Product Review: Viltrox 85mm f/1.4

• February 13, 2026
• Jeff G
• no comments

VILTROX 85mm f1.4 Pro Z Lens, AF 85mm f/1.4 Z for Nikon Z-Mount, Portrait Lens

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I recently bought the Viltrox 85mm f/1.4 Pro lens for the Nikon Z8.

Several photographers noted that it was a great lens for sports photography – being a bit more than the standard 24-70mm lens, but not the beast that the 70-200mm lens is – and the f/1.4 helping in low light venues.

I have a full-frame camera, so I’d rather shoot full-frame, not use the DX-crop (1.5x factor) to get that bit extra ‘focal length’ out of my 24-70mm.

Not having a lens with an aperture larger than f/2, I was being a bit of a geek wanting the f/1.4 in a larger lens (versus the typo nifty fifty, 50mm f/1.4).

So, I got one!

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I didn’t have any sports or portrait photography to shoot, so I brought it along to the local Coffee and Cars event last weekend.

© Jeff Goetz. Capture details: Nikon Z8, Viltrox 85mm lens, ISO 200, 85mm, f/4 and 1/250sec

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Key Specs

• Focal length: 85mm
• Viewing angle: 28 degrees
• Aperture range: f/1.4 – 16 (11 blades)
• Aperture ring on lens, with ‘click’ button on/off to enable tactile feel when rotating or smooth quiet if using during videography
• Shooting distance: 0.79m to infinity
• Weight: 1.84lb (835g)
• Mount: Z-mount for Nikon
• Auto and Manual focus, internal focusing, noiseless
• Custom Button Fn
• Filter size: 77mm
• Water & dust resistant
• USB-C port for firmware upgrades
• Price range: ~ $598 USD (plus tax), per Amazon

The lens comes with lens hood, front and back lens caps and a nice sized lens bag. The lens bag has a solid bottom/base to it so it holds the shape better to protect the lens.

Below shows what you get in the box: (image from Amazon)

(image from Amazon.com)

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The Review

• It’s smaller than I expected. That’s a plus, especially when walking around at a car show and bending down on one knee regularly to get the car’s eye view of the vehicles. It is heavier than I expected, but not in an excessive way – it feels solid!
• I was mainly using f/4, but from the other reviews I read online, I think this lens will be a fun astro-photography lens as well at f/1.4 with some creative compositions.
• The autofocus motor will shift when the lens is not powered on and that can be unsettling. It uses a VCM (Voice Coil Motor) actuator that uses a magnetic field to drive the focusing elements and provide precision autofocus.
• Handling of the lens feels solid and well made.
• The lens hood mount is snug and solid. Being a tight fit, ensure it’s fully aligned when attaching it to the lens. It can be a bit of a challenge to mount the lens hood backwards for storage as the alignment marks are covered by the hood.
• I like having the dedicated aperture ring that you can either set to A (and control via camera) or manually adjust on the lens.
• Having the custom function button on the barrel is useful to program to support your shooting style.
• Good value and price point for an 85mm f/1.4 lens

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Overall

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 of 5)

Overall, the Viltrox 85mm f/1.4 Pro offers exceptional value for Z-mount shooters. For Nikon Z8 users who want professional-level sharpness, fast aperture performance, and strong autofocus without paying premium OEM pricing, it stands out as one of the best cost-to-performance portrait lenses currently available.

I gave 4 of 5 stars as I find it slightly unsettling to have the autofocus motor shift within the lens making a clunking sound as it moves from one position to another. Searches online indicate this is normal for this lens, but the movement and sound is distracting when you’re used to a lens just being on the camera. Note: the movement stops when the camera and lens are powered up.

The 85mm focal length worked well with the cars being in close proximity to each other. I was able to get various car feature photos as well as overall vehicles.

I’m looking forward to shooting with it in other situations to make use of the f/1.4 aperture! I’m already planning some night photography to make use of the f/1.4 and looking forward to getting some sharp low noise photos.

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Check it out, here’s a link to it on Amazon.

Enjoy Life and thanks for reading,

Jeff

One more from the lens this past weekend:

© Jeff Goetz. Capture details: Nikon Z8, Viltrox 85mm lens, ISO 200, 85mm, f/5 and 1/250sec

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