Small yet mighty: Viltrox reveals new 85mm autofocus lens that ticks all the boxes

Viltrox has launched a new 85mm autofocus lens for full-frame Sony cameras. The AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo is the first of a new series of ‘Evo’ lenses that aim to deliver up-market handling in a relatively compact, lightweight and easily manageable build. 'Evo' lenses are designed to fill the gap between Viltrox's featherweight 'Air' lenses and its chunky 'Pro'- and 'Lab'-series optics. Consequently, the 85mm f/2.0 Evo measures a compact 69x76mm (2.7x3.0") and weighs just 340g - that's under half the weight of Viltrox's existing AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro lens.

Despite the crash diet, the 85mm f/2.0 Evo still features a robust build, along with weather-seals and a fluorine coating on the front element. There's an AF/MF focus mode switch, plus a function button which can be customised to operate as an AF-hold, or to perform other duties depending on the camera body. A physical aperture control ring is also present, and there's a de-click switch to enable stepless adjustment of the 9-blade diaphragm when shooting video. Autofocussing is achieved by a linear stepping motor - a step down on the exotic VCM (Voice Coil Motor) system found in higher-spec Viltrox models - but it should still be fast and quiet. The features are rounded out by a USB-C port located in the metal lens mount which is used for applying firmware updates.

The optical stack consists of 10 elements arranged in 8 groups, including two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and two HR (High Refractive index) elements. These are used to increase sharpness and clarity while reducing chromatic aberrations. Up front is a 58mm filter thread, and the lens is supplied with a circular profile hood.

The Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo is available now, priced at $275 / £265 / AU$TBA. For context, that's around half the price of the Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro, which is already good value, though of course the Evo is an f/stop slower.

Read our full review of the Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo