That is the primary of the brand new ‘LAB’ collection of Viltrox full-frame appropriate lenses. Rumor has it that 35mm, 50mm and 85mm LAB lenses will comply with sooner fairly than later, with super-fast apertures of f/1.2. Understandably, the 135mm lens has a slower f/1.8 aperture ranking, in any other case it will be huge. It’s nonetheless fairly a chunky and hefty lens. I really feel I ought to point out that it appears there was a difficulty with a couple of of the very first manufacturing batch of this lens and Viltrox delayed the launch till it may very well be addressed. Positive sufficient, our first pattern of the lens had a loud auto/guide focus mechanism however Viltrox was fast to ship me a substitute, which proved completely positive throughout my testing. Engineered in Nikon Z and Sony E mount choices, the brand new lens takes the combat to the Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena and Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 G Grasp lenses, and goals to be among the many finest lenses for Nikon Z cameras and finest lenses for Sony mirrorless cameras in the marketplace.
The Viltrox lens bears a pink badge, proudly proclaiming its ‘LAB’ standing. (Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB: Specs
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Mount choices
Nikon Z (FX), Sony E (FE)
Lens development
14 parts in 9 teams
Angle of view
19 levels
Diaphragm blades
11
Minimal aperture
f/22
Minimal focus distance
0.72m
Most magnification
0.25x
Filter measurement
82mm
Dimensions
93x146mm
Weight
1300g
Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB: Worth
Professional-grade 135mm f/1.8 lenses command a excessive worth. Want proof? Look no additional than the Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena which sells for $2497/£2649 and the Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 G Grasp which prices $2098/£1599. For Sony shooters, the own-brand G Grasp lens isn’t the one possibility and I’ve been impressed with the budget-friendly Samyang/Rokinon AF 135mm F1.8 FE, which is way inexpensive at $799/£798. The Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB is available in at $899/£719, doubtlessly making it nice worth for such a complicated lens.
Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB: Design & Dealing with
Compact and light-weight are phrases I can’t typically affiliate with full-frame appropriate 135mm f/1.8 lenses, and this Viltrox is often large and weighty. The big floor space is put to good use, with a bunch of design thrives and dealing with exotica. Beginning on the again finish and dealing my forwards, the steel mount comes full with a rubber weather-seal gasket, gold-plated digital contacts and a USB-C port for making use of firmware updates if and when wanted. The lens barrel can also be produced from steel and options additional weather-seals. In the meantime, the optical structure relies on 14 parts in 9 teams and contains 4 ED (Additional-low Dispersion) parts and two HRI (Excessive Refractive Index) parts. HD Nano multi-layer coatings are utilized to attenuate ghosting and flare, and there’s a water/grease-repellant coating on the entrance component. The aperture diaphragm is especially well-rounded, with 11 curved blades.
The weather-sealed steel mounting plate incorporates a USB-C port for making use of firmware updates. (Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
Transferring up the left hand facet of the barrel, the primary stuff you encounter are switches for an autofocus vary limiter and a click on/de-click operate for the aperture management ring. The previous is a 3-pole swap that lets you lock out the quick finish under 1.5m or the lengthy finish, limiting autofocus to a variety of 0.72m to 2m, in addition to enabling the complete AF vary of 0.7m to infinity. Autofocus itself is pushed by a twin VCM (Voice Coil Motor) actuator, enabling swift focusing for stills and {smooth} just about silent transitions for video.
Click on/de-click and autofocus vary limiter switches are positioned simply behind the rear customizable management ring. (Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
The aperture management ring is positioned simply in entrance of the 2 switches and is in contrast to these I’ve typically encountered in Viltrox lenses. It has no markings for particular person f/stops, nor interim markers in one-third f/cease increments. That’s as a result of (digital camera physique permitting) the management ring could be custom-made to tackle different capabilities. You can even maintain tabs on the aperture setting with a fast look on the coloration LCD data display, which I’ll come to later.
