Lovin’ the Yongnuo 85mm f/1.8

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Let’s keep this short and sweet, and I’ll let you look at the images to make up your own mind.

Pros:

It’s Cheap – If you don’t shot portraits with an 85mm prime every day, then this lens is fantastic because it’s only about $250, which is the cheapest autofocus 85mm prime I’ve been able to find.

Sharper than you’d expect – Even though it’s cheap, it works well. The autofocus is pretty accurate and the finally image is nice and sharp

Great focal length – The 85mm focal length is fantastic for portraits! It’s definitely a length you need to have in your camera bag, and this is the cheapest way you can get an autofocus 85mm prime into that camera bag

Cons:

Chromatic Aberration – If you backlight your subject, get read to deal with some pretty awful chromatic aberration in post.That’s one of the tradeoffs in cheaper lens design.

Feels cheap – It’s pretty hefty in your hand but the plastic casing feels a little cheap, and the autofocus motor is pretty loud.

Not Compatible with the FTZ Adapter – I explain why in the video, but this lens will not work on Z-mount Nikon cameras via the FTZ Adapter, which is sad.

Bottom Line:

I’m mainly a real estate photographer. (Check out lhrealestatemedia.com) So I’m not going to make money on a long lens like this. So I can’t justify spending a lot of money on a longer lens.

If you’re a professional headshot photographer, this is not the lens for you.

But if you’re not planning on making money off this lens, but want an 85mm prime in your bag, this is the lens for you!