Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 ED ASPH VCM
$99 Full-Frame for Nikon Z, for Sony & for Fuji (2025 ~ today)
Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 ED ASPH VCM for Nikon Z (also comes for Sony and for Fuji, fixed f/4.5 aperture, no filter threads, 2.8 oz./80 g, 1.1'/0.35m close focus, 0.11× macro ratio, $99). bigger.
For Nikon Z: I got mine directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount). I'd also get it at B&H, at Amazon, at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
For Sony: I'd get mine directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount). I'd also get it at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon, at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
For Fuji: I'd get mine directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount). I'd also get it at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon, at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
This all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.
August 2025 Better Pictures Viltrox Canon Nikon Sony Fuji OM SYSTEM LEICA Zeiss HASSELBLAD All Reviews
Why Fixed Lenses Take Better Pictures
Sample Images top
More samples throughout this review at Bokeh, Falloff, Macro, Peripheral Color, Spherochromatism and Sunstars.
These are just snapshots; my real work is in my Gallery.
These are all shot hand-held as BASIC ★ JPGs; no tripods, NORMAL or FINE JPGs or RAW files were used or needed. Bah!
Moist California Grow, 9:35 AM, Saturday, 07 June 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 at its fixed f/4.5 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100, +1 stop exposure compensation (LV 11⅓), Radiant Photo software to add a little light. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Guards Red Porsche 911 in Drizzle, 9:57 AM, Saturday, 07 June 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 at its fixed f/4.5 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100, +0.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 12⅓), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Shark Blue 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring typ. 992 Hood & Crest, 10:32 AM, Saturday, 07 June 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 at its fixed f/4.5 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 12⅓), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Shark Blue 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring typ. 992 Headlight, 10:32½ AM, Saturday, 07 June 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 at its fixed f/4.5 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 11⅓), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
1930 Ford Model A in Drizzle, 10:36 AM, Saturday, 07 June 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 at its fixed f/4.5 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100, +0.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 12⅓), Radiant Photo software to put detail in the radiator. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Iron Sunburst, 10:51 AM, Saturday, 07 June 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 at its fixed f/4.5 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 11⅓), Radiant Photo software to lighten it a bit. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Guards Red 911 Carrera, 11:22 AM, Saturday, 07 June 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 at its fixed f/4.5 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100, +0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 12⅓), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Bug Eye Sprite, 11:50 AM, Saturday, 07 June 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 at its fixed f/4.5 at 1/500 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13⅓), Radiant Photo software to lighten the headlights. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Fletcher Sunset, 7:33 PM, Thursday, 31 July 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 at its fixed f/4.5 at 1/2,000 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 15⅓), Radiant Photo software to add, well, radiance. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Oddly I see only a couple of the eight points of the sunstar.
Summer Concert in the Park, 7:37 PM, Thursday, 31 July 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 at its fixed f/4.5 at 1/30 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 9⅓), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Introduction top
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This tiny thing is about the size of a lens cap. It easily fits my jeans' watch pocket, which is the little pocket on the front right designed to hold a pocket watch back in 1871 when jeans were invented.
For $99 this tough, mostly metal lens has autofocus and an internal lens cover, and makes fine images as you've just seen.
Its rendition or optical signature is some falloff typical of wide non-SLR lenses. This is is good because it helps emphasize the subject and saves me from having to add vignetting later in Skylum Luminar Neo. Ansel Adams added this with edge burning while printing for exactly the same reason.
This lens possesses what we artists call Rembrandt rendition: darker and softer edges all around to keep your patron's attention focused inside your image and not wandering off the edges to something else, like rubbish snapped on a LEICA M.
While autofocus works great and its optics are swell, its aperture is fixed at f/4.5 so it can't be used where we need smaller apertures, like with fill flash outdoors or for landscapes that need deeper depth-of field.
There also is no way to focus it manually and no threads for filters. It's too small for manual focus or filter rings!
How tiny is it? Here is it on my Nikon Z5 II. See the silver ring at the base of the lens? This is a part of my Nikon Z5 II, not a part of the lens. The lens stops at the black section engraved AF 28/4.5 Z:
Tiny Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 on Nikon Z5 II. bigger.
