If you're considering adding a portrait lens to your kit, finding the right balance between quality, performance, and price isn't always easy. Third-party lens makers are rapidly improving, giving you impressive options that won't drain your wallet.
Coming to you from Mark Bennett's Camera Crisis, this informative video introduces the new Kase 85mm f/1.4 lens, the company's first autofocus lens. Known for their filter systems, Lase is stepping boldly into a competitive market. Weighing significantly less than its closest competitor (the Viltrox 85mm f/1.4), this lens seems ideal if portability matters to you. Bennett highlights the lens' impressive optics, noting clean, neutral colors and excellent contrast directly out of camera. Sharpness at f/1.4 even manages to edge slightly past the Viltrox, making this an interesting option for detail-oriented portraits.
But it's not all praise: the lens hood design, Bennett notes, is just okay, feeling less premium than the Viltrox's sturdier, better-shaped hood. You'll also want to keep an eye on focus breathing, which can become noticeable in video work or extensive focus stacking. Another critical detail Bennett shares: like other third-party lenses, this lens won't leverage Sony's proprietary features like focus breathing compensation or the full burst frame rates found in Sony-branded lenses. This limitation could be significant if you're shooting fast-paced action or specific professional video styles.
Key Specs
- STM Auto Focus Motor for fast and quiet autofocus, plus manual focus override
- Aperture range: f/1.4 to f/16, with a metal aperture ring featuring distinct click stops
- Multicoated optical glass to minimize flare and ghosting
- Two customizable function buttons (FN2 preset for minimum focus distance)
- 72mm filter ring, compatible with magnetic filters
- Lens construction: 13 elements in 10 groups (5 low-dispersion and 2 high-refractive-index elements)
- Dimensions: 82mm diameter, 99mm length
- 580 g weight
- 13-blade aperture diaphragm
- USB firmware upgrade port
- Metal and polycarbonate body construction
- Includes a bayonet lens hood, standard and magnetic lens caps, rear cap, and storage pouch
- Mount compatibility: Sony E, Nikon Z
Bennett also notes the Kase lens excels above the Viltrox in controlling flare, ghosting, and chromatic aberration, giving you cleaner backgrounds and fewer optical distractions. The additional benefits of easy-to-use magnetic filter compatibility are a unique feature thanks to the company's existing expertise in filters. The lens also provides two customizable buttons—an unusual feature in this category—which you might appreciate if quick access to functions matters in your workflow.
However compelling this lens might look, there are considerations: build quality, while solid, doesn't match the slightly more polished feel and design touches of the Viltrox. The lens hood issue Bennett pointed out might impact your day-to-day usability if you handle lenses roughly or value premium touches. And at $738, you'll need to consider if these improvements outweigh the lower price point of the $598 Viltrox. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Bennett.
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