I’ve just wrapped up a review of Viltrox’s smallest, lightest, and cheapest lens: the AF 28mm F4.5 “Chip” – a micro-pancake lens just 15mm long. That makes it somewhat ironic to immediately pivot to what is easily their biggest, heaviest, and most expensive lens to date. I’ve been excited about reviewing the Viltrox LAB series ever since they announced it in 2023 as a part of their roadmap ahead. The LAB series is to be Viltrox’s “Otus” series; an optically superlative lineup of lenses that will eventually include 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm F1.2 lenses in addition to the 135mm F1.8 LAB lens that I’m reviewing here. Viltrox is unique in my experience in that they tend to announce their development cycle well ahead of releases rather than hide them until they are ready for release. We’ve had more than a year to get excited about the LAB series, and I’m delighted to finally get my hands on one of them. So is the LAB 135mm worth getting excited about? That may depend on your tolerance of large, heavy lenses, but if that doesn’t turn you off, then the LAB 135mm is about as close to optical perfection as you’ll find. It is Viltrox’s most expensive lens, yes, but at a price tag of $899 USD it still is a pretty huge value (and if you use code DUSTINABBOTT at checkout at Viltrox, you can get an additional 8% off!). Find out more in either the video review below or by reading the text review…or just enjoy the photos in the gallery.
Thanks to Viltrox for sending me a review copy of this lens. As always, this is a completely independent review. *The tests and most of the photos that I share as a part of my review cycle have been done with the Sony a7RV and the Sony Alpha 1.
I have an interesting relationship with 135mm lenses. I fell in love with the Canon EF 135mm F2L a decade ago, and held onto it for years. I replaced it with the amazing Zeiss Milvus 135mm F2, a lens that I called worthy of being labelled an Otus. As I began to shoot Sony more and more, I eventually replaced the Milvus with the outstanding Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM lens. I finally parted with the GM lens in order to purchase the Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM instead, but only because I found the Samyang AF 135mm F1.8 good enough that I felt I could sell the 135GM and get both the Samyang and the 50mm GM lens for roughly the same money. In short, I have owned a premium quality 135mm for just about as long as I have been a professional photographer. I value the focal length above all for the utterly unique portrait shots you can get; shots the feature extreme isolation and wonderfully creamy bokeh.
But the biggest downside of a 135mm lens for many of us is the simple fact that it isn’t the most versatile of focal lengths. You often need a fairly large amount of working room to do portrait work, so many people prefer an 85mm lens even though the 135mm images are bit more special. I loved the 135mm GM lens but was willing to part with it because I had a lot of money invested in it but didn’t reach for it as often as what I would like. Can the Viltrox LAB 135mm provide GM levels of performance for $1300 less? While I think there is at least one area where the GM has an advantage, the optics definitely aren’t it. After using the LAB 135mm for a month, I’ve concluded that it has the peerless microcontrast of the recent Sony 85mm F1.4 GM II while also delivering smoother, creamier bokeh. Yes, this is one of the best lenses optically that I’ve tested. Take a look at this unedited shot.
Nice, right? Nice colors, smooth bokeh. But when I hit the zoom button on the back of my Alpha 1, here’s what I saw:
That was a bit of a “jawdrop” moment, because that level of microcontrast and detail at F1.8 is pretty amazing. From landscapes to portraits to general purpose shots, the LAB 135mm delivered results that I simply loved.
Keywords: Viltrox, Viltrox AF, LAB, Viltrox LAB, #LAB, #LAB135, Viltrox 135mm, Normal, Full Frame, F1.8, f/1.8, VCM, Viltrox LAB 135mm F1.8 FE, Viltrox 135mm Review, Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 FE Review, VCM, Pancake, Chip, Sony a7IV, Sony Alpha 1, Sony a7RV, Review, Hands On, Dustin Abbott, Real World, Comparison, Sharpness, Bokeh, Flare Resistance, Autofocus, Image Quality, Sample Images, Video, Photography, let the light in, weathersealing, #letthelightin, DA
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I’ve just wrapped up a review of Viltrox’s smallest, lightest, and cheapest lens: the AF 28mm F4.5 “Chip” – a micro-pancake lens just 15mm long. That makes it somewhat ironic to immediately pivot to what is easily their biggest, heaviest, and most expensive lens to date. I’ve been excited about reviewing the Viltrox LAB series ever since they announced it in 2023 as a part of their roadmap ahead. The LAB series is to be Viltrox’s “Otus” series; an optically superlative lineup of lenses that will eventually include 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm F1.2 lenses in addition to the 135mm F1.8 LAB lens that I’m reviewing here. Viltrox is unique in my experience in that they tend to announce their development cycle well ahead of releases rather than hide them until they are ready for release. We’ve had more than a year to get excited about the LAB series, and I’m delighted to finally get my hands on one of them. So is the LAB 135mm worth getting excited about? That may depend on your tolerance of large, heavy lenses, but if that doesn’t turn you off, then the LAB 135mm is about as close to optical perfection as you’ll find. It is Viltrox’s most expensive lens, yes, but at a price tag of $899 USD it still is a pretty huge value (and if you use code DUSTINABBOTT at checkout at Viltrox, you can get an additional 8% off!). Find out more in either the video review below or by reading on in the text review.
Thanks to Viltrox for sending me a review copy of this lens. As always, this is a completely independent review. *The tests and most of the photos that I share as a part of my review cycle have been done with the Sony a7RV and the Sony Alpha 1.
I have an interesting relationship with 135mm lenses. I fell in love with the Canon EF 135mm F2L a decade ago, and held onto it for years. I replaced it with the amazing Zeiss Milvus 135mm F2, a lens that I called worthy of being labelled an Otus. As I began to shoot Sony more and more, I eventually replaced the Milvus with the outstanding Sony FE 135mm F1.8 GM lens. I finally parted with the GM lens in order to purchase the Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM instead, but only because I found the Samyang AF 135mm F1.8 good enough that I felt I could sell the 135GM and get both the Samyang and the 50mm GM lens for roughly the same money. In short, I have owned a premium quality 135mm for just about as long as I have been a professional photographer. I value the focal length above all for the utterly unique portrait shots you can get; shots the feature extreme isolation and wonderfully creamy bokeh.
But the biggest downside of a 135mm lens for many of us is the simple fact that it isn’t the most versatile of focal lengths. You often need a fairly large amount of working room to do portrait work, so many people prefer an 85mm lens even though the 135mm images are bit more special. I loved the 135mm GM lens but was willing to part with it because I had a lot of money invested in it but didn’t reach for it as often as what I would like. Can the Viltrox LAB 135mm provide GM levels of performance for $1300 less? While I think there is at least one area where the GM has an advantage, the optics definitely aren’t it. After using the LAB 135mm for a month, I’ve concluded that it has the peerless microcontrast of the recent Sony 85mm F1.4 GM II while also delivering smoother, creamier bokeh. Yes, this is one of the best lenses optically that I’ve tested. Take a look at this unedited shot.
Nice, right? Nice colors, smooth bokeh. But when I hit the zoom button on the back of my Alpha 1, here’s what I saw:
That was a bit of a “jawdrop” moment, because that level of microcontrast and detail at F1.8 is pretty amazing. From landscapes to portraits to general purpose shots, the LAB 135mm delivered results that I simply loved.
Sound interesting? Let’s take a closer look.
Viltrox LAB 135mm Build and Handling
In many ways the preview for Viltrox’s future blueprint for their higher end lenses came with the release of the fantastic 16mm F1.8 that came first for Sony FE and then later for Nikon Z. That lens has a lot of the same design language and pioneered some of the new features that we’ll see here. Viltrox did deviate from the formula a bit, but I’m not sure it is for the better.
In many ways the new LAB 135mm feels like a blend between a Canon L series and a Zeiss Batis lens. The overall feel of the lens and its textures reminds me of a Canon L series, while the top mounted LCD screen reminds me of a Batis lens. It is almost ridiculous to put Viltrox’s two most recent lenses side by side:
The LAB lens is huge; the 28mm F4.5 pancake is the smallest autofocusing lens I’ve ever tested. The LAB 135mm is the largest and heaviest 135mm lens I’ve ever tested. It is 93mm in diameter (3.66″) and a whopping 145.7mm (5.73″) in length. The Samyang is 130mm in length, which is actually perhaps the longest 135mm that I had previously tested, but it is very obviously shorter than the LAB 135mm.
That makes the LAB a full 18mm longer than the GM (127mm). And, at a whopping 1300g (45.85oz), it is a full 450g heavier. The Samyang is just 772g, which is getting perilously close to half the weight of the LAB 135mm. Do not buy this lens if you are adverse to some weight. Why is it so heavy? Above all, it has a LOT of glass inside.
Viltrox has demonstrated that they are capable of producing small, lightweight lenses with good optics, but that’s not the point of the LAB series. These are like autofocusing Zeiss Otus lenses. I once reviewed a Zeiss Otus 28mm F1.4 that was nearly the size and weight of this lens, and that was without an autofocus motor, weather sealing, or any features! The brief for the Otus series is similar to that of the LAB series: build the best lens optically at the focal length that you can, and don’t worry about the size and weight. These types of lenses are not for everyone, but some photographers simply want the optical best. If the LAB 135mm is anything to go by, photographers may get just that.
Up front we get a large 82mm front filter thread, though that is pretty common for any 135mm lenswith an F1.8 aperture. You can’t beat physics!
The Viltrox 16mm F1.8 had a traditional approach to aperture similar to either Sony’s GM series or Sigma’s better DN prime lenses. That was a marked aperture ring that could either be clicked or declicked. For some reason Viltrox left that tried and true approach for a new approach more dependent on the LCD screen. The first ring on the lens is for aperture, but it is an unmarked ring that relies on the LCD screen to show you the selected aperture. You still have the option to have the ring either clicked or declicked, but in the clicked mode it has clicks at every 1/9th aperture stop rather than the typical one third aperture stops. I assume the logic is to provide more precision, but frankly it is wasted when A) Sony cameras only register one third stops and B) the LCD screen shows only one third stops between the full stops like F2 and F2.8. In real life it just feels like too many clicks, and I don’t enjoy it. A more traditional aperture control setup would have been preferable all around. You can still rotate all the way to the left and move into automatic mode, and I suspect some people will probably prefer to just control aperture from within the camera. You do have the option to turn the clicks off as well via a switch on the left side of the barrel.
