Review Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

According provided by YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM Lens huge thanks directly company Yongnuo.

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE). increase.

Navigation

  1. In short
  2. History
  3. Appearance
  4. All lenses from Yongnuo
  5. Main Specifications
  6. Assembly
  7. Focusing
  8. Firmware Upgrade
  9. Image quality
  10. Sample Photos
  11. My experience
  12. Similar lenses
  13. All Sony E cameras
  14. Price
  15. Video review
  16. Results
  17. User Comments
  18. Add your review or question on the lens

In this review, I will refer to the YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM for short. YN 85 / 1.8S.

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

In short

The YN 85 / 1.8S is the first lens from Ynlens (Yongnuo) for Sony mirrorless cameras with a full-frame sensor and Sony E mount.

The YN 85 / 1.8S is a short telephoto lens, commonly referred to as 'classic portrait'. Internal auto focus, quiet and fast enough focusing step motor. Everything works without problems. Optically not bad, in the center of the frame is sharp already from F / 1.8 (without any reservations), only perceptible chromatic aberration make themselves felt.

YN 85 / 1.8S is lightweight and compact enough. YN 85 / 1.8S is designed to compete with inexpensive Viltrox 85 / 1.8 STMViltrox 85 / 1.8 STM II и Tokina 85 / 1.8 FE... The price for YN 85 / 1.8S is low, about 2 times lower, for example, than the price for the original similar Sony FE 85 / 1.8.

UPDATED: Yongnuo 85mm f/1.8 was the third best lens ever tested on DxO Mark (screen).

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

History

The lens was officially announced in August 2020 of the year.

YN 85 / 1.8S is first lens from Yongnuo for Sony E-mount (Sony FE) full-frame mirrorless system.

True, Yongnuo has already dealt with the Sony E mount - the lens was announced back in April 2020 Ynlens YN50mm F1.8S DA DSM for cropped Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras.

Very important: YN 85 / 1.8S has nothing to do with lenses Yongnuo 85 / 1.8 for Nikon F mount SLR cameras и Yongnuo 85 / 1.8 for Canon EF mount SLR cameras... YN 85 / 1.8S belongs to the new line of Yongnuo Ynlens lenses and is built on a completely different optical scheme.

UPDATED: lens came out in May 2021 Yongnuo Ynlens YN85mm F1.8R DF DSM for full-frame mirrorless cameras with Canon RF mount, based on the optical design of the lens in this review.

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)


Appearance

This is what the lens and the box in which it is delivered look like. In some pictures, it is shown along with the camera. Sony a3500.



All Yongnuo Lenses

Bayonet mount Sony FE [DF, FULL FRAME] и Sony E[DA,APS-C]:

  1. yongnuo 11 mm 1:1.8 DA DSM WL S [announcement]
  2. yongnuo 16 mm 1:1.8 DA DSM S [announcement]
  3. yongnuo 35 mm 1: 2 DF DSM S [review]
  4. yongnuo 50 mm 1: 1.8 DF DSM S [announce]
  5. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 DA DSM S [overview]
  6. yongnuo 85 mm 1: 1.8 DF DSM S [review]
  7. yongnuo 85 mm 1:1.8 DF DSM S II [announcement]

Bayonet mount Canon RF (mirrorless full frame):

  1. yongnuo 35 mm 1: 2 DF DSM R [review]
  2. yongnuo 35 mm 1:2 CR [announcement]
  3. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 DF DSM R [to be announced]
  4. yongnuo 85 mm 1:1.8 DF DSM R (two subversions with different names) [review]

Bayonet mount Nikon Z [DF, FULL FRAME + DA,APS-C]::

  1. yongnuo 11 mm 1:1.8 DA DSM WL Z [announcement]
  2. yongnuo 35 mm 1:2 DF DSM Z [announcement]
  3. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 DF DSM Z [announcement]
  4. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 DA DSM Z [review]
  5. yongnuo 85 mm 1:1.8 DF DSM Z [announcement]

Bayonet mount fujifilm x [DA,APS-C]:

  1. yongnuo 11 mm 1:1.8 DA DSM WL X [announcement]
  2. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 DA DSM X Pro [Announcement]
  3. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 DA DSM X [announcement + overview]

