7Artisans 7Artisans 85mm f/1.8 AF Lens (Sony E) Review

The 7Artisans 85mm f/1.8 is a solid budget portrait lens that gets the most important thing right: the look. For under $300, you get that classic 85mm compression and a fast f/1.8 aperture that puts your subject in sharp focus against a creamy, blurry background. It's a one-trick pony, but if your trick is taking flattering photos of people without breaking the bank, this lens nails it. Just don't expect it to be your everyday walk-around lens.

The bokeh is the real star here, landing in the 86th percentile. Backgrounds melt away nicely, which is exactly what you want from a portrait lens. The autofocus performance, however, is a bit of a letdown, sitting in the 48th percentile. It's fine for posed portraits, but if you're trying to track a moving subject or shoot in lower light, you'll notice it hunting and being a bit slower than you'd like. It gets the job done, but without much speed or confidence.

At $299, the value is hard to beat if you're a portrait shooter on a budget. You're getting 85mm f/1.8 performance that, for the look of the final image, rivals lenses costing twice as much. You just have to accept the compromises in autofocus and features.

Don't confuse this with the Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 or Meike 55mm f/1.8. Those are wider focal lengths better for general use or environmental portraits. The 7Artisans 85mm is a dedicated portrait tool. If you want an 85mm from a third party, you're usually looking at the Samyang 85mm f/1.4, which is sharper and has better AF but costs more. This 7Artisans lens is the budget king for pure portrait bokeh, while the Samyang is the better all-around performer.

If you shoot portraits and are on a tight budget, buy this lens. The image quality where it counts—sharp subjects and beautiful background blur—is excellent for the price. But if you need snappy autofocus for kids, pets, or events, or you want one lens to do everything, look elsewhere. This is a specialist, and a very good one at its specific job.