I can't wait to get this and the "pro" lenses you mentioned. Budget lenses today are better than the name brand lenses I grew up with. I think most of us need to relax a bit about perfect sharpness and just enjoy making memories or creating our expression.
Just got this in my hand yesterday. Excellent size/weight for travel, it'll be perfect to go along with my Z28f2.8 & Z40f2 on a Z6 - also purchased for street use. Not fair to compare to my S primes or even zooms, but those are orders of magnitude more expensive and rather large for casual street & travel. Corner sharpness & vignetting wide open isn't so hot but stopped down to f4-f8, it's good to very good. $150 for a relatively fast, fun wide angle prime with AF....it's just a screaming deal! I can't wait for the 16mm 1.8 for astro.
Both my son and my daughter have each purchased a Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.2 Z DX lens and the results are astonishingly good. Although only able to cover DX format the cost makes it another really sound lens to have in the Z mount arsenal, while I have both the 28mm f/1.8 and the new 20mm f/2.8 Viltrox lenses as commented elsewhere. I think that Viltrox promises to be be a very competitive route into the Z mount range, not only for relative amateurs but for us professionals as well, particularly for lenses where we might prefer to buy genuine NIKKOR ones but when limited use doesn't justify buying the real deal or hiring one.
Bought this lens for under £120 from Viltrox directly. That is a price I might pay for a good manual focus vintage lens. But this is technically a bit better than many of those and has AF. It is tiny and very light. For anyone who wants to throw in their bag a lens for the occasional wide shot, maybe someone who more often shoots say 40mm and above, this is unbelievable useful at this price. Viltrox now seems confident enough to produce pro quality lenses alongside very decent budget lenses like this. When I was a kid Japanese electronics, cars, etc. had a cheap but poor reputation. That changed. Now Chinese manufacturers seem to be repeating that pattern, all the time chasing Japanese quality, gradually catching up while holding on to great prices.
I bought it exactly because it's so light that it won't even make a huge difference in the bag. I have an 17-35 2.8D that is only manual focus (it's broke) that weights a lot more! So, in everyday work, I don't use any super wide lens. The viltrox will be my option to everyday needs, but, in especific situations, i can carry the 17-35.
Looks like good value for the price of this lens. I am certainly interested in it. I cannot justify the cost of the Z 20mm f1.8 at this time but this Voltrix 20mm f2.8 brings this lens into my price range.
I have a Z50 and one of the first lenses I bought was the Viltrox 13mm. I’ve been all over the country with it and it hasn’t missed a beat. It’s a bit of a low light champion too. Well built and great photos (I’m no professional). The shots of Uluṟu at sunrise I took with it were fantastic. I’d have no hesitation in buying more Viltrox gear. Thanks for all you do Matt.
Hi Matt, I got my Viltrox AF 20mm f/2.8 Z yesterday in the UK and, for £115 GBP, it's a steal! Optical quality isn't wildly good, but frankly for general use where you aren't examining the edges too closely (twigs, branches etc) it's absolutely brilliant and best of it is TINY! I'm quite happy to shoot certain types of commercial work on it and once you get to f/4-f/5.6 the edges improve noticeably. Love it!
Viltrox are making amazing lenses! I have the 20mm 1.8 manual focus metal and glass, and the 85mm 1.8 af, love both of them. Waiting for a 40mm 2.5 affordable
I've ordered this one to have something reasonably fast and wide in my bag, the size and weight are attractive to me. Would have been happy to pay a bit more for weather sealing.
For the price this is hard to beat to be honest. I wouldn't use it for any professinal work perhaps but for street and other things that maybe don't require absolute sharpness like razor sharp edge to edge sharpness but for $158 I think it would make a great "fun" lens, even if it ends up sitting in your bag most of the time. This is actually sort of what I've been looking for, and the price appears to be great, and very good value for the money. I mean for $158 I almost expected it to be a bit worse, but it doesn't seem to be. I mean the edges and corners aren't quite as sharp but again it's a $158 AF lens. Heck even a manual focus lens like this would be about that price so the fact they included AF is actually impressive.
always happy to see third party autofocus options, viltrox has been doing great lately! can’t wait for sigma’s full frame mirrorless lenses to join z mount too
Sigma and Tamron may not be permitted to make competing lenses though for FF. This may be part of their license with Nikon, and one reason why we probably won't see, for example, their revamped 70-200 ML lens. Viltrox can get away with it (for now at least) because they aren't licensed, but if you notice, none of the licensed third party options as of right now are direct competitors to what Nikon has, and it may be that they cannot relase competing lenses so no 70-200 or 24-70's.
@@HR-wd6cw Tamron is releasing the second version of their 28-75 F/2.8 for the Z mount, and this time it will be sold as a Tamron brand lens, unlike the first version, which was labeled Nikkor, but everyone knew the lens was in fact made by Tamron. Anyhow, I don't feel this Viltrox 20mm lens is competing with any Nikkor prime at the moment, but it is definitely good to have it as an option.
This is nicely timed. I Ordered one of these and I'm picking it up today! Although I have a Z5, I'm mostly looking forward to using it on my Z50 & Zfc as a "30mm". It'll be my light, little "on the road" lens for when I'm out on motorcycle trips.
