First time shooting with the Viltrox 85mm f1.4 today.
It is chonky and would feel more at home on a Z8 or Z9 than the Zf, but handling is okay if you don't have to hold it for hours.
The aperture ring is so nice to have!
No complaints about IQ either. Didn't have good subjects to test bokeh today though.
I decided to try the 85 EVO for my Zf as it seems very appropriately sized for that body. My Zf's prime trio would be the Nikon 26 f/2.8, CV 40mmm f/1.2 Nokton and Viltrox 85mm f/2.
jrscls wrote:
I decided to get the 85 EVO for my Zf as it seems very appropriately sized for that body. My Zf's prime trio will be the Nikon 26 f/2.8, CV 40mmm f/1.2 Nokton and Viltrox 85mm f/2 EVO. Looking forward to giving it a try.
I'll also keep an eye on future releases of the EVO line.
I'd be quite interested in a compact 35mm, 40mm or 50mm f2 with an aperture ring. The 50mm would have to be significantly smaller than the Nikkor f1.8 though..
Might even think about adding the 85mm despite having the PRO, as a lightweight 35/85 travel combo.
I received mine last night. The size is amazing on the ZF. With the aperture ring it looks like it was made just for it. On the Z8 it feels smallish but makes for a light weight combo. I tested it briefly against the 85 1.2 but I'm not ready to draw any conclusions yet. I will say the EVO is very sharp at F2.
fjablo wrote:
I'll also keep an eye on future releases of the EVO line.
I'd be quite interested in a compact 35mm, 40mm or 50mm f2 with an aperture ring. The 50mm would have to be significantly smaller than the Nikkor f1.8 though..
Might even think about adding the 85mm despite having the PRO, as a lightweight 35/85 travel combo.
I'm really curious to see what they would do with a 50mm EVO. They already have the 50mm f/2 Air which by all accounts is a very good lens for the price and size.
Anyone else feel the aperture ring on their copy of the EVO is a bit... mushy?
As a first impression, everything else on the lens build feels very premium, better than the Nikon S lenses I've used if I'm being honest. Haven't had the chance to shoot much with it yet, unfortunately.
jrscls wrote:
I decided to try the 85 EVO for my Zf as it seems very appropriately sized for that body. My Zf's prime trio would be the Nikon 26 f/2.8, CV 40mmm f/1.2 Nokton and Viltrox 85mm f/2.
I am using the same setup for my ZF as well!
It's great as a travel setup as well ... Compact yet effective!
I have the Viltrox 85mm f/1.4 Pro on the way. I’m going to pair it with the Viltrox 35mm f/1.2 Lab along with the Nikon 135mm f/1.8 Plena. These will primarily be used on the Z8 with a Nikon 40mm f/2 SE on the Zf for a lightweight option.
wowneatphoto wrote:
Anyone else feel the aperture ring on their copy of the EVO is a bit... mushy?
As a first impression, everything else on the lens build feels very premium, better than the Nikon S lenses I've used if I'm being honest. Haven't had the chance to shoot much with it yet, unfortunately.
Mushy? Yes, if comparing to a manual focus vintage Nikkor.
However, the soft Viltrox clicks are more than good enough for me even if the sonic and tactile feedback is a bit muted.
Put another way, the aperture ring is so much better than using an on-camera command wheel.
Viltrox EVO AF 55mm F1.8 Z leaked by a camera store in Vietnam, as usual Andrea steals photos off the internet and slaps his SAR watermark without giving credit to actual leakers -
Anyone have thoughts on the AF on the 85mm f2 EVO? I have found a lot of shots just slightly missing the iris although I have noticed that with other fast primes on Nikon Z.
Outstanding wrote:
Viltrox EVO AF 55mm F1.8 Z leaked by a camera store in Vietnam, as usual Andrea steals photos off the internet and slaps his SAR watermark without giving credit to actual leakers -
First shot from the 85mm ƒ2 EVO. I got the e- mount version and am using it with the Megadap. AF is a bit slow, but seems accurate. Waiting for my new Sony body to arrive so I can see if it's the lens or the adapter. Very sharp. Love the size and apparent build quality. (I agree the aperture clicks are a bit mushy; but much better than none.)
DeltaSigma wrote:
Mushy? Yes, if comparing to a manual focus vintage Nikkor.
However, the soft Viltrox clicks are more than good enough for me even if the sonic and tactile feedback is a bit muted.
Colin
The mushy aperture ring was one of the first things I commented on. It's mushy!
