Viltrox have added to the affordable prime lens options for L-mount owners, and it's an excellent option for anyone who wants to have a small but fast 50mm lens in their kit. This is a full-frame autofocus lens released under the "air" category to denote minimal weight, minimal features and all plastic construction. At the time of the launch it's RRP was just under US$200 including a lens hood and soft pouch.
I've been testing this lens in the spring sunshine around Melbourne, side by side with a few other 50mm lenses. This lens is not perfect, but it is very capable and makes a great match with smaller L-mount bodies such as the Sigma BF and Lumix S9.
Three Tests
My first look at this offering is very appealing. It's surprisingly sharp when shooting wide open, and that pleases me. I love shooting at F2, that's my happy place for portraits and still life. I even do a fair bit of landscape photography at F2, to create bokeh when shooting through layers of foliage for example. So my first test for any prime lens is how sharp is the image at F2 compared to F8. This lens does a very good job and you really struggle to see any difference between an image at F8 versus F2. That's impressive.
The second test is vignetting. I don't mind so much if a 50mm has a little vignetting. It's easy to adjust this in post, but I don't like it to be distracting or too heavy. The Viltrox does have a touch of vignetting when shooting at F2, but not enough to worry about. They've done a good job to minimise chromatic aberrations and distortion, it delivers a pretty clean image. I did detect a slight magenta tinge to images when compared to the Lumix S 50mm F1.8, but I'll say more about comparison to other lenses further down.
My third test is close focus. This is perhaps the weakest part of the Viltrox lens, which doesn't get as close as the Lumix S 50mm F1.8. And that particular lens does not get quite as close as I would like for food photography anyway. I saw a similar issue with the TT Artisan 50mm F1.8 Neo, which is also a fully plastic lens like the Lumix and Viltrox, but the TT Artisan doesn't even have a focus ring for manual focus control. I have reviewed that TT Artisan 50mm F1.8 Neo in great detail on this blog and on my YouTube channel, and it is a remarkably competent lens for the price. The Viltrox is a little bit smaller, a little bit more practical (thanks to the focus ring) and a little but sharper when shooting in close.
One issue that came up with the TT Artisan 50mm Neo that I had not seen on my Lumix S 50mm F1.8 was unusual flaring patterns. They were quite pronounced on the Neo. This new Viltrox 50mm does a better job of managing those flares, although at the right angles you can still trip over some strong chromatic bands. Most of the time this is not an issue, but it's one of the trade offs when designing such a small and affordable lens.
50mm Options
I remember when the Lumix S 50mm F1.8 first came out and it was impressive for being so small and light. But things have changed and the Chinese lens designers are working very very hard to push the boundaries. This Viltrox AF 50mm F2 L is an excellent partner for a Lumix S9 or Sigma BF, pairing nicely for size and weight. It's a practical lens at a practical price. Most importantly, it's sharp enough to enjoy some lovely bokeh and easy street photography.
The Lumix S 50mm F1.8 is definitely a touch sharper. It holds more detail when you pixel-peep. This difference is even more obvious when you look closely at the minimum focusing distance, where the Viltrox starts to look a touch soft. The Viltrox does win out for bokeh though, with nice smooth ballooning in the background that I find more pleasing than the Lumix.
Alongside the TT Artisan 50mm F1.8 Neo the Viltrox has a definite edge. At least you have a focus ring on the Viltrox, and the unit is a touch more compact. I think a better comparison however is still the TT Artisan 40mm F2, which remains my preferred lens for the Lumix S9 (and Sony ZV-E1 and Nikon ZR). It's not a 50mm perspective but 40mm, but if that still appeals you're getting a metal lens case with focus ring and aperture controls. It's smaller than any of the 50mm lenses we've mentioned here, and it's very very sharp. It handles flare better than the Viltrox Air or TT Neo 50mm lenses, and costs less than the Viltrox.
But if 50mm is your jam for an L-mount body then this Viltrox Air is definitely a great option. It's not flawless, but it is great value. The AF performs as you expect from an L-mount lens, without any hesitation or faltering. It costs twice the price of the TT Artisan 50mm F1.8 Neo, but definitely wins out at the margins. It's worth those extra dollars. The Lumix S 50mm F1.8 however is twice the price of the Viltrox again, and offers a touch more detail especially when shooting up close.
There are trade-offs in this Viltrox design, but ultimately it delivers value. This new 50mm F2 L lens gets two thumbs up from me.
– Ewen
(from left to right: Lumix S 50mm F1.8 + Viltrox 50mm F2 Air L + TT Artisan 40mm F2)
Viltrox 50mm F2 Air for L-mount
https://viltrox.com/products/af-50mm-f2-0-l
Viltrox 50mm F2 Air for E-mount
https://viltrox.com/products/af-50mm-f2-fe
Viltrox 50mm F2 Air for Z-mount
https://viltrox.com/products/af-50mm-f2-z
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