Italy here, I own the 85/1.2S but it barely leaves home, too big, too heavy, amazing rendering but especially in summer when I am often on a boat I avoid taking it, found a used 1.8S for the price of the new Viltrox f1.4Pro, anybody got experience on both and can tall me IQ of both and real differences?
I know the Viltrox being heavy, no big deal, I usually carry a zoom like 24-120/4 and a prime which now is the 50S but sometimes I wish I had an 85 for a change (I love 85mm, I got a few, MF ones too but too hard to nail focus with those).
Never tried the Nikon 85 1.8s.
I do enjoy my Viltrox 85 2.0 EVO. Sometimes I do bring the combo of Viltrox 85 EVO/26 2.8 EVO on a mountain hike, when the 24-120 is too bulky. The Viltrox 85 2.0 EVO is just 248,95 € in Germany.
Dustin Abbot has a good comparison between the Nikon 85 1.8s and Viltrox 85 2.0 EVO https://youtu.be/0cWbSkvoB38
I have no experience on the two lenses quoted in the subject line.
However, the 84.5 × 110.6mm Viltrox 85/1.4 PRO weighs 835 g. Not that small and light. For sure, it's cheaper than the 85/1.2 S so I understand that you'd be less worried about taking it on the boat.
The 85/2 EVO shows very good performance and cheap price at the same time: https://www.lenstip.com/715.1-Lens_review-Viltrox_AF_85_mm_f_2_EVO_Introduction.html
It has a solid barrel and weighs 340 g.
According to Lenstip, it's a sharp lens with quite good out-of-focus rendition.
I have Viltrox 85mm f1.4 PRO...it's a great lens...it's sharp, focus is quick, bokeh is smooth...if you need f1.4 aperture go for it...it's still smaller and lighter than f1.2...if you want more compact and light option, and f1.8 is more than enough, Nikon 1.8S is a great option...
Are you looking to add to your existing Z 85mm f/1.2 S—for situations where the former is too heavy, bulky, or at risk—or are you looking to replace it?
If you’re primarily looking to supplement your setup, I would definitely consider the Viltrox Evo 85mm f/2.
It’s high-performance, small, compact, and comparatively light at 340g, plus it’s very affordable for the optical performance it offers.
If that’s not fast enough—and since your focus seems to be on portrait photography—I’d take a closer look at the new Meike 85mm f/1.4 Mix II.
Even sharper as the Viltrox 85mm f/1.4 Pro, less problems with cats eyes in the corners, softer long distance bokeh.
It's nearly the same size, but with 656g vs. 835g weight of the Viltrox Pro, lighter and a lttlle bit less expensive.
Its weaknesses are similar to those of the Viltrox Pro 85mm f/1.4; flare resistance/veiling flare and AF performance/accuracy/tracking performance in demanding situation (sports, action) is not on par with OEM.
That aside, both the Viltrox 85/1.4 Pro and the Meike 85mm f/1.4 Mix II exhibit significant weaknesses in the MFD range when shot wide open.
It is also available in white and in a panda design, or rather Bianco e Nero!
Otherwise, there’s also the Sirui 85mm f/1.4 for the Z-mount, which is smaller than the ones mentioned above and lighter at 540g.
It gets a lot of praise for its very smooth bokeh, but it doesn’t quite measure up to the Meike/Viltrox in terms of sharpness or aberration correction.
The gross yellow color cast the Viltrox 85/2 EVO has thanks to sub-par coatings is immediately disqualifying IMO for anyone with standards when it comes to color reproduction.
The Z 85/1.8 is the no-brainer first choice. Then I'd start to look at Chinese options like the Viltrox 85/1.4, The Sirui 85/1.4, or maybe even the Meike, though I have no experience with them.
I straight up traded my 85/1.2 for the Sirui because they are SO similar at all but MFD (where I never use either lens).
"As always evaluating flare resistance is a complex matter since you can get any lens to look bad if you push it hard enough and a slight change of scenario can affect results a lot. Already the Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 FE LAB surprised me in this category and so does this Viltrox AF 85mm 1.4 FE Pro. This is one of the best performances I have seen from a fast tele lens in this category – noticeably better than the Sony FE 85mm 1.4 GM II – and I wasn’t even using the hood here."