I live in eastern Ontario, Canada. Most of my riding is about an hour to the west of my home in Ottawa. It's rugged, hilly country. The first European settlement was mostly Irish, after it had been logged out by the lumber Barrons. The soil is thin and rocky, so farms did poorly. The log buildings that normally would have been replaced as farms became more settled are still in place. Many were abandoned. Consequently the whole area has a very rustic character. I particularly enjoy shooting the old farms. (Or, at least what's left of them.) Aside from that, it's mostly roadside scenery. On secondary highways much of the road culture is dying or long gone. The motels, gas stations, and attractions are fading remnants from the 50's and 60's. Those are also favourites of mine. My choice of cameras and lenses are directly related to motorcycle travel. Light, compact, and reasonably rugged. I always have two cameras with me. One hangs from my neck while I ride. (My bike is a Harley' touring bike with an upright riding position, and a fairing and windscreen.) The other is my "walkaround" when I'm off the bike. The "riding" camera is the Z50 with a wide angle prime. When I stop to look around, it's the Z5 & 24-120 4S combo. @@MattIrwinPhotography
I have the 20mm 2.8 and the 35mm 1.8. I began in mirrorless world there is only 1 month, so I'm still trying and doing my setup. I guess they are very good lenses, and by the price, awesome. Here in Brazil where everything costs more (fees) and we don't get much money as developed countrys, those are really good options for pro use. We do the best that we can with the equipments we can afford.
I've never owned a Viltrox lens, but I'm intrigued by this one. To me, the most important feature of this lens is the size. If you leave your Nikon Z 20mm at home because you're travelling light, that extra sharpness does you no good, whether you're a scientist or a hobbyist. I have a Nikon Z 14-30, but it usually lives at home because I don't feel like taking a zoom with me. I'm curious whether you think the Nikon Z 40 f2 and 28 f2.8 are sharper, considering they're twice the price, but also considered budget lenses?
I bought this lens for my new Zf. I bought the Zf to have light and portable gear to begin with, so this lens is a good companion for that camera. Now I have no excuses to leave my gear at home, and can always have a very acceptable quality wide-angle lens with me. Just the fact that it's so small and light is worth its price. This lens is a no-brainer if compactness is important. The sharpness is very good if you compare it to AF-D or even AF-S era lenses, which were good enough for a lot of people at the time. Don't expect miracles, you really can't ask for much more at this price point.
Can’t go wrong for a $158.00 US. I like the vintage look it gives images. It has its own character. The sun stars look good. Only downfall is you can’t slip it into manual for night photography. I like how my Pergear 35mm looks on the Zf this one looks good on it also. It’s great to see 3rd party lens makers upping the game with more lenses. Yes they aren’t pro break the bank lenses but with post processing you probably would never know.
Looking good for sure but I have been burnt once by a well-known 3rd party (T*k*n*) and have been avoiding them since! Thanks for dropping the Melb and Syd books today, Matt! Got a snap of you on my Nest cam too!
Great lens for cases when you need light, affordable and little bit wider and brighter alternative to your zooms (24-120f4 in my case). In my case this lens will be used 10% of the time and won't break the bank.
I was waiting for this lens! Only to end up buying a Nikkor 24-70/4 S instead 😅 I chose to go that route because 24mm is wide enough for me and as a 24-70 it's way more versatile. Plus I found the Nikkor at a really good used price. If I ever need an ultra wide I'll get the older F mount 16-35/4. But the Viltrox is still a great deal! Especially if you have no FTZ adapter. Very impressive by what you get for the price. Last year I got the TTArtisan 17/1.4 for the Z50 I used to own. It costs about the same as the Viltrox, has no AF, covers APS-C only and it's only really "usable" starting at f/4. So it's really cool to see how things are improving when it comes to affordability and price to performance.
I'm in Luxembourg. Some studio work, some live stage work, so I am not too rough with my lenses, but by no means handling them very gently either. I've had the OG Viltrox 85m f1.8 AF pretty much from right after it came out as the first 3rd party AF lens for Z. It's not seen huge amounts of shooting, but is holding up quite well indeed. No damage, no quality issues, simply does its job when called upon. Then I got the 23mm and 33 mm f1/4 APS-C AF lenses. The 24mm worked (and still works) fine. The 33mm arrived 'DOA', but got that replaced quickly, without any issues or fuss. After my Z50 got demoted from 'spare body' to 'glorified webcam', the 33mm has been pretty much glued to it and has been doing a sterling job. Just can't wait for Nikon to fix the webcam utility to be MacOS 14.3 compatible.... *mutter*. Finally I've got the 35mm f1.8 AF. Same story as the others: cheap, simply works. No fuss. Do their jobs when called upon, with decent (though not exceptional) quality, but given their price excellent 'bang for the buck'.
Hi Matt, I bought this just recently for my Zf after I watched your video as it was on sale thru Amazon. I bought the NIKKOR z 50mm 1.8s with the camera and hope to buy the voigtlander 40mm f1.2 z-mount in the future. I would like your thoughts on the Viltrox 24mm f1.8 if you are planning on reviewing. I’m debating to buy the Viltrox 24 or to buy the nikkor z 24-70 f4 for more flexibility but I do prefer primes. Keep up the great work!
I owned the Viltrox 85 Z lens. It was an awesome lens until the focusing completely stopped working after 2 shoots. I’ve been hesitant to get another Viltrox ever since. This price might make me give them another try. 20mm isn’t a lens I’d use often but it would be nice to have.