For Nikon Z: I got mine directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount). I'd also get it at B&H, at Amazon, at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
For Sony: I'd get mine directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount). I'd also get it at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon, at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
For Fuji: I'd get mine directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount). I'd also get it at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon, at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
New intro top
First tiny AF lens I've seen from Viltrox.
Built-in finger-actuated sliding lens cover. It's controlled by the little nub along the bottom of the front of the lens:
Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 ED ASPH VCM. bigger.
Fixed octagonal aperture stop:
Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 ED ASPH VCM. bigger.
Good intro top
Autofocus!
Sharp.
Exquisitely sharp sunstars.
No significant distortion.
Tough, mostly metal construction.
Tiny.
Almost free.
Built-in sliding cover.
Better than the completely unsealed boxes of Canon, Nikon, Sony and Fuji, Viltrox actually seals its boxes so you can know if you got a new or used lens.
Bad intro top
No apertures other than f/4.5.
No Manual Focus.
Mounting index dot hidden on the back of the mount, nothing visible or feelable on the barrel.
Missing intro top
No apertures other than f/4.5.
No filter threads. No big deal; just hold filters in front of the lens and you're good.
No Image Stabilization, but your camera probably has that inside.
No manual focus. There's no manual-focus ring, and no room for it, either. Even if you set manual focus in your camera, there is no way to change it unless you use the AF system.
Mounting index dot hidden on the back of the mount, nothing visible or feelable on the barrel.
No case included.
No hood included.
No focus or depth-of-field scales.
No infra-red focus indices.
No focus lock buttons.
Will not work with any teleconverters — so?
Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 on Nikon Z5 II. Tiny! bigger.
Specifications top
For Nikon Z: I got mine directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount). I'd also get it at B&H, at Amazon, at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
For Sony: I'd get mine directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount). I'd also get it at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon, at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
For Fuji: I'd get mine directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount). I'd also get it at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon, at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
Name specifications top
Viltrox calls this the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 ED ASPH VCM Z, FE or X:
AF: Autofocus.
ED: Magic Extra-low Dispersion glass for reduced secondary chromatic aberration.
ASPH: Aspherical elements for better performance.
VCM: Voice-Coil (Autofocus) Motor.
Z: For Nikon's mirrorless cameras, or
FE: Full-frame for Sony's E-mount cameras, or
X: For Fuji's APS-C cameras.
Model Numbers: 50A41 (Nikon), 50A11 (Sony) and 50A21 (Fuji).
Optics specifications top
Internal Optical Construction. Aspherical and ED elements. The front element is much smaller than the rear element: light enters from the left and forms an image to the right; don't confuse this with a backwards retrofocus ultrawide design.
6 elements in 6 groups.
2 ED elements: magic Extra-low Dispersion glass for reduced axial secondary chromatic aberration.
2 Aspherical elements.
Diaphragm specifications top
Fixed octagonal stop at f/4.5:
Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 at its fixed f/4.5. bigger.
The diaphragm is in front of the front element:
Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 ED ASPH VCM. bigger.
Filters specifications top
No filter threads.
Coverage specifications top
Full Frame
While the Fuji X version only claims APS-C coverage, I suspect it's this same lens. Fuji makes no full-frame cameras as of this writing in 2025.
Angle of View specifications top
73.42º diagonal on full-frame.
52.07° diagonal on APS-C.
Focus Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infinity Focus Stop specifications top
No.
You have to focus somehow to get precise focus at infinity, just like at every other distance.
Depth of Field Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infrared Focus Index specifications top
No.
Close Focus (distance from subject to image plane) specifications top
1.15 feet (0.35 meters).
Maximum Reproduction Ratio specifications top
1:9.1 (0.11 ×).
Reproduction Ratio Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Image Stabilizer specifications top
None.
Caps specifications top
Normal rear cap.
Hood specifications top
None.
Case specifications top
None.
Size specifications top
Nikon
2.57" ø maximum diameter × 0.66" extension from flange.
65.3 mm ø maximum diameter × 16.8 mm extension from flange.
Sony
2.37" ø maximum diameter × 0.60" extension from flange.
60.3 mm ø maximum diameter × 15.3 mm extension from flange.
