Third party lenses are quite important for users today. They are cost-effective but they offer the same kind of performance as first party lenses. There are multiple companies that have been competing against Japanese lens makers, but there is one that has certain won: Viltrox. The company has changed the way we look at third party lenses, and they are pushing boundaries, one lens at a time. But from the different lenses, one lens that has won us over is the 27mm f1.2. Here’s a look at why.
The Viltrox 27mm f1.2 works for multiple mounts, the Sony E, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z. There is also 15 elements in 11 groups; includes 2 ED (extra-low dispersion), 5 high refractive index lenses, and 1 aspherical lens element. Other features include 11 blades, has a close focusing of 0.28m, a maxmimum magnification of 0.15x, and a filter threa of 67mm. The lens measures 82 mmx92 mm and weighs 560-565g.
The third-party lens features AF system, has STM motor, and also supports eye/face/animal detection on many systems. The optical system is build reall well, has internal focus, and it looks a lot like a Fujifilm lens. Since it is designed for APS-C cameras, the lens is pretty huge on Fujifilm cameras. It is also weather resistant, and does a good job at it too. Most photographers appreciate what it does.
Using the Viltrox third-party lens on the X Pro 3, and it is pretty good. As we said in our review, “When exposure preview is enabled, it’s good. But when that’s taken off, the Viltrox 27mm f1.2 focuses pretty amazingly fast.” We also felt the device is impressive even at wider aperture, and it is as fast as the 23mm f1.4 R WR. Similarly, in low light, the Viltrox lens is just as good. Overall, we found the third-party lens good for professional photographers, and effective for street photography.
The Viltrox 27mm f1.2 is just as good in terms of image quality. In fact, most people won’t be able to tell the difference between this third party offering and Fujifilm. The bokek is dreamy, the contrast is sharp, and the lens can make any subjetc stand out. Similarly, the color rendition is great, and overall, we did not face any challeneg. As we stated in our review, “This lens is very clinically clean. But it doesn’t feel like there’s an over-obsession with it the way that Sony lenses feel.”
In many ways, Viltrox 27mm f1.2 is a great offering, and it even won our Editor’s Choice Award. That is pretty rare for most offerings, and the reason it won so is because it managed tto pushed boundaries in many ways. This is also why it is a highly recomanded lens on our list, and if you ever want to get one, this is a good star for your images.
