Review of the Vistilen 85mm 1:1.8 II STM (EFR, Canon R)

Navigation

1. In short
2. Similar lenses
3. Main Specifications
4. Assembly
5. Focusing
6. Image quality
7. Sample Photos
8. My experience
9. Video review
10. Conclusion
11. User Comments
12. Add your review or question on the lens,

In this review, I will refer to the Vistilen 85mm 1:1.8 II STM lens as the Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II for short.

Important : This review shows the Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II version for mirrorless cameras with the Canon R (RF) mount and firmware version v1.09. However, there are also versions of this lens for Leica L , Nikon Z , and Sony E mirrorless cameras (exact data is unavailable).

Important : There are sub-versions of this lens with the PRO SERIES inscription next to the focus mode switch and a red bayonet seal ( view 1 , view 2 ). This lens is often referred to as the Vistilen 85mm 1:1.8 II STM PRO.

In short

Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II is an autofocus lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras with Canon R (RF) mount.

Internal autofocus, quiet and reasonably fast stepping motor. Good build quality. Nine aperture blades with an aperture control ring. Optically excellent, very sharp in the center of the frame even at f/1.8 (without any reservations).

Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II costs around $330 and is one of the best inexpensive portrait solutions for Canon R (RF).

Important : When searching for and choosing autofocus optics, use these very useful links:

• All autofocus lenses for Canon R (RF/RF-S) (original and third-party)
• All autofocus lenses for Sony E / Sony FE / Sony NEX (original and from third-party manufacturers)
• All autofocus lenses for Nikon Z (original and third-party)
• All autofocus lenses for Leica L, Leica L Alliance, Panasonic L, Sigma L (original and third-party)
• All autofocus full-frame portrait lenses with focal lengths around 85 mm
• All VISTILEN lenses

Below is a list of all similar autofocus lenses for full-frame mirrorless cameras with an aperture of F<=2 and a focal length of 75-95 mm.

1. Canon 85 /1.2 L USM (R)
2. Canon 85 /1.2 L USM DS (R)
3. Canon 85/1.4 L VCM (R)
4. Canon 85/2 MACRO IS STM (R)
5. Nikon 85 /1.2 S (Z)
6. Nikon 85 / 1.8 S (Z)
7. Panasonic 85/1.8 (L)
8. LEICA 75/2 (L)
9. LEICA 90/2 (L)
10. Sony 85/1.4 FE GM (E)
11. Sony 85/1.4 FE GM II (E)
12. Sony 85/1.8 FE (E)
13. Zeiss Sonnar Batis 85/1.8 Stabilizer (E)
14. Sigma 85/1.4 DG Art (E, L + F, EF, SA + CINE)
15. Sigma 85/1.4 DG DN Art (E, L)
16. Sigma 85 /1.2 DG Art (E, L)
17. TTArtisan 75/2 (E, Z, L + XF)
18. TTArtisan 85/1.8 (E, Z, L)  $99
19. Samyang 75/1.8 (E + XF)
20. Samyang 85/1.4 (E) + Samyang 85 / 1.4 (R)
21. Samyang 85 / 1.4 II (E)
22. Samyang 85/1.8 P LK (E)
23. tokina 85/1.8 (E)
24. felttrox 85/2 EVO (E, Z)
25. felttrox 85/1.8 (E + XF) + Viltrox 85 / 1.8 (R, Z)
26. felttrox 85 / 1.8 II (E + XF)
27. felttrox 85/1.8 RAZE (DL DJI)
28. felttrox 85 / 1.4 PRO (E, Z)
29. felttrox 90/3.5 (DL DJI)
30. yongnuo 85/1.8 DSM (E) + Yongnuo 85/1.8 DSM (Z) and Yongnuo 85/1.8 DSM (R)
31. yongnuo 85/1.8 DSM II (E) + Yongnuo 85/1.8 DSM II (Z) and Yongnuo 85/1.8 DSM II (R)
32. AstrHori 85/1.8 (E, Z)
33. AstrHori 85 / 1.8 II (E, Z, L)
34. MEIKE 85/1.8 STM [+-SE] (E, Z, L + XF + EF + F)
35. MEIKE 85/1.8 STM II PRO (E, Z, L + XF)
36. MEIKE 85/1.8 STM II SE (E, Z, L + EF + F)
37. MEIKE 85/1.4 STM MIX (E, Z, L)
38. MEIKE 85/1.4 STM MIX II (E, Z, L)
39. Rollei 85/1.8 VAF (E, Z)
40. Sirius AURORA 85/1.4 (E, Z, L + XF)
41. SongRaw 85/1.2 MOONLIT (E, Z, L)
42. SongRaw 85/1.2 M-Simplify (E, Z, L)
43. SG-image 85 / 1.8 STM (E, Z + XF)
44. Vistelen 85/1.8 (R, E, Z, L)
45. Vistelen 85/1.8 SE II (R, E, Z, L)
46. Vistelen 85 / 1.8 II (R, E, Z, L)
47. Vistelen 85/1.4 (R, E, Z, L)
48. Vistelen 85/1.4 II MIX (R, E, Z, L)
49. lightdow 85/1.8 (E)
50. Kase 85/1.4 (E, Z, L + XF)
51. 7Artisans 85 / 1.8 STM (E, Z, L)
52. Brightin star 85 / 1.8 STM (E, Z)