Fuji
2.37" ø maximum diameter × 0.69" extension from flange.
60.3 mm ø maximum diameter × 15.25 mm extension from flange.
Weight specifications top
Nikon
2.840 oz. (80.5 g) actual measured weight.
Rated 2.82 oz. (80 g).
Sony
Rated 2.12 oz. (60 g).
Fuji
Rated 2.12 oz. (60 g).
Quality specifications top
Made in China.
Announced specifications top
Mid 2025.
Packaging specifications top
Better than the completely unsealed boxes of Canon, Nikon, Sony and Fuji, Viltrox clearly seals its boxes so you can know if you got a new or used lens:
Sealed Box. bigger.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top
July 2025
Nikon Z
$99 directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount), as well as $99 at B&H and at Amazon.
This is brand-new in Nikon mount, so no used ones have sold yet and it has sold for $97-$129 (a premium) new at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
Sony
$99 directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount), as well as $99 at B&H, at Adorama and at Amazon.
$65-$99 new or $45-$75 used at eBay (How to Win at eBay).
Fuji
$99 directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount), as well as $99 at B&H, at Adorama and at Amazon.
$65-$99 new or $70-$99 used at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
Performance top
Overall Autofocus Manual Focus Bokeh
Distortion Ergonomics Falloff Filters
Flare & Ghosts Lateral Color Fringes
Lens Corrections Macro Mechanics
Peripheral Color Sharpness Spherochromatism
Stabilization Sunstars Weather Sealing
For Nikon Z: I got mine directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount). I'd also get it at B&H, at Amazon, at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
For Sony: I'd get mine directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount). I'd also get it at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon, at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
For Fuji: I'd get mine directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount). I'd also get it at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon, at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
Overall performance top
This is a tough, tiny lens with swell optics.
Autofocus performance top
Autofocus is swell. Like almost all wide lenses, AF is plenty fast.
Manual Focus performance top
There is NO MANUAL FOCUS.
There's no manual focus ring, so even if you select MF in your camera there's no way to set it other than to let the AF system do it and use MF as a lock.
Bokeh performance top
Bokeh, the feel, character or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, doesn't really matter as it's hard to get much of anything out of focus with a wide lens this slow. Otherwise, bokeh is pretty ordinary.
Here's a photo from headshot distance. I'm focused on the DAVIS logo. Click for the © camera-original file:
Made-in-U. S. A. Davis 6357 Vantage Vue Wireless Sensor Suite (use with WeatherLink console), 11:59 AM, 07 July 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 at its fixed f/4.5 at 1/1,000 at Auto ISO 100, +0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 14⅓), Radiant Photo software to add radiance. bigger or camera-original © file.
As always, if you want to throw the background as far out of focus as possible, get as close as possible.
Distortion performance top
The Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 has no visible distortion
For more critical scientific use, use a correction factor of -0.7 in Photoshop's lens correction filter. Some waviness remains after this correction, oddly more on the right side than the left. Tough; it's pretty good for any lens, much less a $99 cheapie.
These aren't facts or specifications, they are the results of my research that requires hours of photography and calculations on the resulting data.
Ergonomics performance top
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Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5. bigger. |
Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5. bigger. |
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Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5. bigger. |
Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5. bigger. |
It's easy to grab and get on and off the camera.
The nub makes it easy to open and close the front cover.
There is no obvious mounting index (it's only visible from the back), and otherwise this lens is easier to mount, unmount, store and carry than just about any other lens.
I can have this in my pocket and forget about it. It's only a matter of time until I forget and throw this in the laundry!
Falloff performance top
It has visible falloff, which as you've seen usually adds to images and helps keep our eyes in the image and not wandering off.
I've greatly exaggerated the falloff by shooting a gray field and placing these on a gray background; it will not look this bad in actual photos of real things:
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Falloff on Full-Frame at Infinity at f/4.5
© 2025 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
If you save only raw data rather than create JPG images in-camera, whatever software you use to create visible images from that raw data later may or may not correct this as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
Filters, use with performance top
There are no filter threads or gelatin filter slots.
If you want to use a filter, no big deal: just hold it in front of the lens.
