Portrait photography often calls for a lens that can isolate your subject with a shallow depth of field while maintaining sharpness. The Sirui Aurora 85mm f/1.4 lens offers these features at a budget-friendly price. Whether you’re looking to step up your portrait game or experiment with low-light shooting, this lens might be worth a look.
Coming to you from Christopher Frost, this detailed video covers the Sirui Aurora 85mm f/1.4’s standout features and quirks. The lens has a wide f/1.4 aperture, ideal for soft, creamy backgrounds and faster shutter speeds in low light. It’s built with weather-sealing, including a rear gasket and a fluorine coating on the front element to repel water and oils. At just 540 grams, it’s lightweight compared to similar lenses, which is a big plus for extended use. However, it’s important to note that early firmware might have compatibility issues with certain Sony cameras, so check before buying.
The Aurora is priced at $599, which could make it a tempting option if its performance holds up in real-world use. While Frost found the autofocus to be accurate, it’s not the fastest, likely due to a low-torque motor. It’s compatible with Sony’s advanced face and eye tracking, but the motor’s slower speed could impact usability in action-heavy scenarios.
Key Specs
- Focal Length: 85mm
- Maximum Aperture: f/1.4
- Lens Mounts: Sony E, Nikon Z, Fujifilm X
- Lens Format Coverage: Full frame
- Focus Type: Autofocus
- Image Stabilization: None
- Filter Size: 67 mm
- Minimum Focus Distance: 2.79' / 85.04 cm
- Weight: 1.2 lb / 540 g
Build quality and design also play a major role in this lens’ appeal. Despite being metal-heavy, it remains compact and travel-friendly. The lens features an aperture control ring with switchable click stops, an auto/manual focus switch, and an autofocus lock button. Some users might find the aperture ring’s automatic mode transition a bit loose, but it’s a minor gripe in an otherwise solid build.
The optical performance in Frost’s tests showed sharpness in the center at f/1.4, with some softness and chromatic aberrations in the corners. These improve significantly when stopped down to f/2.8. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Frost.
