Viltrox

Viltrox

Viltrox has providesd leading photographic products of the best quality since 2017. Viltrox is characterised by an integrated product development by an R&D team consisting of professional, experienced top-level technical elite. This team is equipped with lots of development and design possibilities. This is the key for the company to constantly explore and research new technologies. This provides customers with the best quality and the most diverse products.

Quality is highly regarded within Viltrox and its control is constantly monitored. Every process is checked to offer the customer not only the best quality, but also the most reliable products.

Reviews about the Viltrox 85 mm F/1.8

By Maarten van der Voorde

Look and feel

When unpacking the Viltrox 85mm F/1.8, I noticed right away that this lens is very similar to the Zeis Batis. It feels heavy and solid, and looks slick and well-built. But what does this prime do when I compare it to my FujiFilm XF 90mm? For starters, there is a considerable price difference: €900 compared to €399. The 5mm focal length is negligible. It has no image stabilisation. The only drawback about the look and feel is the included lens hood, which looks a bit limp.

In use

With its 72mm diameter, the Viltrox looks hefty, but length-wise it is just a little smaller than the Fuji 90mm. It feels good on my H1, holds nice and stable and the large screen setting ring runs very smoothly. Manual focusing is therefore a breeze in combination with Fujifilm's red Focus Peak.

When photographing poppies (a challenge with the strong wind) I quickly switch to manual focusing because the autofocus is not one of the fastest, sometimes searching a bit too long, as I soon notice. But with landscapes and good contrast, for instance, the AF works great.

Maarten: The Viltrox 85mm performs best with portraits and landscapes. And with FujiFilm's intermediate rings, this prime is an acceptable macro alternative if you like that occasionally, or have a somewhat smaller budget.

With its largest aperture of F/1.8, this lens has a very low depth of field. Thanks to the 9 aperture slats, it definitely has a nice bokeh. The sweet spot, in my experience, is somewhere around the F/5.6 and the F/7.1. With the front selecter ring on my H1 body, I can quickly and precisely set the desired aperture.

The verdict

I love working with big apertures. I really like the F/1.8. There is virtually no vignetting and a clear image. However, the output in the corners is a bit softer. There it loses some contrast and sharpness, but that can be corrected with the post-production. If you compare the images with those of the FujiFilm 90 mm, the 90mm wins. But there is a price difference of €500. Although I also shot some macro images (to test the background blur) it is certainly not a macro lens. With the shortest setting distance of 80cm, it doesn't really give a huge magnification. But if you don't need a 1:1 magnification, you will do great with the Viltrox. Of course, it is also possible to use one (or both) Fujifilm macro rings, and then you will go quite a long way in macro mode. But then I do think the focus decreases slightly.

The Viltrox 85 mm performs best with portraits and landscapes. And with FujiFilm's intermediate rings, this prime is an acceptable macro alternative if you like that occasionally, or have a somewhat smaller budget. Then this Viltrox will definitely find a nice spot in your photo bag and it can be a nice addition to your photo equipment. With excellent value for money, the Viltrox certainly surprised me!