Oooh, I want this lens, thanks for the coverage on Z-mount. I've seen the Sony reviews, but the reassurance from you that everything seems on the up and up for the Z-mount is great. For ~$150 this sounds like a real winner. I have Nikon's 2.8/28mm and 2/40mm; I might sell the 2.8/28mm and pick this one up instead. I have the Viltrox 24mm f/1.8 and it's a very nice lens; for the price, it's a fantastic lens. My only overall gripes with it are that the AF on this lens is a little slow and it's a tad soft wide open, but that's to be expected as there are very few lenses that are nice and sharp wide open. For the price, the AF and sharpness are fantastic. The construction of the lens is solid. I use this on my Z8 & Z9 bodies. I needed to upgrade the firmware on the lens after the 4.0FW release for the Z9 which was an easy task. I photograph a ton of very low light events where flash is not allowed (museums) and I generally have this 1.8/24mm on the Z8 and 1.2/85mm on the Z9. I have Auto-ISO on and limited to 10K and the results are great with both lenses wide open. And you make a great point in regards to Viltrox's APS-C offerings, or any APS-C offerings in general. I don't do much video, but that's a great thing to keep in mind if I shoot more video down the line.
My experience with Viltrox: I've tried the Viltrox 85mm 1.8 from my brother and liked the lens. Ordered then one for myself but the copy was not as sharp and had to return it. The secod copy was better, but somehow i didn't "connect" with the lens. Preferred the rendering of the old Nikon 85mm 1.8 G even though it was less sharp at 1.8 than the Viltrox version. The AF from the Viltrox is silent and well built for that price
I certainly think they fit a spot in the market as a great allrounder for the price. Then add in they are now doing pro lenses, and what appears to be a budget line. It's all good. What might be your next prime?
@@MattIrwinPhotography It’s good that there are more affordable options for the Z-Mount and Viltrox is doing some interesting lenses. My next prime will probably be the Nikon 40mm, even though I have the 35mm, because its so small and I had fun shooting with it and taking it with me on hiking in the mountains. But from Viltrox I would like to try out the 16mm 1.8 when it comes to the Z-mount for some landscape and MTB photography
I received mine a day ago and it is just as good if not better than the native 20mm Z mount. I cannot tell the difference at all with this lens and the price is just right.
Only an ozzy could say "lots of clouds" in these conditions. Meawhile in the UK we can't tell if the house across the road is still there the weather is so bad.
LOL, context, lots of clouds for a 35c (95f) sunny day, in winter we still get a sky full of foreboding clouds, and we actually had a thunderstorm yesterday that knocked out our power for 7 hours, and indeed that was 'lots of clouds'.
I use the Viltrox 85mm f1.8 Z mount lens on my Z6 II. It works well and is great for portrait and event photography. It's been dropped, yet still works well. AF hits 85% of the time but could be a thing between the lens and my Z6 II. Firmware may need tweaking. Overall a great performer producing sharp images across the spectrum of pics.
Thanks for another great review Matt!! I haven't used any Viltrox lenses before but news of an upcoming 16mm/1.8 for Z mount has me interested. Their lineup certainly seems to be good value for decent quality from the general concensus I have seen or read.
Matt, Haven't used Viltrox todate however I am seriously considering this lens for cost and size. Of course on FB and Instagram this lens is probably a killer, however, with a 45MP sensor if you crrop or enlarge will the softness stand out to be unusable?
Hi Leo, I shot this lens on the Z8 and was perfectly happy with it. Stop it down a little and sharpness continues to improve. It is not the same as the Nikon lens, but neither is the price :)
@@MattIrwinPhotography Did you hear that Nikon has sent 15 Z9s to the international space station? I wonder if they are going to eventually replace all the lenses that have up there
Yeah I made a video about it last week, very exciting. And they did send some Z lenses, but also continuing to use F mount glass, as they also sent a number of FTZ adapters. Very cool indeed. @@leod1671
Having used the Viltrox 75 and 27 lenses on my Fuji XT5, and having had results that I liked on that camera, I decided to get the Viltrox 20 lens for my Nikon Z9. I had no wide Z lenses, so it was an easy choice after looking at other lenses choices and price. Viltrox is going to keep lenses coming. 😊
Could be n interesting choice for getting into Milky Way stuff at that price. Hopefully your fellow Aussie Richard Tatti at Nightscape images can get ahold of one and test it out.
Fun little lens Matt. Super super light!!!! 176 grams. Great playing around with on the street. Thanks for the review. Looking forward to cruising this week. :-)
hey Matt -thanks for the video! think you could test the venus 15mm f2 for z mount? Have you have any experience with the venus stuff? -they seem to be making super interesting and quality stuff that others aren't .....EDIT: looks like you have checked the brand -just watched the 10mm review -Please test the 15mmf2 please please please
I have been wanting the Nikon 20mm 1.8 for a good while now but the price has always kept me from pulling the trigger. But now, this Viltrox may just be the way to go for me.. For the time being at least. It seems to capture excellent images for how cheap it is.
I bought it yesterday to one official reseler in France, 134eu (-10%), can't wait to use it on my ZF. I'm also waiting the Viltrox 16mm 1.8 AF that already exists on Sony mount...
I just bought it for a walk-around, and to get familiar with this type of focal range. I wouldn't pay the full price of the pro version and then not use it as much.
I think it's a good little lens I've got some of these lenses on my Fuji... I don't think anyone is blogging anymore with mirrorless cameras I think everyone is going to the dji pocket style cameras and go pros and that kind of thing it's much more practical no one really is blogging anymore with mirrorless cameras that I've seen. One of the criticisms of nikon has been affordable lenses and viltrox are fantastic 👏 👌
Indeed I agree Vlogging on mirrorless is perhaps not at its peak anymore. I still prefer the look of 35mm over action cams etc. In the Nikon range you have the 28 and 40, and the 26mm which is very small and little more expensive, lets hope we see more soon :) Certainly the new 35mm wont be in this price point ...
