The Viltrox 28mm f4.5 lens is one of the coolest and most fun optics that I’ve used for the Sony E mount. And most importantly, it has continued to recieve firmware updates. This little lens has an aperture that doesn’t change, working autofocus, and a dreamy look that’s hard to deny. So we’ve updated our review. You can see the full text here, or you can click below to see our update.
August 2025 Review Update: Still Worth it?
Viltrox has added new firmware for this lens since its launch. Here are the details:
- AF 28mm F4.5 FE V1.07: Fixed known issues.
- AF 28mm F4.5 FE V1.05(Update via APP)2024-10-24: Fixed some cameras power switch issue. Fixed touch screen AF function issue.
Overall, I never really seemed to encounter problems with this lens — but I surely do remember needing to pull the battery at one point or another. I had no idea that it had to do with this lens and instead had to do with the camera. However, that all checks out. The overall Autofocus performance hasn’t really seemed to change all that much and I’d be shocked if it did.
After I updated the firmware via my computer, I checked to see how the lens performs. When I cleaned the autofocus contacts and I removed the Kolari haze filter I keep over the sensor partially for protection, I got faster performance and better autofocus performance. Remember that this lens isn’t weather sealed, so you have to clean the autofocus contacts with Isopropyl alcohol for sure.
This lens is small, beautiful, and really fun. And Viltrox told us in an interview that they’d be making more lenses like this. That makes us very happy. They’ve also said that they’re working on a camera of some sort — and I wonder if they’d ever make a point and shoot with this lens permanently fixed to the camera. That would be incredible in so many different ways.
Is it odd that there’s only a single aperture? Not really. If you want to make the scene darker, you just change the ISO or shutter speed while the camera is set to manual mode. Sure, the depth of field won’t change. And to me, that’s absolutely fine.
I still enjoy the character that this lens gives me and the life that it breathes into Sony’s cameras, which otherwise have the excitement of a butter knife.
Overall, I still think that the Viltrox 28mm f4.5 is very much worth the buy.
