Viltrox AF 40mm f/2.5
Announced April 25, 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
Strong
The Viltrox AF 40mm f/2.5 is a highly compact, lightweight prime lens that delivers sharp images and reliable autofocus for an exceptionally low price. While it lacks premium features like weather sealing or physical control switches, it remains a practical and portable choice for everyday street and travel photography.
Weighted from 29 reviewer scores
Pros
- Sharp image quality across the frame
- Effective autofocus performance with minimal breathing
- High affordability and value
- Extremely compact and lightweight design
- Solid build quality for the price
Cons
- Lacks weather sealing
- Absence of physical controls like AF/MF switch or aperture ring
- Corner softness and vignetting at wider apertures
- Limited close-focusing capabilities
- Susceptibility to flare and ghosting
- Launch price $158 (USD)
- Focal length & aperture 40mm f/2.5
- Mount & coverage Sony E, Nikon Z, Leica LTM Full-Frame
- Stabilization None
- Close focus 34 cm (0.14x)
- Filter thread 52mm
- Autofocus motor Stepper motor
- Weight & size 180g (6.3 oz) · 68 x 55.9 mm (2.68 x 2.20 in)
Expert Reviews
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- OpticalLimits 7/10
The Viltrox AF 40mm f/2.5 Z is a bit of an oddity as a prime lens. While it performs quite well in most aspects, it doesn't stand out overall.
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The bottom line is that the focus system for both stills and video is smooth and confident, but not incredibly fast.
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The Viltrox 40mm f/2.5 STM ASPH ED IF is a very compact and sharp lens. [...] Its compact size and low weight make it a highly portable lens, perfect for carrying around on walks, street photography, or travel.
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I really like the focal length of 40mm for street photography and everyday shooting, and the Viltrox AF 40mm F2.5 obliges. I love that it’s so compact and lightweight, yet well built and with respectable performance, all at a very affordable purchase price.
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The Viltrox AF 40mm F2.5 is among the most affordable autofocusing lenses you can get for a full-frame camera, and while it omits some creature comforts, it offers impressive picture quality for the price.
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Viltrox 40/2.5 is a lens with a good price-quality ratio. It is lightweight, has good optical performance and a quiet focusing motor.
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There is virtually no Focus breathing at all which is a great news for videographer.
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If you're an S9 shooter looking for a budget prime, obviously this is a great choice. I would recommend it.
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This lens is incredible considering its price. It's an absolute bargain, and if you're on a budget and you want to get this particular focal length, 40mm for full-frame, it's a no-brainer.
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[I]t's great for gimbal work, and being so small and lightweight, it's not going to have your arm falling off at the end of a long day shooting.
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The Viltrox 40mm F2.5 is an example of what a great budget lens can do, in a truly small and compact form factor, the lens can deliver really good results.
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I made sure to keep my expectations realistic, but I can quite safely say this is a lens which will easily exceed expectations for what you can get out of a $168 full-frame autofocus lens.
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The Viltrox 40mm f/2.5 “Air” series lens is a fantastic option for photographers looking for a compact, affordable prime lens with solid performance.
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If you're looking for a lens like this, a budget portrait and street photography lens, I think you should consider the Viltrox 40mm F2.5.
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[...] I think the Viltrox for $142 is absolutely fantastic, and I've said it for a long time.
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I think for less than $160 US this lens is a no-brainer for any Nikon Z user, except if you already own the pretty fantastic Nikkor 40mm f/2 lens, then this may not make sense.
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[I]t's only $158, so if you need a small, lightweight prime lens to walk around with, the Viltrox AF 40mm f/2.5 might be worth a look.
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As a value option or a first lens until you have the budget for an upgrade you can certainly get a decent start with the AF 40mm f/2.5 Z as long as you do not expect an optical wonder lens.
- Thomas Fransson 7/10
So yeah, 40mm, it's actually a pretty interesting and fun focal length to shoot with. So if you're looking for a new, fun, and inexpensive walking around lens, I could highly recommend you to check this out.
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To conclude guys, for $170 you get a lens that has pretty good optical performance, not that many flaws to be honest. Of course it's a plastic lens, but you don't need to throw it all around like playing football with it, but other than that it checks almost all the boxes.
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The Viltrox lens, while a little bit bigger and less featurerich, overall I think is the strongest optical performer by a little bit compared to the other three lenses.
- Wes Perry 10/10
This is a fantastic lens for far less than half the price, less than a third of the price, so this is an obvious 10 out of 10 for value, which propels this lens all the way up to an 86.3% for a total score. That is a fantastic score.
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I have to tell you that this Viltrox AF 40mm f/2.5 delivers in every way possible.
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I think the AF is fantastic on it. I think I only missed two shots when I was taking photographs with the Viltrox AF 40mm f/2.5, so I think the AF works great with the Sony AF system.
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Even at double that price, I would still highly recommend it, but only at $168 US, it really is a no-brainer and should be in everybody's camera bag.
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[T]his is a lovely little lens in a fairly rare focal length, but one that I enjoy using much more than a 35mm or a 50mm.
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This is a 40 that's only $168. If you want to dabble with this focal length, this is a cheap way to do it compared to the Sony 40mm G lens, which is at $548.
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It's the lens you buy. If you wanted a prime lens, you wanted to experiment with it. You wanted to see how much you enjoy prime lenses. You wanted a 40 mil in your caliber, your arsenal of lenses, but at the same time, you didn't want to spend a bomb.
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I can highly recommend this Viltrox AF 40mm f/2.5, especially if you're just starting out or using cameras like the Sony A7C or the ZV-E1 and want to keep your setup as compact as possible.
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