Facebook Twitter Google+ YouTube Flickr 500px
See My Reviews

Viltrox AF 85mm F1.8 STM II Review

Dustin Abbott

July 20th, 2020

It is extremely rare to see a Mark II version of a lens only about 15 months after the release of the original lens, but that is what we have in the Viltrox AF 85mm F1.8 STM II.  I reviewed the Viltrox AF 85mm F1.8 STM only 13 months ago, but Viltrox has taken an unconventional path and decided to release an upgraded version of the lens very quickly.  I think that Viltrox realized that while they had a very competitive lens in terms of optics and price, it was, frankly, heavier than what it needed to be and needed some improvement to the autofocus performance.  Viltrox decided to leverage their investment in the optics of the existing lens and release a second, more competitive version of the lens that is signifanctly lighter (484 vs 636g), has better autofocus and Eye AF performance, and has some minor tweaks to the lens hood and focus ring.  While heavier than the Sony FE 85mm F1.8 (371g), the Viltrox STM II is now within the same class of weight rather than feeling like close to double the weight.  They’ve managed to retain the excellent feel of the build quality at the same time, however.  Here’s a look at the comparative specs:   

I’ve done this review on my Sony a7RIII and Sony a9 bodies, and you can see photos from both cameras in the galleries below.  You can also watch my definitive video review where I thoroughly break down the updates and changes, give a detailed analysis of the optical performance, and demonstrate the improvements to autofocus performance.

Viltrox AF 85mm F1.8 STM II Definit...
Viltrox AF 85mm F1.8 STM II Definitive Review | 4K

Follow Me @  Patreon  |  My Newsletter |  Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Flickr | 500px

Images of the Viltrox AF 85mm F1.8 STM II

Images taken with the Viltrox AF 85mm F1.8 STM II

 

Purchase the Viltrox AF 85mm F1.8 STM II @ B&H Photo | Viltrox Store  |  Amazon (use code 05VT85182 for 10% off) | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany

 

Sony a9 Camera:  B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 
Sony a7RIV Camera: B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay 
Sony a7R III Camera: B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon.ca | Amazon UK  | Ebay
Peak Design Slide Lite:  Peak Design StoreB&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK
Peak Design Leash Strap:  Peak Design StoreB&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada  | Amazon UK
BenQ SW271 4K Photo Editing Monitor – B&H Photo  | Amazon | Amazon.ca | Amazon UK
Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud 1-Year Subscription
Exposure Software X5 (Use Code “dustinabbott” to get 10% anything and everything)

Purchase your gear at:  

B&H Photo |  Amazon  | Ebay | Make a donation via Paypal

Visit Dustin’s Amazon Storefront and see his favorite gear

Purchasing your gear through B&H and these links helps fund this website and keeps the articles coming. You can also make a donation here if you would like.  Visit my Amazon page for some of my gear of choice! Thank you for your support.

B&H Logo

Great News! I can now offer a 5% discount on all purchases at Amplis Foto, Canada’s Leading Photographic Supplier. Please enter discount code: AMPLIS52018DA in your cart. It is good for everything in your cart, and is stackable with other coupons, too! It will take 5% off your entire order! Proceeds go towards keeping this site going and providing you with new reviews!

Check me out on:  My Patreon  | Sign Up for My Newsletter |  Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Flickr | 500px |  Google+ |





 

 


Use Code “DUSTINHDR” to get $10 off ($15 CDN) any Skylum product:  Luminar, Aurora, or AirMagic


 

Keywords: viltrox, viltrox AF, Viltrox AF 85mm STM II FE, Viltrox AF Sony, STM, viltrox 85, viltrox 85mm STM, II, Mark II, STM II, viltrox 85 1.8, viltrox af 85 1.8 STM review, Viltrox 85mm Sony, Viltrox 85mm Fuji, Review, Dustin Abbott, FE, Viltrox AF 85mm F1.8, Viltrox 85mm F1.8 review, viltrox 85mm 1.8 review, Portrait, Sony a7RIII, Sony a7III, Sony a9, Bokeh, Sharpness, Resolution, Bokeh, Video Test, Sample Images, Real World

 

DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.