$190 Viltrox AF 20mm f/2.8 E-Mount Lens Promises Great Value
Chinese lens maker Viltrox routinely releases high-quality lenses that far outpace their affordable price tags. For example, per PetaPixel’s review by Ryan Mense, the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE lens has “no business being this cheap.” Viltrox has launched a new AF 20mm f/2.8 FE lens for full-frame Sony cameras for just $190 that appears to also be very good.
First teased as part of a lens roadmap released in China, the Viltrox AF 20mm f/2.8 FE is available to photographers now and has thus far proved popular with reviewers, including Phillip Skraba on YouTube.
Viltrox’s new compact prime lens is very lightweight, tipping the scales at just 157 grams (5.5 ounces). Compared to Sony’s faster 20mm f/1.8 G lens, the Viltrox 20mm f/2.8 is 216g (7.7 ounces) lighter. Perhaps a better point of comparison is the Sony FE 24mm f/2.8 G lens, which is on sale for $550 and sports a pancake-style design like the Viltrox 20mm f/2.8. Sony’s 24mm f/2.8 lens is also impressively lightweight at 162g (5.8 ounces).
The Viltrox AF 20mm f/2.8 FE lens features 10 elements organized across eight groups, including a pair of ED lens elements, two aspherical lenses, and a high refractive index element. The lens also includes “HD Nano” multilayer coating.
As for focus, the autofocus system is driven by a “noiseless” STM focus motor, and the lens can focus as close as 0.19 meters (7.5 inches). Viltrox promises that the lens works with eye and face-detect autofocus modes and is swift and quiet enough to work well for video applications.
Another video review, this time by Christopher Frost, echoes many of the same positive reports as Skraba’s review above.
Given how good prior Viltrox lenses have been, it is no surprise that the company’s latest prime seems like fantastic value for the money. Sample photos provided by Viltrox also demonstrate a sharp, wide-angle prime lens with solid all-around image quality.
Sample Photos
Pricing and Availability
Complete specifications and purchasing details are available on Viltrox’s website and the lens is available now for $190 from Pergear.
Image credits: Viltrox