@MattIrwinPhotography And given editing software is so good now either capture one or light room or photoshop you can certainly improve an image taken with an average lens and make it still look pretty good. Hi I'd just think it's really good that there is some affordable gear for the average Joe... Especially in Australia mate where everything is so expensive as you and I very well know.
How would this perform for astrophotography I wonder. Not something I photograph too often so I don't want to spend alot of money in a wide, fast apature lens.
So my question for you Matt (this video makes me want this lens) have they improved the 85mm since it's release, does it now match what this 20mm in the way of chromatic aberration.? I also have a question on the Zf, with the new firmware, is the auto focus as good as the Z8?
I dont think the 85mm 1.8 has been updated other than firmware. chromatic aberration wise it is still as it was on release. I am about to make at 85mm comparison video, so we can have an updated look :) By AF what do you mean, general AF, or bird? :)
What I meant was, I heard the zf had improved af (smarter and stickier) and the z8 got a firmware update that.matched it. I love the look of the zf and at $1000.00 less than the z8..... bargain.
All my primes are now Viltrox or ttartisan, for the fantastic price points and offering something different to the norm. I enjoy a cheap lens that is 90% as good as an overpriced one. Sharper has never been my reason for getting lenses, I prefer moderate sharpness and character
Looks like great value for a very competitive price, Matt. I don't own any Viltrox lenses but have been tempted (by your videos!). Great to see more full frame options.
What was the current firmware version for this 20mm nikon lens? I see the FE version has a higher release number but could not locate the most current for the Z version.
Never mind, Viltrox told me the following; Hello Craig, 20mm F2.8 Z mount come with the product is the latest firmware,so there are no other new firmware now. Best regards Viltrox Team
@@MattIrwinPhotography Thanks for asking! An original Nikon Z6. I am waiting for a Z7iii but running out of patience! Any word on that?? I don't want another Z6. I can get the Z8 for $3,480, which I am tempted to just go ahead with. Thoughts? 🤔
Nikon is not able to build a metal mount for its 28 f 2.8 se and 40 f2 se … but viltrox can do it for half the price of them…. Is there not an issue there Mr Nikon ?
I am sure they can build one, and the choose not to. My best guess is market segmentation. Composite materials are very tough these days - spaceships, weapons, parachutes etc. All serious stuff. And the mount relative to size, weigh and length of the lens, personally I don't see it as a problem. I own both the 40 and 28 and no problems thus far.
@@MattIrwinPhotography I agree plastic can be solid , but it feels very cheap… for the SE they could have make some effort. For the diaph ring that we found on sigma and viltrox too… Nikon doesn t breath quality as before… these series reminds me of the E series… rather good optics even not at the level of AI at that time but very low cost material… it s just a pity… for lenses at more than 300$… Nikon nearly missed the hybrid wave ( thx to z9 and z8 they are back) they should be vigilant to not fall into another issue : poor quality/price ratio.
Hi @MattIrwinPhotography, great update on Viltrox. I don't own any Viltrox lenses yet, but I'm hanging out for their 16mm f1.8 in Z mount for astrophotography. I'm currently using a Nikon 20mm f1.8 and the Laowa 15mm f2.0 for astro. I'm hoping the Viltrox 16mm is better than the Laowa. Here's some of my astro images from both lenses, taken with Z5 and Z6ii ruclips.net/video/ei9J-lU83yQ/видео.html.
Ciao io lo uso sulla Z8 con risultati molto soddisfacente, ti ringrazio per la recensione molto puntuale come sempre e ti seguo dall'Italia con molto interesse.
![BRASIL vs. URUGUAY [1-1] | RESUMEN | ELIMINATORIAS SUDAMERICANAS | FECHA 12](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-hWBAuxF1eY/mqdefault.jpg)
Slight correction filter size is 52mm not 57mm
you had me going for a minute that i ordered the wrong one LOL
I can't wait to get this and the "pro" lenses you mentioned. Budget lenses today are better than the name brand lenses I grew up with. I think most of us need to relax a bit about perfect sharpness and just enjoy making memories or creating our expression.
Just got this in my hand yesterday. Excellent size/weight for travel, it'll be perfect to go along with my Z28f2.8 & Z40f2 on a Z6 - also purchased for street use. Not fair to compare to my S primes or even zooms, but those are orders of magnitude more expensive and rather large for casual street & travel. Corner sharpness & vignetting wide open isn't so hot but stopped down to f4-f8, it's good to very good. $150 for a relatively fast, fun wide angle prime with AF....it's just a screaming deal! I can't wait for the 16mm 1.8 for astro.
same, that 20mm completing the set 28+40 on ZF, and can't wait for the 16mm 1.8....
Both my son and my daughter have each purchased a Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.2 Z DX lens and the results are astonishingly good. Although only able to cover DX format the cost makes it another really sound lens to have in the Z mount arsenal, while I have both the 28mm f/1.8 and the new 20mm f/2.8 Viltrox lenses as commented elsewhere. I think that Viltrox promises to be be a very competitive route into the Z mount range, not only for relative amateurs but for us professionals as well, particularly for lenses where we might prefer to buy genuine NIKKOR ones but when limited use doesn't justify buying the real deal or hiring one.