Z - NIKON Z (FX) , R - CANON RF , L - LEICA L , E - SONY FE, DL DJI - DL-mount

Main technical characteristics of Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II:

Review Instance Name	On the body: Vistilen 85/1.8 Near the front lens: 85mm 1:1.8 II STM 2.80ft/0.85m Ø62mm From the bayonet side: EFR-mount
Basic properties	EFR-mount – Canon RF bayonet mount STM - focusing stepper motor Internal focus Electronic focus ring USB-port for firmware update Rounded petals aperture AF/MF focus mode switch II - the second version of the lens Aperture control ring Included hood Important: lens from a third-party manufacturer, which imposes some restrictions on its practical use
Front Filter Diameter	62 mm, thread for light filters plastic, not full, consists of 4 sectors
Focal length	85 mm
Zoom ratio	1 X (this is a fixed lens, it does not have a zoom)
Designed by	for mirrorless cameras with bayonet mount Canon R (RF), there are also versions for mirrorless cameras with bayonet mount Nikon Z, Leica l и Sony E / FE
Number of aperture blades	9 rounded petals
Tags	bayonet mount mark IN OUT lens hood mounting mark aperture value marks
Diaphragm	F / 1.8 to F / 16 The camera has an aperture control ring that rotates with clicks and has many intermediate settings. There's an "A" mode for controlling the aperture directly from the camera itself. There are marks for f/1.8, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, and two additional intermediate settings between each pair of numbers (except f/1.8 and f/2). In "A" mode, the ring is not locked in any way and can easily be moved to the "16" position.
MDF	0.85 meters
The weight	393 grams (measured, only the lens itself, version for Canon r)
Optical design	11 elements in 8 groups. The circuit is most likely completely identical. Meike 85mm 1:1.8 II PRO series Auto Focus Lens
Lens hood	Bayonet type, included in delivery
Manufacturer country	Made in China
Period	from 2026 (announcement date unknown)
Prices	See on the official website View on OZON

There are very few third-party lenses available for the Canon R (RF) system , so getting an affordable, high-quality portrait lens for this system is a very useful option. The Canon R (RF) system itself does not have an 85mm/1.8mm lens; the lens lineup only includes the Canon Lens RF 85mm F2 MACRO IS STM macro lens and the more expensive professional L-series lenses, the Canon Lens RF 85mm F1.4 L VCM and Canon Lens RF 85mm F1.2 L USM / Canon Lens RF 85mm F1.2 L USM DS (DEFOCUS SMOOTHING).

Assembly

The lens arrived for review completely new, in the factory box. The lens is secured in the box with a strong foam clamp. The protective caps are made of thick plastic.

The Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II has a metal bayonet mount . There's a red rubber sealing ring on the bayonet side.

The focus ring is wide and plastic. The lens feels good in your hands.

Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II weighs just under 400 grams.

The aperture consists of 9 blades. The aperture control ring has comfortable rough edges.

The barrel features a bayonet mount mark and a quick-attach mark for the lens hood. The lens uses a plastic hood, which must be secured in special grooves located near the front element. The hood can be mounted in reverse for transport, but in this position, access to the focusing ring is completely lost.

On the bayonet side of the Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II there is a USB port with which you can update the software (firmware/microprogram) of the lens.

The connection is made using a common USB TYPE C port (many mobile phones use this one).

The firmware update will most likely improve the compatibility of the lens with new cameras, improve the autofocus performance, and eliminate some other disadvantages.

Focusing

The Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II uses a stepping motor for focusing . Autofocus should work with all Canon R-mount (RF) cameras.

The focusing speed is fast and quite comfortable to use. On the Canon RP, focusing accuracy is mediocre.

Autofocus is quiet.

The lens uses an electronic focusing ring . The focusing ring is plastic and wide. When reaching its extreme positions, the ring does not stop but continues to rotate. The focusing ring rotates very easily and smoothly, making manual focusing quite convenient.

The focus ring is quite sensitive and initially my Canon RP camera immediately switched to FTM mode at the slightest touch (autofocus was disabled). Later I simply reconfigured the behavior of the focus ring in the Canon RP menu and this problem disappeared (C.Fn III setting, item 4).

There is a MF/AF focus mode switch on the body.

During automatic focusing, the focus ring remains stationary , but can be rotated freely without affecting focus (if the appropriate mode is enabled in the camera menu). During manual focusing, some cameras display a focusing distance scale.

The lens features internal focusing ; the front and rear elements remain stationary during focusing. Various filters can be used without any problems.

The closest focusing distance is 85 cm, while the maximum magnification for close-up photography is 1: 9.1, which is the usual value for such a lens.

The Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II exhibits a very slight 'focus breathing' effect (changes in the angle of view during focusing). When focusing toward the middle focal length, the angle of view decreases.