For the system Micro 4 / 3:

  1. yongnuo 25 mm 1: 1.7 [review]
  2. yongnuo 42.5 mm 1: 1.7 [review]
  3. yongnuo 42.5 mm 1:1.7 II [overview]
  4. yongnuo 12-35 mm 1:2.8-4 STM ASPH MACRO [announcement]

Bayonet mount Nikon f (mirrored full frame):

  1. yongnuo 14 mm 1: 2.8 [overview]
  2. yongnuo 35 mm 1: 2 [overview]
  3. yongnuo 40 mm 1: 2.8 [overview]
  4. yongnuo 50 mm 1: 1.8 [review]
  5. yongnuo 50 mm 1: 1.4 E [overview]
  6. yongnuo 60 mm 1:2 MACRO MF [overview]
  7. yongnuo 85 mm 1: 1.8 [overview]
  8. yongnuo 100 mm 1: 2 [overview]

Bayonet mount Canon EF (mirrored full frame):

  1. yongnuo 14 mm 1:2.8 [review N]
  2. yongnuo 35 mm 1: 2 [review]
  3. yongnuo 35 mm 1: 1.4 [overview]
  4. yongnuo 35 mm 1: 1.4C DF UWM [announce]
  5. yongnuo 50 mm 1: 1.8 [overview]
  6. yongnuo 50 mm 1:1.8 II [overview]
  7. yongnuo 50 mm 1: 1.4 [overview]
  8. yongnuo 60 mm 1:2 MACRO MF [review N]
  9. yongnuo 85 mm 1: 1.8 [review]
  10. yongnuo 100 mm 1: 2 [overview]

Cameras:

  1. Yongnuo YN433 (2023, Micro 4/3, 20 MP, 4K)
  2. Yongnuo YN455 (2021, Micro 4/3, 20 MP, 4K)
  3. Yongnuo YN450/450M (2019, Micro 4/3 -> Canon EF, 16 MP, 4K)

Lenses and cameras and many other products from Yongnuo can easily be found at Authorized Yongnuo Dealer / Store on Aliexpres.

My video on all Yongnuo lenses here.

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Main technical characteristics of YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM:

Review Instance Name Body: YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM 0.8m / 2.63ft Ø58mm

On the box: Ynlens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM MEDIUM TELEPHOTO PRIME LENS

Serial number mount side: E4000002

Basic properties
  • S (Sony) - designed for Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras
  • DF (DIGITAL Full Frame) - marking indicating that the lens for full-frame cameras
  • DSM (Digital Stapping Motor) - focusing stepper motor
  • Internal focus
  • Electronic focus ring
  • DMF (DDirectly Mannual Focus) - direct manual focus
  • Low dispersion elements in the optical circuit
  • USB-port for firmware update
  • Rounded petals aperture
  • Nanometer multilayer coating - special optical coating
  • Fn - programmable button
  • Light weight
  • Included hood
  • Important: lens from a third-party manufacturer, which imposes some restrictions on its practical use
Front Filter Diameter 58 mm, metal thread for filters
Focal length 85 mm, EGF for Sony cameras with APS-C sensor is 127.5 mm
Zoom ratio 1 X (this is a fixed lens, it does not have a zoom)
Designed by for Sony NEX / ALPHA mirrorless cameras with E / EF mount
Number of aperture blades 7 rounded petals
Tags bayonet mount mark and hood mount mark
Diaphragm F / 1.8 to F / 16
MDF 0.8 meters, maximum magnification ratio 0.13 X (1: 7.7)
The weight
  • 346 grams per instruction
  • according to my measurements, 347 grams (without covers and hoods)
Optical design 9 elements in 8 groups. The circuit includes 1 low dispersion LD element and one ultra high refractive index element

Optical design YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSMThe image of the optical scheme is clickable to enlarge

Lens hood Bayonet type, model LH-60 T
Manufacturer country Not indicated, but it is known that the lens is made in China
Period Since august 2020
Prices View on AliExpress

In general, the YN 85 / 1.8S is an alternative to the original Sony FE 85 / 1.8... Now on the market there are about 10 different autofocus high-aperture lenses with a focal length of 85 mm for Sony E mount, which are aimed at portrait photography. YN 85 / 1.8S has one indisputable advantage over other similar models - it is very cheap.