An AF/MF focus mode swap and twin customizable operate buttons are positioned between the entrance and rear management rings. (Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
Simply in entrance the ‘aperture’ ring, between that and the electronically-coupled focus ring, there’s an AF/MF focus mode swap and two customizable operate buttons. I typically use these for autofocus-hold and I like that there are two of them, in order that they fall naturally below the thumb in each panorama and portrait orientation taking pictures. The latter is a vital level, on condition that the lens is right for portraiture.
A neat function is the colour LCD data display, constructed into the highest of the lens barrel, which might present focus distance and aperture, in addition to displaying A and B focus distance settings for automated focus transitions. (Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
Up on prime, the lens includes a coloration LCD data panel, the identical because the one I first encountered on the superb Viltrox AF 16mm F1.8 wide-angle prime. It shows focus distance and aperture setting, and extra in addition to. A neat trick for taking pictures video is that you would be able to set A and B focus distances for easily transitioning between the 2.
(Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
The entrance of the lens has sometimes wide-diameter glass for a 135mm f/1.8. To provide a way of scale, it has a 82mm filter attachment thread, and the lens is provided with a big circular-profile hood which has a protecting rubber ring across the entrance.
(Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB: Efficiency
With an aperture of f/1.8 at a focal size of 135mm, the Viltrox undoubtedly qualifies as a ‘quick’ lens. With that in thoughts, sharpness on the widest accessible aperture is at all times a problem however the Viltrox is greater than as much as that individual process, with noticeably higher edge/nook sharpness at f/1.8 than the competing Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena and Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 G Grasp lenses. I’d go so far as to say the Viltrox is stunningly sharp with loads of chew however, after all, that’s solely a part of the story.
Sharpness stays wonderful when taking pictures excessive close-ups, this motorbike mannequin filling the picture body and measuring about 6 inches in size.EXIF: Sony A7 II + Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB (1/1.3 sec, f/11, ISO 200) (Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
Bokeh is arguably each bit as (or extra) essential than outright sharpness for one of these lens. Once more the Viltrox impresses, giving a wealthy and dreamy smoothness to defocused areas inside photographs. There’s additionally a pleasant and pure wanting roll-off within the transition between targeted and defocused areas, with minimal axial chromatic aberration – a phenomenon that offers coloration fringing round high-contrast edges in a scene that fall simply in entrance of or behind the purpose of focus. ‘Quick’ lenses generally fall at this explicit hurdle.
At or close to the shortest focus distance when taking pictures wide-open at f/1.8, depth of subject is super-tight, as demonstrated on this picture of the identical mannequin as within the earlier instance shot, taken at a slant and specializing in the motorbike’s headlight. EXIF: Sony A7 II + Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB (1/125 sec, f/1.8, ISO 200) (Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
As confirmed in our lab assessments, the lens does effectively to suppress each lateral in addition to axial coloration fringing. There’s additionally little or no distortion, even when uncorrected in-camera, with only a trace of pincushion.
The very small quantity of pincushion distortion is usually exhausting to identify, even when taking photographs of very straight-sided topics.EXIF: Sony A7 II + Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB (1/160 sec, f/1.8, ISO 1000) (Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
One space of concern with lenses that main on bokeh is the dreaded ‘onion ring’ impact in defocused lights or vivid spots. This exhibits up as darkish concentric circles inside bokeh disks, however the Viltrox proved superb at conserving this aberration to a minimal. Equally, the circumference of bokeh disks isn’t overly exhausting, Nevertheless, as is usually the case, bokeh disks tackle irregular shapes in the direction of the perimeters and corners of the picture body.
This shot of defocused fairy lights exhibits that bokeh disks are freed from the ‘onion ring’ impact and don’t have overly exhausting edges, though they don’t stay well-rounded in the direction of the perimeters and corners of the picture body. (Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB: Pattern Photos
The next gallery of instance photographs was largely shot at Wells cathedral within the UK’s county of Somerset. The ultimate shot is a close-up of two toy troopers, taken close to the minimal focus distance at f/1.8, specializing in the closest with the second positioned about 4 inches behind it.