Bought this lens for under £120 from Viltrox directly. That is a price I might pay for a good manual focus vintage lens. But this is technically a bit better than many of those and has AF. It is tiny and very light. For anyone who wants to throw in their bag a lens for the occasional wide shot, maybe someone who more often shoots say 40mm and above, this is unbelievable useful at this price. Viltrox now seems confident enough to produce pro quality lenses alongside very decent budget lenses like this. When I was a kid Japanese electronics, cars, etc. had a cheap but poor reputation. That changed. Now Chinese manufacturers seem to be repeating that pattern, all the time chasing Japanese quality, gradually catching up while holding on to great prices.
I bought it exactly because it's so light that it won't even make a huge difference in the bag. I have an 17-35 2.8D that is only manual focus (it's broke) that weights a lot more! So, in everyday work, I don't use any super wide lens. The viltrox will be my option to everyday needs, but, in especific situations, i can carry the 17-35.
Looks like good value for the price of this lens. I am certainly interested in it. I cannot justify the cost of the Z 20mm f1.8 at this time but this Voltrix 20mm f2.8 brings this lens into my price range.
Love to see all of the lens options! Very well done review Matt! Thank you.
My pleasure Jim :)
I have a Z50 and one of the first lenses I bought was the Viltrox 13mm. I’ve been all over the country with it and it hasn’t missed a beat. It’s a bit of a low light champion too. Well built and great photos (I’m no professional). The shots of Uluṟu at sunrise I took with it were fantastic. I’d have no hesitation in buying more Viltrox gear. Thanks for all you do Matt.
Cheers Ken thanks for sharing, what sort of focal length might you look at next?
Hi Matt, I got my Viltrox AF 20mm f/2.8 Z yesterday in the UK and, for £115 GBP, it's a steal! Optical quality isn't wildly good, but frankly for general use where you aren't examining the edges too closely (twigs, branches etc) it's absolutely brilliant and best of it is TINY! I'm quite happy to shoot certain types of commercial work on it and once you get to f/4-f/5.6 the edges improve noticeably. Love it!
Where did you get it for that price? That's incredible.
Indeed not as sharp as the Z glass, but stopping down does change things very quickly. Congrats on the purchase
I'm in the UK. Where is it at £115 ? Please 😊
Viltrox has been killing it! So good to see options like this. :)
The orange Zf looks really nice.
They go well together don't they, are you heading the Zf way?
Viltrox are making amazing lenses! I have the 20mm 1.8 manual focus metal and glass, and the 85mm 1.8 af, love both of them. Waiting for a 40mm 2.5 affordable
Nikkor Z 40 mm f/2.0?
I've ordered this one to have something reasonably fast and wide in my bag, the size and weight are attractive to me. Would have been happy to pay a bit more for weather sealing.
For the price this is hard to beat to be honest. I wouldn't use it for any professinal work perhaps but for street and other things that maybe don't require absolute sharpness like razor sharp edge to edge sharpness but for $158 I think it would make a great "fun" lens, even if it ends up sitting in your bag most of the time. This is actually sort of what I've been looking for, and the price appears to be great, and very good value for the money. I mean for $158 I almost expected it to be a bit worse, but it doesn't seem to be. I mean the edges and corners aren't quite as sharp but again it's a $158 AF lens. Heck even a manual focus lens like this would be about that price so the fact they included AF is actually impressive.
always happy to see third party autofocus options, viltrox has been doing great lately! can’t wait for sigma’s full frame mirrorless lenses to join z mount too
The more the merrier, very strong offerings these days :)
I am curious on what Sigma will have on the full frame Z mount. Especially around the 20mm. Sigma are usually sharp in recent lenses.
Sigma and Tamron may not be permitted to make competing lenses though for FF. This may be part of their license with Nikon, and one reason why we probably won't see, for example, their revamped 70-200 ML lens. Viltrox can get away with it (for now at least) because they aren't licensed, but if you notice, none of the licensed third party options as of right now are direct competitors to what Nikon has, and it may be that they cannot relase competing lenses so no 70-200 or 24-70's.
@@HR-wd6cw Tamron is releasing the second version of their 28-75 F/2.8 for the Z mount, and this time it will be sold as a Tamron brand lens, unlike the first version, which was labeled Nikkor, but everyone knew the lens was in fact made by Tamron.
Anyhow, I don't feel this Viltrox 20mm lens is competing with any Nikkor prime at the moment, but it is definitely good to have it as an option.
This is nicely timed. I Ordered one of these and I'm picking it up today! Although I have a Z5, I'm mostly looking forward to using it on my Z50 & Zfc as a "30mm". It'll be my light, little "on the road" lens for when I'm out on motorcycle trips.
Sounds perfect, what do you capture when you ride?
I live in eastern Ontario, Canada. Most of my riding is about an hour to the west of my home in Ottawa. It's rugged, hilly country. The first European settlement was mostly Irish, after it had been logged out by the lumber Barrons. The soil is thin and rocky, so farms did poorly. The log buildings that normally would have been replaced as farms became more settled are still in place. Many were abandoned. Consequently the whole area has a very rustic character. I particularly enjoy shooting the old farms. (Or, at least what's left of them.)
Aside from that, it's mostly roadside scenery. On secondary highways much of the road culture is dying or long gone. The motels, gas stations, and attractions are fading remnants from the 50's and 60's. Those are also favourites of mine.
My choice of cameras and lenses are directly related to motorcycle travel. Light, compact, and reasonably rugged. I always have two cameras with me. One hangs from my neck while I ride. (My bike is a Harley' touring bike with an upright riding position, and a fairing and windscreen.) The other is my "walkaround" when I'm off the bike. The "riding" camera is the Z50 with a wide angle prime. When I stop to look around, it's the Z5 & 24-120 4S combo.
