Viltrox launches $400 85mm F1.8 AF lens for Canon RF mount cameras

That system is already perfect. Noting to add

Nov 10, 2021permalink

Goodmeme

@nonolet, I didn't know that re usb charging.

But I could never consider m6 ii as the evf is an add on, which is not only large, but also prevents the use of hotshoe flash.

Now evfs are so much better, Canon needs to seriously rethink its enthusiast small cameras, to priorotise evf over lcd, imo we have phones for viewing the images. If we want to take images most photographers will prefer a large viewfinder.

Nov 10, 2021permalink

nonolet

yes. Canon made the mistake to not also launch a "flagship" EOS M5 II model - with built-in state of the art EVF, yet still in most compact form factor possible. I would have chosen it over M6 II. But ... it did not come.

So i make do without EVF. Can live with it.

Nov 12, 2021*permalink

MGradyC

EF-M is not marketed at anyone who buys lenses beyond what they get when they buy the camera body. Plain and simple. Anyone who is a regular on DP Review is nowhere near the marketing sector where Canon is marketing - and selling (a whole bunch of) - EOS M cameras.

Jan 25, 2022permalink

nonolet

well, i am a DP regular and enjoy my EOS M6 II and EF-M lenses, plus occasionally EF glass via native adapter. Using it a lot more than my DSLR, simply due to size/weight advantage.

Jan 25, 2022permalink

MGradyC

@nonolet That doesn't necessarily mean that you are among those for whom Canon designs and to whom Canon markets the EOS M system.

Just because some urban hipster buys a Ford F-150 doesn't mean Ford Motor Company is designing and marketing their most basic pickup truck with the purpose of making a vehicle optimized for the urban hipster market. They're still designing the truck to actually haul stuff around, and still marketing it to people who need to haul stuff around.

Mar 16, 2022*permalink

jaaboucher

USB in the mount is genius!

Nov 10, 2021permalink

Entropy512

No it's not - that's likely to interfere with a lot of strain relief assemblies. Better on the side with a dust cover.

Nov 10, 2021permalink

PredatorsPrey

Better Sigmas/Tamrons solution with the dock/tap in console if you ask me, preferably with a shared standard instead of each manufacturer cooking its own soup.

Nov 11, 2021*permalink

thx1138

Finally the camera system in most urgent need of help gets some. Makes you wonder how the much larger and resourced Tamron and Sigma still haven't been able to make Z or RF mount lenses while Viltrox can. Viltrox are making some great lenses at prices that embarrass the others.

Nov 9, 2021permalink

Acciolyfotograf

Agree, don't understand why they didn't produce anything for RF

Nov 10, 2021permalink

Less adept industrial espionage? Lens focus protocols are not available like for Sony.

Nov 10, 2021*permalink

thx1138

LOL, it's called reverse engineering, just like what Sigma did for EF mount.

Nov 10, 2021permalink

Reverse engineering and industrial espionage work well. I would say industrial espionage is more effective/ you get the original version after all.

Nov 10, 2021permalink

Edit: deleted for double posting

Nov 10, 2021*permalink

lnsmr

Good to finally have some 3rd party lenses to RF mount.

The sample images look disappointing. Are EXIF on the sample images correct? Super noisy at ISO 100. The sun stars are nicely shaped, but builds are just not sharp even at F6.3. I hope the poor image quality has more to do with high ISO than lens quality.

Nov 9, 2021permalink

boldcolors

or processing + haze:

crs:Exposure2012>+0.55</crs:Exposure2012>
<crs:Contrast2012>+58</crs:Contrast2012>
<crs:Highlights2012>-61</crs:Highlights2012>
<crs:Shadows2012>+100</crs:Shadows2012>
<crs:Whites2012>0</crs:Whites2012>
<crs:Blacks2012>+81</crs:Blacks2012>
<crs:Texture>0</crs:Texture>
<crs:Clarity2012>+64</crs:Clarity2012>
<crs:Dehaze>+15</crs:Dehaze>

Nov 10, 2021permalink

Jian007

Go to the actual Viltrox website, where you will see some much better sample pics from the lens. Go to the product page there and click the + View More under Description on the left side and you'll see some more shots and then the 3 teaser shots (which is what they call them). It shows the info under the teaser shots, and says it was shot with the R6.

