Viltrox AF 85mm f1.4 Pro First Look
In this blog I will share my first impressions of the Viltrox 85mm f1.4 Pro prime lens for the Sony E-Mount system. For full transparency Viltrox has sent me this lens to test and write a first impressions blog, so this isn’t a review
Purpose
This is a niche lens that won’t be suitable for most people, and I can only think of two use cases where a lens like this would be worth considering. The first one is portraiture if you like the classic headshot style look. You get the compression of 85mm and the bokeh of f1.4 to achieve that look. The second more niche use case is street photography at night if you’re looking for details. While most of my street photography is between 35 and 50mm, an 85mm focal length can allow for capturing small details, creating negative space, or shooting abstract photos. f1.4 is overkill for most street photography, so I only recommend it if 90% of your time you’re shooting in low light conditions where you need to maintain a higher shutter speed.
Build & Size
This lens is large and heavy. There is no getting around physics and the fact this lens is chunky. Straight off the bat, I will say that it is not suitable for smaller bodies such as the A7C, and even on the bigger A7V body it feels front heavy. This isn’t a travel lens, nor is it something you can throw round your neck for the entire day. For me, this is a lens I would bring out for specific use cases. The build quality seems good, with premium feeling materials and a nice finish. The aperture ring feels well damped with solid sounding clicks.
Features
The 85mm Pro comes with all the features one would expect in a premium lens. You get a solid aperture ring, which is essential for many street photographers. A custom Fn button is invaluable, and it can be directly customised from the Sony menu. I use mine for manual focus hold. A de-click switch which allows smooth aperture adjustment for video. Finally an AF/MF switch completes the feature list. Overall a great set of features for the price.
Image Quality
I feel we are reaching a point where image quality is already so good that it’s almost meaningless going into fine detail and digging into the weeds for the smallest differences. The image quality is very good. It’s sharp, the colours render well, and there are minimal issues even at f1.4. Below are some sample photos to give you an idea.
AF
The AF is good enough for most applications, and certainly for my use case it was never too slow. I’ve used it extensively in AF-S and AF-C for both photo and video, and not once did I experience any focus hunting or other issues which resulted in out of focus photos. Overall the AF performance is good. If you want the absolute best AF performance, the Sony 85mm GM II still wins out by a little, but it’s also 3 times the price.
Instead of telling you how these will change your life, I would rather be practical and answer the most common questions that people tend to have when buying presets.
What are presets?
They are editing settings that are saved in a file and can be applied to any image.
Why do people buy presets?
Sometimes because they like the work of the photographer and want that style for their own photos. Mostly because they would like to see how other people edit and learn by reverse engineering the presets. Other times it’s just to support their favourite photographers, thank you!
What’s the overall style of these presets?
- Filmic
- Warm
- Soft
- Bright
What are these presets suitable for?
Street & Travel Photography
Some Nature (with further editing)
Some Portraits (with extensive editing)
Do I actually use these?
Yes. This is the same pack I use right now for all my editing. This isn’t a pack made just to sell.
Do these presets get updated?
Yes, as my style changes, these presets will also be updated. Any time a new update is available, you will get a free update via email. Of course you also keep all the old presets in case you prefer the older looks. Only presets purchased from 2025 onwards will receive the updates.
What file types are these presets for?
- All RAW files
- JPEGs & TIFFs (not recommended)
What camera brands are these presets for?
These were designed around Fujifilm, Sony, and Leica sensors. With that said, they will work with all camera brands. While there might be differences due to individual camera colour science, the overall feel of the preset will carry over.
Will these work with JPEG files?
Yes, but you will need to reduce the intensity and make further edits. I strongly recommend editing RAW files.
Are these one click edits?
95% No. You would need to do some basic adjustments as each image is different. These adjustments can include exposure, colour balance etc. In 5% of cases you can just apply and leave it alone.
Do I need to know how to edit?
You need to have a basic understanding of adjusting exposure, highlights, shadows, etc. A more comprehensive editing skillset will let you get the most out of them.
How many presets are included?
10 in the main pack and 24 in the extras pack
Why two packs?
The main pack is what I use for 99% of my edits and is kept small to reduce wasted time scrolling through presets. The extras pack is everything I don’t use often.
What software do I need?
These presets will work with any of the following:
- Photoshop (adobe camera raw)
- Lightroom Classic
- Lightroom Desktop
- Lightroom Mobile
Will these presets work with free versions of the above software?
You need to research and double check before buying. These presets were designed for the full paid versions.
Will these presets work with very old versions of the above software?
You need to research and double check before buying. These presets were designed on and for the latest software.
What file type do I get?
XMP
What else do I get?
- Comprehensive PDF guide
Can I modify these and turn them into my own?
Yes! In fact I encourage you to modify them and play around. Use these to help you get your own style.
I have more questions…. What do I do?
Make a cup of tea and drop me an email on hello@snapsbyfox.com
Please note that due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not accepted. However, if you experience any issues, feel free to contact me and I’ll review your situation individually. You are welcome to use this product for personal or commercial projects, but you may not copy, distribute, or resell the files in their original or modified form.
Finally I want to say a massive thank you for supporting me. Buying these presets is the most direct way you can support my work.
Thank you!