When you turn the clicks off you can smoothly move through the whole aperture range without defined slots. This allows for smooth video aperture racking and has become an expected pro-grade feature on modern lenses. There does seem to be less lag in the aperture iris than many lenses, however, making smooth aperture racks more possible. This is the rarely lens that I prefer the aperture clickless rather than clicked even for stills.
The iris itself has 11 aperture blades, and these make for a nicely rounded aperture even when stopped down a fair bit.
Beneath the declick button there is a three position focus limiter that allows you to select the full range, up close (0.7-2m), and to eliminate the close focus range (1.5m to infinity). The LCD screen also functions as a distance scale, showing you the focus distance in large letters while showing a scale above in smaller letters.
Further up the barrel is an AF | MF switch along with two FN (function) buttons. The top one functions like the typical function button, performing whatever function you have that button programmed to in camera. The second button is going to be used more commonly for video functions, however, as when in manual focus mode it allows you to preset two focus positions and automatically switch between the two at the press of the button (A-B focus). This works in conjunction with the LCD screen on the top of the lens (more on that in a moment). You can preset the focus position(s) by long pressing the FN 2 button, and then access the focus changes by short pressing it.
Now to that LCD screen. The LCD functions in many ways like those found on the Zeiss Batis lenses, though with some improvements. The screen itself is nice and bright, allowing for good visibility even in bright conditions. It solves the problem of a distance scale (something missing on most mirrorless lenses), as it gives you a large font telling you the precise focus distance along with a distance scale above that. The bottom part of the screen gives you a readout of the current aperture. It also gives you some information related to the function buttons however, with the Fn icon lighting up when the first Function Button is depressed, and then the A or B function lights up when you are presetting focus distances. There’s actually a lot of useful information on the LCD screen once you get familiar with how it is all being displayed, though I’m sure a lot of people will still find it somewhat of a gimmick.
The manual focus ring is slightly raised and has a rubberized, ribbed texture. It moves smoothly and with nice damping. It isn’t linear, so the amount of focus covered will depend on the speed in which you rotate the ring. Using the A/B focus is a much more precise way to set up repeatable focus pulls.
We also have weather sealing on this lens that starts with a unique maroon-colored gasket at the lens mount along with other seal points through the lens (a total of 12 of them, by my count).
This is an internally focusing lens, so there is nothing that moves where dust might intrude. There’s also an HD-Nano multilayer coating on the front element to help with water and fingerprint resistance, making the front element easier to clean. As always, however, “moisture-proof” does not mean “water-proof”, so don’t go crazy! This is a professional grade lens with professional sealing.
Viltrox continues with a trend that other lens makers are now imitating by including a USB-C port in the lens mount that allows you to do firmware updates right to the lens. I’m a fan of this approach, as it eliminates the need for a separate dock or lens station for firmware updates, and I find the process a little more intuitive than even doing firmware updates through the camera. This allows Viltrox to future proof their lenses and continue to improve them through firmware.
But Viltrox never seems to rest on their laurels. They’ve added a Bluetooth module to the lens, and through their new app for IOS or Android, you can also update firmware wirelessly. Right now the app function seems to be limited to just firmware updates, though the promise is that they will add more functionality to the app control in the future.
There is no lens based stabilization, so you will need to rely upon the in-camera stabilization if your camera is so equipped.
One thing worth noting is that when the lens is powered off, there will be some movement/clunking if you rotate the lens up and down. This can be very disturbing if you are not familiar with modern lens design. Many high end modern lenses employ floating elements that allow for better up close performance. The lens groups are not fixed, but float in a certain area, so when they are not energized they will move around a bit. This is by design, however, and when the camera is powered on, those elements will be energized and will not move any longer. You can rotate the lens up and down without anything moving around. The LAB 135mm doesn’t have the smoothest implementation of this that I’ve seen, however, so you will get a bit of a “clunk” when the lens is powered on and those floating elements lock into place.
This does allow the lens to have a very good close up performance, however, which is often not a strength for Viltrox lenses. You can focus as closely as 72cm, giving a maximum magnification figure of 1:4, or 0.25x, which is right there with the Samyang (0.24x) and the Sony (0.25x), though the actual up close performance of the Viltrox is better than either of them.
At 200% magnification, look at how much better the contrast and detail is for the LAB 135mm (left) vs the Samyang on the right:
That’s macro lens levels of performance there!
Viltrox has redesigned the front lens cap with a bevel along the front that makes it feel slimmer (good, as this is their biggest front lens cap so far). The lens also comes with the hood and a nicer than usual leather pouch (similar to Canon L-series lenses). There is some cushion on the bottom, but I don’t find these pouches nearly as useful as a good padded nylon case like what Sigma provides.
The LAB 135mm comes with the nicest lens hood that I’ve seen on a Viltrox lens. The plastics are extra thick and sturdy. There is a felt lining inside to keep light from bouncing around, and there is a rubberized transition section that helps to protect the lens from bumps and also makes a nice option for placing the lens facing down. The lens doesn’t have a lock, but does have a firm bayonet into place that sits securely. I had no issues with it coming loose. I will note that it can reversed for storage but fits very tightly, so it can be a little work to get off sometimes as the rubber of the hood grips the rubber of the focus ring.
As noted, the lens barrel construction reminds me a lot of Canon’s better L- series lenses, with an magnesium alloy body, which is the same material used in expensive camera bodies. The new LAB badge on the side of the barrel reminds you that this is from this new premium series of lenses.
While I don’t agree with all of the ergonomic choices Viltrox made with the LAB 135mm, I do think that this is a very nicely executed package. The lens feels high quality in the hands, and it handles like a premium lens. In many ways this feels like a much more expensive lens than the $899 USD price tag. The finish feels durable and I would expect the lens to hold up well for the long haul. This is a big, heavy lens, so that will obviously be a deterrent for many. But while this is the most extreme example on the market, it’s not like any of the alternatives are small and light. You’ll have to decide for yourself if that extra weight is made worth it by the sections to follow…
Autofocus and Video
I was excited to see that Viltrox was pioneering a new autofocus system on their most recent lenses, as I felt like A) they had gotten about as much out of their STM motors as they were going to get and B) a premium lens like this with big, heavy glass elements needs as much thrust in the focus motor as possible. This is their lens to receive not just a VCM (voice-coil motor), but dual “Hyper VCM” motors that work in harmony to drive autofocus. This is a similar approach to what Sony did with their 135mm F1.8 GM lens, and it great to see a third party company doing the same. The Samyang AF 135mm is very good optically (about the same as the GM), but there was big difference in autofocus performance. The Samyang focuses fairly well, but lacks the extreme thrust and confidence of the GM lens. Viltrox has managed to close that gap a lot with the dual Hyper VCM motors in the LAB 135mm. It’s hard to beat a premium first party lens on their own brand’s cameras, so the win goes to the GM lens for a few reasons, but using the Viltrox lens alongside the Samyang showed me that the AF in the LAB 135mm is much closer to the GM performance than the Samyang. I was able to snap up and immediately acquire birds in flight…even at F1.8.
I have been reviewing a prerelease copy of the lens, so the lens arrived without the final “retail firmware” update. AF worked fine on my Alpha 1, but wasn’t fully stable on my a7RV. Fortunately I was able to update the firmware to version 1.14 via the app and got stable performance on both platforms after that.
Autofocus speed is very good. Not quite instant, but near to it. Even major focus adjustments arrive quickly, and I saw good focus confidence even in dimmer lighting. I got this shot of a bookcase and photo on a shelf in a nearly dark room (1/25th of a second, F1.8, ISO 12,800).
Focus was a hair longer than good light, but it found proper focus very quickly.
I was able to track basketball players on the court without issue, with focus having enough speed to keep up with fast and erratic action.
Focus sound is near silent, with a very light whirring sound as focus moves back and forth. Focus confidence is very high, even when shooting through layers of grass to capture this dandelion bud.
I had pinpoint accuracy on the eye of a speaker in church even in profile. I took a number of photos and they were all well focused.
Perhaps most important, however, is the focus for portraits. I shot an extended portrait session with the LAB 135mm, occasionally switching over the Samyang 135mm for comparisons. The Viltrox was a champ in that setting, with perfectly focused results at all focus distances.
I doubt there is a lens out there that is going to give nicer results for portrait work (as a complete package) for this price.
Here’s a look at that kind of focus accuracy, even when depth of field is incredibly tiny (F1.8 here):
By comparison the Samyang lacked confidence, with more pulses and not that instant acquisition of the subject. And, when comparing the results side by side, I definitely preferred the Viltrox. The results are better focused, there is better microcontrast on the textures, and even the bokeh is more pleasing to me.
This is definitely in the upper tier of autofocus performance for third party lenses. It’s amazing how far Viltrox has come in just a few short years.
I will add one caveat, however. While the Viltrox is fast enough to keep up with a quick moving action, burst speed is limited by Sony to 15FPS. If you are using one of their sports bodies, like my Alpha 1, that means that you can only achieve half the maximum burst rate that you can with a Sony lens like the GM. That difference will be even more pronounced on a camera like the a9III. Fortunately when this lens comes to Nikon there will be no such limitation.
The focus excellence carries over the video side of things. Video focus pulls are smooth, quick, and confident. The advantage of not having a STM (stepping motor) is that there are no visible steps, allowing focus to move consistently and smoothly from one subject to another without any visible pauses. There is some focus breathing, but its not terrible for a such a long focal length.