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Assembly

The lens came to the review completely new, with the serial number '4000002'.

The small box contained a warranty card, instructions in Chinese and English, a quality control card, a desiccant, bags, a hood and the lens itself with front and rear covers. The covers are made of dense plastic. In the box, the lens is secured with two durable foam clips.

YN 85 / 1.8S has metal mount. Stated that microprocessor contacts gilded... The focusing ring is wide, rubberized. The lens feels good in the hands. On the side of the rear lens there is a light-cutting hood that prevents excess flare and light scattering.

The YN 85 / 1.8S weighs only 346 grams. The light weight works well with the lightweight Sony NEX / Alpha cameras.

On heavily covered diaphragms, the aperture is shaped like an irregular heptagon. The diaphragm consists, as it were, of two pairs of blades, 7 each, located one after the other. Most likely used compound aperture blades or L-shaped petals. This design can be found in some older manual lenses (e.g. Mir-3 3.5 / 65). A discussion of such a diaphragm device can be found here, here и here.

Aperture blades Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Aperture blades Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

It's important: the diaphragm has a noticeable lag. Approximately 16/1 of a second elapses between pressing the shutter button and closing the aperture to f / 3 (minimum value, maximum aperture blades travel). It takes the same amount of time to open it from F / 16 to F / 1.8. But during high-speed continuous shooting, this does not cause any discomfort, since on Sony cameras, when used in this way, the aperture is always at the selected value. Many may not even notice this feature. Lag can only be noticed when the 'Display' function is disabled. couples. Live View ', which is designed to show the picture that will be after the shutter is released. By default, this function is enabled, when the aperture value is changed, the aperture blades smoothly close / open and at the time the shutter is released, the aperture is already set to the desired value. The diaphragm is clearly visible in my video review of this lens.

The body has a bayonet mount mark and a mark for quick attachment of the hood. The lens uses a plastic hood LH-60T, which must be fixed in special grooves located near the front lens of the lens. The hood is quite long. The hood can be set in transport mode with the reverse side, but in this position access to the focusing ring is completely lost. It's important: To fix the hood (until a characteristic click), or to remove it, you need to apply a sufficiently large force. It may even seem like it could damage the lens this way, but it is not.

The lens has a connector on its body USB TYPE C for connection to a computer (see the corresponding section below in the text). The port is closed with a tight rubber plug.

The lens barrel has programmable Fn button, which by default serves to stop autofocus. But on some cameras this button can be reprogrammed for different tasks. On some cameras, it may not work at all. For example, on my Sony a3500 it does not work, but on the Sony a7 III it can be programmed for a very large and varied number of tasks (Menu -> Custom operation -> 8/9 tab -> Custom key -> Focus lock button). The FN button dangles slightly.

The lens design is reminiscent of modern autofocus lenses from Samyang (similar shapes, red border).

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Focusing

For focusing, the YN 85 / 1.8S uses stepper focus motor DSM (Digital Stapping Motor). The location and structure of the motor can be viewed in my announcement of this lens... Auto focus should work with all Sony E / FE mount cameras.

The focusing speed is high, quite comfortable for work. On camera Sony a3500 и sony a7 III I didn't have much focusing problems. After the lens has lost accurate focus, refocusing is performed quickly enough. On Sony a3500 it is sometimes difficult for the lens to focus, but this is more of a problem with the camera itself, which has only contrast focusing. On camera sony a7 III the quality of autofocus performance is much better than on Sony a3500 and it suits me completely. Face focusing works perfectly. YN 85 / 1.8S is known to work well on cameras Sony a7II и sony a7r II.

It's important: in difficult shooting conditions, as well as when shooting dynamic scenes, the focusing quality with the YN 85 / 1.8S may be noticeably worse than with similar original lenses, such as Sony FE 85 / 1.8... Even in simple shooting conditions, the AF tenacity with the YN 85 / 1.8S will be very dependent on the camera used. Perhaps, over time, new firmware for the lens will correct this situation.

