Viltrox is changing the game for camera lenses, with its latest premium prime matching Sony’s best for half the price

Photographers are spoiled for prime these days erstwhile it comes to third-party lenses, pinch Sigma, Tamron, Samyang and others making superb alternatives to costlier proprietary optics from nan likes of Sony, Canon, Nikon and Fujifilm. However, there's different sanction rightly earning renown successful 2024: Viltrox.

The Chinese shaper of photography and filmmaking cogwheel has been releasing fantabulous value lenses for a fewer years – including, astir recently, autofocus lenses for celebrated lens mounts – for what is almost ever astatine slightest half nan value of proprietary equivalents, and for nan astir portion pinch nary evident compromises.

I've been shooting pinch nan Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 for Nikon Z-mount for complete a twelvemonth – it costs precisely half nan value of Nikon's ain 85mm f/1.8, and I tin hardly show nan quality betwixt photos from nan 2 lenses.

Viltrox's banal is only group to emergence pinch nan motorboat of its latest lens, nan Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB. It's nan first of Viltrox's premium 'LAB' bid of autofocus lenses, and if nan consequence online from reviewers is thing to spell by, it's adjacent perfection.

Currently it's only disposable successful nan Sony E-mount for Sony mirrorless cameras, including nan full-frame Sony A7R V; but nan 135mm F1.8 LAB looks incredible, and it's half nan value of Sony's superb FE 135mm F1.8 GM – and at nan clip of penning it's connected waste for $764.15 astatine Amazon nan US – that's 24% off.

• Buy the Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB – was $999 now $764.15 astatine Amazon (US)

As personification who's peculiarly keen connected but priced retired of this type of lens – nan five-star rated Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena was 1 of my favourite Nikon lenses of 2024 but it costs $2,499.95 / £2,649 / AU$4,249 – Viltrox's caller lens has surely grabbed my attraction – I'm assuming that for illustration different Viltrox lenses it'll beryllium made disposable for different systems successful owed course, including Nikon Z-mount. Furthermore, location could beryllium much LAB lenses to travel – leaked pictures of a 35mm F1.2 LAB for Sony were shared by Sony Alpha Rumors this week.

Is it clip to return Viltrox seriously? And should nan likes of Sigma and Samyang beryllium worried?

Optically impressive, hampered by 1 applicable hindrance

We're yet to complete our reappraisal of nan Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB lens, but nan wide consequence to it online from those that person utilized it has been highly positive. Regarding optical quality, Viltrox itself has published nan lens's MTF charts – laboratory tests that bespeak a lens's sharpness and opposition from nan halfway of nan framework to nan edges – and they show that successful this area it's a virtually flawless lens immoderate aperture you usage it at, moreover wide unfastened astatine f/1.8.

Bokeh besides appears awesome (see below) – and that's captious for a telephoto premier lens pinch a accelerated aperture for illustration this, arsenic it's perfect for image photography (though I besides emotion nan compression you get pinch this focal magnitude for scenery photography). Autofocus capacity is supposedly quiet and reliably speedy too, truthful there's nary existent discuss there, though it looks for illustration location is insignificant attraction breathing, which mightiness count this lens retired for superior filmmakers.

What filmmakers will like, however, is nan aperture ring, which tin beryllium group to either soft aliases clicked operation. There are nary aperture aliases attraction region markings connected nan exterior of nan lens, pinch this accusation alternatively recovered connected nan neat integer display. This show is besides customizable, meaning you tin import immoderate image you for illustration arsenic a invited surface done nan Viltrox app – for maine that's a nosy statement trick. The app connectivity besides enables easy firmware updates.

The 135mm F1.8 is built to a very precocious standard, pinch a magnesium-alloy building and precocious upwind sealing. However, nan gargantuan build of nan lens could beryllium a dealbreaker – it weighs successful astatine 43.6oz / 1,235g, and for reference Sony's 135mm lens weighs overmuch less, conscionable 33.6oz / 950g. The other weight of nan Viltrox lens is improbable to make excessively overmuch of a quality if you're shooting pinch a chunkier camera for illustration a Nikon Z8, while it appears to brace good pinch nan Sony A7R V (see below), but it's a front-heavy mismatch pinch skinnier models for illustration nan Sony A7C R.

Weight aside, Viltrox has made galore photographers – and apt rival brands – beryllium up and return note. Its LAB bid could beryllium nan opening of thing special, and a scope of lenses that cost-conscious photographers who besides worth value will progressively beryllium drawn to.

You mightiness besides like

• You don't request to walk large connected lenses - I took nan champion pictures of my life pinch a super-cheap autofocus Viltrox
• Best Sony lenses 2024: apical lenses for Sony mirrorless cameras
• Sigma's first Canon RF lens is yet present – and it could beryllium nan champion zoom for APS-C fans