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

Image quality

Optically, the Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II is a quality lens.

Resolution

• good resolution at an open aperture in the center of the frame, not bad at the periphery of the image. There are no noticeable drops in sharpness at F/1.8 even in the far corners of the frame
• good corner resolution at closed apertures after F/2.8
• there is no coma
• a slight drop in resolution when focusing on the F/1.8 MDF
• good overall contrast

Distortion

• low distortion
• 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 decreases with focus towards MDF
• vignetting disappears almost completely at values ​​after F / 2.8

Aberration

• the lens creates a small amount of chromatic aberrations, both longitudinal and transverse
• fringing (coloring of contrasting out-of-focus areas in green and purple) completely disappears at F/2.8

Rest

• the star ray effect is not very pronounced
• the lens works well in backlight, only in the most difficult conditions can you get glare that spoil the picture
• the blurry disks closer to the edges turn into “lemons”

Sample Photos

The camera used was a Canon EOS RP (26 MP Dual Pixel CMOS Full Frame sensor). All photos in this review are shown unprocessed, according to ZERO JPEG guidelines.

• Original photos in RAW format (Canon '.CR3', 14-bit, lossless compression) you can watch/download it from this link (100+ files, Google Drive gallery). Some photos have suffered due to the effect deterioration of bokeh at short shutter speeds and wide apertures when EFCS is in operation, although I took most of the shots in such situations using the electronic shutter.
• Original photos in JPEG format ('.jpg') you can watch/download it from this link (100+ files, Google Drive gallery).
• Sample photos from the official representative (most likely filmed on Canon EOS-R5 or Canon EOS R5 Mark II)
• The appearance of the lens
• Flickr

My experience

Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II is one of the best budget lenses in the 85/1.8 class, especially for Canon R (RF).

The only third-party lens available for sale for the Canon R (RF) is the similar Yongnuo 85/1.8 DSM II (R) . There's virtually no other choice. The Samyang 85/1.4 for the Canon R (RF) has been discontinued, as have the Viltrox 85/1.8 and the first version of the Yongnuo 85/1.8 DSM.

There's a huge gap in the market for affordable autofocus lenses for the Canon R (RF) , and Vistilen is trying to fill it. Currently, you can assemble a decent kit for the Canon R (RF) using Vistilen lenses.

The Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II is a much better lens than the very old, original, similar Canon LENS EF 85mm 1:1.8 ULTRASONIC USM for Canon EF DSLRs (as of summer 2026, a new lens costs $500). With the Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II now available, I see no point in buying the old Canon LENS EF 85mm 1:1.8 ULTRASONIC USM (announced in 1992) for use on modern mirrorless cameras with the appropriate adapter.

Video review

Price

Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II is priced at approximately $300-330, making it a very attractive offer. The price can be found on the official website.

Conclusion

The Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II is a lens with an excellent price/quality ratio. It's excellent for portrait photography and a solid alternative to other similar lenses. Personally, I consider it one of the best budget lenses in the 85/1.8 class today. It's practically the only lens of its kind for the Canon R (RF) mount . Considering that the Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II costs half as much as the original Canon Lens RF 85mm F2 MACRO IS STM , I confidently recommend the Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II for portrait photography.

Vistilen's affordable lenses for the Canon R (RF) mount are exactly what this system has been missing. Theoretically, the Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II is also available for the Nikon Z , Leica L , and Sony E mounts.

main advantages:

1. low cost (about $330)
2. high-quality assembly, rubber seal of the bayonet
3. bayonet hood included
4. stepping motor focusing, quite fast and quiet, internal focusing, fixed focus ring during autofocus
5. AF/MF switch
6. aperture control ring
7. nine aperture blades
8. USB port for firmware upgrade
9. complex optical design
10. Good resolution in the center of the frame already at F/1.8 (really not causing any questions), pleasant bokeh, slight drop in sharpness in the corners and edges of the frame, very low level of chromatic aberrations (both longitudinal and transverse)

main disadvantages:

1. there is no built-in image stabilizer (for example, there is Canon Lens RF 85mm F1.4 L VCM)
2. the lens housing is not fully protected from the external environment (for example, the same Canon Lens RF 85mm F1.4 L VCM has full all-weather protection)
3. there is no focusing distance scale and depth of field scale (for example, there is Sigma 85mm 1: 1.4 DG A [E, L])
4. Most likely, Vistilen 85/1.8 STM II is a complete copy of the older one Meike 85mm 1:1.8 II PRO series Auto Focus Lens
5. large sizes (for example, Viltrox EVO AF 85mm 1:2.0 STM ED IF Full Frame much more compact)
6. few controls (for example, Viltrox EVO AF 85mm 1:2.0 STM ED IF Full Frame There is an aperture control ring, a programmable button and a CLICK ON/OFF switch)
7. in position “A” the aperture control ring is not fixed in any way and can be moved very easily
8. mediocre MDF (significantly worse Canon Lens RF 85mm F2 MACRO IS STM)
9. minor optical imperfections
10. It is unknown how the lens warranty works.

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