Auto focus silent... When shooting video using autofocus and the built-in microphone in the camera, there may still be a small level of noise from the built-in motor in the video.

Lens uses electronic focus ring... The focusing ring is rubberized, wide, in manual focusing mode it rotates by approximately 360 degrees. When extreme positions are reached, the ring does not abut, but continues to rotate. Manual focus is enough conveniently... The focus ring rotates easily. I did not observe any delay (lag) when changing the direction of rotation. The focus ring makes a faint sound of two plastic parts rubbing during manual focusing. The electronic focus ring is more responsive to the speed of rotation than to a specific angle of rotation, which sometimes creates a tactile inconvenience.

On the case there is a focus mode switch MF / AF.

During auto focus focus ring remains stationary, however, it can be freely rotated without affecting focus in any way (if the normal AF mode 'Autofocus' is enabled in the camera menu, not 'MF' or 'DMF'). During manual focusing, the focus distance scale appears on the display of some cameras.

The lens has internal focusing, the front and rear lenses remain stationary during focusing. It is possible to use various filters without any problems.

The closest focusing distance is 80 cm, while the maximum magnification for close-up photography is 1: 7.7, which is the usual value for such a lens.

YN 85 / 1.8S has strong 'Focus Breathing' effect (changing the angle of view during focusing). When focusing towards the MDF, the angle of view decreases. When quickly refocusing from infinity to MDF and back, for example, during video recording, on the display or in EVI there is a characteristic beating / breathing of the picture.

There are no useful marks on the focusing distance, depth of field, or anything else on the lens.

Focus shift (shift-focus) was not noticed during operation and testing.

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Firmware Upgrade

There is a USB port on the lens housing of the YN 85 / 1.8S with which you can update the lens software (firmware / firmware). This feature first appeared in Yongnuo 100mm 1: 2 и Yongnuo 40 / 2.8.

For YN 85 / 1.8S, you need to use a utility that immediately carries a new firmware.

The functionality of the service utility for YN 85 / 1.8S, which is responsible for working with the lens, is very poor. You can only view the current firmware version and update it to a new one. I found this utility for YN 85 / 1.8S here. There is a utility version only for the latest Windows operating systems.

The lens uses the common USB 2.0 TYPE C port for connection (many mobile phones use this one). The package does not include a USB cable. To connect, I used a USB cable for my android phone and updated the firmware without any problems. The procedure took less than 10 seconds.

A firmware update, most likely, allows you to improve the compatibility of the lens with new cameras, improve the auto focus, eliminates some other errors. Too bad that no way to roll back (restore) an older version of the firmware.

To upgrade the firmware (software) of the lens:

  • Turn off the camera, remove the battery from the camera, detach the lens
  • Launch the program YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM FM UPDATER
  • Attach the lens to the computer using a USB cable. If everything went well, the program will automatically detect the connected lens
  • Click [Start] to start the update. Wait for the update to complete.
  • Disconnect cable
  • Attach the lens to the camera
  • Insert the battery into the camera
Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Image quality

The YN 85 / 1.8S easily handles an Exmor CMOS 20-megapixel APS-C sensor located in the heart of the camera Sony α3500 (ILCE-3500)... The pixel density is higher than that of Sony a7r II or a7r III... The Sony a24 III's 7MP sensor is doing well too.

Optically, this is a good lens, of the obvious shortcomings - only chromatic aberration.

Sharpness

  • good sharpness at an open aperture in the center of the frame, good at the periphery of the image, F / 1.8 is fully 'working'. There is no noticeable drop in sharpness at F / 1.8 even in the far corners of the frame
  • good resolution in the corners of the frame at closed apertures in the region of F / 2.8-F / 8. On very closed apertures, the corners of the frame are for some reason heavily clogged with chromatic aberrations and, together with diffraction, significantly reduce the sharpness
  • most likely, the lens was designed so that it creates the best sharpness at medium and long focusing distances. At especially close focusing distances (in the MDF area), sharpness deteriorates

Distortion

  • distortion is moderate, pincushion (usually barrel-shaped in such lenses)
  • the nature of distortion is unified, easily corrected in the editor
  • it is difficult to notice distortion in the pictures

