Viltrox AF 85mm f/2 EVO: The “Premium” Lens Distinction Has Been Blurred Beyond Recognition.
Subtitle: I have not used a better portrait lens than this one.
As good? Yes.
Better? No.
This is now my fourth Viltrox. Years ago, I picked up a Viltrox portrait lens during one of my Fujifilm X benders.
This was five years ago. A fine lens.
Let go of it when I pivoted away from Fujifilm X. More recently, I became aware of the new Air range of Viltrox lenses. Made for APS-C also, but I quickly picked up two of their full-frame options.
A fantastic lens. No qualifiers. A great lens.
Not a great lens for $199.
A great lens full stop.
More please.
So, two great, well-matched lenses.
I was hoping for a full frame portrait Air lens at this point, but Viltrox did one better. They created a whole new line of lenses, sat between Pro and Air, and the first lens is the EVO 85mm f/2.
Ok. Checks spec sheet and notes:
- Barely larger than the Air lines.
- Build closer to the mid tier Viltrox Pro line.
- AF/MF switch, aperture ring that you can declick with a switch, and a hold button.
- Adds a lens gasket for a bit of weather sealing.
- Pro level IQ performance.
- Swift, silent, and accurate AF.
- Costs little more than the Air lenses…
So less of an Air Plus and more of a Pro Lite, IQ, build, and button/ring/switch wise, at a nearly Air price, size, and weight…
…<ahem, mi, mi, mi>
Take! My! Money!
… I can safely say that this lens is awesome.
I am very happy.
I dealt with the “Whatabouts” lenses in my first post on this lens.
I also shared sample images in that post. First quick sample portraits, the main reason for an 85mm lens to exist, let me know this was not a lens to play with.
So much so that I started having thoughts. Mainly…
This is not another TTArtisan 75mm f/2.
A lens that is…fine. Good. But not quite good enough to escape the suffix… for the price.
I am not putting that lens down. There is no way that I can complain about a $199 lens with a metal build, aperture ring, and serviceable AF and IQ. But, this Viltrox?
No suffix needed. More polished than the TTArtisan. How so?
I have owned G Master and Art lenses that feel no better in hand.
If you put gaffer tape over the branding and told me it was a new line of Sony or SIGMA glass, I would not have blinked.
I have owned far more expensive glass, from many brands, and I cannot think of a single lens that has better IQ, faster or quieter, or more consistent AF.
Zoom in all you like. 60MP? No sweat. Pin sharp.
All at less than $250.
And Viltrox has two higher spec lenses, Pro and Lab.
What the heck?
Back to the EVO.
What the heck?
Let me back up.
I had a family portrait session planned for this weekend. The gear I expected to use was the film adapted to digital medium format lenses I have been prattling on about recently.
I even did a photo session with it recently.
That all came to a screeching halt after a day or so with the EVO 85mm f/2. All I wanted to use was this lens. So I brought both kits and used both kits. Even brought out lights this time. Went great.
As I said, I used both the EVO and a 67 lens on GFX. But during the edit the EVO images won out…
What the heck?
Kept a few 67 images like this one,…
…where I am honestly staggered that I successfully manually focus this candid moment. But most of the images I delivered were with the EVO.
I am very pleased. I also had another SIGMA Art lens with me that I hadn’t thought about using.
To recap.
A $275 lens was used happily with much more expensive kit at my disposal.
It is a lens so good that it has elevated my appreciation for Sony. While exceedingly competent, a weak spot in Sony’s armor was always emotion. My appreciation was results-based, not experience-based. Now that I think about it, this goes back to a blog post I wrote some time ago.
Tamron came through and deftly handled the zoom end of things for me.
The only Sony FE zoom lenses I own are these Tamron lenses. The only Sony FE lenses I need. New releases are fine, but they do not faze me. Thought I might trade the 20-40mm f/2.8 for the newer Tamron 16-30mm f/2.8, and I may one day do so. But I am good for right now. I do not use the 20-40mm enough to consider making the swap and I prefer 40mm at the long end more than 16mm at the wide end. But Sony FE primes?
That has been an issue. Currently I own a bunch because up until now, there was no prime that sat nicely in the middle between three lens personality types… What? Lenses have personalities. To me anyways. Here are the categories.
- Fun but not appropriate for “real” work.
- Think 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 or TTArtisan AF 50mm tilt 50mm f/1.4.
- Inexpensive, ok, but decidedly meh.
- Think Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 or Rokinon/Samyang 45mm f/1.8.
- World beaters, top performers, but not practical for daily use, and often too clinical.
- Think Sony FE G Master 50mm f/1.2 or SIGMA 35mm f/1.4 Art.
The perfect lens for me would sit between all of these.
- Fun, interesting images.
- Reasonably priced.
- Results that can withstand comparison to top notch glass.
Welp.
That is exactly what Viltrox has managed here.
- AF tech so silent in operation and quick and consistent in AF acquisition that it belies its humble step motor specs.
- Interesting images with great colors and sharpness.
- Wonderful bokeh that defies its humble f/2 aperture spec.
- So well put together with all the features of my favorite high end lenses.
- All for a more than reasonable sum.
This is the rare lens that seems incapable of spitting out a bad image.
If you struggle to believe this, I recommend you give one a try. I do not believe you will be disappointed. At this moment it stays on my camera. Here are some favorite sample images from the last few days.
Well done, Viltrox.
Happy capturing.
-ELW
Eric L. Woods 
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