Flare & Ghosts performance top
I can't see any significant ghosts (see an example at Sunstars), but I do get veiling flare if the sun or a bright sky is shining on the lens from outside of the picture area:
Flare from the bright sky at the the top left, BMW M850i xDrive Convertible, 9:36 AM, Saturday, 07 July 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 at its fixed f/4.5 at 1/30 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 9⅓), Radiant Photo software to add detail in the dark. bigger.
If you get flare, use your hand to block the bright sun or sky, which is much more effective than a hood would be:
My left hand is blocking much of the bright sky, so there's less obvious flare, BMW M850i xDrive Convertible, 9:36 AM, Saturday, 07 July 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 at its fixed f/4.5 at 1/60 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 10⅓), Radiant Photo software to add detail in the dark. bigger.
Lateral Color Fringes performance top
There can be slight violet/yellow-green color fringes on my Nikon Z5 II shot as JPG, which by default attempts to correct for any that may be there.
If you shoot raw and then use non-manufacturer software to process that data into images then there is the possibility that there might be more.
Lens Corrections performance top
There are no lens profiles for this lens.
While you may be able to turn corrections on or off in your camera, it may or may not be doing anything.
Nikons do correct some of the falloff with Vignette Correction ON.
Macro Performance performance top
It's a wide lens, and doesn't get as close as most other 28mm lenses, so skip it for macro use, although it is sharp.
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, 11:48 AM, 07 July 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 at its fixed f/4.5 at 1/4,000 at Auto ISO 100, +0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 16⅓), Radiant Photo software to lighten it. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 10 × 15" (25 × 38cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same insanely high magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
While it's silly to try to photograph watch faces with this, it is sharp and works great for regular close shots:
BMW M850i xDrive Convertible Right Rear Wheel (the sun's now at my back), 9:37 AM, Saturday, 07 July 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 at its fixed f/4.5 at 1/60 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 10⅓), Radiant Photo software to add detail in the dark. bigger.
Mechanical Quality performance top
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Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5. bigger. |
Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5. bigger. |
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Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5. bigger. |
Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5. bigger. |
It's mostly metal, with a plastic front.
Exterior Finish
Black anodized aluminum and black plastic.
Hood
None.
Front Bumper
None.
Filter Threads
None.
Hood Bayonet Mount
None.
Front
Plastic.
Serrated Grip Ring
Plastic.
Focus Ring
None.
Slide Switches
None.
Rear Barrel Exterior
Metal.
Identity
Printed around front of lens, also engraved and filled with paint around rear of lens.
Internals
This lens is so tiny I doubt that there is any room for anything inside!
But honestly though, it's probably got a lot of metal. All of the rear light shields are metal, for instance.
Dust Gasket at Mount
No.
Mount
Anodized aluminum.
Markings
Paint on the plastic front.
Engraved and filled with paint around the metal mount.
Serial Number
Printed on a sticker stuck on the back of the lens under "MADE IN CHINA," which is OK as that rarely gets touched.
This lens' serial number is 0041BR0. (50A41 is the model number).
Date Code
None found.
Noises When Shaken
Like other modern VCM lenses, the optics float around whenever it's not mounted on an awake camera.
The optics are very small inside this lens, so we get only minor clicking when waving this lens around when it's off a camera.
Made In
Made domestically in China.
Peripheral Color Shift performance top
Usually only seen in ultra-ultrawide lenses, I see a hue shift towards violet (about 270º hue) with about 7% saturation in the corners of my Nikon Z5 II shots. You can see this in the corners of my macro shot above.
This happens when lens coatings shift their color transmission away from the center of an image because their effective thickness changes as light hits the glass at different angles. This may also be caused by the lens' rear nodal point not being where the Nikon Z5 II's sensor's micro lenses are expecting it, but I see the same huge shift on both sides.
Here's shot of a gray field, with my Nikon Z5 II's vignette correction at NORMAL and the center rendered as neutral gray (87% value):
Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Peripheral Color Shift. bigger.
