This lens honestly just seems to be amazing value for money. I bet the AF is better on a newer camera like the a6400, a7iii or a9. As a budget shooter this is right up my wheelhouse and now tops my "must buy" list.
The AF hunting back and forth is due to Viltrox not having normal "real" AF. Instead they make their lens autofocus by "hacking" the mount like a Metabones adapter does - or in this case it's really just the Viltrox adapter built into a lens. Adapters get AF by accessing the camera's focus peaking to determine what is in focus and what isn't. The little hunt back and forth you're observing it because it'll move forward till the area you've selected starts to lose sharpness, then it moves back again and then forward to the point it determined was the most in focus. They don't really have a relationship with Sony and thus don't have the tech to make the lens communicate normally with the camera mount like a regular native lens would.
Thanks for the review, I Purchased it recently , the lens produces amazing portraits on my Sony A7RV. Purple fringing on contrasting edges needs correction in post though. Contrast and Colors are very good. Sharpness is also very good wide open. I purchased it for equivalent of 200 GBP. Its really worth every penny.
This might be a lower priced option for an 85mm f/1.8 e-mount portrait lens. However, I found a mint used copy of the Sony 85mm f/1.8 for $450 U.S. Dollars and I think that was a better buy...
...why is it nice to see the USB port on the lens? Third party lenses can be updated on-body, with Sony's own tool. Sigma did it with the 30mm 1.4. It seems like a poor choice of location, too. Any gunk on either side of the mount will get swept into the hole.
You appear to have become my 'go to' reviewer. My mind prefers an objective and scientific realist approach, as opposed to the 'marketeering influencers' out in YT land. I also find that I pause from time to time, just to observe your in shot, reading material; always intriguing and a forensic clue to how your own mind works. Be well.
I also have the A7R2 so I`m always keen to hear your report on autofocus performance. I was hoping you could comment specifically on Eye-AF: Which performed better on your A7R2 - this Viltrox or the Samyang AF 85?
Thank you for this Chris...question ..you swapped lens onto your ASPC ..would the results have been the same on the FE Ar7..but changing to ASPC in camera ..just a thought
What happened at 4:27 in the top left corner? Blurry mess? Maybe the lens is not well centered? Unfortunately Christopher didn't zoom to that corner...
I bought it for my Sony A7R2 and love it. Although it’s quite heavy as compared to my Sony 50mm 1.8 . Did you try the latest software ( they don’t deliver a cable but the one that came with the Sony will do the job), it made mine less noisier and the AF a tiny bit snappier.
Looks like a great performing 85mm portrait lens for only $380. I am tempted to try and save up for the Rokinon 85mm 1.4, but it's almost twice the price.
Hi Chris, thank you for this review! Did you know that in 2006 Sony took over Konica-Minolta with it's expertise. Back in the 1980s I had a Minolta XG-M with some Minolta lenses. These Minolta lenses were good performers. Best wishes, Ralf
There is an obvious focusing issue with my A7R ii even though doing latest software update. I do not have any complaint with my 23mm 1.4 Fuji x mount.However, this lens is not good actually
would be good to compare this lens with some vintage manual focus 85mm f2's. the price would be about the same. wonder if the quality of the old lenses would justify not having auto focus.
for me, sony f1.8 cuz it can share my 67mm filters i already have for my other lenses and the samyang is much pricier in CAD for only marginal improvements
Waiting for that one too! Although with past yongnuo experiences you can expect autofocus to be bad, more so taking into account the shallow depth of field.
@@nusakuliner now apparently they released a new version of that lens with ultrasonic focusing motor. Let's hope it works ok because I cannot afford the Canon L version of that lens.
Mine does have alot of dust inside the lens out of the box brand new really dusty. There are alot of focus hunting set on fast af mode but on normal mode its fine. It has shutter lag when using flash
This could be a solid lens for people on budget considering that the Sony's own is around double the price, but I would still rather go with Samyang's 85mm 1.4 or Sony 1.8 even with a difference due to better build quality, and reliability.
@@nsnoesuarez 1.4 aperture over 1.8 of Viltrox, while just $100 more expensive that Viltrox, it has 11 elements to Viltrox's 10, it claims to be weatherproof unlike Viltrox, while Samyang one is actually lighter in terms of weight by 100 grams.
@@parranoic I had one which was absolutely terrible. It has definitely put me off speedboosters and I hear Metabones quality control isn't much better.
I got this lens brand new. Already have dust inside the lens really dusty. Then the af on every mode is working fine indoors but when outdoors shooting video on fast af option it has severe focus hunting. Also have a shutter lag when using flash.