@@MattIrwinPhotography
I have the 20mm 2.8 and the 35mm 1.8. I began in mirrorless world there is only 1 month, so I'm still trying and doing my setup. I guess they are very good lenses, and by the price, awesome. Here in Brazil where everything costs more (fees) and we don't get much money as developed countrys, those are really good options for pro use. We do the best that we can with the equipments we can afford.
Thank you for this review, I ordered this on day 1 as a perfect companion to my 40f2 on my Z5. This will make a great travel combo.
I've never owned a Viltrox lens, but I'm intrigued by this one. To me, the most important feature of this lens is the size. If you leave your Nikon Z 20mm at home because you're travelling light, that extra sharpness does you no good, whether you're a scientist or a hobbyist. I have a Nikon Z 14-30, but it usually lives at home because I don't feel like taking a zoom with me. I'm curious whether you think the Nikon Z 40 f2 and 28 f2.8 are sharper, considering they're twice the price, but also considered budget lenses?
I just bought the Nikon 40mm F2 for $225 so not twice the price
I'm booking this first of next month. Thanks for the video, very informative and clearly presented as always
Total pleasure, what captures will you be hoping to create with this lens?
I bought this lens for my new Zf. I bought the Zf to have light and portable gear to begin with, so this lens is a good companion for that camera. Now I have no excuses to leave my gear at home, and can always have a very acceptable quality wide-angle lens with me. Just the fact that it's so small and light is worth its price. This lens is a no-brainer if compactness is important. The sharpness is very good if you compare it to AF-D or even AF-S era lenses, which were good enough for a lot of people at the time. Don't expect miracles, you really can't ask for much more at this price point.
Can’t go wrong for a $158.00 US. I like the vintage look it gives images. It has its own character. The sun stars look good. Only downfall is you can’t slip it into manual for night photography. I like how my Pergear 35mm looks on the Zf this one looks good on it also. It’s great to see 3rd party lens makers upping the game with more lenses. Yes they aren’t pro break the bank lenses but with post processing you probably would never know.
Yeah it works great, and you can change it to manual in the menus or 'I' menu
Interesting little lens and you can’t go wrong with this price.
Looking good for sure but I have been burnt once by a well-known 3rd party (T*k*n*) and have been avoiding them since!
Thanks for dropping the Melb and Syd books today, Matt!
Got a snap of you on my Nest cam too!
It was a great ride over. Thank you !!!!
@@MattIrwinPhotography I have just bit the bullet in getting this lens! 16mm may be too wide for me but I'm going to try this out!
Great lens for cases when you need light, affordable and little bit wider and brighter alternative to your zooms (24-120f4 in my case). In my case this lens will be used 10% of the time and won't break the bank.
Exactly my reasoning as well.
I was waiting for this lens! Only to end up buying a Nikkor 24-70/4 S instead 😅
I chose to go that route because 24mm is wide enough for me and as a 24-70 it's way more versatile. Plus I found the Nikkor at a really good used price.
If I ever need an ultra wide I'll get the older F mount 16-35/4.
But the Viltrox is still a great deal! Especially if you have no FTZ adapter. Very impressive by what you get for the price.
Last year I got the TTArtisan 17/1.4 for the Z50 I used to own. It costs about the same as the Viltrox, has no AF, covers APS-C only and it's only really "usable" starting at f/4. So it's really cool to see how things are improving when it comes to affordability and price to performance.
Yes quite amazing how things keep pushing forwards, what might be your next lens?
@@MattIrwinPhotography 180-600 to replace my 200-500.
Hello friend! Always a good day when you upload! I think this be a wonderful lens on the Nikon Zf.
Cheers Micheal, a pleasure, which colour Zf might you have?
I have this lens in e-mount. It's a terrific value. They announced a 40 2.5 version too!
Congrats, I can't wait to see that one
I'm in Luxembourg. Some studio work, some live stage work, so I am not too rough with my lenses, but by no means handling them very gently either. I've had the OG Viltrox 85m f1.8 AF pretty much from right after it came out as the first 3rd party AF lens for Z. It's not seen huge amounts of shooting, but is holding up quite well indeed. No damage, no quality issues, simply does its job when called upon. Then I got the 23mm and 33 mm f1/4 APS-C AF lenses. The 24mm worked (and still works) fine. The 33mm arrived 'DOA', but got that replaced quickly, without any issues or fuss. After my Z50 got demoted from 'spare body' to 'glorified webcam', the 33mm has been pretty much glued to it and has been doing a sterling job. Just can't wait for Nikon to fix the webcam utility to be MacOS 14.3 compatible.... *mutter*. Finally I've got the 35mm f1.8 AF. Same story as the others: cheap, simply works. No fuss. Do their jobs when called upon, with decent (though not exceptional) quality, but given their price excellent 'bang for the buck'.
thanks for sharing, excellent intel, and yes webcam utility update needed :)
Hi Matt, I bought this just recently for my Zf after I watched your video as it was on sale thru Amazon. I bought the NIKKOR z 50mm 1.8s with the camera and hope to buy the voigtlander 40mm f1.2 z-mount in the future. I would like your thoughts on the Viltrox 24mm f1.8 if you are planning on reviewing. I’m debating to buy the Viltrox 24 or to buy the nikkor z 24-70 f4 for more flexibility but I do prefer primes.
Keep up the great work!
