The Sirui Aurora 85mm f/1.4 lens brings an exciting option to the table for anyone interested in fast portrait primes. With its combination of premium features, robust build, and an approachable price tag, it challenges the dominance of established brands without breaking the bank.
Coming to you from Tom Calton, this detailed video explores the Sirui Aurora 85mm f/1.4’s potential to disrupt the competition. With contenders like Sony’s G Master series, Sigma, and Samyang already holding strong positions, the Sirui lens enters with notable advantages. Priced at under $600—$500 during its introductory offer—it’s substantially more affordable than most rivals while maintaining impressive performance. Featuring an all-metal construction, a compact design, and a weight of just 1.2 lbs, it stands out for its portability and durability. The video notes that this lens feels well-balanced even on smaller full frame cameras like the Sony a7C.
The Aurora 85mm f/1.4 also delivers on usability, with thoughtful design elements like an AF/MF switch, a customizable button, and a de-clickable aperture ring. These features provide versatility for both stills and video, though Calton highlights a common annoyance: the lack of a lock switch for the aperture ring, which can lead to unintentional adjustments. Autofocus performance is quick, quiet, and accurate, handling portrait work with ease. While its minimum focus distance of 85 cm limits macro applications, it’s more than sufficient for tight headshots and standard portrait framing.
Key Specs
- Focal Length: 85mm
- Maximum Aperture: f/1.4
- Lens Mount: Sony E, Nikon Z, Fujifilm X
- Focus Type: Autofocus
- Image Stabilization: None
- Filter Size: 67mm
- Minimum Focus Distance: 85.04 cm
- Maximum Magnification: 0.12x
- Optical Design: 14 elements in 9 groups
- Diaphragm Blades: 15
- Dimensions: 80.3 x 102 mm
- Weight: 540 g
While it excels in sharpness and creates beautiful, creamy bokeh wide open at f/1.4, some imperfections remain. Focus breathing is noticeable, though less pronounced than in other budget options. Chromatic aberration and flare occasionally crop up but are manageable, especially when using the included lens hood. One downside is the noticeable pincushion distortion, though it’s easily corrected in post-processing.
What makes this lens compelling is its balance of features, performance, and cost. It’s not without flaws, but those are minor compared to its overall value. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Calton.