Have you ever thought of doing affiliate links? Those of us that support your channel, and buy gear based on your recommendations wouldn't mind you getting a kick back from our our purchases.
I question if switching the video AF speed to a slower mode might help with the lens's hunting in video. The Samyang AF 35mm f/1.4 has the same sort of slight hunting issue in fast mode, but it completely disappears when you slow it down.
if the focus hunts - phase detect AF is not working. isn't it? Should be easy to verify in the camera setup. No Phase AF is actually a downside on a relatively long focal length.
hi, first thanks for the review, a couple of questions about your tests, when you shoot to the picture with the images to see the sharpness at different apertures, you manualy focus? and where you get those images for the test shoots? Thanks
I recently purchased the Viltrox 85mm 1.8 from WBPhoto on eBay - The focus on my A7r3 was Rubbish at best + The lens locked up within my first 20 shots. Combine this with some really poor firmware this is by no means a good buy. Perhaps I was unlucky but I will be going to Sony / Sigma that way you can at least be sure that the focus system will work with Sony - The eye focus was more like a nose or mouth focus it was really inaccurate. Finally, Watch out buying this lens or any lenses on Ebay - WBPHOTO claims that the lens comes from the UK - When it came to returning the lens I had to spend £36 at my own expense to return it to China - The sony is double the price for a reason!
Agree, the saving is just not worth it, the Sony is lighter and sharper wide open. The Sony is still good value, it will work just as it should in all areas, it will hold it's value and give you peace of mind especially if you are trying to earn money from it.
chris ..we love your reviews but you need to upgrade to at least the Sony a7iii as your reviews for example in AF performance is pretty invalid if you are not using the latest AF available.. ..
with this lens now I'm in a slight dilemma. Before when there was only the Sony 85 1.8f, the Samyang 1.4 AF was a no brainer. But with this coming out it changes everything. The samyang is twice the price but is a 1.4. Would you rather save money or go for the 1.4. Albeit 350 euros is not much in the grand scheme of things, but for amateurs it sometimes does.
@Pronobesh Banerjee I don’t know which 85mm you have or will be getting but I would say get the sony’s 85. Samyang breaks too easily and viltrox’s lens sharpness isn’t that great. Yes, sony’s 85mm is a little expensive, but you could probably find an used one on ebay, KEH, MPB, b&h or Adorama at a reasonable price range.
The Sony 85mm is awesome. Sharper than this lens at f/1.8 and much faster focusing than both the Viltrox and Samyang. It's also small and light. One of my favourite lenses.
I like this reviewer, but he refuses to upgrade beyond his A7RII when testing any Sony-bound products thus limiting the validity of any autofocus testing with this second-generation focusing system when we have been in the greatly improved third generation Sony focusing system since 2017. Can't he just rent an A7III or such for testing ? Having owned an A7RII ,and then A7RIII and A7III I know there is a huge difference in autofocus speed and accuracy. If you own an A7RII these focusing tests are valid. But why would you test new lenses with not the most current cameras ?
@@Betweenthepixles update he has gotten some more current models that DONT break the bank. And you have no idea of my budget, LOL. I am a longtime hard working photographer that has allowed me to have the gear I need. I still have to stay on budget and buy third=party lens to save money along with my Sony ones. Cheers
This lens honestly just seems to be amazing value for money. I bet the AF is better on a newer camera like the a6400, a7iii or a9. As a budget shooter this is right up my wheelhouse and now tops my "must buy" list.
The AF hunting back and forth is due to Viltrox not having normal "real" AF. Instead they make their lens autofocus by "hacking" the mount like a Metabones adapter does - or in this case it's really just the Viltrox adapter built into a lens. Adapters get AF by accessing the camera's focus peaking to determine what is in focus and what isn't. The little hunt back and forth you're observing it because it'll move forward till the area you've selected starts to lose sharpness, then it moves back again and then forward to the point it determined was the most in focus. They don't really have a relationship with Sony and thus don't have the tech to make the lens communicate normally with the camera mount like a regular native lens would.
This method makes the AF seem a lot like what you'd get on cameras that only have contrast-based AF and not phase detect.
Maybe that's why it's cheap and heavy focus breathing
Great Review! Is it alright if you could do a review on the newer version?
Can you please compare it to the samyang 85mm
Thanks for the review, I Purchased it recently , the lens produces amazing portraits on my Sony A7RV. Purple fringing on contrasting edges needs correction in post though. Contrast and Colors are very good. Sharpness is also very good wide open. I purchased it for equivalent of 200 GBP. Its really worth every penny.