Vignetting

  • vignetting is most pronounced on F / 1.8 and focusing on infinity
  • vignetting is not gradient, but wavy from the center of the frame to the corners
  • vignetting decreases with focus towards MDF
  • vignetting almost disappears at values ​​after f / 4

Aberration

  • the lens creates a sufficiently large number of chromatic aberrations, both longitudinal and transverse
  • there is a noticeable freezing (color of contrasting zones of blur in green and purple)
  • chromatic aberration - the weakest side of the lens

Rest

  • the effect of the rays of the star is not pronounced (14 rays)
  • Blur disks are uneven on tightly covered diaphragms
  • the lens works well in backlight, only in the most difficult conditions can you get glare that spoil the picture
  • the lens does not use aspherical elements, but only ED elements, which helps to avoid concentric circles on blur discs
  • discs of blur closer to the edges of the frame become clipped

There is currently no profile for this lens in popular RAW converters.

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Sample photos on Full Frame (Sony a7 III, JPEG + RAW)

All photos in the review are shown without processing. Camera used Sony α7 III... All photos are on-camera JPEG without any manipulation of settings. Standard Picture Control with zero corrections for sharpness, contrast and saturation. All auxiliary functions that improve image quality have been turned off. All examples were shot using a lens hood.

Original RAW photos ('.ARW' compressed) can be download from this link (20 photos, 500 MB). Original photos in JPEG '.JPG' format can be download from this link (40 photos, 270 MB).

Sample photos on Full Frame (Sony a7 III, JPEG)

All photos in the review are shown without processing. Camera used Sony α7 III... All photos are on-camera JPEG without any manipulation of settings. Standard Picture Control with zero corrections for sharpness, contrast and saturation. All auxiliary functions that improve image quality have been turned off. All examples were shot without a lens hood.

Original JPEG '.JPG' photos can be download from this link (30 photos, 150 MB).

Sample photos on APS-C (Sony a3500, JPEG + RAW)

All photos in the review are shown without processing. Camera used Sony a3500... All photos are on-camera JPEG. All examples were shot without a lens hood.

Original JPEG '.JPG' photos can be downloaded at this link (35 photos, 170 MB). Original RAW '.ARW' photos can be download from this link (7 photos, 100 MB). Sony a3500 I can’t shoot exclusively in RAW format, but only in RAW + JPEG or JPEG, because most of the pictures I took were made in JPEG.

Sample photos in processing

This lens will stay with me for a while - I will supplement this review with photographs. Some photos in small processing can be viewed in my separate 500px gallery from this link.

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

My experience

YN 85 / 1.8S is a cheap and efficient lens. The holy grail for Sony full-frame E-mount cameras... I was pleasantly surprised by the capabilities of the lens at F / 1.8, both in the center of the frame and around its periphery. At F / 2.5-F / 4, this is just a wonderful solution even for cameras with very small pixels.

This is interesting: a lot of autofocus 85-currents are now produced under the Sony E mount. But this is a very important lens in the bag of many photographers. List of all autofocus 85-current can be found here.

Important: YN 85 / 1.8S has many times fewer minor and minor problems than Yongnuo 85 / 1.8 for Nikon F mount SLR cameras и Yongnuo 85 / 1.8 for Canon EF mount SLR cameras... In this case, the YN 85 / 1.8S is much better, and the YN 85 / 1.8S itself has nothing to do with similar lenses from Yongnuo for SLR cameras. Once again, since this really matters: this YN 85 / 1.8S and the YN lenses for SLR cameras are completely different lenses.

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

All AF 85s for Sony E:

  1. Samyang 75 / 1.8
  2. Samyang 85 / 1.4
  3. Samyang 85 / 1.4 II
  4. Tokina 85 / 1.8
  5. Sigma 85 / 1.4 DG Art
  6. Sigma 85 / 1.4 DG DN Art
  7. Sony 85 / 1.4 FE GM
  8. Sony 85 / 1.8 FE
  9. Zeiss Sonnar Batis 85/1.8
  10. Viltrox 85/1.8 PFU
  11. Viltrox 85/1.8II
  12. Yongnuo 85/1.8 DSM
  13. Yongnuo 85/1.8 DSM II
  14. Astrhori 85/1.8
  15. MEIKE 85/1.8 FF STM
  16. MEIKE 85/1.4 FF STM

Interesting: at the time of writing this review (late 2020), there were 9 autofocus full-frame 'portrait' 85-currents under the Sony E. More could be counted only for Nikon F (12) and Canon EF (10) mounts. List of all 85-current AF full frame can be found here.

