Is this $250 lens the best-value portrait prime for Nikon Z shooters?
AstrHori's first full-frame autofocus lens has now been released for the Nikon Z mount – and at just $250 for an 85mm f/1.8, it might be the best value-for-money portrait lens released so far this year.
AstrHori is a third-party lens manufacturer that makes some of the market's most affordable lenses, including tilt-shift, macro, and fisheye – and in recent times, the low price point does not mean low performance.
Following the example of other third-party Chinese lens manufacturers that have historically only produced manual focus lenses, AstrHori has started to develop AF lenses. It recently released its first full-frame AF for Sony E mount, and now it has come to the Z mount.
The AstrHori 85mm f/1.8 full-frame AF lens offers one of the most popular portrait focal lengths, enabling the user to isolate the subject and compress the background. The lens can also be mounted on APS-C cameras, providing an equivalent focal length of 127.5mm – not far from the Nikon Plena.
The lens is constructed with 9 elements in 8 groups, and the wide f/1.8 aperture offers low light performance and creative potential. The shallow depth of field combined with the focal length produces extremely soft bokeh, which AstrHori states is "well-suited for a rich detail of a portrait".
The autofocus capabilities are what sets this lens apart from the rest of the ArtHori lineup, offering a fast and accurate AF system compatible with eye and face tracking. This is particularly useful in combination with the stepping motor, which drives quiet continuous autofocus, making the lens ideal for stills and video alike.
Other notable features include electronic contacts for communicating and transferring EXIF data, a USB-C port for future firmware updates, and a multi-layer coating that has also been applied to suppress flare and ghosting.
The AstrHori 85mm f/1.8 full-frame AF lens is available now for $250 / £222 from Amazon or direct from AstrHori. Although we have yet to get our hands on this lens and put it through DCW testing, for the price and the specs alone it strikes me as a great deal – and perhaps even the best bargain of the year.
You may also be interested in our guides to the best Nikon Z lenses, the best Nikon camera, and the best lenses for portraits.
