Head-to-head · Best Portrait Lenses Under $500

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM vs Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 EVO

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 EVO comes out ahead by a clear margin (4.6 vs 4.1). Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 EVO is best for: Nikon Z and Sony E full-frame shooters who want a light 85mm portrait prime with an aperture ring at a low price. Read the strengths below before deciding.

Ranked #5 in Best Portrait Lenses Under $500

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

4.1

1 source

Digital Camera World and Ken Rockwell both like the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM for budget portrait and low-light work, praising the compact design, fast autofocus, and sharpness beyond what the price suggests. There is no weather-sealing and no hood in the box, yet reviewers still rate the value highly next to pricier options like the f/1.2L II. Stopped down it performs well; wide open, sharpness is only modest. Enthusiasts and beginners who want an affordable telephoto prime that covers a lot of ground are the fit, while professionals may prefer the tougher L-series options.

Strengths

— Small, compact build and lightweight at 425g, making it highly portable for travel and everyday use
— Good overall image quality with sufficient sharpness for portraiture, especially when stopped down
— Fast f/1.8 aperture allows for decent low-light performance and shallow depth of field effects

Watch-outs

— No weather-seals, making it less durable in harsh conditions
— Hood sold separately, adding to the overall cost
— Edge-sharpness could be better, particularly when shooting wide-open

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Higher ratedRanked #1 in Best Portrait Lenses Under $500

Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 EVO

4.6

2 sources$275as of Oct 18

The Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 EVO is a 340g full-frame autofocus portrait prime sold for Nikon Z and Sony E mounts at $275. Digital Camera World tested both mount versions and praised its compact metal build, aperture ring with click/de-click switch and image quality, with its only reservations the f/2 aperture and the lack of an aperture ring lock. Photography Blog, testing the Sony version on an A7CR, found excellent centre sharpness even wide open and attractive bokeh, but obvious vignetting from f/2 to f/4 and autofocus that is not quite as quick as Sony's own lenses.

Strengths

— Excellent centre sharpness even wide open and attractive bokeh from the 9-blade aperture, per Photography Blog
— Aperture ring with click/de-click switch, customisable function button and AF/MF switch, features Digital Camera World rates five stars
— Weather-sealed mount and a USB-C port for firmware updates

Watch-outs

— Obvious vignetting wide open from f/2 to f/4, according to Photography Blog
— Autofocus is not quite as quick as Sony's own lenses on the A7CR, per Photography Blog
— f/2 is not the fastest aperture for an 85mm prime, and there is no aperture ring lock switch (Digital Camera World)

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How they stack up

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

The Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM provides the telephoto reach and portability that the Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 lacks, but it's significantly heavier and more expensive than the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM. Compared to the Canon RF50mm F1.8 STM, it offers less advanced optical design and doesn't include the aspherical element, though it's more versatile for portrait work. It's the most versatile of the group for telephoto applications but lacks the image stabilization and weather-sealing found in higher-end L-series lenses.

Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 EVO

At 340g the Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 EVO is lighter than the 425 g Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM and gives the same 85mm framing to Nikon Z and Sony E cameras, though its f/2 maximum aperture is a third of a stop slower than the f/1.8 lenses on this page. The Sony FE 50mm f/1.8, Canon RF50mm F1.8 STM and Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM are lighter still at 186g, 160g and 159g.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM	Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 EVO
Mount	Canon EF	Nikon Z (FX) / Sony E (FE)
Focal Length	85 mm	85mm
Max Aperture	F1.8	f/2
Autofocus	USM	STM stepping motor
Image Stabilization	No	None
Weight	425 g	340g
Filter Thread	—	58mm
Minimum Focus Distance	—	0.74m
Optical Construction	—	10 elements in 8 groups
Aperture Blades	—	9

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