Martin M.H. lives outside Stockholm, Sweden. He is a M.Sc. in Computer Technology but he has been a passionate photographer for over 50 years. He started his photographic adventures when he was thirteen with an Agfamatic pocket camera, which he soon replaced with a Canon rangefinder camera that his mom gave him in his teenages. After that he has been using Canon SLR, Nikon SLR manual focus and Autofocus, Sony mirrorless crop sensor, Nikon DSLR and Nikon Mirrorless. He has photographed any genre he could throughout the years and you can see all kind of images in his portfolio. During the later years though it has been mostly landscape, nature, travel and some street/documentary photography.
If you’re looking for an affordable short telephoto and portrait lens, an 85mm f/1.8 lens is an excellent choice. But which one should you pick—Nikon, Sony, or perhaps the Viltrox 85mm f/1.8? While all three lenses share the 85mm focal length, we’ll also consider the TTArtisan 75mm f/2, which is close enough to serve as a potential alternative. Let’s compare these lenses side by side to help you decide which one is the best fit for your needs.
Nikon Zf | Nikkor Z 85/1.8 S | f/2Nikon A7 III | Sony FE 85/1.8 | f/1.8Nikon Z6 | Viltrox 85/1.8 II | f/1.8Nikon Zf | TTArtisan AF 75/2 | f/2Nikon Zf | Nikkor Z 85/1.8 S | f/1.8Sony A7 III | Sony FE 85/1.8 | f/1.8
UPDATE 20.12.2024:
Reworked the close-up sharpness section and added both 1:1 and 1:2 magnification test shots for both lenses.
The Laowa FF II TS 55mm and 100mm f/2.8 Macro 1X lenses are true macro lenses, offering 1:1 magnification along with tilt-shift functionality that enhances control over the focal plane.
While major camera and lens manufacturers like Canon, Sony, Nikon, Leica, Panasonic, Hasselblad, Sigma, and Tamron have largely overlooked this niche in mirrorless cameras, Laowa has stepped up to fill the gap. Their lenses, available in almost all major mounts, feature tilt and shift capabilities that open up new creative possibilities for photographers.
The tilt function allows precise control over the focal plane, enabling photographers to either extend or limit the in-focus area. This makes these lenses perfect for capturing intricate product details or adding selective focus for artistic compositions. With such versatility, Laowa’s lenses offer greater creative control over depth of field, making them a valuable tool for specialised photography needs
Since these two lenses are almost identical in shape, build, and handling, and were released simultaneously, I decided to combine my review of both. This way, I can avoid repeating the same points and provide a direct comparison, so you can see them side by side.
The APS-C 35mm focal length is equivalent to 52mm on a Fullframe camera, therefore it is in the ‘standard’ focal length category and very close to the classic 50mm lenses on fullframe cameras, with an angle of view offering none of the ‘perspective distortion’ associated with wide angle or telephoto lenses. This lens on an APS-C camera is equivalent to a Nifty Fifty on a fullframe camera. Let’s have a closer look at it!
I tested this lens on a 26 Mp Fujifilm X-S10. You can see this review as a YouTube video here! Most of the sample images in high resolution here.
Sample Images
Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.7 | Fijifilm X-S10 | f/10Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.7 | Fijifilm X-S10 | f/1.7Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.7 | Fijifilm X-S10 | f/1.7Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.7 | Fijifilm X-S10 | f/16
The Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.8 S is a short telephoto lens that delivers excellent background blur thanks to its large aperture. While it’s ideal for portrait photography, it can also be effectively used for landscape and street photography, thanks to its relatively wide field of view for a telephoto lens. This professional-grade lens is designed for both professionals and enthusiasts. From 2019 to 2023, it was Nikon’s only 85mm option for professional use on Z cameras, until the introduction of the 85mm f/1.2 S. Let’s take a closer look!
Nikon Zf | Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S | f/2Nikon Zf | Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S | f/1.8Nikon Zf | Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S | f/6.3Nikon Zf | Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S | f/1.8Nikon Zf | Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S | f/11Nikon Zf | Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S | f/8
Sony α | Leica M | Nikon Z/F New articles every week
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
I tested the lenses on a 46 Mp Nikon Z7ii (Sample images were taken with a Nikon Zf , Nikon Z6, and Sony A7 III)
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
Sample images in high resolution here.
See the video of 