My “hand test” where I alternately block the camera’s view of my face with my hand and then remove it went exceptionally well. Focus confidently moved from my hand to my eye and back without any settling or lack of confidence.
Overall video focus was excellent. Here’s a frame from a video where I was moving focus back and forth between two subjects. You can see that focus is excellent in this frame.
Viltrox clearly wanted the LAB series to be a statement in every area, and fortunately that includes autofocus. The dual Hyper VCM motors allow autofocus to keep up with everything that you’ll want to do with the lens, and, in particular, makes shooting portraits a painless joy.
Image Quality Breakdown
Ahhh, and now to my favorite part, because the LAB 135mm is just a special, special lens. I fell in love with the Zeiss Otus lenses because, despite their being ridiculously big and expensive, they were just so good optically. It might be heresy to say, but the Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB is just that kind of lens. The optical design is 14 elements in 9 groups, with four of those being ED (low dispersion) elements and two of them being HD (high refractive index) lenses. The MTF is fantastic, with an absolutely stunning center and midframe performance that isn’t quite the same in the corners. At F8 the MTF is pretty much a straight line across the top, i.e. perfect.
Not everyone reads MTF, but if you do, here are the Samyang 135mm F1.8 and Sony GM 135mm F1.8 MTF charts for comparison.
On paper the Samyang lens is better than the GM and even slightly better than the LAB, but after testing multiple copies of the Samyang (and owning one), I can say that the LAB just delivers better microcontrast and more detail in real world results. I did several dozen head to head comparisons, and the LAB lens won all of them.
In fact, the Viltrox LAB 135mm F1.8 delivered once of the best all-round optical performances that I’ve ever seen and is essentially strong to extremely strong in all areas that I test. It is the rare lens that is both technically and artistically excellent.
More on this in a moment. Let’s look at the technical side of things.
I was expecting a lens well corrected for LoCA (longitudinal chromatic aberrations), and that is the case here. I see mostly neutral results on either side of the plane of focus without any fringing.
I intentionally put the lens is some of the most intensive scenarios to produce fringing that I could devise, but it did brilliantly well in all of them. Here are some deep crops from three images that should have LoCA but clearly do not.
We’ve also got perfect corrections for LaCA (lateral chromatic aberrations) that typically show up along the edges of the frame with high contrast transition points. You’ll see no fringing on either side of the black and white transition areas.
Viltrox lenses have not always had great profile support, and if there is any advantage to this it is that they have gotten accustomed to doing a lot of the corrections optically rather than relying on software corrections. Never has that been truer on this lens. Check out my vignette and distortion test:
You may have noticed that the image on the right looks just like the image on the left. That’s because for the first time that I can remember there was nothing to correct. No distortion, no vignette. Here’s an uncorrected RAW image at F1.8. Notice that the corners look flawless.
In fact, I actually find that when stopping the lens down the corners almost look a little too bright! I would probably add a little vignette to this F5.6 shot to achieve my desired result.
We’ll move on to inspecting our test chart. This test has been done on a 61MP Sony a7RV sensor. I use a high end tripod and two second camera delay to ensure vibration doesn’t affect images. Here’s a look at the test chart that we will examine at high magnification:
If we take a look at crops (at 200%) at F1.8 from the center, mid-frame, and lower right corner, we find that center and mid-frame performance is exceptionally good, and the corners are good but a bit softer.
So let’s put that in perspective. The premium lens in the class is the Sony 135mm GM. The LAB 135mm is sharper everywhere save in the corners, where the GM might have the slightest edge. (*this comparison is done on the 50MP Sony Alpha 1, as that was the camera that I tested the GM on)
The Samyang AF 135mm is also an extremely good lens optically, but the Viltrox shows a similar level of dominance everywhere but the extreme corners, which are close but might slightly favor the Samyang.
In real world directly compared shots with the Samyang (as I have it on hand right now), I found that the LAB consistently won all the comparisons. I feel pretty safe in saying that this is the sharpest 135mm lens that I’ve ever tested, though frankly all three of these lenses that I’ve mentioned are amazingly sharp.
Another thing worth noting is that the LAB 135mm consistently metered a little faster than the Samyang in my comparisons while delivering similar brightness levels, so I also believe that the T-stop is about one third stop faster than the Samyang. I wouldn’t at all be surprised to find that the LAB’s T-stop is very similar to its F-stop.
For the fun of it, let’s also compare it to the recent Sony 85mm F1.4 GM II, which is the sharpest 85mm lens that I’ve ever tested (and perhaps the sharpest lens I’ve ever tested, period). It has a little advantage in this comparison in that I’ve stopped it down to F1.8 to match the maximum aperture of the LAB 135mm.
The LAB 135mm still manages to take a win the middle, though the GM shows superiority in the mid-frame and corners. If I stop down to F2.8, the Viltrox slightly wins in the midframe, but the corners still belong to the 85GM II. But bottom line is that the Viltrox LAB 135mm F1.8 is in the very top tier of lens sharpness, with a center and midframe sharpness that rivals the very best lenses I’ve seen.
I found it much like like the 85GM II in terms of microcontrast, as when I would zoom into images I would discover even more detail than expected time and again. Take this shot at F1.8 of some little thistles catch the faint sun on a foggy morning.
It’s a pretty image, but the amazing part is when you zoom in (here at about 115%) and discover that in the narrow plane of focus all of the little water droplets on the thistle as clearly delineated, and you can even see all of the little droplets of moisture in the air.
Or with this portrait shot, where even when shooting at a distance (I was separated from the subject by a small body of water), I was able to get a clear separation of the subject from the background (and great detail on my model).
The extremely low vignette meant that I could shoot (uncorrected) in the very last light of day get evenly illuminated results even when the corners needed to be bright.
You can probably tell that the optical performance here has left me very impressed.
Stopping down to F2 didn’t really offer any boost that I could see, but I did see a slight improvement at F2.8. You can see a definite improvement in the “two dollars” area on the lower right side of this comparison.
Somewhat surprisingly, there is even more sharpness available at F4, and now the corners are pin sharp.
F5.6 has a hair more contrast, and image quality is just exceptionally good everywhere. Landscape results in the F4-F8 range are just exceptional, with amazing color, contrast, and detail.
Physics will affect even the mightiest of lenses, however, so expect diffraction to start to soften the image by F11 and more obviously by F16, which is minimum aperture (though this lens is still sharper than many lenses at its weakest!)
So, the Viltrox LAB 135mm has delivered near APO levels of sharpness and contrast. But what few lenses are able to achieve is a blend of incredible sharpness and contrast while also delivering soft bokeh. That was arguably the weakest aspect of the Sony 135 GM. It was so well corrected that the bokeh wasn’t quite as exceptional as what I would like. The LAB 135mm is the rare lens that also manages to deliver really beautiful bokeh, however.
First of all, it does very well with specular highlights. Here’s an F1.8 image that shows that there is some geometric deformation near the edges of the frame, but overall the bokeh looks great. Many times the specular highlights in an image like this are tainted by some fringing around the edges, but the LAB 135mm handles that with aplomb.
If you really want all round specular highlights, stop down to F2.8, and it is nearly perfect there.
The close focus capabilities combined with the long focal length and large maximum aperture of the LAB 135 mean that it is easy to very strongly blur a background.
The next two images show what happens as you move progressively back a few steps, and, in the case of the latter image, even when stopping down to F2.5:
But arguably the most unique and valuable thing about a 135mm lens, and, in particular one like the LAB 135 that had the heady combination of sharpness/contrast and soft bokeh, is the ability to strongly separate your subject from the background even at a distance. This shot is far greater than full length, and yet there is still great subject isolation at F1.8:
I love images from a 135mm where you have both big scale but still have that very professional subject isolation – a “cutout” type look.
135mm is a great outdoor portrait lens, but there are some potential downsides. You need some working room with a longer focal length like this, so it isn’t as flexible indoors. And, even outdoors, working with a 135mm lens means that sometimes communicating with your subject is difficult. I was probably 60+ feet away from my model for the shot above, which means that I would have to shout at him to be heard. This is part of the reason why many portrait photographers stick with an 85mm lens. I do find that 135mm images are more special, however.
In the early stages of Viltrox’s lens development their optical glass was, well, more budget oriented, but that has radically changed in the past couple of years. I find Viltrox’s current optical glass to be excellent, and it tends to be very neutral. Colors are rich, but not oversaturated. The images are neither warm nor cool, allowing you to choose your preference either in camera with the white balance or in post.
Autumn in Ontario, Canada where I currently live is a gorgeous season, and I enjoyed shooting a few of those beautiful scenes with this lens.
Flare resistance was also very good on the LAB 135mm. It actually has a shallower lens hood than the Samyang 135mm, and that is because it doesn’t need it as badly. The Samyang isn’t bad, but the Viltrox is definitely better at resisting flare. You can see the exact same shot side by side here, and see how much more veiling there is with the Samyang:
The Viltrox holds its contrast much better along with the color fidelity.
I shot into intense sun a number of times but without any kind of negative impact. The LAB 135mm shows an amazing performance for this type of lens, and, as you can see below, did it a variety of aperture values (shown below are F1.8, F11, and F5.6).
This adds a lot of additional versatility for portrait photographers, as they can shoot backlit subjects without fear of their images falling apart. This image shows amazing contrast at F1.8 despite the intense sun reflected off the water near the boat.
One a final note on the optics, I was able to test one very early morning for coma. This makes yet another interesting application for this lens, as the longer focal length lends itself to a different perspective on astrophotography. Coma was very well controlled even into the corners, and the extremely low fringing assures that bright heavenly bodies aren’t ruined by some nasty color smears around them.
The bottom line is that this is one the most complete lenses that I’ve tested optically, and I would be hard pressed to point to a better optical performance from any lens priced under $1000, and could probably count the number of better optical performances, period, on one hand. If you’d like to see more images in my extensive image gallery, just click here.