'the soft Viltrox clicks are more than good enough for me' and plenty more of us besides, because it is a feature, not a bug or a fail. The Simeras are the same, snug sleeves with detents a normal hand will enjoy about as much as the ears will benefit from the lack of the toy-like clicky-clack of even many high end MF lenses. Similar damping for aperture and focus rings is important too.
Very practical is the quiet approach - if the user forgets to de-click the ring when beginning a video session. We've come some way in product engineering tolerances from back when lens producers could do no better (or chose to do no better) than the slop I see in some Leica M and R lenses. My poor Zeiss 21mm Distagon jams all the aperture marks into two inches, with only single stop detents. That is after 100 plus years of making lenses. The recessed wafer thin Loxia 85mm aperture ring manages to be horrible - hard to find or even see, hard to turn, and still it makes audible clicks - that echoing chamber sound. Plenty of room for improvement!
Nothing sounds more amateurish, IMO, than YT guys spinning the aperture ring, like they are hastily turning a tap on and off. People should learn how to handle fine instruments, treat them with the respect they deserve. Come to think of it, maybe that is what they are doing with those lenses.
In this YT see the commentary and demo at 5:05 to 7:00, very damning of Leica, in my view. All reviews of aperture ring equipped MF (and 'AF') lenses should do this. Nothing works well with poor usability.
..
I just got the 85/1.4 yesterday and while I haven’t used it that much yet I am astounded with how well it is built and how good it looks. It seems like a very high-quality lens and while I don’t like the clunking around in it when the camera is powered off, it’s not that bad.
I really wish the non-exotic Nikon S lenses looked more like this.
I’m excited to go shoot with it more and see what I can produce. But man is this a nice lens at least on the exterior.
philip_pj wrote:
'the soft Viltrox clicks are more than good enough for me' and plenty more of us besides, because it is a feature, not a bug or a fail. The Simeras are the same, snug sleeves with detents a normal hand will enjoy about as much as the ears will benefit from the lack of the toy-like clicky-clack of even many high end MF lenses. Similar damping for aperture and focus rings is important too.
Very practical is the quiet approach - if the user forgets to de-click the ring when beginning a video session. We've come some way in product engineering tolerances from back when lens producers could do no better (or chose to do no better) than the slop I see in some Leica M and R lenses. My poor Zeiss 21mm Distagon jams all the aperture marks into two inches, with only single stop detents. That is after 100 plus years of making lenses. The recessed wafer thin Loxia 85mm aperture ring manages to be horrible - hard to find or even see, hard to turn, and still it makes audible clicks - that echoing chamber sound. Plenty of room for improvement!
Nothing sounds more amateurish, IMO, than YT guys spinning the aperture ring, like they are hastily turning a tap on and off. People should learn how to handle fine instruments, treat them with the respect they deserve. Come to think of it, maybe that is what they are doing with those lenses.
In this YT see the commentary and demo at 5:05 to 7:00, very damning of Leica, in my view. All reviews of aperture ring equipped MF (and 'AF') lenses should do this. Nothing works well with poor usability.
.....Show more →
Bro, Thypoch can't even make a lens cap that works, let's not wax hyperbolic about build quality. Also you don't need to bring them up in every thread that isn't about them. No one cares.
weezintrumpete wrote:
I just got the 85/1.4 yesterday and while I haven’t used it that much yet I am astounded with how well it is built and how good it looks. It seems like a very high-quality lens and while I don’t like the clunking around in it when the camera is powered off, it’s not that bad.
I really wish the non-exotic Nikon S lenses looked more like this.
I’m excited to go shoot with it more and see what I can produce. But man is this a nice lens at least on the exterior.
Yes it is....and its got guts too. Snappy AF motor and strong glass. Amazing amount of lens for 600.00. Not crazy about 800 grams, but it is well built and feels really well balanced even on a Z7II.
Just ran through a comparison with Sirui, Kase, Samyang 85 Series II and the Viltrox. Viltrox has best AF, and is the sharpest wide open. Its low light, indoors AF is every bit as good as a native lens like the 85 1.8S. I give credit to Viltrox for not rushing out the Nikon version, and perfected the AF unlike others who rush to market and then have to set up firmware updates. Sirui has slightly better bokeh but its close. The AF is not as good on that lens. (Example of my previous comment). The Kase was an out of box failure where it stopped focusing on the 3rd pull. (Another rush to market I assume). The Samyang had the best eye focus. Overall winner of the "budget" 85 category: Viltrox. Time will tell if this lens holds up.