I owned the Viltrox 85 Z lens. It was an awesome lens until the focusing completely stopped working after 2 shoots. I’ve been hesitant to get another Viltrox ever since. This price might make me give them another try. 20mm isn’t a lens I’d use often but it would be nice to have.
maybe firmware update on that 85mm ? i eyeing the 85mm but many reviews the AF stop works
Oooh, I want this lens, thanks for the coverage on Z-mount. I've seen the Sony reviews, but the reassurance from you that everything seems on the up and up for the Z-mount is great. For ~$150 this sounds like a real winner. I have Nikon's 2.8/28mm and 2/40mm; I might sell the 2.8/28mm and pick this one up instead.
I have the Viltrox 24mm f/1.8 and it's a very nice lens; for the price, it's a fantastic lens. My only overall gripes with it are that the AF on this lens is a little slow and it's a tad soft wide open, but that's to be expected as there are very few lenses that are nice and sharp wide open. For the price, the AF and sharpness are fantastic. The construction of the lens is solid. I use this on my Z8 & Z9 bodies. I needed to upgrade the firmware on the lens after the 4.0FW release for the Z9 which was an easy task. I photograph a ton of very low light events where flash is not allowed (museums) and I generally have this 1.8/24mm on the Z8 and 1.2/85mm on the Z9. I have Auto-ISO on and limited to 10K and the results are great with both lenses wide open.
And you make a great point in regards to Viltrox's APS-C offerings, or any APS-C offerings in general. I don't do much video, but that's a great thing to keep in mind if I shoot more video down the line.
Thanks so much for sharing. Yes I think Vilrtox are offering a lot of options at various price points
My experience with Viltrox: I've tried the Viltrox 85mm 1.8 from my brother and liked the lens. Ordered then one for myself but the copy was not as sharp and had to return it. The secod copy was better, but somehow i didn't "connect" with the lens. Preferred the rendering of the old Nikon 85mm 1.8 G even though it was less sharp at 1.8 than the Viltrox version. The AF from the Viltrox is silent and well built for that price
I certainly think they fit a spot in the market as a great allrounder for the price. Then add in they are now doing pro lenses, and what appears to be a budget line. It's all good. What might be your next prime?
@@MattIrwinPhotography It’s good that there are more affordable options for the Z-Mount and Viltrox is doing some interesting lenses. My next prime will probably be the Nikon 40mm, even though I have the 35mm, because its so small and I had fun shooting with it and taking it with me on hiking in the mountains. But from Viltrox I would like to try out the 16mm 1.8 when it comes to the Z-mount for some landscape and MTB photography
I love my 85mm Viltrox. If this is as good as that then I will get one for my kit.
Thank you sir! I've been waiting for this review 🙏
My pleasure!
Have it already!!! Great on my Z8 and Zfc, the Viltrox 75 F/1.2 great on my Z8 waiting the 27 to be publishe.
Wow congrats Avner, what do you think of it?
using the 20mm for Street Photography on my Zfc and Z8@@MattIrwinPhotography
I received mine a day ago and it is just as good if not better than the native 20mm Z mount. I cannot tell the difference at all with this lens and the price is just right.
Thanks for the review. The Viltrox lenses look very interesting. The 16mm f1.8 will be worth getting .
Only an ozzy could say "lots of clouds" in these conditions. Meawhile in the UK we can't tell if the house across the road is still there the weather is so bad.
LOL, context, lots of clouds for a 35c (95f) sunny day, in winter we still get a sky full of foreboding clouds, and we actually had a thunderstorm yesterday that knocked out our power for 7 hours, and indeed that was 'lots of clouds'.
I use the Viltrox 85mm f1.8 Z mount lens on my Z6 II. It works well and is great for portrait and event photography. It's been dropped, yet still works well. AF hits 85% of the time but could be a thing between the lens and my Z6 II. Firmware may need tweaking. Overall a great performer producing sharp images across the spectrum of pics.
Thanks for another great review Matt!! I haven't used any Viltrox lenses before but news of an upcoming 16mm/1.8 for Z mount has me interested. Their lineup certainly seems to be good value for decent quality from the general concensus I have seen or read.
For sure. Looking forward to seeing the the 16 1.8, what Z cameras are you mounting them on?
@@MattIrwinPhotography Z7 and Z8...Loving the 2.0 FW, Bird AF is a big improvement!!
Just got one for video specific use on a ronin gimbal where i don’t need edge to edge sharpness and no pixel peeping🙂👍
Matt, Haven't used Viltrox todate however I am seriously considering this lens for cost and size. Of course on FB and Instagram this lens is probably a killer, however, with a 45MP sensor if you crrop or enlarge will the softness stand out to be unusable?
Hi Leo, I shot this lens on the Z8 and was perfectly happy with it. Stop it down a little and sharpness continues to improve. It is not the same as the Nikon lens, but neither is the price :)
@@MattIrwinPhotography Did you hear that Nikon has sent 15 Z9s to the international space station? I wonder if they are going to eventually replace all the lenses that have up there
Yeah I made a video about it last week, very exciting. And they did send some Z lenses, but also continuing to use F mount glass, as they also sent a number of FTZ adapters. Very cool indeed. @@leod1671
@@MattIrwinPhotography I will look up that video. I guess i missed it. Have a nice weekend.
Having used the Viltrox 75 and 27 lenses on my Fuji XT5, and having had results that I liked on that camera, I decided to get the Viltrox 20 lens for my Nikon Z9. I had no wide Z lenses, so it was an easy choice after looking at other lenses choices and price. Viltrox is going to keep lenses coming. 😊
Has it arrived yet? How are you finding it?
Yes,got it 2 days ago. Had very little time to shoot it.
Please let us all know what you think !!!@@daveisler3700
Wait you put that lens on a Nikon Z9??