Conclusion
The Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB is a rare treat for a reviewer like me. To do my job correctly I need to invest a lot of time and care into using and evaluating a lens rather I personally enjoy it or not. It can be very frustrating to have a camera in hand in a beautiful photography opportunity and be stuck with a lousy lens attached to the camera because that’s what I happen to be testing. But the LAB 135mm has allowed me to both do my job (as a lens tester), but do photography with one of the nicest optical instruments I’ve had the privilege to use. As I got towards the end of this review I had a hard time even choosing which images to conclude with as there were so many great photos yet unused in the review.
The long leadup to the release of this first LAB lens has allowed a lot of anticipation to build. Viltrox has been demonstrating that they are a serious new player and capable of making amazing lenses, and this series was to be their best yet. And thus far I am not disappointed, as while the LAB 135mm is big and heavy, the great autofocus and amazing optics make it a joy to use nonetheless.
Yes, it may be too big and heavy for some. And yes, there are a few ergonomic choices that I question, but at the same time Viltrox has once again seriously advanced to the next level. Their new Hyper VCM AF motors are definitely next level in speed and smoothness. The optical performance from the LAB 135mm is near perfect. The build quality is premium throughout. And, the price tag of $899 is nothing short of a tremendous bargain for a lens that matches or exceeds the Sony 135mm F1.8 GM in almost every category…and that lens costs $2100. The Samyang AF 135mm F1.8 is an excellent lens, and is $100 cheaper at $799 USD, but other than weight and price, the Viltrox wins every comparison that I put them through, with superior autofocus, optics, build, and more. If you have GM tastes but don’t have a GM budget, then put your money down for the Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB; you won’t regret it!
Pros:
The LAB series is supposed to be Viltrox’s BEST…and it shows
Beautiful built lens
Feature rich
Very good weather sealing
USB port for firmware updates along with Bluetooth for wireless access
New Hyper VCM motors are fast and accurate
Focus pulls are nicely damped
Exceptionally sharp lens that matches or bests the very best in the center and mid-frame
No distortion or vignette
Exceptional control of fringing
Colors look great
Amazing contrast
Gorgeous bokeh
Great flare resistance
Low coma
Amazing price to performance ratio
Cons:
Big and heavy
Don’t love the aperture ring design
Some might be put off from the “clunk” of the floating elements
Keywords: Viltrox, Viltrox AF, LAB, Viltrox LAB, #LAB, #LAB135, Viltrox 135mm, Normal, Full Frame, F1.8, f/1.8, VCM, Viltrox LAB 135mm F1.8 FE, Viltrox 135mm Review, Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 FE Review, VCM, Pancake, Chip, Sony a7IV, Sony Alpha 1, Sony a7RV, Review, Hands On, Dustin Abbott, Real World, Comparison, Sharpness, Bokeh, Flare Resistance, Autofocus, Image Quality, Sample Images, Video, Photography, let the light in, weathersealing, #letthelightin, DA
DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Viltrox is clearly a very ambitious company. I’ve had the unique opportunity to start from the beginning with them, reviewing their first 20mm F1.8 manual focus lens in early 2019. Then came an 85mm F1.8 manual focus, then their first autofocus lens right after that (also an 85mm F1.8). They spent a few years honing their craft with fairly standard “series” lenses (23mm, 33mm, and 56mm F1.4 APS-C lenses, then 35, 50mm, and 50mm F1.8 full frame lenses). But I first noticed them start to break out with a more ambitious lens in the form of the 13mm F1.4 APS-C lens, and then came the standout Pro series (27mm and 75mm F1.2 for APS-C) and the amazing 16mm F1.8 full frame lens, which was their first premium full frame lens. They have now diversified into their high performing yet lightweight “Air” series (20mm F2.8, 40mm F2.5, and 56mm F1.7) while also prepping the launch of the ultra high performance LAB series. Ambitious indeed. But part of what makes Viltrox unique is that they are simultaneously tackling both the high end of the market (LAB and PRO series) while also addressing the extreme budget end of the spectrum (AIR series). Nothing illustrates that better than their next two lens releases – the ultra high performance LAB 135mm F1.8 VCM and their cheapest lens yet – the Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 VCM micr-pancake lens that they have nicknamed “the Chip” (as in ‘as thin as a potato chip’. And at just 15.3mm in length, this is the second thinnest lens I’ve ever reviewed, and easily the thinnest autofocusing lens that I’ve ever tested. And at a price tag of just $99 USD, it’s a lens that anyone can afford. But is this tiny little thing worth buying? Find out in the video review, read the text review…or just enjoy the photos in the gallery.
Thanks to Viltrox for sending me a review copy of this lens. As always, this is a completely independent review. *The tests and most of the photos that I share as a part of my review cycle have been done with the Sony a7RV and the Sony Alpha 1.
This a very different kind of lens for Viltrox, as producing a lens this thin means that there are some things that will have to be compromised. For many such lenses, what gets sacrificed is image quality along with functionality. While the functionality is a little different here, fortunately the image quality is not.
But at the least, the functionality is different. This is the first “fixed aperture” lens for Viltrox, in that the 28mm Chip is always F4.5. Not bigger, not smaller. No aperture ring or aperture control from within camera. Aperture is fixed at F4.5.
There also isn’t any manual focus here. Whereas the only smaller lens that I’ve ever reviewed was manual focus only (the Brightin Star 28mm F2.8), the Viltrox 28mm Chip is autofocus only. There is no manual focus ring. Fortunately autofocus is good enough that you probably won’t miss it, and, frankly, the lens is so compact that there just isn’t room for any rings on the barrel.
So let’s dive a little deeper into the nuts and bolts of this extremely unique new lens.
Keywords: Viltrox, Viltrox AF, Viltrox 28mm, Normal, Full Frame, F4.5, f/4.5, VCM, Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 E, Viltrox 28mm Review, Viltrox AF 28mm F2.5 E Review, VCM, Pancake, Chip, Sony a7IV, Sony Alpha 1, Sony a7RV, Review, Hands On, Dustin Abbott, Real World, Comparison, Sharpness, Bokeh, Flare Resistance, Autofocus, Image Quality, Sample Images, Video, Photography, let the light in, weathersealing, #letthelightin, DA
DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Viltrox is clearly a very ambitious company. I’ve had the unique opportunity to start from the beginning with them, reviewing their first 20mm F1.8 manual focus lens in early 2019. Then came an 85mm F1.8 manual focus, then their first autofocus lens right after that (also an 85mm F1.8). They spent a few years honing their craft with fairly standard “series” lenses (23mm, 33mm, and 56mm F1.4 APS-C lenses, then 35, 50mm, and 50mm F1.8 full frame lenses). But I first noticed them start to break out with a more ambitious lens in the form of the 13mm F1.4 APS-C lens, and then came the standout Pro series (27mm and 75mm F1.2 for APS-C) and the amazing 16mm F1.8 full frame lens, which was their first premium full frame lens. They have now diversified into their high performing yet lightweight “Air” series (20mm F2.8, 40mm F2.5, and 56mm F1.7) while also prepping the launch of the ultra high performance LAB series. Ambitious indeed. But part of what makes Viltrox unique is that they are simultaneously tackling both the high end of the market (LAB and PRO series) while also addressing the extreme budget end of the spectrum (AIR series). Nothing illustrates that better than their next two lens releases – the ultra high performance LAB 135mm F1.8 VCM and their cheapest lens yet – the Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 VCM micr-pancake lens that they have nicknamed “the Chip” (as in ‘as thin as a potato chip’. And at just 15.3mm in length, this is the second thinnest lens I’ve ever reviewed, and easily the thinnest autofocusing lens that I’ve ever tested. And at a price tag of just $99 USD, it’s a lens that anyone can afford. But is this tiny little thing worth buying? Find out in the video review or just read on in the text review.
Thanks to Viltrox for sending me a review copy of this lens. As always, this is a completely independent review. *The tests and most of the photos that I share as a part of my review cycle have been done with the Sony a7RV and the Sony Alpha 1.
This a very different kind of lens for Viltrox, as producing a lens this thin means that there are some things that will have to be compromised. For many such lenses, what gets sacrificed is image quality along with functionality. While the functionality is a little different here, fortunately the image quality is not.
But at the least, the functionality is different. This is the first “fixed aperture” lens for Viltrox, in that the 28mm Chip is always F4.5. Not bigger, not smaller. No aperture ring or aperture control from within camera. Aperture is fixed at F4.5.
There also isn’t any manual focus here. Whereas the only smaller lens that I’ve ever reviewed was manual focus only (the Brightin Star 28mm F2.8), the Viltrox 28mm Chip is autofocus only. There is no manual focus ring. Fortunately autofocus is good enough that you probably won’t miss it, and, frankly, the lens is so compact that there just isn’t room for any rings on the barrel.
So let’s dive a little deeper into the nuts and bolts of this extremely unique new lens.
Viltrox 28mm Chip Build and Handling
28mm is a focal length that was very popular during the film era, was largely forgotten during DSLR era, and has been experiencing a bit of renaissance in the past two years. It’s a fun focal length as a general walkaround lens, and that’s doubly true with such a tiny lens like this.
While this lens is very small and lightweight, it isn’t because of compromised build quality. This is actually a very nicely made little lens with a retro/classic vibe to it. The closest analog that I can come up with is Nikon’s SE (Special Edition) versions of their 28mm F2.8 and 40mm F2 Z mount lenses.
The interesting thing about the photo above (supplied by Viltrox) is that the slim Sony rear cap is almost as thick as the lens itself. Here’s a closer look at how close the two pieces are:
As I don’t have any of Sony’s smallest full frame cameras on hand right now (I’m doing this review on the larger a7RV and Alpha 1 cameras), I’ll borrow one more photo from Viltrox to show the 28mm Chip mounted on the compact a7C camera:
The actual dimensions are 60.3mm in diameter (2.37″) and just 15.3mm in length (0.60″). The weight is a minimal 60g (2.11oz). This may be the easiest lens to bring along on Sony E-mount that has yet been released, as it won’t take up much more room in your bag than the front camera cap.