Picture 1 of 13
(Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
EXIF: Sony A7 II + Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB (1/160 sec, f/5.6, ISO 3200)
(Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
EXIF: Sony A7 II + Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB (1/160 sec, f/4, ISO 200)
(Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
EXIF: Sony A7 II + Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB (1/160 sec, f/1.8, ISO 1000)
(Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
EXIF: Sony A7 II + Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB (1/160 sec, f/1.8, ISO 1600)
(Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
EXIF: Sony A7 II + Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB (1/160 sec, f/1.8, ISO 2500)
(Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
EXIF: Sony A7 II + Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB (1/160 sec, f/1.8, ISO 5000)
(Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
EXIF: Sony A7 II + Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB (1/160 sec, f/1.8, ISO 2500)
(Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
EXIF: Sony A7 II + Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB (1/160 sec, f/1.8, ISO 1600)
(Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
EXIF: Sony A7 II + Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB (1/160 sec, f/4, ISO 5000)
(Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
EXIF: Sony A7 II + Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB (1/160 sec, f/1.8, ISO 3200)
(Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
EXIF: Sony A7 II + Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB (1/160 sec, f/1.8, ISO 2000)
(Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
(Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
EXIF: Sony A7 II + Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB (1/40 sec, f/1.8, ISO 200)
Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB: Lab Outcomes
We run a variety of lab assessments below managed circumstances, utilizing the Imatest Grasp testing suite. Pictures of check charts are taken throughout the vary of apertures and zooms (the place accessible), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.
We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and evaluation software program to plot lens decision on the middle of the picture body, corners and mid-point distances, throughout the vary of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at 4 completely different focal lengths. The assessments additionally measure distortion and coloration fringing (chromatic aberration).
Sharpness:
(Picture credit score: Future)
Taking pictures wide-open at f/1.8, the Viltrox beats a lot pricier Nikon and Sony 135mm rivals for sharpness away from the middle of the body. General sharpness isn’t solely wonderful throughout the entire picture body, but additionally reassuringly constant all through the aperture vary.
Fringing:
(Picture credit score: Future)
The lens does effectively to maintain each axial and lateral chromatic aberrations to a minimal, the latter even out on the excessive edges and corners of the body. The automated correction in Nikon and Sony cameras is never wanted, if in any respect.
Distortion: 0.35
There’s a slight contact of pincushion distortion however, even when taking pictures topics with very straight edges, it’s typically exhausting to identify. And that’s with in-camera correction switched off.
Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB: Verdict
So far as I’m involved, the Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB seems and feels a extremely high-quality lens. The mix of focal size and quick aperture imply that it’s essentially large and chunky however I really like that the additional house is put to good use, with a click on/de-click aperture management ring, twin customizable operate buttons and even a coloration LCD data show. All in all, I discover that dealing with is exemplary. Most significantly, picture high quality is gorgeous, combining wonderful sharpness and readability with super-smooth bokeh. All issues thought-about, this Viltrox lens is great worth for cash on the worth, particularly in contrast with own-brand rivals from Nikon and Sony.
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Options
Excessive-end options embrace customizable management rings, operate buttons and an LCD data show.
★★★★★
Design
The lens is essentially large and hefty however the total design is high-grade and splendid.
★★★★★
Efficiency
Efficiency is spectacular in all respects, with deeply satisfying picture high quality.
★★★★★
Worth
In contrast with own-brand lenses from numerous digital camera producers, it’s a steal on the worth.
★★★★★
(Picture credit score: Matthew Richards)
Must you purchase the Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB?
✅ Purchase this…
You’re after a extremely succesful lens that’s preferrred for head & shoulders portraiture, nonetheless life and extra in addition to, however don’t wish to pay over the percentages.
You fancy a high-tech lens that options twin management rings, two operate buttons and even a coloration LCD data display.
🚫 Do not buy this…
You’d fairly have the flexibility of a zoom lens and don’t thoughts a slower f/2.8 aperture ranking, by which case a 70-200mm f/2.8 ‘trinity’ telephoto zoom could be extra preferrred.
You’d choose a macro lens for excessive close-ups. If that’s the case, you’d be higher off with a 1.0x/1:1 100mm (or thereabouts) f/2.8 macro lens, which might additionally work effectively for portraiture.