This might be a lower priced option for an 85mm f/1.8 e-mount portrait lens. However, I found a mint used copy of the Sony 85mm f/1.8 for $450 U.S. Dollars and I think that was a better buy...
Was just gonna look this up, and BOOM just uploaded
Wow
I already thought the 85 from Sony was a great budget lens for FF
But Viltrox really did great
For those, that don’t have quite the money
you get what you pay for lol
...why is it nice to see the USB port on the lens? Third party lenses can be updated on-body, with Sony's own tool. Sigma did it with the 30mm 1.4. It seems like a poor choice of location, too. Any gunk on either side of the mount will get swept into the hole.
Thanks for the review Christopher. Viltrox has posted a mark 2 version of this lens on their American site. Has anyone else heard of this?
I just have to say damn! You are super fast when it comes to new lenses!
Hello Christopher, could you post an updated video of this lens after the upgrade of firmware.
You appear to have become my 'go to' reviewer. My mind prefers an objective and scientific realist approach, as opposed to the 'marketeering influencers' out in YT land.
I also find that I pause from time to time, just to observe your in shot, reading material; always intriguing and a forensic clue to how your own mind works.
Be well.
always confortable to watch your video 😊
Did you know, that after firmware upgrade this lens has better auto focus and can be f/1.6?!
1.2!!! ✌️
I also have the A7R2 so I`m always keen to hear your report on autofocus performance. I was hoping you could comment specifically on Eye-AF: Which performed better on your A7R2 - this Viltrox or the Samyang AF 85?
I can't remember any particular difference - they were both about the same
Thank you for this Chris...question ..you swapped lens onto your ASPC ..would the results have been the same on the FE Ar7..but changing to ASPC in camera ..just a thought
I love it, when you zoom in on the „LOGOS“ 😉
What happened at 4:27 in the top left corner? Blurry mess? Maybe the lens is not well centered? Unfortunately Christopher didn't zoom to that corner...
I bought it for my Sony A7R2 and love it. Although it’s quite heavy as compared to my Sony 50mm 1.8 . Did you try the latest software ( they don’t deliver a cable but the one that came with the Sony will do the job), it made mine less noisier and the AF a tiny bit snappier.
Lens testing out of real life. You are the best around.
The Viltro lens is slightly better than the SONY 85mm f1.8, which is very sharp in aperture f1.8.The spot is also rounder than the SONY lens.
Gonna wait for a sale, but this is on my wishlist now. Working with a manual 85mm 1.4 after all these years just isn't cutting it 😬
Looks like a great performing 85mm portrait lens for only $380. I am tempted to try and save up for the Rokinon 85mm 1.4, but it's almost twice the price.
check adorama! they’re selling ‘like new’ used 85mm 1.4 samyang for $550!
The rokinon 85 is awesome , although the viltrox af performed better at least with my copy. If i had to choose between the two I'd take the viltrox
Does the mark2 version of this lens perform better when it comes to AF and chromatic aberration?
Thanks for your video. Another lens on my list!
Please make a video about the mark ii version of this lens.
First! As always a great review. Christopher's channel is my go-to lens review channel whether I'm buying or not.
Please do a review of version 2
been waiting for this Chris!
hello. will autofocus work with the original sony A7?
Hi Chris, thank you for this review! Did you know that in 2006 Sony took over Konica-Minolta with it's expertise. Back in the 1980s I had a Minolta XG-M with some Minolta lenses. These Minolta lenses were good performers. Best wishes, Ralf
There is an obvious focusing issue with my A7R ii even though doing latest software update. I do not have any complaint with my 23mm 1.4 Fuji x mount.However, this lens is not good actually
Be blessed brother! Like your choice of books!
would be good to compare this lens with some vintage manual focus 85mm f2's. the price would be about the same. wonder if the quality of the old lenses would justify not having auto focus.
Which one would you choose between this versus the sony 85mm f/1.8 lens?
samyang :D
Definitely Sony!
for me, sony f1.8 cuz it can share my 67mm filters i already have for my other lenses and the samyang is much pricier in CAD for only marginal improvements
Hello Braderr Chris.. can you make review Yongnuo 35mm f1.4??
Waiting for that one too! Although with past yongnuo experiences you can expect autofocus to be bad, more so taking into account the shallow depth of field.
Up
@@nusakuliner now apparently they released a new version of that lens with ultrasonic focusing motor. Let's hope it works ok because I cannot afford the Canon L version of that lens.