The mount is metal (made of duralumin, an aluminum alloy). The body is also made of metals and feels different from something like brass, but surprisingly premium for such an inexpensive lens. Viltrox has been able to maintain their standard of having a USB-C port in the mount to allow for firmware updates, however.
You’ll note that there is a small lever on the front of the lens. That essentially serves like a front lens cap. One direction will open the protective cover over the glass elements for shooting, the other direct will close it and protect things for storage.
There are no other “features” on the lens. No switches (autofocus only), aperture ring (fixed aperture), or other buttons. This is the ultimate grab and go lens.
The fixed aperture makes it unique. F4.5 is neither fast nor slow, and that’s kind of the point. The hope is that F4.5 is “fast enough” that it doesn’t penalize too much in low light, but also provides enough depth of field to keep enough in focus at one time as you don’t have the option to close the aperture further. I think of this more as a street/general purpose lens than a portrait lens for that reason, as depth of field will almost never be small enough to give you real subject separation.
As far as handling, the truth of the matter is that the only thing you need to handle is the lever to open or close the protective cover. The lens is small enough that you might not even touch it during operation and instead keep your hands on the camera instead.
The only other thing to really discuss here is the minimum focus distance, which is 32cm. That’s not particularly impressive, though it does best the Viltrox AF 28mm F1.8, which can only focus as closely as 37cm. That gives a very slightly magnification advantage to the 28mm Chip at 0.11x vs the 0.10x of the F1.8 lens. Here’s what that magnification looks like:
Remember that the aperture isn’t particularly large, so don’t expect backgrounds to be blurred too much at minimum focus distances. Here’s a real world example:
While there is no weather sealing here, the front element has been treated with an HD nano multilayer coating that is moisture and fingerprint resistant.
People have been waiting a long time for an autofocusing pancake lens on Sony, and the fact that one hadn’t yet arrived had led to the rumor that the E-mount diameter just wouldn’t allow it. Viltrox has shot down that rumor just as Sigma put to bed the idea that an F1.2 full frame lens on E-mount was impossible. It’s great to see more innovation from Viltrox. Oh, and by the way, here’s the comparison between their two upcoming lenses (this one and the 135mm LAB). There’s a bit of size difference for you.
Autofocus and Video
The 28mm Chip is the first Viltrox lens (along with their upcoming 135mm F1.8 LAB lens) to receive a brand new autofocus system – VCM (voice-coil motor). This is similar to Tamron’s VXD focus system in being a linear style motor. It’s extremely unusual for there to be autofocus in a lens this thin, so the focus motor had to prioritize being extremely miniaturized. There’s clearly a difference between this focus motor and the dual “Hyper VCM” focus motors in the LAB 135mm lens, as that lens focuses with the speed of a GM lens, which the 28mm Chip is a bit more leisurely. Focus changes for most things are quick enough for you to forget about autofocus, but every now and then when a major focus change is required you are reminded that this is an autofocus motor that could use a little extra thrust. Fortunately accuracy isn’t a problem; I got consistently well focused results.
This is, of course, an autofocus only lens, so it is fortunate that autofocus is accurate.
Likewise with this shot, which I took during my tests of eye detection, shows that autofocus stayed properly locked on the eye even when I had a lot of foreground obstructions in the way.
In a dimly lit restaurant I was able to focus quickly and easily on a singer doing music even though there was no stage lighting on him.
There is a faint clicking/whirring sound if you put your ear right next to the lens barrel, but if I held the camera at chest level and racked focus here and there, I couldn’t hear anything. Focus speed was good but not instantaneous in my formal tests. There is a somewhat false impression that major focus changes are slower than they actually are due to some fairly strong focus breathing.
On the video side of things, focus pulls are smooth and have a somewhat cinematic “damping” to them, in that they are not abrupt and move smoothly from one subject to another. The advantage of the VCM over an STM is shown in the absence of any visible steps in the process. There is some very obvious focus breathing, however, so that makes things slightly less cinematic. I did find that in my focus pull tests that autofocus wasn’t always “nailed” on my foreground subject. It was sometimes lightly off.
My “hand test” where I alternately block the camera’s view of my face with my hand and then remove it went fairly well. The 28mm Chip was reasonably reactive in moving back and forth when appropriate, though the obvious focus breathing made that process a little more jarring than it needed to be.
On a side note, I did notice that my handheld results for video were a little shakier than usual. Having almost no weight at the front the camera actually makes stabilizing it a little tougher.
The strengths of the VCM motor here are in the smoothness and lack of steps. Focus speed is about average, and focus breathing is higher than average. This probably has to do with the tiny size of the lens and the fact that there isn’t much space for the focus elements to go. Still, there was the notion that an autofocus pancake lens couldn’t be done on E-mount, but here we actually have a micro-pancake lens that focuses just fine. That’s impressive!
Image Quality Breakdown
The optical formula is 6 elements in 6 groups (no grouping of elements), with 4 of those elements being special elements (including 2 ED and 2 aspherical elements). The MTF chart shows a good (not great) center performance, good midframe results, and then much softer corners.
The Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 VCM is a very interesting lens optically. In many ways the optical performance reminds me a bit of a vintage lens. It’s as if it doesn’t have modern lens coatings, and that is for good and bad. I’ve rarely reviewed a modern lens where the “look” of the images is more dependent on the shooting situations and how you use it. This is true of contrast, detail, and more. The biggest single factor is going to be light: it’s direction, intensity, and placement in (or out) of the frame.
If I shoot towards the source of light, it will often produce a lower contrast look with almost a “halation” type glow to it, like here:
But all I had to do was turn the opposite direction and shoot, and you can see that there is more contrast, no glow, and the result is a more modern/conventional look.
If you are a fan of a warm glow to your images, then you may just fall in love with the look of images from the 28mm Chip:
More on this in a moment. Let’s look at the technical side of things.
Lenses with smaller maximum apertures rarely have an issue with LoCA (longitudinal chromatic aberrations), and that is the case here. I see mostly neutral results on either side of the plane of focus without any fringing.
There is, however, some issue with LaCA (lateral chromatic aberrations) that typically show up along the edges of the frame with high contrast transition points. You can see some obviously fringing as we get near the edge of the frame.
As the example above suggests, these LaCA issues tend to be reserved for the extreme corners. Here’s a real world example that shows no issue in the crop from further down the edge of the image (#2) and shows the actually fringing reserved for the extreme corner (#3):
If we move on to vignette and distortion we find reasonably good results. Distortion is essentially a non-issue, with just a tiny amount of distortion that is mostly not worth correcting (I liked a -1 result the best in Lightroom). Vignette is a fairly heavy, however, at a +77 to correct. It’s not surprising that there is a vignette in such a small optic.
We’ll move on to inspecting our test chart. This test has been done on a 61MP Sony a7RV sensor. I use a high end tripod and two second camera delay to ensure vibration doesn’t affect images. Here’s a look at the test chart that we will examine at high magnification:
If we take a look at crops (at 200%) at F4.5 from the center, mid-frame, and lower right corner, we find that center performance is good but slightly low contrast, with good detail but lower contrast in the mid-frame, while the corners are reasonably good until the extreme edge, where acutance really drops and the details become mushy.
What I found out in real world shooting was that my impressions of sharpness really varied from image to image. In this country landscape, detail in the center looks good (though with a light glow to textures), and the corner is softer but not bad.
Here’s another shot that looks really good on a global level (global contrast):
But if you zoom into a pixel level you’ll find that sharpness and contrast just okay.
But again, if I take a step back, I realize that is a tiny $100 pancake lens on a 61MP full frame camera. It’s actually pretty amazing that you can take credible images at all with this kind of combination. Pop this lens on a small, lower resolution body like the a7C or a7CII, and you’ll get much more impressive looking results. Switching into the 26MP MRAW mode on my a7RV made for more impressive looking results at a 1:1 pixel level.
Clearly one of the most attractive applications for a lens like this will be street photography, as you couldn’t ask for a more discrete lens. I suspect a lot of people will have fun with the unique optical characteristics of this lens, and the constant F4.5 aperture makes it very much a “point and shoot” style lens.
The very low distortion also means that your city shots will have nice straight lines.
This has proven a fun companion for autumn walks, as the natural glow of the lens works well with a foggy autumn morning.
Diffraction won’t be an issue here due to the fixed aperture. You can’t stop the lens down to a place where diffraction would become apparent.
Bokeh is another interesting conversation, as obviously the amount of potential defocus will be limited by that relatively small maximum aperture of F4.5. In many situations bokeh will be somewhat limited, as the background will only be mildly defocused, or not at all.
If you get close to your subject, the defocus will be a little more pronounced, but nothing major.
Here is about the strongest amount of bokeh I could produce, as I could both get close to my subject (this is near minimum focus distance) while the background was largely a great distance away.
The quality of the bokeh is fine, and probably less of a factor with a lens like this anyway.
Much, much more of a factor is going to be flare. This is a lens that does a wide variety of things when a bright light source is in the frame. Shooting full into the bright morning sun made the light (and the rays from the blades of the aperture) the dominating feature of the image (for good or evil, depending on your tastes):
That was true of a close focus image that had the sun in the frame, too.
Composing with the sun out of frame on the right of the image left a bit of a flashing look, though this is arguably more artistic.
Here’s another example where the image is flooded with light. I like this one, but tastes are going to vary.
Just be aware that you either need to like flare artifacts or you will need to compose carefully to avoid them.
My optical conclusion is that this is an interesting lens optically. I don’t like everything about the optics, personally, but I also appreciate that the lens has a lot of character, and that, combined with the tiny size and price, is probably going to result in a cult following for the lens. You can see more images in the gallery here.