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

All Sony E-mount cameras with APS-C sensor

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

All Full Frame Sony E-mount Cameras

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Price

The price for the YN 85 / 1.8S is around $ 300, which is a very attractive proposition. You can see prices for YN 85 / 1.8S on Aliexpress at this link.

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

Results

YN 85 / 1.8S is a lens with a good price / quality ratio. Great for portraits, it can be a good alternative to other similar lenses. Has several 'childish' disadvantages. The image quality is generally good.

10 main advantages:

  1. low cost (about $ 300, the cheapest autofocus lens of this kind for Sony FE)
  2. light weight, compact dimensions (filter diameter only 58 mm)
  3. good build, metal bayonet, bayonet hood included
  4. focusing stepper motor, fast enough and quiet
  5. internal focusing, fixed focus ring during auto focus
  6. electronic focusing ring, continuous manual focus control, AF / MF switch
  7. USB port for firmware upgrade
  8. programmable FN button (its functions depend on the camera used)
  9. one low-dispersion element in the optical scheme and 1 element with an ultra-high refractive index
  10. good sharpness in the center of the frame already from F / 1.8 (really not causing any questions), pleasant bokeh, weak drop in sharpness in the corners and edges of the frame in the range of F / 1.8-F / 8

10 main disadvantages:

  1. the hood is fixed and removed with great effort
  2. on heavily covered apertures, the aperture has the shape of an irregular heptagon
  3. Perceptible lag of the diaphragm during closing and opening, possibly due to the composite structure of the diaphragm blades. Lag gets in the way only on rare occasions
  4. there are no additional tags (depth of field, focusing distance, etc.)
  5. no built-in image stabilizer (for example, it has Batis 85 / 1.8)
  6. software options for working with the lens via the USB port are very limited
  7. FN button dangles slightly
  8. very strong Focus Breathing effect
  9. tangible chromatic aberration
  10. moderate pincushion distortion and vignetting

Video review

Comments on this post do not require registration. Anyone can leave a comment. Many different photographic equipment can be found on AliExpress.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

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Comments: 33, on the topic: Review of Yongnuo YnLens YN85mm F1.8S DF DSM (for Sony E / FE)

  • Rodion

    Great work of the manufacturer with the community. Zenith should take an example.
    The lens is good - a great example of a perfectly corrected Planar. In terms of bokeh, it is somewhat reminiscent of my favorite Zenitar 50 / 1.2s.

    • Panteleimon

      Quote: "An example of a perfectly corrected Planar." - This glass has nothing to do with the obsolete and soapy optical scheme "Planar". This lens has its own original optical design.

      • Rodion

        In the scheme, a Gaussian-like motive is quite noticeable, so ... This can be considered a development of the Planar scheme. And it is not soapy - a review of the recent Nikkor Z is an example of this.

        • Panteleimon

          There is no “pretty noticeable Gaussian-like motive” here! Do not cast your shadow over the fence. Completely original optical scheme, it has nothing to do with the Gauss scheme. The Gauss scheme has long been outdated. This soapy optical design is NOT SUITABLE for today's multi-megapixel cameras.

  • Vladimir

    I don't know about the lens, but the girl is beautiful in the first series of photos)))

  • Konstantin

    The Chinese know how! Why can they make a lens for 300u.e, which cannot be distinguished from the original lens without a microscope, which costs several times more? This is especially true of Sonya, who sells cameras at a high price and breaks the prices for lenses.