@@diegorivera2711 WTH Yongnuo is going crazy... I hope so the rumor is true
I can't help but I have to comment how amazing your review are, your the best a lot of love & respect from what you do and how you do it from Dubai 😍
Great review.... Could we have a Sony 85mm shoot out
3:19 Whoa that's so nice, what town is that?
Aberystwyth
Mine does have alot of dust inside the lens out of the box brand new really dusty. There are alot of focus hunting set on fast af mode but on normal mode its fine. It has shutter lag when using flash
This could be a solid lens for people on budget considering that the Sony's own is around double the price, but I would still rather go with Samyang's 85mm 1.4 or Sony 1.8 even with a difference due to better build quality, and reliability.
What are the advantages of the Samyang 85 over the Viltrox?
@@nsnoesuarez 1.4 aperture over 1.8 of Viltrox, while just $100 more expensive that Viltrox, it has 11 elements to Viltrox's 10, it claims to be weatherproof unlike Viltrox, while Samyang one is actually lighter in terms of weight by 100 grams.
I bought this lense merely for its very round bokeh balls as I hate cats eye shaped bokeh balls.
what is the point of 1.8 if it is not sharp and color/purple fringing is horrible? nice review thanks!!!
my thoughts as well... but is the selling point for them, even if the performance sucks...
thanks for the review, liked it really much.
Would be nice to hear your opinion on the Tamron 35-150mm f/2.8-4 Di VC OSD.
My problem with Viltrox is their quality control seems to be very hit and miss, based on my previous experiences of their products.
Apparently this was the case with their speedbooster, some were really unsharp while others were amazing
Yeah, and review products are given extra attention. Which always influence the review no matter how.
@@parranoic I had one which was absolutely terrible. It has definitely put me off speedboosters and I hear Metabones quality control isn't much better.
@@izzieb here s mine with 85 1.8 usm flic.kr/p/2gJPNYM
I got this lens brand new. Already have dust inside the lens really dusty. Then the af on every mode is working fine indoors but when outdoors shooting video on fast af option it has severe focus hunting. Also have a shutter lag when using flash.
Sony can finally have native STM lenses :))
Have you experienced some difficulty to use eye focus feature at low apertures with this lens?
viltrox new AF 23/33/56 F1.4 XF/EF/M mount lens will come November this year😋
How would you say this stacks up against the yongnuo 85? I’m trying to decide between these two lenses and the samyang 85.
great video! just curious about the sharpness test. where do you get that star chart/test images to use? would like to try it out as well! thanks!
I made it myself. I don't distribute it I'm afraid :-(
"from Chinese manufacturer"
I have several Sony lenses from China and Taiwan, too. Also high quality. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Have you ever thought of doing affiliate links? Those of us that support your channel, and buy gear based on your recommendations wouldn't mind you getting a kick back from our our purchases.
Can you share the images taken with it? Jpg or raw? Thanks. As always great review!
I question if switching the video AF speed to a slower mode might help with the lens's hunting in video. The Samyang AF 35mm f/1.4 has the same sort of slight hunting issue in fast mode, but it completely disappears when you slow it down.
Hmm, possible
When you still have the Sony a7rii and the a7riv is coming out
Lomar Yearwood and? It’s still a good camera....
Gear snobbery!
@SwitchRich but its not only about the mp. we have batter battrie life better weather seeling better af
Good video 👌. I'm on the Lumix GX80 and saving the pennies for the a7rmii. Is it worth it?
I love my a7R II! I think it might be the best value-for-money camera available at the moment.
dont use FAST in video mode...try slow and you will not have any hunting!
I want to see how it works in a7lll because the a7rll it's great but the af it's not the best .
I noticed in some of your older videos you had an A6300 which seem to vanished in later videos, just curious on what happened to it.
I sold it and got the a5100 for £150 - I didn't need it anymore
if the focus hunts - phase detect AF is not working. isn't it?
Should be easy to verify in the camera setup. No Phase AF is actually a downside on a relatively long focal length.
Sony's AF-S is mixture of PDAF and Contrast AF for focus accuracy. You can also see little hunting from sony lenses.
Is this the version 1 or version 2? Am deciding to get it
next 85mm for sony, cool !
Please review Sony DT 16 50 2.8 SSM on A6400 with LA-EA3 adapter. Considering this combination for wedding & travel photography
No plans to, I'm afraid
can this be used on my sony a6000
hi, first thanks for the review, a couple of questions about your tests, when you shoot to the picture with the images to see the sharpness at different apertures, you manualy focus? and where you get those images for the test shoots?
Thanks
Is this the same as Tokina 85mm 1.8?
If not can you test it the Tokina version?