Nov 11, 2021permalink

FrancoD

I wonder when the Tokina branded version will come out.

Nov 9, 2021permalink

dmanthree

Look forward to an independent test with some R5 samples.

Nov 9, 2021permalink

Photodog2

Viltrox seems to have the code for the Z and RF mounts even though they are a relatively young lens company. I would not be surprised if they have unannounced agreements with OEMs where they release lenses for lower price points and/or FL-apertures that would be unprofitable for the OEMs but also help expand the user base. That also protects the brand name of the OEMs and allows them exclusive to the higher margin products. There are lots of deals made between companies that are never announced. Viltrox can even be paying a royalty fee to the OEMs and that too can be unannounced.

Nov 9, 2021*permalink

Viltrox has a history of reverse engineering protocols. The R and Z mount protocols are based on their precessor EF and F mount protocols which are well known (their adapters have no compute equipment in them afaik), so it's probably not too hard to take the next step.

Nov 9, 2021*permalink

Djehuty

Could be using EF protocol masquerading as some other lens.

Nov 9, 2021permalink

Kirnbichler

@DrewRick:
> The R and Z mount protocols are based on their precessor EF and F mount protocols which are well known (their adapters have no compute equipment in them afaik),

That is not the case for Z mount, here the adapter contains a huge amount of circuitry and it does protocol translation. This is necessary, as the adapter also contains the mechanics needed for actuating the mechanical aperture in most F mount lenses.

On RF mount this is different. Here the camera itself does the translation, so it might well be the case that this lens here is electronically an EF mount lens (as the EF mount has been reverse-engineered and is well known).

The EF to RF adapter does not much more than to tell the camera's firmware that it has to handle an EF lens.

Nov 10, 2021permalink

Stofken79

I've seen a reviewer post that this lens showed up as the EF version in LR.

May 29, 2022permalink

Shadowfox3141

I am getting curious what's next for them. The obvious steps would be bringing their existing 24/35mm to the rf mount. But what's next? Will they go after zooms, or specialties like the Always/Venus?

Nov 9, 2021permalink

Benpisati

The only two Canon AF third party lenses are only two 85mm, is there a reason?

Nov 9, 2021*permalink

Stu 5

The other one is discontinued.

Nov 9, 2021permalink

Mr Bolton

Great lens news for RF shooters.. but I think this RF lens is meant for RF cameras, and that this is a typo: "Viltrox has announced its new 85mm F1.8 AF lens for Canon RF lenses.." Cut and pasted from the text right below the first lens pic at the top of the article.

Nov 9, 2021*permalink

bluevellet

Strange that DPReview doesn't list Viltrox as an official lens maker. Yes, you have news items like this one, but check their manfacturer-specific section and Viltrox and many other Chinese/Korean makers are not listed at all.

It's like they don't exist...

Nov 9, 2021permalink

KAAMBIC

I think what it is, is Canon doesn't have any official business ties with them, where im guessing Sigma ect, there's sharing of the AF protocols and other info that makes it easier to MFG lenses.

Nov 9, 2021permalink

forest dream

May be China lens maker perform reverse engineering on AF protocol. It should possible due to simple protocol command used (No complicated as hack camera firmware).

Nov 9, 2021*permalink

Djehuty

China ignores IP rights on a routine basis. Not much anyone can do anything about it other than not buy them.

Nov 10, 2021permalink

forest dream

@Djehuty
If other company release same same lens (same optical formula) as Viltrox, are it consider ...

Nov 10, 2021*permalink

Cheapo Marx

Even at $399 that's less than $199/lb.
Such a deal!

Nov 9, 2021*permalink

I get the reference, someone on here listed lens prices per pound one time lol

Nov 9, 2021permalink

Reza S Moghadam

We should see its difference with Canon RF 85 f2 as they are almost competitors

Nov 9, 2021*permalink

Interesting development, are they now the only 3rd party with AF lenses on RF, Z, and E mount? All their f1.8s seem to be rather large and heavy for what they are but it's still nice to see some newer 3rd parties shaking up the status quo, priced to move too.