S is flawless, just insane resolution and clarity wide open. Gorgeous rendering. It is the best f1.8 85mm I have ever used. I will this lens pick over EVO especially as OP mentioned being open to buying used.
I am also happy with PRO as I really wanted a fast f1.4 lens. It reminds me a lot of Sigma 85mm DG DN which I used on E mount, but with a modern AF.
Were I in the market for a fast AF 85, this one would be well worth considering.
..
..
The stop down balls starts around 5:40. You get 15 blades in the Sirui, the Nikkor gives you just nine, and it shows. The other advantage the Sirui has is its 'special glass' composition: it uses two ED and three HRI for better optical balance; the Nikkor uses just the two ED elements, as it pursues the final word in edge definition.
Many of us actually use the aperture ring on our portrait lenses, and f2-f2.8 is a critical setting for many reasons. Here is what the Nikkor's nine blade fitting provides at f2.8.
Mr Abbott calls this effect 'pretty circular'. Opinion do vary, however, and once one uses 14-15-16 blades in all kinds of conditions, it's hard to fathom the old ways the majors have stubbornly stuck with, into the modern era. cheers.
Nikkor Z 85mm f1.8 S bokeh at f2.8 (courtesy Dustin Abbott)
p.1 #11 · 85mm on Z mount - 1.8S vs 1.4Pro Viltrox
Hello,
I own and have no intention to give away the 85/1.2S, it is a superb piece of gear, honestly didn't feel the need of f1.2 but don't regret I got it, fact being that spending many hours on an open boat in summer salt and moist don't really help longevity and as such I would love to have a replacement, sometimes I take the D850 and the 85/1.4D with me which is one of the three lenses I love the most along with the 58G and 85S but I am figuring that once you get used to face focus on a mirrorless the D-SLR really crashes the photographer's ego, took the D850 with me in the last few occasions and even tho I hit quite a few good ones the hit rate is not the same and it's fine since to me this is a passion and my subjects don't expect high accuracy but I still accomplish, still I rather take the smaller Z6II with me and in this case I find that 50mm (I got the S version which is very very good even tho a quite "sterile" rendering compared to other optical designs) is too wide so that's why I am aiming at a Z mount 85.
I found an 1.8S for sale here for 600, I am sure it must be already gone but debating, once I decide, if the Viltrox, which so far seems the best third party option, is a better deal regardless of size and bulk for the price, I am not that really scared of the flares as I don't shoot in the sun but rather of eventual firmware updates from Nikon which is no rookie with regards to bricking third party stuff, I remember of some firmware updated for the d800 whose only purpose seemed to brick lenses... I fear not much for the Z6II as Nikon is not famous for updating old gear but you never know...
p.1 #12 · 85mm on Z mount - 1.8S vs 1.4Pro Viltrox
As you’re surely already aware, there are some great deals on the 85/1.8 S: in July, Nikon offered good summer discounts on new equipment, as well as on refurbished items in A (like-new) condition, on the nikonstore.it website. If you’re not in a hurry to use the 85 this summer on your boat, these discounts will most likely be available again in autumn (Black Friday) and at Christmas.
p.1 #13 · 85mm on Z mount - 1.8S vs 1.4Pro Viltrox
I had the 85mm f/1.2 S, but it was too big and heavy to carry around. After trying the Viltrox options I ended up with the 85mm f/1.8 S, which is great. On the other hand, I kept the 135 Plena.
p.1 #14 · 85mm on Z mount - 1.8S vs 1.4Pro Viltrox
Ripolini wrote:
As you’re surely already aware, there are some great deals on the 85/1.8 S: in July, Nikon offered good summer discounts on new equipment, as well as on refurbished items in A (like-new) condition, on the nikonstore.it website. If you’re not in a hurry to use the 85 this summer on your boat, these discounts will most likely be available again in autumn (Black Friday) and at Christmas.
That's a good suggestion, I will keep an eye onto that, I usually like to buy used as to make $$$ go throughout us passionate gear users, found one 85S for 600 which seems to steep for used but, let's be honest, S glass is outrageous expensive and it makes sense third party become attractive at the same price, go figure when a new f1.4 is cheaper than a used f1.8.