Conclusion
I had an interesting thought while out hiking with the Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 “Chip” lens; “…this feels a lot like using the Fujifilm X100VI. No, the focal length isn’t the same, but something about the very compact nature of the lens and its purist aesthetic definitely reminded me of shooting with the X100VI. And therein, I think, lies the charm for this little “Chip”. It is the ultimate low profile lens, and, what’s more, it’s actually a lot of fun to shoot with. It doesn’t hurt that the images you can produce can be special.
The 28mm Chip shows once and for all that a tiny autofocusing pancake (and thinner!) lens CAN be done on Sony E-mount. This little Viltrox lens is very unique, but I suspect that a lot of people will have a lot of fun with it!
There are so many lenses available for Sony E-mount at this point (I’ve reviewed literally hundreds!), so it is a pleasant surprise to review a genuinely unique lens on the platform. This is the smallest autofocusing lens that I’ve ever reviewed, and the handling and optics are very unique. The Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 VCM will be launching on Indigogo, and the interesting thing about that is that we will be able to see in real time just how interested people are in this lens. I, for one, am looking forward to watching the reaction of the photography world. I suspect a lot of people will be interested in having a “Chip”!
Keywords: Viltrox, Viltrox AF, Viltrox 28mm, Normal, Full Frame, F4.5, f/4.5, VCM, Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 E, Viltrox 28mm Review, Viltrox AF 28mm F2.5 E Review, VCM, Pancake, Chip, Sony a7IV, Sony Alpha 1, Sony a7RV, Review, Hands On, Dustin Abbott, Real World, Comparison, Sharpness, Bokeh, Flare Resistance, Autofocus, Image Quality, Sample Images, Video, Photography, let the light in, weathersealing, #letthelightin, DA
DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I’ve lamented Canon’s lack of support for their mirrorless EF-M mount, but the truth of the matter is their crop sensor EF-S mount has received an equal amount of disdain. Until the launch of this lens there was only one EF-S prime lens; the EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens (an excellent lens, by the way). There is still only one zoom lens without a variable aperture (the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS), but that lens is frankly a bit embarrassed optically by the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 ART lens. The release of the EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM is thus very welcome. Who wouldn’t want an affordable, sharp prime with great maximum magnification, an awesome form factor, and a nicely affordable price?
Want to watch your review? Click on the video below:
I’ve owned the EF 40mm f/2.8 STM lens since its release, and while I don’t use it often, I’m in no rush to part with it because it is generally excellent and so nicely compact! Canon’s first full frame pancake lens was and is a true winner, and performs great double duty on either Canon’s crop sensor (APS-C) bodies along with the mirrorless EOS M systems. The EF-S 24mm is, in essence, a repackaging of that lens specifically for crop sensor cameras but with a few nice little upgrades.
Because I typically think in full frame focal lengths, I think of 24mm as being a fairly wide angle of view. But this isn’t a full frame lens; it is for crop sensors, so you must multiply that 24mm by the Canon APS-C crop factor of 1.6x, resulting in an effective focal length of 38.4mm, or very similar to the angle of view of the 40mm STM on a full frame camera. Don’t think of this lens as a wide angle lens but rather one that provides a nice, slightly wider “normal” field of view.
Build Quality and Handling:
When the 40mm STM “pancake” was released I praised the build quality for feeling a cut above other budget lenses like, say, the 50mm f/1.8 II. While still largely engineered plastics around a metal core, the lens felt reasonably dense and well engineered. That lens has proven durable over the past four years (???) and has served me well. The 24 STM seems similarly well constructed and feels a bit less “plasticky” than the since updated 50mm f/1.8 STM.
The lens is nicely compact and scarcely takes up more room than your camera mount cap. Its diameter is nearly three times its length as the lens itself is less than an inch long (.9”/22.8mm long). By contrast it is 2.69”/68.2mm around. The weight of the EF-S 24mm is equally feathery at only 4.41oz/125g. These pancake lenses really redefine the portability of DSLRs and [almost] turn them into compact cameras. The compact nature of the lens also makes it a natural fit for the Canon EOS M3 mirrorless body via the EF adapter, and even with the adapter the EF-S 24mm seems like a native mount lens. We’ll examine its functionality in that application in this review.
The lens has an optical formula comprised of 6 elements in five groups. It has a reasonably common (and also small/affordable 52mm filter size). The aperture iris has seven rounded blades that do a pretty fair job of keeping the aperture round as the lens is stepped down (none of that old 50mm f/1.8 hexagon nonsense!).
The lens barrel is very small, so Canon has kept things simple. There is an AF ON/OFF switch and the focus ring…that’s it (and there was barely room for that!). The focus ring is small, as expected, and like most STM lenses has relatively little resistance (or feel when manually focusing, for that matter). This is not an STM strength.
What is a strength for the EF-S 24mm is its ability to focus down very closely and provide an excellent maximum magnification figure. It can focus down to only 6.3”/160mm and has a maximum magnification of .27x, a figure that puts it among the top non-macro lenses in Canon’s staple. This handily beats the 40 STM and its .18x magnification and nearly reaches the level of the class leading Tamron 45mm f/1.8 VC’s .29x. This is an extremely useful feature and further extends the functionality of the lens as a general purpose, stay-on-the-camera option.
This close focus ability also allows the lens to shine in producing bokeh. I noted that the lens has a very nice transition to defocus though without that extreme creaminess and drawing that the higher end lenses produce. Still, if you get close to your subject you will be able to produce a nice amount of bokeh…on a budget!
Autofocus Observations
The 24 STM utilizes Canon’s “stepping motor” (STM) focus motor. The EF 40mm STM lens pioneered this new (at the time) approach to autofocus. While speed is always a factor with autofocus motors, STM technology is more about the way focus is achieved. Specifically, “stepping” technology is about smoothness in focus, and smooth transitions from one focus point to another. Its major application is in video capture when AF Servo focus can be used to achieve smooth video focus without hunting or pulsing. A lens with STM used with, say, the new 80D (or a number of other APS-C bodies with Video AF Servo functionality) will even do smooth, natural “focus pulls” where extreme focus changes are made from a foreground to a background subject or vice-versa. STM motors also tend to be quieter, particularly when compared to the older micro-motors used in many of Canon’s lower end (non USM) lenses.
The lens focuses quickly and accurately. I was happy with the focus speed in either viewfinder AF or via DPAF on the Canon 80D body that was my primary review camera. It seemed to me that this was one of the speedier implementations of STM that I have used.
Image Quality
With such a compact lens one might be tempted to think that optical excellence is out of the question, but I quickly discovered this was not the case. Finally, we have a Canon branded crop sensor lens that can compete optically with the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 ART (the Sigma still has a bit of an optical edge, but doesn’t focus as consistently as this lens). The lens is sharp across the frame and has nice contrast. Stopping down increases contrast and resolution a bit (particularly in the extreme edges of the frame), but you can mostly use stopping down to apertures like f/5.6 or f/8 for the purpose of extending the depth of field rather than out of a need to increase sharpness. A bit of post processing helps make images really sparkle out of this lens. The only sharper EF-S mount lens from Canon that I’m aware of is the excellent EF-S 60mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro USM lens. Here are a couple of wide open images with a crop to give you a sense of performance in the center and somewhat off center of the frame.
I was reviewing the new EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens at the same time with its new Nano-USM focus system. While I LOVE the focus system of this lens, it optically cannot compete with the little EF-S 24mm prime.
Chromatic aberrations are well controlled with the lens. I saw a hint of green fringing in a few situations, but so low as to be essentially negligible for field use. This wide open crop from bare branches against a bright sky are a perfect storm for CA, but as you can see there is little to see here.
The lens does have a bit of barrel distortion that is easily corrected (but exceeds that of the 40mm STM). The only real objectionable image quality issue is a fairly strong vignette at f/2.8 that tops 2 stops in the extreme corners. Stopping down to f/4 virtually eliminates the issue for field use, though. Here is a before/after with the standard Adobe Profile applied.
Flare resistance is good but not exceptional. Wide open there is a bit of a greenish ghosting close to the light source.
By f/5.6 this has disappeared but at f/11 there is a bit of a prism effect around the light source – not enough to be an issue, however. For most situations you won’t be adversely affected by shooting into the sun. The seven bladed aperture produces a decent if not exceptional sunburst when stopped down to f/11.
The lens is capable of producing quite a bit of bokeh when close to the subject due to the close focus ability. The bokeh quality itself is not superb. The inner line of bokeh higlights is quite pronounced, meaning that there are more hard edges than what I would like in the out of focus regions and less “cream”. There is also some busyness within the circle as well as some green fringing.
In some situations the bokeh can be a bit busy for my tastes, and it is here that the lens shows its budget nature. The image below is a case in point.
At the same time I recognize that bokeh is a highly subjective metric, and some of you may prefer a little more “activity” in the defocused region. I have some shots where I’m very pleased with the bokeh, so I think it may be a matter of learning the lens and shooting to its strengths. Here is a little gallery of “bokeh” images.
The lens has a 7 bladed rounded aperture, and retains a circular shape when stopped down fairly well.
I am pleased with the color rendition and contrast. Neither is Zeiss level, but the box for a Zeiss lens seems to cost as much as this lens!
The lens also works very well as a video option. I actually purchased it specifically for a kit I was building for my responsibilities within my religious organization. We needed some video capture equipment, and I chose the EF-S 24mm to use on Canon 80D and 70D bodies for that purpose. I recently shot a whole video segment for a review/demonstration of some cycling lights with the EF-S 24mm and found it an excellent tool. You can see that video here:
The lens tracks well, has nice color rendition and even good bokeh on closer shots, and when using the 80D at 1080P/60 I was able to get very nice focus pulls by simply clicking the screen and allowing the camera/lens to do the focus pulls and then slowing them down even further in post to have really excellent results. The high sharpness at f/2.8 proved an asset, and the high magnification is exceptionally useful when wanting to shoot close, detailed shots. When used in conjunction with DPAF or similar video tracking in my EOS M3 the EF-S 24mm is a highly useful tool for a videographer. I don’t find STM focus as beneficial when manually focusing (performing linear, accurate manual focus transitions is difficult due to the ‘focus by wire’ system), but the excellent AF tracking and focus (particularly on the 80D) renders that moot part.
