Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5
Announced September 28, 2024
PixelMeter The PixelMeter is our 1–100 aggregate of reviewer scores from trusted publications and creators. Weighted by source tier — not a raw average, and not PetaPixel’s own review.
Reviewer Consensus
Good
The Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 is an exceptionally compact and affordable full-frame pancake lens that serves as a fun, discreet option for street and travel photography. While its fixed aperture and lack of manual controls limit its versatility for professional or low-light work, it remains a unique, highly portable tool for casual snapshots.
Weighted from 35 reviewer scores
Pros
- Fast, quiet, and reliable autofocus performance
- Good center sharpness and well-corrected distortion
- Very low, budget-friendly price point
- Extremely small, thin, and lightweight design
- Convenient built-in sliding lens cap
Cons
- Lack of manual focus ring or manual focusing support
- Fixed f/4.5 aperture limits light intake and creative depth control
- Significant susceptibility to lens flare
- No filter threads or lens hood support
- Noticeable focus breathing
- Launch price $99 (USD)
- Focal length & aperture 28mm f/4.5
- Mount & coverage Sony E, Nikon Z, L-Mount, Fujifilm X Full-Frame
- Stabilization None
- Close focus 32 cm (0.11x)
- Autofocus motor Linear motor
- Weight & size 60g (2.1 oz) · 60.3 x 15.3 mm (2.37 x 0.60 in)
What the Reviewers Say
All 35 expert reviews, weighted into the PixelMeter score.
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- OpticalLimits 4/10
The Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 VCM is an interesting interpretation of the pancake lens theme.
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The small size means it’s a great way to shoot at 28mm without carrying much extra weight, while leaving plenty of money in your wallet. However, I think that the main use of this lens is as a body cap substitute.
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It’s perhaps easiest to recommend to APS-C users, as its tiny size is a great match to A6000-series bodies, and you only see the best part of the optics. But I’m not quite so sure about full-frame.
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There’s so little to think about other than just shooting, which might allow photographers to spend more time thinking about their subjects and composition than they do on their gear.
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It is the ultimate low profile lens, and, what’s more, it’s actually a lot of fun to shoot with. It doesn’t hurt that the images you can produce can be special.
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[T]he lens's tiny size and very good sharpness, especially on an APS-C camera, not to mention its exceptionally low price, offset any issues it might have with flaring in my opinion, and not only is this lens useful, it's great fun too.
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So out of all the pancake lenses for fullframe E-mount cameras (I think I have used all of them) this is actually my favorite so far.
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I’d describe image quality as ‘acceptable’ rather than entirely great, and it has a fixed aperture but comes complete with voice coil motor autofocus and a bargain basement price tag.
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The Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 FE is the smallest full-frame lens with autofocus we've tested, but expect some handling frustrations as a trade-off for its tiny size and rock-bottom price.
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Sure it won't replace chunkier, premium primes for quality, but the 28mm f/4.5 is a true body cap lens that can live on your camera, with its distinct images being a huge, creative bonus.
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It's a slightly lowerfi snapshot lens that also functions as a body cap.
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It fits the bill of pancake and snapshot lens perfectly.
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The Viltrox 28/4.5 is a lightweight, compact pancake lens. [...] Overall, the lens is optically decent, but very weak against strong light sources.
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If you're one of those people that need lightweight gear for whatever reason, then this chip lens is worth considering.
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The Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Z is a fixed-aperture full-frame lens that is absolutely tiny. It’s an interesting option for street and travel photography.
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I really like this Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5. Think about it, there's really nothing else like this on the market right now. It's ultra compact, it's lightweight, it's 60 grams, it has autofocus, has decent optical performance, and it's only $99.
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There is this one question in my mind: how slim can an autofocus lens be before the compromise exceeds its benefits? I believe this lens sets the borderline. To be honest, there is little to dislike about the lens, especially when it is this cheap and small.
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This is a sturdy, tiny lens with a tiny price, and it makes strong images with its Rembrandt rendition. If you want the smallest or least expensive possible autofocus lens, here you go!
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In my opinion, this lens is a no-brainer. Everyone that wanted a lens like this needs to buy one.
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[I]t does take away aperture control and other creative options like filter use, which is a really big negative for me. But, if you're not interested in those things and just want a tiny lens to have on a very small camera body, I find no reason at all not to recommend it.
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The image quality in my honest opinion is decent enough as long as you can accept its quirkiness and character and that you can get around its compromises like the constant aperture and the lack of a focus ring.
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For the average person looking at this lens wanting to buy it, I would say why not? This is crazy light and it definitely has its purpose, but it also may take some time to get used to and maybe will be even better if you pair it with something more modern.
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I really was not expecting this little $99 lens to be sharp, but it turns out it is, and it's light as a feather and very discreet, so check it out if you're interested in an inexpensive pancake lens for your Sony and possibly Nikon mirrorless camera.
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[...] To answer the question of is this lens any good, I'm going to have to say yes. For $99, this has been a fantastic purchase, and I honestly recommend it to anybody who's looking for a fun budget lens that can still produce some really good photos.
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It is a perfect lens for travel, street photography and for general every day use when you want small, light lens that is simple and fun to shoot with. This is a lens for someone who wants simplicity and auto focus and for someone who doesn’t care or want clinical perfections.
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Now, first of all, this whole lens is kind of a big quirk, but a pretty well-functioning quirk, and that's one of the reasons why I think a Lot of you guys should actually consider picking one of these up.
- Wes Perry 10/10
If you're looking for a street photography or even fashion photography vacation lens that will give you a little bit of fun, highly recommended.
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[F]or somebody that's looking to get their next first lens besides maybe the kit lens, this thing is absolutely worth considering.
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I highly suggest you get one if you want a little lens that you can bring with you that's not too expensive and that's very lightweight and doesn't take a lot of space.
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Its autofocus speed is sharp and snappy and its sharpness is more than acceptable, and for that very reason, like I said at the start of this video, it's my new favorite street photography lens.
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I think it's well worth looking at buying this particular lens if you own a Sony camera.
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The amount of sharpness that the lens has considering the cost is very admirable, and you will be hard-pressed to find a lens of this quality in this price range.
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Look at the detail of these needles and there's no chromatic aberration, which is really, really impressive; holds the detail of those needles.
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I had such a great time using it. I like that it was very small, compact, as I've said repeatedly throughout this video, it's really fun lens to use, and honestly, for a full-frame autofocus lens for only $99, you simply cannot beat this.
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Viltrox in my opinion has done a very good job with this little pancake or chip lens, whatever you want to call it. I'm definitely impressed with it. I think it makes some really good images and it's nice to have a lens that is so small, compact and thin.
