Viltrox has been manufacturing third party lenses for a while now and has hit the mark with quality and construction at a very reasonable price point. Their latest release, the 13mm f/1.4 is aimed at photographers and vloggers.
First, I will say that I am very fond of Viltrox lenses, specifically the 85mm f/1.8 lens, which I have owned on two different bodies for the Nikon system and I am currently using it on one. Nikon Z 7II. But that doesn’t mean this review is biased in any way. I wanted the lens for a specific reason, and that was to write a vlog so I could lock it to a wide aperture and let the lens do the rest. My current setup for vlog is Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 WILL the lens is at about 20mm, so combine Viltrox 13mm f/1.4 and the crop factor gives me the focal range I want at a wider aperture and at a lower cost than the Nikon.
Construction and Handling
The lens is sturdy with a metal construction that is machined to a high standard and feels more expensive than it really is. Whether it’s a benefit or not is up to the user, but it definitely makes your investment feel worth it and for only $429, you definitely get your money’s worth. I have Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.8 Z, and I love using the lens for different subjects, but the catch I have about it is the lens hood. It’s really annoying, and I’m lucky if I can get it to continue correctly the first or second time. When I opened the metal lens hood for this lens out of the box and tried to attach it, it worked fine.
There’s a USB-C port in the lens mount, which means future lenses will be protected with firmware updates. I haven’t needed the update yet, so I can’t say if it’s going to be a smooth process, but I’m sure it will. The lens doesn’t have a weatherproof diaphragm, but since it’s an internal focus lens, there’s not too much of a worry about dust getting in. The aperture can be controlled through the lens, which I prefer. The lens feels like a Fuji lens in its construction and operation, so that’s a plus. The aperture ring is also really smooth for manual use, or can be locked to work automatically with your camera.
There’s no lens stabilization, which means you have to rely on the camera’s own IBIS for handheld shooting or movie recording. However, this is not a bad thing as most cameras these days have IBIS. This also keeps the price of lenses down and competitive.
Performance
The autofocus is surprisingly fast, not that I don’t think so, but it does work faster than I really expected and produces good results every time. For the following examples, I used spot focus and have provided the original shot plus 100% zoom on the focus area to allow you to see the results. The following images were taken at f/1.4 to see how the lens performs in extended mode, and for the purposes of this review, I simply turned on the auto feature in Lightroom.
It is not a bulky lens or weighs just 429 g and can easily be carried around all day if you want the ability to shoot in different lighting conditions. It also works well at different apertures with no obvious flaws that could ruin the image. For myself, the sweet spot lies between the f/5.6 and f/8 ranges, and although it performs excellently at f/1.4, I tend to favor results at f/2.8 for photography. Filming at f/1.4 is a dream and for any vloggers reading this who are considering this lens, I would definitely use it, as it has a lovely bokeh transition at the point of view. this stop.
The phone shot below will hopefully give you some context on how far the lens is from the bridge wall. This image relates to the first image in the gallery, which is a series of shots taken at various apertures from f/2.8 to f/16.
What do you like
I am a lover of the aperture ring on the lens. This can be locked so your camera controls the aperture. The weight of the lens itself isn’t heavy, though I don’t want to vlog all day with it. Lenses combined with gimbal will be the right combination for longer vlog sessions. Did I mention the hood? Well, it connects exactly as it should without the fumbling or frustrations associated with profanity like with my previous attempts with the 85mm.
What I don’t like
So far, I haven’t found anything that doesn’t fit the lens. If anything, the aperture ring is so slippery that I think you might damage it using it manually. I used the lens mostly locked on a tripod for filming, so didn’t really get a chance to move it a bit and your display will tell if the aperture has been moved before take pictures or record videos. On the Nikon Z 7iI, the image selection in the menu has been disabled, so I can only assume that will probably come in an update.
Inference
At this price point and with its wide f/1.4 aperture, this lens is really worth considering adding to your kit. Whether it was for taking pictures or doing vlogs, it worked well. For me it will be mainly used to do vlogs, but that’s its intended use anyway. However, I can see this being used when I’m out for a walk, in the city or in the countryside, as a general lens. It’s not the smallest lens, but it’s also not the most annoying to carry around every day. It packs a lot into the size.
The bokeh at wider apertures is very acceptable and there is a lovely transition between the focus point and the background. It is a sharp lens with minimal distortion at the edges.
If you’re using it for vlogs, I don’t think you can currently buy a better lens with such a wide aperture anywhere near this price range, so that would be a good deal. fit. The focal length is just right for excerpts from handheld cameras, allowing your background and face to be well positioned in the scene. The wide aperture also helps to differentiate this and considering there is less focused breath, it will definitely give you the results you want.
From a general photography point of view, I really enjoy using this lens in different situations. I also like the challenge of being fixed at one focal length when shooting, as I feel it tightens your composition skills somewhat.
The Viltrox 13mm f/1.4 It has excellent sharpness and is very portable at a very competitive price, making this lens a must-think.