I mentioned the M3, and it worth mentioning that the EF-S 24mm is a fantastic option for the M series of cameras via the adapter. Many non-native mount lenses aren’t great fits on Canon’s mirrorless bodies. The need for the adapter extends the length of all lenses, making many lenses even more prone towards being front heavy and killing the balance. The EF-S 24mm joins the EF 40mm f/2.8 STM and 50mm f/1.8 STM lenses as being perhaps the most natural non-EF-M lenses to use on the system. Due to the STM focus system and light, compact nature of these lenses they perform much like native mount lenses in both size and operation. The EF-S 24mm provides an excellent “normal” angle of view on the M3, and the focus is quick and accurate via the EF adapter. The very short length of the EF-S 24mm allows the resulting lens/body combination to be small and light, fulfilling the mandate of the system (at least for me). This only extends the value of this lens, much like it has the value of the 40mm STM to me. That lens has seen more duty on my M bodies than it has on my DSLRs in recent years. Here’s a little gallery of images taken on the M3 with the lens.
In Conclusion
There were two things that initially kept me from acquiring and/or reviewing this lens. First is the fact that I don’t shoot crop cameras all that often. When I do, it tends to be more with a small, mirrorless body that I’ve chosen for its compact size. I’ve owned the excellent EF-M 22mm f/2 STM for years and so I didn’t really need this lens. The advent of doing more and more video on crop sensor bodies like the 70D/80D is really what led me to the lens. Using it has convinced me of its value, which would be even higher if I didn’t already have a large kit of lenses and camera bodies.
It is rare that I refer to a lens as a “must own”, but I see no reason for a person that shoots crop sensor bodies (Rebel Series, xxxD, xxD, or 7D/7DII) to not own this lens. This is perhaps even truer if you own Canon’s diminutive SL1 body. The Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM has it all. Extremely compact size, a fairly large maximum aperture of f/2.8, great sharpness at all aperture values, fast focus, and a great, highly useful maximum magnification value of .27x. The bokeh is pretty nice (if a bit busy in some situations), distortion and chromatic aberrations fairly well controlled, and even the flare resistance is quite good. There is some vignette wide open, but this can be easily compensated for either in the camera body or in post. And at $149 in the US, the highly reasonable price removes the only barrier that might cause me to hesitate to recommend the lens. It will only work on crop sensor (APS-C) cameras, but the fact that it can perform excellent double duty on one of Canon’s EOS M bodies only extends its value. The field of view of this lens is on the wider end of “normal”, which means that it is an extremely versatile focal length that functions well as a general purpose lens. This is the kind of lens that Canon needs to produce more of…but I’ll be thankful for this one for now.
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Canon’s little EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM is an incredible little weapon for your APS-C (crop sensor) arsenal. It is less than inch long but is one of Canon’s sharpest EF-S lenses (second only to the excellent EF-S 60mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro lens). Highly portable, fast and accurately focusing, and with a reasonable price tag. This lens is pretty much a no-brainer if you are a Canon crop sensor shooter. Here are some images of and from the lens, with my review linkage to follow soon!
Images of the Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens
Images taken with the Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens
Purchasing your gear through B&H and these links helps fund this website and keeps the articles coming. Thank you for your support.
Great News! I can now offer a 5% discount on all purchases at Amplis Foto, Canada’s Leading Photographic Supplier. Please enter discount code: AMPLIS52016DA in your cart. It is good for everything in your cart, and is stackable with other coupons, too! It will take 5% off your entire order! Proceeds go towards keeping this site going and providing you with new reviews!
DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This is the first Voigtländer review I’ve ever done (but hopefully not the last). For many photographers Voigtländer is an unknown entity, but it is actually the oldest name in cameras, dating back to 1756 when it was founded by Johan Christoph Voigtländer in Vienna, Austria. This is a storied optical company despite its relative obscurity today; a famous unknown. If there is any more familiar comparison for modern audiences, it is to Zeiss, and in fact there was a period in the 20th century when Voigtländer was owned by Zeiss. In 1999 the Cosina lens company of Japan purchased the rights to start manufacturing lenses under the Voigtländer brand. Zeiss lenses are also manufactured in Japan for the most part, and the Voigtländer I’m reviewing here, the Voigtländer Color Skopar 20mm f/3.5 SL II is very similar in many ways to many Zeiss lenses that I’ve previously reviewed. Like those lenses, the Voigtländer 20mm is a manual focus only lens but with full electronic coupling including an electronic aperture iris (you change the f-stop from the camera just like any other lens). The only difference from modern AF lenses is that you have to manually focus…but as we will see, that manual focus is both easy and in many ways a joy.
Since this isn’t a new lens, I ventured out to see what other reviewers had reported about the lens. Few of them had anything to say, but the consensus was that while they appreciated the beautiful mechanical construction, they were less favorable about the optical performance. Their final verdict was not overwhelmingly positive. I bore that in mind as I did my own review, one unique in that I was reviewing the high resolution new Sigma 20mm f/1.4 ART lens (read my review here) at the same and doing a rather extreme comparison between the two.
The two lenses seem to have nothing in common save the fact that they both cover the same focal length, so I wanted to contrast two extremely different approaches to 20mm. My final analysis might surprise you…so read on.
By the way, doing this review has taught me a new life skill: ALT+228 produces the ä character.
Prefer to watch your reviews? I’ve got you covered…just click below!
Mechanical Construction
There is one thing that all reviewers can agree on; this is a splendidly made lens. Regular readers know that I have a soft spot for vintage (legacy) glass, particularly the well-made Zeiss and Takumar lenses from the past. The Voigtländer 20mm has all of that classic goodness along with some modern electronics to make life simpler. This is a “pancake” lens, and, as such, is fairly comparable in size to the Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM and the Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM (both of which I own).
The Voigtländer is slightly larger in every dimension but still obviously extremely compact. It is less than an inch and a quarter long. The only real deviation from the Canon lenses is in the weight, which, while still light in comparison to many lenses (the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 ART I just reviewed weighs a whopping 950g!) is still considerably heavier than the Canon lenses due to being all metal and glass. It feels infinitely better made than either of those lenses and is mechanically a delight to operate. It feels very dense and substantial in the hand. It has a timeless look much like the Zeiss Planar T* 1.4/50mm that I reviewed a few years ago. Because the lens is so short it is pretty much covered with focus distance markings and hyperfocal aids, but in a tasteful way. The finish is a black satin.
The Voigtländer 20mm is quite a pleasure to focus. It has a beautiful mechanical structure, with a beautifully damped focus ring like only the best manual focus lenses have. It feels just like some of my favorite Zeiss and vintage Takumar lenses, and thus, while expensive, it feels like a quality, long term investment in a lens to buy, keep, and use for many, many years. The lens is obviously very compact, so the knurled section of the metal focus ring is fairly narrow. It is positioned right towards the front of the lens, though, so it is very easy to find by feel. The focus ring has a perfect amount of focus throw, and on the copy I reviewed correct infinity focus was found at the hard stop. When I shot a nightscape I simply turned the focus ring to infinity and got accurate infinity focus (I had tested this in advance).
The front of the barrel will very slightly extend during focus, but the front element does not rotate, which means that using circular polarizers is fine. The front filter thread is a very common 52mm, and using a filter (or two) did not introduce additional vignette (more on that in a moment).
As previously noted the aperture iris can be controlled electronically via the camera in either Canon or Nikon versions. Much like Zeiss lenses, the Nikon version includes a manual aperture ring while the Canon version does not. The built in CPU on the lens allows for full metering functionality as well.
Note the “Cosina” manufacturing brand on the bayonet mount.
The lens optical formula is 9 elements in 6 groups; a bit more complex than the Canon pancake lenses due to the much more demanding focal length. Included in the formula is one aspherical element. Voigtländer also touts that every optical surface is fully multi-coated, and the lens is certainly nicely resistant to flare. It has nine rounded aperture blades and will retain a round aperture shape through f/5.6, after which the shape becomes a bit nonagonal.
While the lens can focus down quite closely (under 8 inches), the combination of focal length and unimpressive maximum aperture means that this lens is hardly going to produce much bokeh in the best of circumstances. There is nothing wrong with what bokeh it produces, however.
When stopped down the lens produces quite nice 18 pointed sunbursts, though they aren’t quite as nice as those produced by the Sigma. The overall look of this image, however, I preferred to a near identical one I took with the Sigma.
I’ve raved about the build and mechanics, but let me balance that with one marked criticism: both the front and rear lens caps stand out in a negative way as feeling cheap in comparison to the gorgeous lens itself. The front cap is a center pinch style that looks somewhat like Canon’s new caps but feels much flimsier, and the very shallow rear cap feels extremely dated (much like what I have on some of my legacy lenses from long ago when plastics were less refined). At least it isn’t as massive as the new Sigma 20mm f/1.4 cap!
If I were to own this lens I’d probably replace both caps (particularly that rear cap!) I felt the same way about the Zeiss Planar T* 1.4/50mm. I should also note that no lens hood is included. The LH-20 lens cap is an optional accessory and costs a steep $45. It would offer some protection value, but little actually shading of the lens. My opinion is that the greatest purpose it would serve is to help to protect the front element when it has extended due to close focus.
Here’s a few more pictures of this little beauty:
Voigtländer 20mm Focus Observations
Many photographers are scared off as soon as they hear the words “manual focus”. I have used some MF lenses that did require a great deal of skill to use right (both the Zeiss and Samyang 135mm f/2 lenses come to mind!), but this lens is far from a challenge to use even if your skill level isn’t high. The combination of a smallish maximum aperture and wide focal length means that focusing this lens is rarely a challenge. Even wide open (f/3.5) at 6 feet the depth of field is already about 7 ½ feet. If you are 10 feet from your subject the depth of field becomes a massive 44 ½ feet, and at that same distance if you stop down to f/5.6 the depth of field becomes infinite. In other words it is very easy to get something (everything) in focus.
