Review: Viltrox AF 28mm/4.5 for Fujifilm
The most compact autofocus lens on the market.
If portability is your top priority, this might be your cup of tea. However, if other things like focus capabilities and overall sharpness also influence your choice, I'll try to address these and a few other points below, with sample images.
It’s so small, you could use it as a body cap.
The pancake design, which allows the lens — when attached to a small camera — to fit in any pant pocket, also comes with its downsides: there's no manual focus option with the Viltrox. And even if you're not the type of person who uses that feature, let me tell you — the focus ring would be very useful for applying corrections when the autofocus fails, which isn't all that uncommon.
The build is solid, made of metal, and gives a sense of quality and durability. The fixed f/4.5 aperture is limiting when it comes to low-light environments, but it's also what allows the lens to be so compact.
Something I don’t see many people talk about, but that really comes in handy when it’s time to slip this setup into a bag or a pocket, is that the lens, thanks to its tiny front element, comes with a built-in lens cap. It’s not a huge deal, but not having to worry about losing the cap, or just being able to throw the camera into anywhere without fear of scratching the glass, is priceless.
Now, about the user experience: the first thing I did with the lens was connect it to the computer and update its firmware, since it wasn’t working properly out of the box. The design is quite clever, with an USB-C port built directly into the lens body. This means there’s no need for adapters, which is a common practice with other brands.
After that, I was ready to go out and shoot. In the beginning, the first thing that stands out — and understandably so — is how light and portable the setup becomes. Once that initial excitement wears off, I started to realize that this lens might actually be a perfect candidate for a project I’m currently working on, which is to document things that I stumble upon during my daily runs.
With all that in mind, I found myself hoping the lens would perform as well as possible. In the end, it was a mixed but mostly positive experience. I say that mainly because of the autofocus, which let me down a few times during my very first run with the lens.
It’s sharp enough, shows very little chromatic aberration, handles lens flare surprisingly well considering the lack of a hood, and doesn’t show any vignetting — all while adding a really interesting character to the photos. Honestly, during day time this lens just seems too good to be true, but then there is its not so great autofocus performance.
Even in situations where the scene’s contrast should’ve made focusing easy, it felt like the lens would simply choose not to focus.
This improved as I went through a bit of a learning curve with it. I realized that the best way to make sure it focused where I wanted was to lock focus as early as possible, recompose, and rely on the f/4.5 aperture to create a deep enough focus area for my subject to fall within it.
Focusing at infinity is — as expected — very easy.
You see, I'm not picky about autofocus. I own some manual lenses and feel totally comfortable focusing on my own. But in this case, there’s no focus ring, and I wish it had one.
In the end, using that technique — and accepting the risk that I might miss a good shot because it would be out of focus — I managed to take a few photos that I was really happy with.
All things considered, the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 is a unique lens that strikes a balance between excellent portability, solid build and image quality, and a compromise when it comes to autofocus performance. It’s a great choice for those who value a compact setup and don’t mind working around a few limitations.
If you enjoy street photography, travel documentation, or just want an everyday lens and need at least some autofocus, this one definitely has its charm. On the other hand, if you rely on fast and highly reliable autofocus, or often shoot in low-light conditions, this lens might leave you feeling frustrated.
It’s not for everyone, but I’d say that for a lot of people, it can be a surprisingly fun and capable tool.
Jo.