    • koba

      because Sony should receive billions from the whole world at the expense of the brand, before they had no competitors and all Japanese forms perfectly robbed the whole world, now the situation is essentially the same, because many users are even ashamed to use non-branded equipment. By the way, oddly enough, Chinese lenses are especially popular ... in Germany and Great Britain. To release a high-quality product, it usually takes manufacturers up to 3-4 cycles and about 10-15 years, a few years ago on this forum I wrote that sooner or later Chinese companies will produce more and more high-quality equipment with afthofocus, now we can see it's all in action. It will be better further. Viltrox even more so produces decent equipment, sooner or later we will surely see autofocus lenses from Laowa (optically and mechanically they are at the level of world leaders!) And Pergear conglomerate (TTartisan, 7Artisans, Brightin star, Dulens, Pergear lines), there will be others. By the way, YN has a new logo - Ynlens, which in English sounds like Inlens, but the English letter I somehow resembles i and makes the logo sound like “Iniens” (at least for the Chinese population it will be perceived that way), and this is Chinese means (though with the English ending S, since the logo is written in English) "Many years", "Longevity", "Many years", "Long lasting" ... This is such a hidden marketing.

      • Arkady Shapoval

        special thanks for the “longevity” :)

      • Ivan

        Analysts say that by 2028, the Chinese economy may become the leading one. So, your theses do not contradict the general forecasts.

      • B. R. P.

        It remains for the Chinese to master zooms and telephones)

      • Maksim

        Only you, dear comrade Koba, forgot to mention that the Japanese are developing and the Chinese are stealing. And you forget where the cost of optics comes from and how difficult it is to develop really good optics for a multi-megapixel matrix.

        • Vladimir

          There are exceptions. Trioplan 50 / 2.9 and Primoplan 58 / F1.9 are simple manual glasses, and new manufacturers fight about 500S for someone else's scheme.

    • Maksim

      Do not be offended, but you have to be blind not to see the difference. For its price, Viltrox is normal. But there are some optical problems, and problems with focusing, which are quite rare with original lenses.

  • Eugene

    Thanks for the review !!

  • Maksim

    With these Chinese portrait painters, the eyes finally 'broke': / People, would you advise the best price / quality 85mm for a Sony e mount within $ 500. Thank !!! Sorry if off topic :(

    • Panteleimon

      Have you read the article? Here is the answer. You will not buy anything better than this glass for your $ 500. This glass only costs $ 300.

  • Arkady Shapoval

    Added a video to YouTube about all Yongnuo lenses (generations, lines, etc.) https://youtu.be/AfQ76sAwIac

  • Vladimir

    For 300 bucks, the glass is just excellent. AF on video works great even at a fully open aperture. And for a photo, the glass is very good.

  • Roman

    I bought this lens. I liked it very much, if the emphasis is on the price. For under € 200, it just has no flaws. At first, we strained the aberrations on the hole 1.8-2.8, they are quite significant, but I look at the price and understand that this is a natural payment for the difference in cost and it is not a fact that expensive analogs will not have such problems.

    In addition, for this price, do not expect tactile pleasure: it is assembled rather roughly, the plastic molding seams are visible, the hood is scratched against the air, sits with a crunch, while when you take it off, it clings to the cover and throws it off, the focus ring rustles with plastic on The plastic is louder than the focusing motor in the video, there is no pleasant oily move, as on the same sigma. The FN button, on my a6000 only locks focus and is not adjustable, it dangled from the author, but apparently they brought her to her senses and now everything is fine. Autofocus switch too
    very rude and does not inspire confidence that it will live long, but it is there and this is a nice addition.

    I decided for myself that this is a great option to try this focus and aperture, and if it fits, start putting it off on a more perfect glass, while all this time, I will not experience any problems when working with it, especially from f3.2.

    Well, yes, it looks adequate on nex and a6xxx, due to its compact size and low weight.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Which camera do you use it on?

      • Roman

        Sony A6000

    • Novel

      Oh nafig. A native second-hand Canon for the same money will be usable already from 1.8, if it is possible to check. That is why, if there is no money, you do not need to show off, but take the system for which you can find an inexpensive park of normal optics, so as not to use 1.8 later at aperture 3.2.

      • Oleg

        Yes, I cover up to a maximum of 2,2, 2.8 when you don't want a strong blur. 3.2 this is already a bit too much to lose in blur

      • Roman

        Yes, 1.8 is also possible, it is easy to stew in the lightroom. I decided for myself that this is the very focal length that I want and I will take better quality glass in these parameters. And this one will bounce to Avito for +/- also money. Experience is invaluable.

