Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 Lens For Fujifilm X-Mount (Silver)

Haven't used it much yet, but it seemed to auto-focus in almost near dark (Probably 4-5 stops underexposed overall). The build is good. I got it on sale for a phenomenal price. Should be a good video lens. Lens arrived within about 24hrs - very fast... just missed the courier though :) I can happily recommend this lens, and Rubber Monkey :)

Didn't work right out of box..disappointed.

The lens just didn't work right out of the box on my firmware updated nikon zfc (firmware v 1.41). Was really hoping to use this 35mm equivalent glass on my zfc, but the chances of it stopping again when nikon updates their firmware made me return it .The focus speed on the lens is also pretty slow too. Yes its a 3rd party lens, but with these new technology you would expect a little faster focusing on these mirrorless cameras. Not sure if it was my copy which had issues with focusing.There is a aperture control ring on the lens, which can't be locked or disabled , which I found very strange, as I had already accidentally changed the aperture a few times within the couple of hours I had the lens with me.A few sample shots that I took with this lens, looked OK ... MoreThe lens just didn't work right out of the box on my firmware updated nikon zfc (firmware v 1.41). Was really hoping to use this 35mm equivalent glass on my zfc, but the chances of it stopping again when nikon updates their firmware made me return it .The focus speed on the lens is also pretty slow too. Yes its a 3rd party lens, but with these new technology you would expect a little faster focusing on these mirrorless cameras. Not sure if it was my copy which had issues with focusing.There is a aperture control ring on the lens, which can't be locked or disabled , which I found very strange, as I had already accidentally changed the aperture a few times within the couple of hours I had the lens with me.A few sample shots that I took with this lens, looked OK on the back of the camera. but I didn't check any further to compare it with any other glass.But overall, was disappointed, as I ordered this and not the Nikon 24 1.7, for the fast 1.4 aperture and hoping to use it with my ZFC all the time. But not working right out the box with a camera is a big red flag for any lens. Firmware updates are there to make an equipment work better and not make it work in the first place :-).Hope Viltrox can fix this for their upcoming glass to make it a smooth experience for customers.

Fabulous but lacking the nth degree

I have ENJOYED using this lens, so far with stills only. The 23mm focal length (approx. 35mm equivalent on a ff sensor) achieves an excellent balance for a general-use lens. Focusing is FAST, the lens has excellent sharpness even wide open, and contrast is pretty good. And considering the price, it's a GOOD DEAL--about $500 less than the Fuji 23 1.4! But when you look at the photos these lenses get, you start to see why the Fuji would cost more: somehow the combination of contrast and nicer colors just makes the Fuji 23 1.4's images a bit spicier straight out of camera. But then again you can adjust in editing. And the real selling point on this lens is if you use it for VIDEO: MUCH quieter autofocusing than the Fuji! Video with this lens seems organic and is a real ... MoreI have ENJOYED using this lens, so far with stills only. The 23mm focal length (approx. 35mm equivalent on a ff sensor) achieves an excellent balance for a general-use lens. Focusing is FAST, the lens has excellent sharpness even wide open, and contrast is pretty good. And considering the price, it's a GOOD DEAL--about $500 less than the Fuji 23 1.4! But when you look at the photos these lenses get, you start to see why the Fuji would cost more: somehow the combination of contrast and nicer colors just makes the Fuji 23 1.4's images a bit spicier straight out of camera. But then again you can adjust in editing. And the real selling point on this lens is if you use it for VIDEO: MUCH quieter autofocusing than the Fuji! Video with this lens seems organic and is a real pleasure!

Great Value!

Is this the ultimate, sharpest, most technically perfect lens to exist? No, of course not. But I doubt you can find many lenses in this price range that are built as well and take photos as well. With Fuji's film recipes, you get some really nice images out the camera without needing much, if any, post-production work. I think this is a perfect lens for daily use or content creation. I also took a video of a drive up in the palisades and it looked great. It's not weather-sealed, so that's a consideration, and it's definitely bigger/heavier than the Fuji XF 23 f2, but between the two, I prefer the Viltrox - the extra stops are a very useful and the price is less, which is a bonus.

It's a budget lens, know what you're buying

This lens is a great lens. For the price, it is amazing what Viltrox can put together. However, I have found sharpness to be quite uneven; it is great in the center, but there are certain scenarios which stretch it's limits in terms of sharpness of the side thirds of the frame. One particular scenario which stretched the limits of this lens was taking group photos. As an amateur wedding photographer, I found this lens struggles quite a bit across the aperture range (not just shooting wide open, obviously), leading people on the side thirds of the frame to be noticeably less sharp than in the center of the frame.

