Nikon cameras are great, and their lenses work perfectly well with the mirrorless cameras. However, when it comes to third-party options, Tamron seems like an ideal pair, given how the autofocus works. Viltrox is another player who has been in the game, and they continue to offer lenses that are much more affordable than Tamron’s. If you are someone who wants a lens that offers a bright aperture at a decent cost, here are some offerings.
Viltrox AF 16mm f1.8
One of Viltrox’s widest lens offerings, the AF 16mm f1.8 features 15 elements in 12 groups. It has a close focusing distance of 0.27m, an LCD screen, and 0.1x magnification. This lens is an ideal option for anyone who wants something in between the Nikon 14-24mm. There is exceptional sharpness, there is a de-click aperture ring, and the autofocus is pretty quick. There is weather sealing, and you also get a USB-C port for future firmware updates.
Viltrox 35mm f1.2 LAB Z
The 35mm f1.2 LAB Z comes with 15 elements in 10 groups, including 5 ED, 3 HR, and 2 UA elements. You get a close focusing distance of 0.34m, 11 aperture blades, and a 77mm front element. The lens features quick autofocus, and the image quality is pretty great. “The center detail at f1.2 is excellent, and the corners clean up quickly as you stop down,” we said in our review. You get rich color rendering and nice bokeh, making your inages look cinematic.
Viltrox AF 50mm F2 Air Z
The Viltrox 50mm f2 features 3 ED lenses, 4 high-refractive elements, and 1 aspherical element. There is also a close focusing distance of 0.51m, it weighs 220g, and has 9 aperture blades. The lens’ autofocus is quiet, sharp, and quick. One also gets good low-light performance with this focusing system. The image quality is sharp, and you also get creamy bokeh. As we said in our review, “High-resolution cameras like the Nikon Z8 we used in our testing can be extremely unforgiving when using cheaper glass, but we didn’t find that to be the case with 50mm f2 Air.”
Viltrox 85mm f1.4 Pro
The 85mm f1.4 Pro features a close focusing distance of 0.79m, weighs 835g, and has 11 aperture blades. The lens has an all-metal exterior with weather resistance, and the autofocus is really fast. You can easily move the focus from the foreground to the background in seconds. “The eye AF tracking stayed locked in, and I could see myself clearly reflected in the subjects’ eyes,” we said. The sharpness is great, the color rendering is great, and you get really top-notch bokeh with this lens.
Viltrox 135mm f1.8
The 135mm f1.8 has 14 elements in 9 groups, a minimum of 0.72m of focusing distance, and 11 aperture blades. The lens has a natural bokeh fall off, the skin tones look vibrant, and the bokeh is creamy. “It rendering makes you want to keep shooting just to see how it transforms different backgrounds,” we said in our review. It is a nice, high-end version of a third-party lens, which is what most people will love.
Each of these options is great and cost-effective, making them ideal for young professionals alike.