        • Novel

          Well, I took my own 85 / 1.8 from my hands for almost the same money and, as it were, I understand that 1.4L, 1.2L, RF 2.0 (the latter is especially good), and this one is outdated, but it is sharp enough with an open and compact, fast and focuses without a miss, so it closes this focal well, is sufficient for my purposes and will get a stub when changing the carcass to a new one at the next iteration. And I don't have to bother with these fakes for the inevitable resale. And to understand whether I need this focal point, you can also use the whale zoom.

          • Arkady Shapoval

            There is a dilemma here. You are talking about Canon, and even a mirror. And here is Sony, and even mirrorless. For Sony E (just right under the mount, without adapters and other things) there are few budget solutions. These are Sony 85 / 1.8 FE, Viltrox 85 / 1.8 STM, Viltrox 85 / 1.8 STM II (both Viltrox on the same optical scheme) and this Yongnuo YnLens 85 / 1.8 DSM. You can also look at the Tokina 85 / 1.8 FE - but this is the same Viltrox. And on the Samyang 75 / 1.8 FE, but it is, as it were, shorter and not the same.
            So, Sony 85 / 1.8 FE costs around $ 600, Yongnuo YnLens 85 / 1.8 DSM is 2 times cheaper. And now the most important thing is that it will be extremely difficult to distinguish Sony from Yongnuo by the same sharpness. I mean, this Yongnuo YnLens 85 / 1.8 DSM is optically good. In general, the three lenses Yongnuo YnLens 85 / 1.8 DSM, Sony 85 / 1.8 FE and Viltrox 85 / 1.8 STM I / II are optically very close.

            Out now Yongnuo YnLens 85 / 1.8 DSM for RF mount... If I had a choice of what to take - my own old Canon 85 / 1.8 USM with an adapter for Canon RF or the new Yongnuo YnLens 85 / 1.8 DSM RF - I would not even think about taking the latter. There are many reasons. Chief among them - Yongnuo 1.8 will be better than the legendary Canon 85 / 1.8. The second is more compact (no adapter needed).

            • Novel

              Canon RF 85/2 :) In order not to take Yongnuo and want to sell it all the time, to take my own, as they write about it, and more than once. Because it's one thing to take Jupiter to try and collect it with your native optics, and it's another thing to take the autofocus Yongnuo to try and collect it again with your native optics.

              You need to look at the RF version, maybe Yongi finished something there, but of all non-RF, only 14 / 2.8 is of real interest as a replacement for the rarely used and expensive native super-width. And then in full frame. Everything else is too dubious. It is better to go with a native 24-105 and Jupiter for rare portraits that need a dreamy look than typing Jong's manuals and constantly waiting for a catch.

              • Arkady Shapoval

                Canon RF 85/2 argument, albeit macrick and $ 600 (twice as expensive)

              • Novel

                They have such a macro such a macro on budget lenses. We are good at 0.5x. But in the portraits he certainly does. Plus stub.

                So the best solution is something native (there are two to choose from). If there is no money - something old manual. If you want high-aperture - something new and manual. If you want compromises, then Samyang is Yongnuo. But these are compromises from the category of "dissatisfied on all points at once."

          • Panteleimon

            “I took my own 85 / 1.8 from my hands for practically the same money” - well, in vain! You were given an outdated EF fix for DSLRs. There will be no more mirrors of new models, only mirrorless cameras will remain. Now try to sell this obsolete glass for a reasonable amount. It will not work out.

            • Victor

              It will work out very well. Because the canon has absolutely no problems with the use of ef and ef-s glasses on the rf and m mounts. Only getting into focus will become more stable.

  • Michael

    I took this glass.
    Rated 4.3 out of 5.
    There are nitpicks about AF speed (on the Sony a6000), build quality, but otherwise there are only pluses.
    Compared to the experience of owning a Canon EF 85mm 1.8: Sony E loses in AF speed, but wins in image quality, and since this is a portrait lens, Canon goes into the shadows.
    Now in anticipation of summer and beautiful cupcakes =)

    • Michael

      Example)

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