Sharpness performance top
Lens sharpness has nothing to do with picture sharpness; every lens made in the past 100 years is more than sharp enough to make super-sharp pictures if you know what you're doing. The only limitation to picture sharpness is your skill as a photographer. It's the least talented who spend the most time worrying about lens sharpness and blame crummy pictures on their equipment rather than themselves. Skilled photographers make great images with whatever camera is in their hands; I've made some of my best images of all time with an irreparably broken camera! Most pixels are thrown away before you see them, but camera makers don't want you to know that.
If you're not getting sharp pictures with this, remember always to shoot at ISO 100 or below because cameras become softer at ISO 200 and above, be sure everything is in perfect focus (not easy with an f/4.5 minimum aperture), set your camera's sharpening as you want it (I set mine to the maximum) and be sure nothing is moving, either camera or subject.
People worry waaaaay too much about lens sharpness. It's not 1968 anymore when lenses often weren't that sharp and there could be significant differences among them; ever since about 2010 all new lenses are all pretty much equally fantastic.
This lens is pretty sharp across most of the image where we need it, and can be a little softer around the edges. This is fine because we don't want super-sharp edges, which draw people's eyes out of the picture and on to something else. I, like most of the world's greatest artists, prefer our edges darker and softer for exactly this reason. Call it Rembrandt rendition if you like; almost every one of his images are nearly black and devoid of any detail along their edges precisely to capture and focus your attention exactly where he wants it towards the center. Artists are always in control of your attention and everything about their images.
Sharpness is limited by your vision as an artist, not this lens.
Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 MTF, 10 cyc/mm (bold) and 30 cyc/mm (light). Sagittal (radial) shown as solid lines and Meridional (tangential) shown as dashed lines.
While it's usually valid to compare rated MTFs between different lenses of similar vintage from the same maker, every maker measures or simply calculates MTF very differently, and therefore one cannot compare these curves between brands. For instance, Sony seems to ignore diffraction and simply calculate overly optimistic MTFs that hug 100%, which no real lens can do at f/8, while other brands are more realistic and include diffraction. Only Canon offers any insight on how they arrive at their curves.
See also my article on MTF and Canon's article on MTF.
Spherochromatism performance top
Spherochromatism, also called secondary spherical chromatic aberration or "color bokeh," is an advanced form of spherical and chromatic aberration in a different dimension than lateral chromatic aberration and therefore cannot be corrected with software or automatic corrections. It happens mostly in fast normal and tele lenses when spherical aberration at the ends of the color spectrum are corrected differently than in the middle of the spectrum. Spherochromatism can cause colored fringes on out-of-focus highlights, usually seen as green fringes on backgrounds and magenta fringes on foregrounds. Spherochromatism is common in fast lenses of moderate focal length when shooting contrasty items at full aperture. It goes away as stopped down.
It has no visible spherochromatism, which is as expected for a slow, wide lens:
Mondaine A132.30348.11SBB at close-focus distance, 11:45 AM, 07 July 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 at its fixed f/4.5 at 1/4,000 at Auto ISO 100, +0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 16⅓), Radiant Photo software to lighten it. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 10 × 15" (25 × 38cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same insanely high magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
Image Stabilization (VR) performance top
This lens has no Optical Image Stabilization (OIS, IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)), however it works great with the internal sensor-shift stabilization of my Nikon Z5 II.
"Percent Perfectly Sharp Shots" are the percentage of hand-held, free-standing with no support or bracing, frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness as viewed at 300%. Hand tremor is a random occurrence, so at marginal speeds some frames will be perfectly sharp while others will be in various stages of blur — all at the same shutter speed.
This rates what percentage of shots are perfectly sharp, not how sharp are all the frames:
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots on stabilized Z5 II | 2s |
1s |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
| Stabilization ON | 0 |
25 |
50 |
82 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
30 |
30 |
33 |
100 |
I see 5½ stops of real-world improvement.
% Perfectly Sharp Shots on stabilized Z5 II in SMALL JPG (6 MP) |
2s |
1s |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
| Stabilization ON | 0 |
9 |
55 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
45 |
55 |
100 |
100 |
I see 3½ stops of real-world improvement if I accidently turn my Z5 II down to its minimum resolution — oops.
Sunstars performance top
With an eight-sided octagonal diaphragm, I get very sharp and brilliantly defined eight-point sunstars on brilliant points of light.
