85mm lenses are some of the most popular out there, but premium options can easily run well north of $2,000, which may be a lot more than you want or need to spend. There are many more affordable options that produce great results, and this excellent video review takes a look at two for Canon mirrorless cameras, the Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.8 RF II and Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM.
Coming to you from Alex Barrera, this great video comparison looks at the Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.8 RF II and Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM lenses. At $399 and $599, respectively, both of these lenses pack a lot of bang for the buck, particularly when you compare them to f/1.4 and f/1.2 options. The two biggest differences between the lenses are that the more expensive Canon option comes with image stabilization and pseudo-macro capabilities (1:2). While that extra magnification can definitely be handy, such as if you are a wedding photographer who wants to get ring and detail shots along with portraits, it is important to remember that higher-level RF cameras come with in-body image stabilization. While the Canon lens augments those capabilities, the IBIS is quite good and likely more than enough for most applications. Check out the video above for Barrera's full thoughts on both lenses.
My experience with Chinese lenses is that they tend to suffer from low contrast, ugly flare and loCA; when backlighting is strong. Because the lenses do not have the sophisticated optical coatings of renowned Japanese and German brands.
You're totally correct. The Chinese's coating is still far from others. Samyang, a Korean manufacturer, is also better than them.
Better for what? Flat test chart reproduction? Or smooth bokeh in out of focus areas? High levels of field curvature correction needed to get edge-to-edge flat field performance tends to yield harsh bokeh.