Kase's entry into the autofocus lens market with the new Kase 85mm f/1.4 lens could shake things up, especially if you're into portraits or low-light photography. A company's first autofocus lens often reveals a lot about its potential, and Kase is making an ambitious statement here.
Coming to you from Christopher Frost, this practical video explores the strengths and weaknesses of the Kase 85mm f/1.4 lens. Frost highlights the lens’ build, noting a design reminiscent of Sigma's Art lenses, with a solid metal bottom section and weather-sealing around the mount. There's a USB-C port for firmware updates and an aperture ring that can switch between smooth rotation for video or click stops for still photography. Frost also mentions some caveats, such as the aperture ring easily slipping out of position and a slightly noisy iris mechanism, which could affect audio during filming.
One standout feature is the magnetic filter system, leveraging Kase’s expertise in filter production. The lens supports a magnetic front cap and can quickly attach magnetic filters, making changes fast and easy. Another intriguing feature is the built-in customizable function buttons, allowing you to preset specific focus distances or lock focus instantly—a useful addition you normally find in more expensive telephoto lenses. Frost’s testing revealed the lens performs well overall, with autofocus accuracy good enough for most uses, though it's not exceptionally fast. He notes that it's not ideal for action photography, but portraits and general photography should be no problem.
Key Specs
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STM Auto Focus Motor for fast and quiet autofocus, plus manual focus override
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Aperture range: f/1.4 to f/16, with a metal aperture ring featuring distinct click stops
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Multicoated optical glass to minimize flare and ghosting
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Two customizable function buttons (FN2 preset for minimum focus distance)
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72mm filter ring, compatible with magnetic filters
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Lens construction: 13 elements in 10 groups (5 low-dispersion and 2 high-refractive-index elements)
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Dimensions: 82mm diameter, 99mm length
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580 g weight
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13-blade aperture diaphragm
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USB firmware upgrade port
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Metal and polycarbonate body construction
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Includes a bayonet lens hood, standard and magnetic lens caps, rear cap, and storage pouch
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Mount compatibility: Sony E, Nikon Z
Frost’s tests on a demanding 61-megapixel Sony a7CR sensor revealed excellent sharpness, especially when stopped down to f/2. At f/1.4, the lens already delivers strong central sharpness but shows some softness in corners, an issue exaggerated by optical misalignment in his test sample. He advises checking alignment upon purchase. Frost also found that close-up photography at wide apertures wasn't great, with images looking soft until about f/4. Bokeh quality, however, is impressive, providing soft, pleasing backgrounds perfect for portraits. There's moderate distortion and noticeable vignetting at wide apertures, but these can be easily corrected in-camera or during editing.
If you shoot portraits, enjoy experimenting with depth of field, or are looking for an affordable yet capable prime lens, Frost’s thorough breakdown of the Kase 85mm f/1.4 lens is worth watching. The lens offers surprising features for its price, even though it has clear limitations. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Frost.