IDK
Is that Aberystwyth?
Is it compatible with Sony a7 II ?
Yes
I recently purchased the Viltrox 85mm 1.8 from WBPhoto on eBay - The focus on my A7r3 was Rubbish at best + The lens locked up within my first 20 shots. Combine this with some really poor firmware this is by no means a good buy. Perhaps I was unlucky but I will be going to Sony / Sigma that way you can at least be sure that the focus system will work with Sony - The eye focus was more like a nose or mouth focus it was really inaccurate. Finally, Watch out buying this lens or any lenses on Ebay - WBPHOTO claims that the lens comes from the UK - When it came to returning the lens I had to spend £36 at my own expense to return it to China - The sony is double the price for a reason!
Agree, the saving is just not worth it, the Sony is lighter and sharper wide open. The Sony is still good value, it will work just as it should in all areas, it will hold it's value and give you peace of mind especially if you are trying to earn money from it.
wide open, is it better than sony 85 1.8 version?
No.
is it great for video?
There is a mk II version now!
Why are you using AF-S vs AF-C?
Anybody use this on a regular sony a7? If so how does it perform? I’m really considering getting it
Would love to see a comparison of this vs the samyang
the samyang is currently more expensive than the sony 85 1.8
@@rayharmacinski4934 it's not about the cost..... It's about the overall quality vs value
Dunno why but I thought you sold your A2r?
Excellent reviewing again!
I'm waiting for the new Sigma 35 1.2 lens review ...
actually，you can get it with $230 in china！
How do you setup your color? App or in camera profile?
Sony fe 85mm 1.8 or viltrox fe 85mm 1.8??
Watch my review of the Sony lens
Have you got a review on the Tokina 20mm f2 AF
Hey Chris, when a box of these will appear at your doorstep, please send me the manual 20mm instead. Thanks in advance :-D
Does this Lens work on a Sony a7 11??
yes
chris ..we love your reviews but you need to upgrade to at least the Sony a7iii as your reviews for example in AF performance is pretty invalid if you are not using the latest AF available.. ..
Wait ............Viltrox ART...................... KILLER Sigma hehehehehehe
with this lens now I'm in a slight dilemma.
Before when there was only the Sony 85 1.8f, the Samyang 1.4 AF was a no brainer. But with this coming out it changes everything. The samyang is twice the price but is a 1.4. Would you rather save money or go for the 1.4.
Albeit 350 euros is not much in the grand scheme of things, but for amateurs it sometimes does.
@Pronobesh Banerjee I don’t know which 85mm you have or will be getting but I would say get the sony’s 85. Samyang breaks too easily and viltrox’s lens sharpness isn’t that great. Yes, sony’s 85mm is a little expensive, but you could probably find an used one on ebay, KEH, MPB, b&h or Adorama at a reasonable price range.
The Sony 85mm is awesome. Sharper than this lens at f/1.8 and much faster focusing than both the Viltrox and Samyang. It's also small and light. One of my favourite lenses.
This lens is shaper than sony 1.8 with better round bokeh because of the 72mm filter size. Watch dustin review of this lens
@@araiso8672 I doubt it's sharper to the corners, but I'll check his video out 👍
clean ya camera man...
its actually made by sigma for Viltrox.
They should've made a 35mm f/1.8 instead.
Maybe they will
Is this a Chinese company?
Helo sir can you help me. . .
Can i use this on sony a6300
Yup
price please ???
#shalomnepal
380USD
Howe does it perform in apsc sony format like the a5100/a6400?
Watch the video, and you'll find out!
Looks exactly like the Sony 85/1.8
auto fokkers modl. Wow no contest with fuji 16mm 1.4.
too soft.
A lot of LoCA .
First!
Good game.
I like this reviewer, but he refuses to upgrade beyond his A7RII when testing any Sony-bound products thus limiting the validity of any autofocus testing with this second-generation focusing system when we have been in the greatly improved third generation Sony focusing system since 2017. Can't he just rent an A7III or such for testing ? Having owned an A7RII ,and then A7RIII and A7III I know there is a huge difference in autofocus speed and accuracy. If you own an A7RII these focusing tests are valid. But why would you test new lenses with not the most current cameras ?
Maybe because these cameras are expensive? If you care so much, send Christopher a new camera :)
Not everyone has a big budget like you big balller
@@Betweenthepixles update he has gotten some more current models that DONT break the bank. And you have no idea of my budget, LOL. I am a longtime hard working photographer that has allowed me to have the gear I need. I still have to stay on budget and buy third=party lens to save money along with my Sony ones. Cheers