It's good, engaging lens with 2 personalities

I bought this lens because of it's size, speed, focal length and having an aperture ring. For perspective, I own and am comfortable with Sigma trio and have the Sony 16-55 amongst other lesser lenses. These are great lenses and are my references. And I shoot JPEG exclusively.To my knowledge this is one of the first AF APSC lenses for Sony to include an aperture ring. Fuji users have had this for a long time and we have them to thank for raising the bar in the Sony world.The lens is well built but in my opinion, despite having more metal than the Sigmas and Sony 16-55, it seems to be a notch below the references. It is small and comfortable. The focus ring has good resistance, the aperture ring is clickless with little detent near it's slip from the aperture ... MoreI bought this lens because of it's size, speed, focal length and having an aperture ring. For perspective, I own and am comfortable with Sigma trio and have the Sony 16-55 amongst other lesser lenses. These are great lenses and are my references. And I shoot JPEG exclusively.To my knowledge this is one of the first AF APSC lenses for Sony to include an aperture ring. Fuji users have had this for a long time and we have them to thank for raising the bar in the Sony world.The lens is well built but in my opinion, despite having more metal than the Sigmas and Sony 16-55, it seems to be a notch below the references. It is small and comfortable. The focus ring has good resistance, the aperture ring is clickless with little detent near it's slip from the aperture range to A. Some have complained about accidentally slipping from the useful aperture range to the A setting. It's not a problem for the way I use this lens. I always use the camera in A priority. I start from 1.4 and dial down to what I want. This lens has so much diffraction at f16 and probably at f11 that I stay at f9 and below anyway. I'll return to this in the conclusion.I like this focal length. For me 35mm (in FF speak) is the new normal and 50mm seems to frame too tightly. With a f1.4 lens, even on APSC, you can get some good subject isolation. See the samples.A word about autofocus. I had to upgrade my firmware from 1.06 to 1.08 before using it (easy-peasy). It was confused before the upgrades but it's good after. It's AF is not perfect but it's good on a Sony a6000. It's a notch below the Sigmas and any Sony but Viltrox should be proud of their performance for such a newcomer. Recall that Sigma wallowed in obscurity for over a decade before they raised their game.Note that there are no in-camera corrections for this lens. The Sigma's and Sony's do. Maybe Viltrox will provide something as a firmware upgrade later. That would raise the value of this lens a bunch to close to the Sigmas in my opinion.The image quality is good across the frame from f2.8 - f8.0. All APSC lenses suffer with smaller aperatures. But you buy a lens like this for using it's speed at least sometimes. From f1.4 - f2.5 there are some issues to be aware of - a.k.a its character. The lens has tons of vignetting - most lenses, especially fast lenses, do. It's softer outside the center too - all but most exotic lenses suffer this too. The former is normally corrected or reduced in-camera, but this one isn't. Next the colours are warmer and more saturated than neutral - if you like that, I prefer neutral. Finally there seems to be some micro contrast reduction across the frame at all f-stops and focus ranges. The Sigma trio and Sony 16-55 don't have these issues.Finally it doesn't focus as close as I'd wish. With that fast aperture and focal lens, focusing close is the only way you the ability to get that subject separation. It can do it, but closer focus would be appreciated. Sigma seems to know this and the 16 and 30 do a good job there.I've given this lens 4 stars and it earned it. Viltrox has a good combination of price, speed, size, functionality and performance. I find this lens engaging in the photographic process - I didn't realize how much I missed dialing in the aperture directly. I did.The optical performance of this lens is good and has character (in its rendering of detail, colour and vignetting). Some of that character is subdued in the landscape apertures but it's still there. Technically the Viltrox doesn't challenge the Sigma trio - it's not as consistent or refined in autofocus. But it's fun and engaging to use. It's capable of good images and characterful images. I'd recommend it, especially for those of you who want to dial in the aperture on the ring. If you're not doing that, it's a hard case to make over the Sigmas or even complementing them.I've attached a bunch of images to show you the character of this lens. Sometimes that character is really nice. I show you how damaging it can be in a worst-case scenario and more normal scenarios.I recall lenses from the 1980's having a look like this (at a much higher cost).Hope you enjoy this review,

Phenomenal lens!

This is a great lens! Great build quality makes it a pleasure to use. The balance on my Z50 is superb. The 1.4 aperture combined with the reliable and quick autofocus opens a lot of creative windows.On my first outing with it, I shot into the sun and was shocked by how little flare there was. I was also taken aback by the lack of any obvious distortion and the crisp contrast.I felt right at home with this lens right away. At a price of $300, this lens is a no-brainer.

Wonderful lens all around

This is my first non-Fuji autofocus lens. I researched the crap out of various new 3rd party lenses before making this purchase, and was *still* pleasantly surprised by the image quality, low light performance and rendering. I love shooting at night and this lens does NOT disappoint. Both manual and back button focusing are a breeze, and the autofocus works quickly and quietly.The only negatives: A stepless aperture ring on a fly-by-wire lens is useless on a Fuji camera -- especially for video, as exposure changes aren't smooth.. ever. But that's Fuji's issue, not the Viltrox. The ring is stiff enough to avoid accidental changes most of the time.. but I would have preferred incremental half-stop clicks. The other negative is purely aesthetic -- the Viltrox doesn't ... MoreThis is my first non-Fuji autofocus lens. I researched the crap out of various new 3rd party lenses before making this purchase, and was *still* pleasantly surprised by the image quality, low light performance and rendering. I love shooting at night and this lens does NOT disappoint. Both manual and back button focusing are a breeze, and the autofocus works quickly and quietly.The only negatives: A stepless aperture ring on a fly-by-wire lens is useless on a Fuji camera -- especially for video, as exposure changes aren't smooth.. ever. But that's Fuji's issue, not the Viltrox. The ring is stiff enough to avoid accidental changes most of the time.. but I would have preferred incremental half-stop clicks. The other negative is purely aesthetic -- the Viltrox doesn't look as cool/retro as Fuji cameras and some of their primes.. so in a way this lens looks *decades* newer than my X-T3!Also, when updating firmware, be sure and purchase a USB micro *data* cable. I have about 10 USB-micro cables around the house, but NONE worked because they're designed for device charging rather than data transfer. I almost returned the lens before I figured this out.