Yongnuo YN 85mm f/1.8 DF DSM for Nikon Z review (vs Viltrox AF 85) 

thanks a lot for this great review !

Great review as always, Richard. I am happy to see more lenses from 3rd parties coming to the Z system. I'd live to get my hands on this Yongnuo lens. I have my lighting equipment from Yongnuo and I am very happy with it in terms of build quality and performance, so it's good to see this same philosophy cascade down to lenses too, and especially that this is an autofocus lens.

always great videos from you

Nice review Richard, thank you. I appreciate your comparison with the Viltrox lens. I think I would like this lens. To address your enquiries: Yes I would welcome more reviews of third party lenses for the Z mount. As someone who lives in Westland, NZ and who might take body and lenses tramping I value compactness and lower weight . Weather- sealing is desirable too. For landscape images sharpness across most of the frame at distance at smaller apertures might be as important to me as central sharpness at short -to-medium distance at f1.8. From Yongnuo/ YN : Yes please more optically very good quality, compact fixed focal length lenses with some weather-sealing. Make them f2.8 or f 3.5 maximum aperture if this helps keep them compact . I second your call for a 135 mm lens . I would also welcome a compact macro lens or make the 135mm lens capable of making excellent close-up images. Say 1: 2 or 1: 3 magnification. Although it seems we have some good medium ( I am thinking 35mm to 60mm ) focal length lenses already, more choices are welcome, especially if compact and affordable. Cheers.

can't decide between the YN 85 and the Viltorx 85. But this review helped me a lot and hope to choose between both of these lenses.

Excellent video. I still own a couple Yongnuo lenses from my dslr days. They were always great travel lenses. This 85mm looks pretty good as well. I agree that I would love to see a 135mm and also a wide angle lens such as a 14mm, 20mm or 24mm.

I would find a comparison to the AF-S counterpart very interesting!

Totally agree with your review. If there was a Sharpness VS Size ratio, that YN 85mm would clearly be the winner. And in my opinion, the weathersealing is also as important as a tiny bit of more sharpness. As I have a Nikon ZF, I try to buy only vintage style lenses. And there aren't much. Would be great if someone was selling silver ring stickers, to put of newer lenses, for them to have that old Nikkor style.

Thanks for the review, Richard. were you testing on the original Z6? Or a Z6 II ? (I assume original Z6, but the autofocus in video looked great, and I thought the original Z6 wasn't supposed to have good video autofocus.)

You rock Richard!

Portrait sharpness and boken F1,8/2,8 better Yongnuo 85 or viltrox 85? Thanks

Richard I just want to say thank you for doing these budget oriented lenses for the Z mount. I'm in the process of selling my D800 (bought used years ago) as i'm picking a used Z6 this week. The native lenses are so good, but i'll never get the most of them for my needs (friends and family). I'm a student in their 20s and I don't really have the free money to kit with native Z mount lenses.

great review - thanks Richard. And good to see more third-party lens for Z mount. yep would like to see a 135mm and maybe a faster 50mm alternative

We need all kind of cheap AF lenses for our Z mount cameras. The Nikon lenses are way pricier! A 135mm would be great, even a f2.8 one. Or maybe the old Yongnuo 100mm f2 in Z mount to get it cheaper. One lens that I miss a lot is a long telephoto or long zoom, a simple good 400mm f5.6, a 300mm f4.5, a 2x teleconverter, etc, or maybe a zoom like a 200-400mm but I know it's more difficult to engineering something like that. But I'm pretty sure that the first company that offer a long telephoto in Z mount at cheap price will sell A LOT!

thanks a lot !

Yep, 135mm would be lovely! Great, thorough review as always!

This lens looks great! Might have to added to my list :D

Muchas gracias por compartir esta reseña de gran valor pues estoy pensando comprar un lente Yongnuo y espero puedan fabricar muchos mas de distintas focales. Tengo la experiencia con esta marca en Flashes muy buenos indestructibles pues los use por mucho tiempo pero espero puedan sacar mas variedad como el competidor Godox con mucha variedad. Yongnuo es muy buena marca.

Thanks, Richard. Would love to see it compared to the Nikkor.

Hi, thank you for this review. I bought this lens about 1 yr ago. I am happy with it. I used for portrait photography. I wanted to ask you when it is time to upgrade the software? I followed the instructions and I couldn't get any update.

Thank you for the imformative video. As far as the poor haptic feeling of the focus switch on the lens is concerned unfortunately nikon z does not provide full AF and MF mode together as e.g. Olympus does. As the "manual" focusing is done by wire focus peaking and indicating maximum focus by a small green focus rectangle should have been provided in autofocus mode. Let alone reqiring real in lens manual focusing by a focus clutch as e.g. Olympus pro lenses do provide.

Sorry for this late question, but did I understand you correctly when you said this lens has a full metal body? In another review of the Sony version of this lens, which I think was released earlier, I believe the reviewer said that that lens had a plastic body. Maybe I am confusing two different lenses. Could you clarify? Also, your reviews are very thorough. I wish others did as well.

Hi！Richard,原來你係香港人，多謝分享，加油👍😘

Well done, detailed review. I hope YN releases a 35 prime for the Z AF.

Im seriously looking at this having now found a few sellers of it in ebay. My only concern is how good the continuous auto focus is in low light on the z6 compared to the 85 1.8s.

I assume that Yongnuo only provides warranty/repair service by paying for shipping to and from China.

Sir notice this message! Im asking for the yongnuo lens. Yongnuo 85mm 1.8 it is compatible for nikon d5100? Thank you!!🤗💕

Yes, a 135 1.8 would be great! :)

Can this lens work on a Nikon F mount?

What is the cost in is dollars…and when will it be available ie Amazon , bandh, etc

I would buy a 135mm f/1.8 immediately. I'm still using the Sigma 135mm f-mount lens with the adapter on the Z6II. I guess whoever comes out with a 135mm lens first will get my money.

Is that only available in China and Hong Kong?

YN Lens for Z Mount in 10mm, 15mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 135mm all in F1.8 are awaited...

I'd like a 16mm f/4 compact travel lens.

Thanks, RW. I'd like to see some true pancakes for the Z system; the 40mm F2 just ain't cutting it for me; it is filing my fingernails though... Nothing thicker than 2cm, or narrower than f2 please.. whoever is listening...yeah.

This is what I wanted, a z5 and the cheapest lenses possible with acceptable results.

Is this the same lens which was tested at DxO Mark and was considered the third best lens ever???

Yn vs viltrox ?

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yongnuo 永诺，国货之光啊

Is there any autofocus Nikon Z lens do you want to see from 3rd party lens manufacturer like Yongnuo? Drop a comment below and let Yongnuo know! Btw, Yongnuo just informed me that this lens will be officially released later this month (2022 March)