Two new 85mm f/1.4 lenses for Sony have hit the market, every promising sharp optics and quick efficiency. One comes from a model recognized for stable, inexpensive glass. The opposite is a newcomer to the lens world, getting into with a smaller, lighter design and some distinctive touches that stand out.
Coming to you from Dustin Abbott, this thorough video compares the Viltrox Professional AF 85mm f/1.4 and the Kase AF 85mm f/1.4 intimately. Each share the identical focal size and aperture, comparable construct high quality, weather-sealing, and options like de-clickable apertures, AF/MF switches, and customizable operate buttons. Autofocus velocity is shut, and each can rack apertures easily with out stepping artifacts. Minor impartial variations embody the Kase being barely tighter in framing and the Viltrox utilizing floating components for constant efficiency throughout the main focus vary.
The Kase’s benefits start with dimension and weight. At 580 g and 99 mm lengthy, it’s extra compact than the 800 g, 108.5 mm Viltrox. Its built-in magnetic filter system permits filters to snap on and rotate simply, rushing up workflow for many who use polarizers or variable NDs. It exhibits much less fringing in high-contrast areas, much less vignetting, and a better 0.14x magnification ratio for nearer capturing. A second operate button provides quick entry to minimal focus or a saved focus distance, one thing the Viltrox doesn’t supply.
Viltrox strikes again with a transparent worth benefit. It delivers higher general distinction, particularly seen in side-by-side real-world photographs, and maintains extra constant spherical bokeh shapes when stopping down. Coloration rendering is extra impartial in comparison with Kase’s barely hotter tone. Abbott additionally finds its bokeh smoother towards body edges, lessening distracting outlines. For video, the Viltrox’s autofocus pulls really feel extra assured and regular. Whereas each lenses are sharp, Viltrox maintains a small however constant edge, notably when stopped down and in nook efficiency.
Prolonged optical comparisons present extra give-and-take. Kase wins for diminished chromatic aberration, cleaner highlights, and nearer minimal focus distance. Viltrox counters with much less distortion, smoother edge rendering, and higher up-close sharpness regardless of the Kase’s larger magnification. In some photographs, Kase’s background blur seems greater and softer, however Viltrox’s geometry stays extra constant. Take a look at the video above for the total rundown from Abbott.