It also helps that the Voigtländer 20mm has hyperfocal markings for a variety of aperture values. I don’t actually recall missing focus on any shots for the review. There were a few that I wished I had planned my hyperfocal distance a little better, but the focus itself was correct. The accurately calibrated infinity focus hard stop helped too; if I wanted to focus at infinity I just twisted the focus ring there.
I used a Canon EOS 6D body for the review with an EG-S Super Precision Matte focus screen especially for manual focus lenses (I keep one of my 6D bodies setup this way). While the name is a mouthful, it really comes down to one thing; the viewfinder shows true depth of field, or put even more simply, you can accurately see when things are in focus with a much greater degree of accuracy than with the standard focus screen. Many people have never dared change their focus screen, but the focus screen costs $35 and literally took me less than two minutes even the first time I changed one out. Very simple.
The lens also has focus confirm so that the appropriate focus point lights up when the camera detects focus has been achieved. The end result; this lens is exceptionally easy to focus.
How About the Optics?
The reviewers were not wrong when they said the lens is not particularly sharp. Center resolution is quite good, actually, but the corner resolution lags and the extreme corners really lag. This is fine if you are shooting relatively close and just want center focus, like with this shot of some spring blossoms.
If you want acceptable corner performance, though, you need to stop the lens down. Here’s a landscape image at f/3.5 along with the crops from across the center of the frame.
Using the lens between f/5.6and f/8 hits its optical sweet spot (f/5.6 provides peak center performance but f/8 produces the best balance across the frame). Here’s the same series as before, except now at f/8.
The lens can be stopped down to f/22, but starting at f/11 diffraction will slowly start to set in and give you ever diminishing returns. I thought that my controlled f/11 sample still looked a bit better overall in the corners than the f/8, though.
I am probably the only lens reviewer [ever] to directly compare the Voigtländer 20mmwith the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 ART, but in a controlled, head to the head comparison I found that at f/5.6 and f/8 the Sigma had the advantage in sharpness over the most of the frame (the extreme corners actually slightly favored the Voigtländer, through the center of the frame edges were clearly a win for the Sigma. That being said, however, the Sigma is sharper in the mid-frame edges at f/1.4 than the Voigtländer was at f/8 in my tests.
I did find that I slightly favored the color rendition of the Voigtländer, although I liked the contrast from the Sigma better. It is worth noting that the Voigtländer framed a bit wider, so the Sigma may be [slightly] fudging on the 20mm designation. I set my Tamron 15-30 VC lens to the 20mm setting and found that the Voigtländer was equally wide, so I believe that it is a true 20mm. This is nice in so compact a lens.
The comparison before this showed the left hand of the frame, and this one shows the right. In both you can see that the Voigtländer is noticeably wider.
Beyond a general lack of high resolution, the Voigtländer 20mm has only one significant optical flaw: a very heavy vignette. At f/3.5 (wide open) I have to maximize Lightroom’s manual vignette correction sliders (100%) in both amount of correction and how far I have to extend the correction into the frame. The Sigma actually had minutely more vignette (at f/1.4), but unlike the Voigtländer it clears up fair quickly. There is a standard profile for RAW images that will make the proper correction, but if you are shooting at higher ISO settings you may introduce some noise into the corners because of the amount of vignette correction required. Even at f/5.6 I still need to do more manual correction that I need to with most lenses. At no point (aperture value) does the vignette disappear completely, though it is pretty well gone by f/8. This is most certainly a byproduct of the compromises inherit in such a compact lens.
This is not going to be anyone’s top pick for night sky shooting (astrophotography) because of its slowish maximum aperture and heavy vignette. It’s coma control isn’t fantastic; expect stars or other bright points of light on the edge of the frame to grow wings and look a bit smeared. Wide open (f/3.5) the particularly bright stars towards the edges look like tiny white birds trying to fly out the frame!
I was disappointed by the Sigma in this regard as well, but, in all fairness, it was a bit better than the Voigtländer. Still, don’t let my review stop you from using this lens to shoot the night sky; images are still attractive at typical viewing proportions. They just don’t hold up under detailed inspection. This image, for example, I really like, even if I am critical of the coma at a pixel level.
If little of that seems positive, read on…things do get better.
There are certainly a number of praiseworthy things, too. Chromatic aberrations are very well controlled even wide open, so CA won’t be a factor in reducing apparent sharpness or adding unwanted color tints. The lens is also very flare resistant, and even when I put the sun strongly in or right out of the frame I had no issues with either ghosting or veiling.
I also really like the color rendition from the lens. Colors are rich and yet accurate. It is akin to Zeiss lenses in this regard, as is the ability to produce nicely three dimensional images.
So here’s the bottom line: the lens does not chart well nor necessarily produce amazing results in the fine details, but yet I liked the look of the images the lens produced on a global level, and the ones that I’ve shared from the lens have been very well received. Some lenses chart well and yet produce images that are less than the sum of their parts. For some lenses the opposite is true, and that is what I feel after having used the Voigtländer 20mm for the past five weeks. The lens isn’t nearly as sharp as the Sigma, and yet when I processed images that I took at the same time and of the same subjects the processing didn’t really seem much different…nor did the end result.
I got a lot of images I loved with the little Voigtländer – take a look at the Lens Image Gallery to see many more of them.
Conclusions
I mentioned that as a part of my review process I looked at the feedback from some fellow reviewers (the rare ones that have spent time with this lens). Their reviews were generally not favorable. It’s not that I disagree with them; when one measures this lens on charts or in an absolute optical sense it is far from the top lens that I’ve ever reviewed. But as I used and travelled with this lens I began to wonder if perhaps those reviews weren’t missing the point. While this lens lacks the superlative optical performance of the new class benchmark that I was concurrently reviewing (the Sigma 20mm f/1.4 ART), I’ll let you in on a little secret; I actually reached for the Voigtländer 20mm more often. Why? One simple reason: it was easy to bring along. If I went out with a telephoto or another prime as my principle lens, it was a no brainer to throw the Voigtländer 20mm in a pocket or a little padded case attached to my lens bag. Having the ability to have that great focal length in such a compact package was very liberating. If I brought it along and never used it, I wouldn’t think it a big deal because the size/weight impact was so minute. There are a number of you that simply don’t want massive prime lenses (like the Sigma), so you may just find that this is a perfect alternative.
If you are traveling and want access to a wide focal length, it is a great option. If you don’t often shoot wide angle but would like to the have the option in your arsenal, it’s a great choice. If you just prefer a light, discreet lens, it’s a great option. It isn’t cheap (US price is $499), but is cheaper than most of its direct competitors. When stopped down to optimal apertures (f/5.6-f/8) the images for landscape turn out fine, and even the wide open aperture (f/3.5) has plenty of usefulness (just so long as sharp corners aren’t a part of the equation). The Voigtländer Color Skopar 20mm f/3.5 SL II uses traditional filters in a small size (52mm), has good color, CA control, and flare resistance. It is easy to handhold even stopped down because of the wide focal length. Other than the cheap feeling front and rear lens caps the build and construction are gorgeous and the lens feels like it will last a lifetime. Full confession: I’ve caught myself trolling eBay and B&H’s used department looking for a cheap used copy. I don’t need this lens (I have several lenses covering this focal length), but I sure wouldn’t mind having one!
Pros:
Wonderfully compact for this focal length (a fraction of the size of the Sigma ART lens)
Fantastic mechanical construction
Very easy to focus and use
Great color rendition
Great flare resistance and chromatic aberration control
A true 20mm focal length in a pancake size
Lovely drawing and global look to images
Well calibrated infinity focus
Cons:
Corner sharpness poor at wider apertures
Maximum aperture of only f/3.5
Strong vignette
Poor coma control
Lens hood not included, and lens caps feel cheap compared to the lens
Purchasing your gear through B&H and these links helps fund this website and keeps the articles coming. Thank you for your support.
Great News! I can now offer a 5% discount on all purchases at Amplis Foto, Canada’s Leading Photographic Supplier. Please enter discount code: AMPLIS52016DA in your cart. It is good for everything in your cart, and is stackable with other coupons, too! It will take 5% off your entire order! Proceeds go towards keeping this site going and providing you with new reviews!
DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Voigtländer Color Skopar 20mm f/3.5 SL II Image Gallery
Dustin Abbott
March 26th, 2016
Tiny but Wide
The Voigtländer Color Skopar 20mm f/3.5 SL II is a unique lens. It is a “pancake” (very compact) lens, yet has a very wide focal length of 20mm. I’ve really enjoyed having such a wide focal length in such a compact package. It doesn’t set any resolution records, but it is capable of producing very nice results when used at optimal apertures. I will be sharing a series of images of the lens and by the lens as I work through my review process. I’m an experienced lens reviewer but had never reviewed a Voigtländer lens. I had a number of readers/viewers mentioning them to me, so I decided to bring the Color Skopar 20mm f/3.5 in at the same time as the new Sigma 20mm f/1.4 ART as a contrast of extreme approaches to the same focal length. Though the Sigma obviously has higher resolution, I actually reached for the Voigtländer more often, and here’s why: read my review here.
Images of the Voigtländer Color Skopar 20mm f/3.5 SL II
Images by the Voigtländer Color Skopar 20mm f/3.5 SL II
Purchasing your gear through B&H and these links helps fund this website and keeps the articles coming. Thank you for your support.
Great News! I can now offer a 5% discount on all purchases at Amplis Foto, Canada’s Leading Photographic Supplier. Please enter discount code: AMPLIS52016DA in your cart. It is good for everything in your cart, and is stackable with other coupons, too! It will take 5% off your entire order! Proceeds go towards keeping this site going and providing you with new reviews!
DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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