AstrHori, a lens manufacturer based in China, has announced the availability of a new 85mm f/1.8 portrait lens compatible with Sony E-mount cameras with full-frame sensors. The manufacturer states that despite having a relatively reasonable price tag, its new optic produces excellent results.
According to AstrHori, their revolutionary lens comes equipped with a stepping motor that enables it to properly and rapidly focus on objects even while following them when they are moving at a fast rate of speed.
Even Sony’s own lightning-fast Eye-AF in-camera technology may be utilized with this optic because of its compatibility. Because of this, the lens may be particularly well-suited for use in high-speed action photography and street and wildlife photography.
The lens is composed of nine different components organized into eight other groups on the interior. Due to the lack of information on the precise nature of its internal optics, we cannot determine whether or not it incorporates any unique designs or features that counteract chromatic aberration.
However, AstrHori asserts that the lens features a multilayer coating that eliminates flare and ghosting. This is one of the company’s selling points.
In addition, the new lens does not include an inbuilt optical stabilization system; rather, its overall performance is meant to produce great contrast even in “strong lighting settings,” and the stepping motor contained within the lens is said to operate smoothly.
This particular lens type has a diaphragm with nine blades, giving it an aperture range of f/1.8 to f/16. In addition to these features, it has a viewing angle of 28.4 degrees and a minimum focusing distance of 79 cm, equal to 31 inches.
According to AstrHori, the lens has an aperture of f/1.8 makes it useful for photographing in low light and creating a small depth of field. The ability to shoot in low light can be an excellent addition to Sony’s in-camera technology for producing high-quality low-light photographs.
AstrHori constructed the lens with a design that gives the impression of being straightforward and does not involve any exterior buttons, knobs, or switches. This likely indicates that all necessary modifications must be made within the camera, including those for aperture, focus type, and other settings.
Regarding the level of photographic quality, the photographs captured by the lens suggest a high quality, but the underlying camera undoubtedly contributes to this.
The AstrHori 85mm f/1.8 lens is compatible with various Sony cameras, such as the company’s whole lineup of Alpha-series models and its FS7 and FS5 camcorder designs.
The new optic is compatible with Sony’s APS-C model cameras, including the NEX range, the a6000, and its subsequent models, such as the a6600. It provides a focal length comparable to 127.5 millimeters when used with an APS-C sensor.
The 85mm, f/1.8 Autofocus Portrait Lens for Full-Frame Sony mirrorless cameras is currently available for a reduced price of $276 on the website of Pergear, which is offered through AstrHori.
