Rollei’s First Lens - A 85mm f/1.8 Prime

credits: Rollei

Rollei just released its very first lens — the Rollei AF 85mm f/1.8 STM. It’s a full-frame portrait lens coming in Sony E and Nikon Z-mounts and set to ship next month. This marks a pretty major shift for Rollei, which has been around since 1920 and is best known for its iconic Rolleiflex TLR cameras. Now, with this lens, they’re calling it “the beginning of a new era.”

The lens has a vintage vibe with a chunky textured grip, all-black finish, and a bold orange accent ring around the front. Specs-wise, the 85mm f/1.8 features 10 elements in 7 groups, including two ED (extra-low dispersion) and two HR (high-refractive) elements to reduce chromatic aberration and boost sharpness. It’s also got an 11-blade aperture for smooth bokeh and a quiet STM motor for autofocus, which should make it great for both portraits and video work. Rollei claims it delivers sharp results with minimal flare or ghosting, even wide open.

Interestingly, there are a few similarities to existing lenses, especially the 7Artisans 85mm f/1.8 and Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.8. All three lenses share some optical and mechanical DNA, including STM motors and very close magnification ratios. Rollei has worked with Viltrox in the past, so it’s possible there's some collaboration happening here again, though the design and finish of the Rollei lens set it apart visually. The new Rollei lens is available to preorder at 299€ (roughly $340).

You can see full details on Rollei’s website here