Viltrox’s New Full-Frame 28mm f/4.5 Lens Costs $99 and Weighs 60 Grams

Oct 16, 2024

Jeremy Gray

A silver and black Sony camera body without a lens is displayed on a light grey background. To the left of the camera, there is a detached lens with visible connectors facing the viewer.

Viltrox announced its lightest and thinnest lens yet, the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5. The lens costs under $100 and is Viltrox’s first “Chip” series lens.

Weighing a mere 60 grams (2.11 ounces) and only 15.3 millimeters (0.6 inches) long, the AF 28mm f/4.5 is a tiny pancake lens. Inside this super-slim lens are six elements arranged across as many groups. The lens includes two ED lenses to minimize chromatic aberration and a pair of aspherical lenses to reduce distortion and maintain image quality across the image area.

The new pancake lens covers a full-frame image area despite its small size. Viltrox says the lens is well-suited for applications that favor compact and lightweight kits, including travel photography, hiking, and vlogging. The lens also promises good starbursts around point light sources, although the lens is not great for every low-light scenario, given its relatively slow f/4.5 aperture.

A silver and black Sony Alpha 7C camera body with a lens attached is placed between two additional lenses on a gray background. The lenses are compact, designed for different focal lengths, and are shown from different angles. — The Viltrox 28mm f/4.5 lens is barely over half an inch long and weighs just 2.1 ounces. It is so small that it has an integrated lens cap rather than come with one. The lens accepts 43mm front filters.

Speaking of the aperture, it is fixed at f/4.5, meaning that photographers cannot stop the lens down to a slower aperture in hopes of improving image quality or expanding the depth of field. This is not the first fixed-aperture pancake lens released for full-frame cameras this year, following the Panasonic 26mm f/8. However, unlike that lens, Viltrox’s new E-mount offering has autofocus capabilities, whereas Panasonic’s fixed f-stop prime is manual focus.

The Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 can focus as close as 0.32 meters (1.05 feet), resulting in a maximum magnification of 0.11x. Autofocus is driven by a voice-coil motor mechanism, promising precise autofocus accuracy.

Sample Images

A young woman with long blonde hair and a neutral expression stands outdoors. She is wearing a brown jacket and gold hoop earrings. The background features soft-focus buildings and greenery, suggesting a sunny day in an urban setting.

A cityscape at dusk with a road curving through lush greenery in the foreground. The skyline features modern skyscrapers under a clear sky with subtle hues of sunset. Car lights create dynamic streaks on the road, indicating movement.

A person with medium-length blonde hair is wearing a white shirt and brown vest. They are standing in front of a red building wall with a window. The sunlight casts a shadow, highlighting part of their face.

Pricing and Availability

Ultimately, the lens is a somewhat niche offering, especially compared to many of Viltrox’s other lenses. The AF 28mm f/4.5’s unique selling points include a very thin and lightweight design, full-frame coverage, and an aggressive price point of $99. However, the lens is even a bit more affordable than that right now when purchased through Pergear, as the company is offering a discount bringing the lens down to just $95. It’s not a huge savings, but being able to buy a brand-new $95 autofocus lens for full-frame Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras is remarkable.

Image credits: Viltrox