A few months ago, Sony released the long-awaited Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM II lens. It's fantastic, but it’s almost $2,000. This month, Viltrox released their own version, with identical specs for just $600, which is the same price as Sony's 1.8 variant. Let's test all three.
Build Quality Winner: Viltrox
You might expect Sony’s flagship to feel the most premium, but to my surprise, Viltrox takes the win here.
The Viltrox 85mm looks and feels remarkably similar to Sony’s GM lens, with a solid metal build, a customizable function button, and a smooth-click or de-clickable aperture ring. Honestly, the focus and aperture rings on the Viltrox feel even better than Sony’s.
That said, the Viltrox lacks a switch to disable the aperture ring, something that could lead to accidental bumps while shooting. As for the Sony 85mm f/1.8, it’s well-built but clearly the least premium of the three.
Color Rendering Winner: Sony
I don’t usually obsess over color differences between lenses, but I did some side-by-side tests using brightly colored flowers.
Both Sony lenses delivered virtually identical, pleasing colors straight out of the camera. The Viltrox leaned slightly yellow, which isn’t a deal-breaker, it’s easy to correct in post, but it was noticeable.
Exposure Consistency Winner: Sony f/1.8
Technically, f/1.4 should offer 2/3 of a stop more light than f/1.8. But here’s the twist: that difference didn’t show up the way you’d expect.
When switching the Viltrox from f/1.4 to f/1.8, I noticed almost no exposure change. Meanwhile, Sony's f/1.4 clearly stepped down 2/3 of a stop. That made me question whether the Viltrox was a “true” f/1.4.
To investigate further, I ran a controlled studio test with constant lighting. Surprisingly, Sony’s f/1.4 GM was actually 1/3 stop darker than the Viltrox and Sony f/1.8. So, you’re paying $1,400 more for 1/3 stop more light, making the price even harder to justify.
The Viltrox appears to allow 1/3 more light in than Sony's f1/4 but the lens doesn't seem to stop down enough from 1.4 to 1.8. After that, the exposures appeared to be more consistent.
Bokeh Winner: Tie
Both the Sony 1.4 GM and Viltrox have 11 aperture blades, helping them produce round, smooth bokeh. Still, Sony’s f/1.8 lens, despite having fewer blades, holds its own beautifully in most real-world shots. Technically, the 1.4 lenses produce softer bokeh, but in my tests, it wasn't a significant difference.
Minimum Focusing Distance Winner: Viltrox
Sony’s 85mm 1.4 and 1.8 lenses share a minimum focusing distance of 80cm. The Viltrox shaves off 1cm, focusing at 79cm, not game-changing, but worth noting.
Sharpness Winner: Sony f/1.4
The Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II is stunningly sharp, even wide open, with edge-to-edge clarity that’s genuinely impressive. The f/1.8 version is also sharp but shows softer edges and noticeable vignetting at f/1.8.
The Viltrox is noticeably softer than both Sony's, in the center and corners of the frame. Even more noticeable is the lack of contrast in the Viltrox images. It almost looked like a haze filter had been added to the front of the lens.
Since doing my test, I've heard that other reviewers have found that the Viltrox is soft and lacks contrast around the minimum focusing distance, but performs better if you step away from the subject. This may be true, but I've never heard of another lens suffering from this.
Lens Flare Winner: Sony f/1.4
The Sony 85mm f/1.4 produces the most contrasty images and has the most pleasing lens flare in my opinion. Although Sony's 1.8 lens also has impressive contrast with back lit subjects, if your light source is in the frame, the Sony f/1.8 shows the most unpleasant flares of the three lenses.
Chromatic Aberration Winner: Sony f/1.4
The images out of the Sony f/1.4 are basically flawless. I spotted purple fringing on the Sony 85mm f/1.8 in one image. Neither the GM nor the Viltrox showed this in my tests, although the Viltrox's images may be too soft for chromatic aberration to show.
Autofocus Performance Winner: Sony f/1.8
All three lenses handled autofocus extremely well in both photo and video modes.
In my walking-subject video test, they kept up impressively. For stills, the Sony 85mm f/1.8 was the fastest, followed by the f/1.4 GM and then the Viltrox, but honestly, the differences were minimal.
Final Verdict: Which One Should You Buy?
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Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM II ($2,000):
If you want the absolute best in sharpness, contrast, and performance, and you’re willing to pay a premium, this is the top-tier choice. My only issue with the lens is the price, and the fact that is only 1/3 of a stop brighter than Sony's $600 f/1.8 variant (it should be 2/3 of a stop brighter.
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For most people, this is the best value lens. It’s fast, reliable, sharp enough, and handles autofocus beautifully. Yes, it has a bit of chromatic aberation and slightly uglier flairing, but it's $1400 cheaper.
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While beautifully built and packed with features, this lens is noiceably softer than both Sony lenses. For $600 it's still a bargain, but for the same price, I'd choose the Sony f/1.8.
Excellent review.