I spent a few weeks testing the new one Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 Lens for Fujifilmand in the article and accompanying video, I share my thoughts on one of the most interesting third-party lenses on the market today.
specifications
Focal length: 75mm (35mm equivalent focal length: 112.5mm)
Maximum aperture: f/1.2
Minimum aperture: f/16
Viewing Angle: 21.35°
Minimum focus distance: 34.6″ / 88 cm
Maximum magnification: 0.1x
Optical design: 16 elements in 11 groups
Membrane blade: 11
Focus type: Autofocus
Image Stabilization: No
Filter size: 77 mm (Front)
Dimensions: (ø x L) 3.4 x 4″ / 87 x 101 mm
Weight: 23.6 oz / 670 g
Quality build and design
The Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 . autofocus lens is the first in their high-end PRO series, and it was clear from the first unboxing that this lens made business sense. It’s all-metal and feels incredibly solid, with a smooth focus tube and aperture ring that have just enough resistance to snap into place without feeling bulky. The lens is certainly not small or light, but I found it quite comfortable to use. I really like how it pairs with the Fujifilm X-T5, not only aesthetically, but more importantly, it’s perfectly balanced with the camera, especially for a lens with a 112-equivalent full-frame focal length. ,5 mm. The aperture ring and focus ring and both are large enough to easily find them without searching with your finger when looking through the viewfinder. The lens is also water and dust resistant, with some rubber gaskets located throughout the body as well as around the mount. Viltrox calls it “professional-grade waterproof and dustproof design”. The lens hood is a hard plastic and matches the quality of the lens. Overall, the 75mm lens is pretty solid and even has a PRO badge engraved into the metal rim, a nice touch that enhances the premium nature of the lens.
Image quality
All images in this review were taken with the Fujifilm X-T5. I first tested the 75mm lens at my studio using several different lighting setups. In this image of my photographer friend Alex, I used a parallel setup and shot wide open at f/1.2, focusing on his camera’s right eye. I was impressed not only by the overall sharpness but also by how well the Viltrox resolved on the X-T5’s 40-megapixel sensor. There is a lot of detail, excellent color rendering, and good contrast.
In the next image of my bandmate Jesse, I switched to Rembrandt style lights and used a single Westcott flex panel and again extended the shot. Viltrox is sharp once again, with excellent natural colors and pleasant transitions from highlights to shadows. Skin tones are well represented and colors are pleasing without making any adjustments in post-production. Again, I focused on the subject’s camera right eye.
For this final image from my studio, I used Nanlite in a reflector placed very close to my subject. Check out the details in his sunglasses. As before, images are extremely sharp, with all the detail I would have liked. I’m also pleased with how well this image handled my retouching, in which I broke quite a bit of black. This photo was taken at f/2.5.
Next, I took the 75mm Viltrox to a location in Astoria to take some concert photos in low light. And this particular location had very little stage light, so it was the perfect challenge for the lens. When shooting at ISO 3,200, 4,000 and higher, I was able to produce excellent results with acceptable graininess. The black and white image below was shot at ISO 3,200 and again shot wide open at f/1.2. The speed of the lens is very useful in such a dimly lit room.
I ended up taking the 75mm X-T5 and Viltrox with me on a family outing and took a bunch of portraits of my kids. The 112.5mm-equivalent full-frame focal length requires you to shoot portraits, and since it’s a truly see-through portrait lens here, it really shines. As before, the overall sharpness and detail impressed me. But what I love most is the beautiful colors, pleasant skin tones and great contrast. Portrait photographers will absolutely love the bokeh effect and for those who like to shoot in wide-open mode, this lens will succeed. In terms of image quality, this is one of the best lenses I’ve tested, and certainly on par with the quality I get with my Fujifilm lenses.
auto focus
I upgraded the firmware to version 1.0.2 after my studio session and there was a noticeable difference in autofocus performance. I think the autofocus was good even before the update, so the slight change in performance is a great thing. One thing I really appreciate is the quietness of the lens. The STM motor is fast and virtually silent, and when using this motor with eye tracking, I was able to achieve excellent and consistent results with the X-T5. When using the camera in single-focus mode, I’ve noticed that AF is a bit faster than when using it in AF-C mode, so if you like using continuous autofocus like I do, you will lose some speed. But never when using the 75mm did I feel like autofocus speed and accuracy hindered my ability to take pictures. In my studio, where most of the ambient light was off, the lens easily tracked the subject’s eye even when it was obscured in the dark. Again, when shooting a dim stage, the lens doesn’t search for faces and easily locks onto subjects illuminated with a very minimalistic stage light. Shooting in extremely poor light is really no problem for the lens. Outdoors during the day, nearly all but a handful of photos I took were in perfect focus, even when shooting in wide-open mode. I also took some backlit portraits in the sun, and this posed no problems for the autofocus system.
Ribbed like perfect
Up until now, I’ve raved about this lens, and with good reason. However, I did find an area where the lens was a bit short. When shooting with the setting sun directly behind my subject, there was quite a bit of flare. While the lens had no trouble focusing and even tracking my subject, I was a bit surprised by the amount of flare. Keep in mind that I purposely put the lens in a very difficult situation to see how well the autofocus works in heavy backlit.
Conclusion
Aside from some flare when shooting in direct sunlight, I can’t really find anything negative to say about the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2. In fact, from the moment I put it on camera, I fell in love with it, because it has the same handling as a much more expensive Fujifilm lens in terms of design, performance, and most importantly, quality. image. I think Viltrox has had great success with this lens, and for those of us who shoot with Fujifilm cameras, it’s a very compelling lens in terms of focal length, autofocus, and overall quality. body.
What I Like
- Great picture quality
- Fast, quiet autofocus
- Strong build quality
- Thoughtful design throughout
What I don’t like
- Glow when shooting in the sun
- No built-in image stabilizer
To purchase the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 for your Fujifilm camera, visit This.
