is decidedly average (40mm 2.5). And the 40mm had only glowing "reviews" across the board.
Still, for the money they are worth a look....
In the 85mm focal length I will stick with my Sigma Art, which is awesome.
Jun 16, 2025 at 07:01 PM
Steve Spencer Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #3 · New: Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro FE Lens (Sony E)
widi5006 wrote:
Keep in mind that the "initial reviews" are ALL by people that got the lens sent for free.....just something to think about.
Having said that I own 2 Viltrox lenses for my Sony....one is great (16mm 1.8) and the other one is decidedly average (40mm 2.5). And the 40mm had only glowing "reviews" across the board.
Still, for the money they are worth a look....
In the 85mm focal length I will stick with my Sigma Art, which is awesome.
While that is true, it doesn't mean that reviewers can't be independent. Here is a review from Bastian at philipreeve.net. I have always been impressed by the reviews of the team at philipreeve.net and even remember when most of them posted here before they became reviewers. I trust their independence. Here is Bastian's review which is quite positive:
p.1 #4 · New: Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro FE Lens (Sony E)
This looks like it just might be an amazing super affordable alternative. 3.5x less than GMII. Is GM2 3.5x better? No. Maybe 3.5% better. I reckon you can pick one up, and put the rest towards 50-150 f/2
p.1 #5 · New: Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro FE Lens (Sony E)
Below, Kasey puts the case for the more practical option of the Sirui 85/1.4 in the increasingly crowded AF 85mm space. 540g vs 800g; 15 blades vs the industry lens average 11 blades count; 67mm filters vs 77mm. $100 cheaper.
But the big gain with the Sirui is character and a noticeably higher true-to-life quotient, very important in short teles. In the character vs flatness stakes, we have Sigma and the majors well ensconced at one end and DZO/Thypoch at the other end of the scale.
Viltrox occupies a compromise position that leans towards Sigma-esque blandness, while Sirui gets into the other end of the spectrum, though still not cinematic like the Thypoch. Astute observers see this in the Sirui cine lenses too.
If you want 'regular' 85mm in an over-specced lens and can take the 800 gram haulage, the Viltrox is intended for you. The Sirui makes a very good compromise, for those wanting that extra something special, particularly for portraits where the flat look is the death knell for image liveliness, depth and proper facial shaping and appearance. And if the design rushes focus along too fast (very obvious in Dustin Abbott's review), be prepared for compressed (depth killing) bokeh.
..
(see 1.57 onwards for facial issue comparisons: Sirui and Viltrox's 'flathead syndrome')
p.1 #8 · New: Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro FE Lens (Sony E)
philip_pj wrote:
Below, Kasey puts the case for the more practical option of the Sirui 85/1.4 in the increasingly crowded AF 85mm space. 540g vs 800g; 15 blades vs the industry lens average 11 blades count; 67mm filters vs 77mm. $100 cheaper.
But the big gain with the Sirui is character and a noticeably higher true-to-life quotient, very important in short teles. In the character vs flatness stakes, we have Sigma and the majors well ensconced at one end and DZO/Thypoch at the other end of the scale.
Viltrox occupies a compromise position that leans towards Sigma-esque blandness, while Sirui gets into the other end of the spectrum, though still not cinematic like the Thypoch. Astute observers see this in the Sirui cine lenses too.
If you want 'regular' 85mm in an over-specced lens and can take the 800 gram haulage, the Viltrox is intended for you. The Sirui makes a very good compromise, for those wanting that extra something special, particularly for portraits where the flat look is the death knell for image liveliness, depth and proper facial shaping and appearance. And if the design rushes focus along too fast (very obvious in Dustin Abbott's review), be prepared for compressed (depth killing) bokeh.
..
(see 1.57 onwards for facial issue comparisons: Sirui and Viltrox's 'flathead syndrome')...Show more →
Here is the funny part, I viewed that video last night with my teenage daughter. She thought the Sirui looked "much better" and had the "pop" (I didn't even knew she knew what that was), but I couldn't see much diff in that video. Sure, I saw difference in color rendering. But we all know that seeing subtle diffs online, esp in a compressed YT video, is challenging.
I'm all for smaller and lighter, but as I stated, my copy of the Sirui wasn't all that great, but others have had better luck.
Again, I wonder if just isn't better getting a neo-vintage Zeiss Batis 85/1.8 and live without the extra blur?
p.1 #10 · New: Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro FE Lens (Sony E)
I had the Sigma DG DN, and loved the size and weight of that thing, but the focus was still a bit too slow for me. This shows improvement.