Nov 9, 2021*permalink

Stig Nygaard

Samyang might not do AF lenses for RF mount anymore, but I think it is unclear if they will continue to be available under the Rokinon brand?

Yongnuo makes an autofocus lens for RF mount. Guess what it is?... It's a 85mm/1.8. I have no idea though if it is the same lens.
https://www.dpreview.com/news/6794328686/yongnuo-releases-yn-85mm-f1-8r-df-dsm-lens-for-canon-eos-r-cameras

But 85mm lenses seems to be popular from 3rd party lens manufactures. Well, from Canon too, who alread has three 85mm variants for RF mount...

Nov 9, 2021*permalink

I imagine 85mm lenses often need less corrections (so they can get away with none if they're backdoor'ing thru the EF protocol) and people tend to be more forgiving of an 85mm with just okay AF, could also just be sheer coincidence, it's definitely an easier FL to design than say a decent 35.

Viltrox has a whole 24/35/50/85 f1.8 lineup on some of the other mounts tho, the first three share a similar size & ~300g weight.

Nov 9, 2021permalink

s1oth1ovechunk

Maybe they make it that big to limit optical vignetting?

Nov 9, 2021permalink

I dunno about their other stuff, maybe longer FLs sharing similar sizes benefit more on that end, but their 24/1.8 had very very significant vignetting and distortion despite being basically the size of Sony's 20/1.8, there's several better & smaller 24/1.8 & 24/2 on E mount...

I'd heard good things about their previous 85s tho so I wouldn't wanna paint all their lenses with the same brush.

Nov 9, 2021permalink

xlucine

ttartisan has teased a full frame 32mm f/2.8 for most major mounts - E, Z, RF, EOS-M, and X. I'm not sure why they thought we needed that specific FL and aperture combo, but it is fairly small and will hopefully be cheap.

The viltrox 24 and 35mm are fun - reviews show they've corrected focus breathing, but managed to introduce focus distortion in the process

Nov 10, 2021permalink

(unknown member)

Pretty wild stars at f/14. They look like vicious sea urchins

Nov 9, 2021permalink

Kirnbichler

Interesting.
From an eletronical standpoint:
Is this a true RF mount lens (that is, does it truly speak the RF lens protocol), or is it an EF mount lens with an integrated EF-to-RF adapter?

RF mount cameras are bilingual, they can communicate both with RF mount lenses and with EF mount lenses -- the adapters don't contain translation circuitry that converts one protocol to the other.

Nov 9, 2021permalink

(unknown member)

Why Viltrox is not in DPR's product data base? Even Holga is there 🤔

Nov 9, 2021*permalink

Rodrigo Pasiani

Weird sample gallery for such a "portrait" lens. Nice to see a new RF 3rd party lens, though.

Nov 9, 2021permalink

Cheapo Marx

Yeah, who wants to see Pacific Rim light pollution?
I want trees and flowers and barns.

Maybe a portrait or two, I guess.

Nov 9, 2021*permalink

Shadowfox3141

Yeah. Very weird choice. But their E and Z mount version of the same lens comes with a normal portrait gallery. Maybe they just want to try something different this time

Nov 9, 2021permalink

Viltrox didn't send a hot model for free to show off their lens like Canon does ;)

Nov 9, 2021permalink

https://m.dpreview.com/samples/7771497874/canon-rf-85mm-f1-2l-usm-sample-gallery-updated

Nov 9, 2021permalink

Dan_168

Great news !!! hope this is new trend in 3rd party lens support, AF lenses for Canon and Nikon Mirrorless system.so whether this is a great lens is not as important for me as I am not interested in F1.8 prime, but I am so glad to see we start seeing modern AF lens for those new systems.

I am patiently waiting for the Sigma RF and Z mount.

Nov 9, 2021*permalink

FuhTeng

This has been out for Z mount for some time. Interesting it's taken this long to get to RF.

Nov 9, 2021permalink

bluevellet

Do other AF lenses from Viltriox come with a USB connector? I've been looking at their lenses on Z mount. The 24mm looks tempting.

Nov 9, 2021*permalink