Viltrox Adds Compact 40mm f/2.5 AF Lens to its Full-Frame Nikon Z Lineup

Apr 25, 2024

Jaron Schneider

Close-up of a person's hand holding a camera lens over an open black bag, with a blurred green and white background.

Viltrox announced a 40mm f/2.5 lens for full-frame Nikon Z-mount cameras that is super affordable, compact, and promises precise, accurate autofocus performance.

The lens is billed as a lightweight option that enables photographers to capture wonderful moments with ease and do so on a budget: it costs a scant $158. Covering full-frame sensors, Viltrox says this versatile focal length is ideal for daily shooting as well as travel photography.

“It can not only include rich environmental elements, but also delicately highlight the subject, and can easily handle various themes such as humanistic streets, still life photography, and environmental portraits,” Viltrox says.

A black camera lens is displayed against a white background, showing focus and aperture details around the front element.

Weighing just 180 grams, the lens measures 68mm by 55.9mm, making it remarkably small and lightweight for a relatively fast prime lens that Viltrox says is close to the human eye’s perspective.

The Viltrox 40mm f/2.5 features a construction of 10 elements arranged into six groups, including one extra-low dispersion lens, three high refractive index optics, and one aspherical lens. It features an aperture range of f/2.5 through f/16 via a seven-bladed diaphragm. The front filter thread measures 52mm.

A black viltrox af 40/1.8 z lens with a petal-shaped lens hood, displayed against a plain white background. the lens is designed for z-mount cameras.

As mentioned, the 40mm f/2.5 features electronic connection to the attached camera which means full transmission of information such as EXIF data as well as support for autofocus. Viltrox says that the STM-style motor in the lens is capable of delivering fast and accurate autofocus performance — enough to support eye AF on Nikon’s latest Z-mount cameras. Additionally, Viltrox says that the lens is advanced enough to support reliable video shooting both from the perspective of autofocus as well as pairing with Nikon cameras with in-body image stabilization. Viltrox also says that the lens has low distortion and only “light” focus breathing.

The lens ships with a “lotus” shaped lens hood and includes a USB-C interface on the base which Viltrox says can be used to upgrade the firmware of the lens, should an update be necessary.

Below are a few sample images taken with the lens, provided by Viltrox:

A joyful bride holding a bouquet of white flowers, smiling outdoors with lush greenery and the ocean in the background.

A young woman with curly hair stands outdoors, wearing a white top and skirt, with a backdrop of lush greenery and a staircase.

A young woman with curly brown hair and a white dress stands outdoors, surrounded by lush greenery, looking directly at the camera with a soft expression.

A woman in a white dress stands between large rocks on a beach, with the ocean and a hazy sky in the background. she looks away from the camera, her hair tousled by the wind.

The Viltrox AF 40mm f/2.5 prime lens for Nikon Z-mount cameras is available to purchase directly from Viltrox starting today for $158. Pergear, who also has the lens available for purchase, says that a Sony E-mount version of the lens will be available in the near future.

Image credits: Viltrox