I know it's not a huge deal, but occasionally I like to use an 85 for tracking action indoors, or dogs/animals, and need something that focuses a bit faster. Need one of these companies to hit the GMII focus speeds
p.1 #14 · New: Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro FE Lens (Sony E)
patotts wrote:
Zeiss Batis 85/1.8 might be a chunky lens, but at least it is only 15.94 oz / 452 g
The size and weight of the Batis 85mm are perfect! I have several 85mm lenses that are bigger and heavier, but I prefer the Batis 85mm because of its easy handling. This new Viltrox 85mm f/1.4 Pro lens looks amazing, and the price is fantastic for an 85/1.4, but I wouldn't welcome the extra weight.
p.1 #15 · New: Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro FE Lens (Sony E)
it seems @christopherfrost says this thing cant resolve 60 meg and its better for the 40 meg cameras
&t=247s
Jun 24, 2025 at 04:16 PM
Steve Spencer Offline • • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #16 · New: Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro FE Lens (Sony E)
msadat wrote:
it seems @christopherfrost says this thing cant resolve 60 meg and its better for the 40 meg cameras
&t=247s
Well that makes me question Christoper Frost not the lens. Resolution is a product of the lens and the sensor. There is no such thing as a lens not being able to resolve a sensor. That is nonsense. The better the lens the better the resolution. The smaller the pixels for a given sensor size the higher the resolution. It doesn't even make sense to say a coke bottle can't resolve a 60 MP sensor. It will of course be crap on a 60 MP sensor, but it will be ever so slightly less crap than on a 40 MP sensor in terms of resolution. No lens is better on a lower MP camera if you equalize the output size and the sensors have basically the same tech (i.e., BSI non-stacked or FSI or whatever).
Now if a reviewer wants to say lens X and lens Y looked really similar on a 40 MP sensor, but lens X clearly outshines lens Y on a 60 MP sensor that makes sense. You can see differences between lenses more clearly on a higher MP sensor, but it is nonsense to say a lens can't resolve 60 MP.
p.1 #17 · New: Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro FE Lens (Sony E)
msadat wrote:
it seems @christopherfrost says this thing cant resolve 60 meg and its better for the 40 meg cameras
&t=247s
I found your comment so provocative, I had to watch his video. I would be tempted to say that I think you used Christophers assertations to draw your own conclusions because I drew a very different conclusion watching the same video.
What he did says was more along the lines that lens was excellent in the center by f2.8, and into the corners by f5.6 on 61mp, and that on less MP sensors, it will probably look excellent from wide open 1.4 on up (rough translation).
To me that is not saying quite the same thing, but I get what you are saying also. But with your logic, almost no lens (very few if any) can resolve 61mp, not even the GMII, from the center into the corners at all apertures. I think we need to come up with some better common frame of reference terms to describe this situation, heh.
Thanks for the links, they were all interesting to watch.
p.1 #18 · New: Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro FE Lens (Sony E)
Erictator wrote:
I found your comment so provocative, I had to watch his video. I would be tempted to say that I think you used Christophers assertations to draw your own conclusions because I drew a very different conclusion watching the same video.
What he did says was more along the lines that lens was excellent in the center by f2.8, and into the corners by f5.6 on 61mp, and that on less MP sensors, it will probably look excellent from wide open 1.4 on up (rough translation).
To me that is not saying quite the same thing, but I get what you are saying also. But with your logic, almost no lens (very few if any) can resolve 61mp, not even the GMII, from the center into the corners at all apertures. I think we need to come up with some better common frame of reference terms to describe this situation, heh.
Thanks for the links, they were all interesting to watch.
p.1 #19 · New: Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro FE Lens (Sony E)
Welp I couldn't hold out anymore and ordered one yesterday. If weight isn't a concern, I think for $568 shipped with the various available discount codes, this is the no brainer lens to get.
I had the Sigma, and loved it's small size. Sold it a while back (kicking myself), and that was when they were $900 - $950 out the door. They are now a hair over DOUBLE the price of the Viltrox.
I do want to play with the Samyang mk2, which is a touch over half a pound lighter....
p.1 #20 · New: Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro FE Lens (Sony E)
I received mine from Viltrox a couple of days ago. Not even sure why I ordered it since I just sold my Sigma due to lack of use, not to mention that the proceeds barely covered the cost of the Viltrox. Alas, the allure of a widely praised new release was just too strong to resist.
The lens does have some heft to it being ~800g, but it's biased toward the lens mount which makes it easy to carry and shoot with. Also, there's more room in between the lens and the camera so the fingers holding the camera never feel cramped or at risk of being pinched unlike the Sigma.
Autofocus and tracking are noticeably faster - though not by much, than the Sigma. Overall, I enjoy using this lens, it's a keeper! Here are some casual shots that I took around the house,
ILCE-7CRViltrox 85mm F1.4 FE lens85mmf/1.41/1000s100 ISO0.0 EV
ILCE-7CRViltrox 85mm F1.4 FE lens85mmf/1.41/800s50 ISO0.0 EV
ILCE-7CRViltrox 85mm F1.4 FE lens85mmf/1.41/2000s50 ISO0.0 EV