Canary Palm, 12:02 PM, 07 July 2025. Nikon Z5 II, Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 at its fixed f/4.5 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 12⅓), Radiant Photo software to add radiance. bigger or camera-original © file.
Weather Sealing performance top
This lens claims no weather sealing. Neither does any LEICA M lens, nor did anything other than dedicated underwater cameras claim this up until a few years ago. "Weather sealing" is mostly a marketing feature to get you to pay more for more expensive lenses.
People have worried way too much about this ever since camera companies started FUD campaigns to make us think that our gear will dissolve unless it has weather sealing. How do you think we shot in the rain for the first 190 years of photography?
Compared top
For Nikon Z: I got mine directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount). I'd also get it at B&H, at Amazon, at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
For Sony: I'd get mine directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount). I'd also get it at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon, at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
For Fuji: I'd get mine directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount). I'd also get it at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon, at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
Versus Canon
This lens doesn't come in Canon mount, so for Canon, we use the RF 28mm f/2.8 STM, which is faster, focuses closer, takes filters and most importantly has an adjustable diaphragm and manual focus ability. It's more expensive, but not much bigger. I'd take the RF 28mm f/2.8 STM over this limited Viltrox any day.
For Canon of course get the far superior RF 28mm f/2.8 STM, even if it is more expensive. This is why Viltrox doesn't bother to make this lens in Canon mount.
Versus Nikon
In Nikon we also have our choice of the Z 26mm f/2.8 Pancake, the Z 28mm f/2.8 and its twin the Z 28mm f/2.8 SE.
The Z 26mm f/2.8 Pancake adds an adjustable diaphragm, faster f/2.8 maximum aperture, manual focus, much closer focus and filter threads over this Viltrox. It's not much bigger, but is much more expensive and functional.
I see this Viltrox for people who want the tiniest lens possible, or balk at the much higher price of the Z 26mm f/2.8 Pancake.
The Z 28mm f/2.8 and its twin the Z 28mm f/2.8 SE are larger, but still small even if they probably won't fit in my watch pocket. They offer all the functions that the other lenses offer over this basic Viltrox lens: f/2.8 speed, adjustable aperture, manual focus, takes filters and closer focus.
This is probably why Viltrox introduced the Nikon version after the Sony and Fuji versions.
Versus Sony
Sony has no tiny 28mm lens. Sony's closest is the FE 24mm f/2.8, which is much bigger and offers all the advantages of those above, as well as an aperture ring.
Thus this Viltrox does something Somy can't, which is have a lens the size of just a cap.
Versus Fuji
Fuji is APS-C. Crop factor doesn't apply when comparing lenses on the same format; I'm not comparing what on Fuji might match a 28mm lens on the cameras above.
This 28mm lens on Fuji APS-C sees an angle of view similar to what a 42mm lens sees on full frame, however every other 28mm lens sees the same angles of view on APS-C as well.
Fuji has an excellent Fuji XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR pancake lens, which offers all the advantages of the lenses above, as well as being made mostly of metal and it even weighs the same as this Viltrox.
For Fuji the XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR is a superior lens, however it does cost more. Wow, who would have guessed that?
Versus TTArtisan
The TTArtisan 27mm f/2.8 only covers APS-C, however it offers the advantages of the above lenses as well as an aperture ring.
It's mostly metal and works well on Fuji for the sample I tested, however its optics are inferior to the Fuji XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR.
I have not compared the optics of the TTArtisan 27mm f/2.8 directly to this Viltrox.
For Fuji, just man-up and get the Fuji XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR or used Fuji XF 27mm f/2.8.
Recommendations top
For Nikon Z: I got mine directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount). I'd also get it at B&H, at Amazon, at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
For Sony: I'd get mine directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount). I'd also get it at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon, at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
For Fuji: I'd get mine directly from Viltrox (try coupon code KENROCKWELL at checkout possibly for an 8% discount). I'd also get it at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon, at eBay (How to Win at eBay), or get it used at KEH.
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!
Also consider it if you want a backup lens you can pop in your jeans' watch pocket, tape under your desk or throw in a small pocket in your camera bag and forget until you need it.
This all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.
Thanks for helping me help you!
Ken.
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