Could be n interesting choice for getting into Milky Way stuff at that price. Hopefully your fellow Aussie Richard Tatti at Nightscape images can get ahold of one and test it out.
Gosh, yes, we have not spoken in a long time, I do hope they send him one or he can borrow this one
Fun little lens Matt. Super super light!!!! 176 grams. Great playing around with on the street. Thanks for the review. Looking forward to cruising this week. :-)
MATE, LET'S CRUISE !!!!
@@MattIrwinPhotography can’t wait. I have the week off :-)
LOL
@@josephsworkshop75
hey Matt -thanks for the video! think you could test the venus 15mm f2 for z mount? Have you have any experience with the venus stuff? -they seem to be making super interesting and quality stuff that others aren't .....EDIT: looks like you have checked the brand -just watched the 10mm review -Please test the 15mmf2 please please please
I have been wanting the Nikon 20mm 1.8 for a good while now but the price has always kept me from pulling the trigger. But now, this Viltrox may just be the way to go for me.. For the time being at least. It seems to capture excellent images for how cheap it is.
I bought it yesterday to one official reseler in France, 134eu (-10%), can't wait to use it on my ZF. I'm also waiting the Viltrox 16mm 1.8 AF that already exists on Sony mount...
I just bought it for a walk-around, and to get familiar with this type of focal range. I wouldn't pay the full price of the pro version and then not use it as much.
I think it's a good little lens I've got some of these lenses on my Fuji... I don't think anyone is blogging anymore with mirrorless cameras I think everyone is going to the dji pocket style cameras and go pros and that kind of thing it's much more practical no one really is blogging anymore with mirrorless cameras that I've seen. One of the criticisms of nikon has been affordable lenses and viltrox are fantastic 👏 👌
Indeed I agree Vlogging on mirrorless is perhaps not at its peak anymore. I still prefer the look of 35mm over action cams etc. In the Nikon range you have the 28 and 40, and the 26mm which is very small and little more expensive, lets hope we see more soon :) Certainly the new 35mm wont be in this price point ...
@MattIrwinPhotography And given editing software is so good now either capture one or light room or photoshop you can certainly improve an image taken with an average lens and make it still look pretty good. Hi I'd just think it's really good that there is some affordable gear for the average Joe... Especially in Australia mate where everything is so expensive as you and I very well know.
Yep great to have affordable options @@nevvanclarke9225
How would this perform for astrophotography I wonder. Not something I photograph too often so I don't want to spend alot of money in a wide, fast apature lens.
Nice lens at this price point. Great job Viltrox
So my question for you Matt (this video makes me want this lens) have they improved the 85mm since it's release, does it now match what this 20mm in the way of chromatic aberration.?
I also have a question on the Zf, with the new firmware, is the auto focus as good as the Z8?
I dont think the 85mm 1.8 has been updated other than firmware. chromatic aberration wise it is still as it was on release. I am about to make at 85mm comparison video, so we can have an updated look :) By AF what do you mean, general AF, or bird? :)
What I meant was, I heard the zf had improved af (smarter and stickier) and the z8 got a firmware update that.matched it. I love the look of the zf and at $1000.00 less than the z8..... bargain.
I just want a high-quality 35mm pancake lens on Z mount. F/2.8 is fine with me.
Yeah we have the 26mm, lets hope we see some more compact primes coming down the line
All my primes are now Viltrox or ttartisan, for the fantastic price points and offering something different to the norm. I enjoy a cheap lens that is 90% as good as an overpriced one. Sharper has never been my reason for getting lenses, I prefer moderate sharpness and character
Looks like great value for a very competitive price, Matt. I don't own any Viltrox lenses but have been tempted (by your videos!). Great to see more full frame options.
Yeah it really is great to find a lens you can leave on a Zf or Zfc and always be ready to go, super affordable, small and light
Wow that's bokeh! Are you filming with the 50 1.2?
What was the current firmware version for this 20mm nikon lens? I see the FE version has a higher release number but could not locate the most current for the Z version.
Never mind, Viltrox told me the following;
Hello Craig,
20mm F2.8 Z mount come with the product is the latest firmware,so there are no other new firmware now.
Best regards
Viltrox Team
If this was an F1.8 or an F2.0, I would buy it in a heartbeat
Indeed, but I doubt it would be around $150 USD, and this good.
With a 20mm that you mainly use between f 5.6 and f 8 … not sure you need and f 1.8:)
Is the filter size same as it is on Sony version? 52mm or 57mm?
Sorry this is my error, not sure where I got 57mm from, as I was reading the spec sheet, but it says 52mm on the lens.
@@MattIrwinPhotography 52mm is same as my Nikkor 28mm SE. I want both :)
@mizachs thanks for alerting me to that 😀
Fyi, it's $124 in China. A bargain! I am enjoying the Nikkor 40/f2 and somewhat the 28/f2.8. This one is tempting....
WOW what a price, what are you mounting it on?
@@MattIrwinPhotography Thanks for asking! An original Nikon Z6. I am waiting for a Z7iii but running out of patience! Any word on that?? I don't want another Z6. I can get the Z8 for $3,480, which I am tempted to just go ahead with. Thoughts? 🤔
Nikon is not able to build a metal mount for its 28 f 2.8 se and 40 f2 se … but viltrox can do it for half the price of them…. Is there not an issue there Mr Nikon ?
I am sure they can build one, and the choose not to. My best guess is market segmentation. Composite materials are very tough these days - spaceships, weapons, parachutes etc. All serious stuff. And the mount relative to size, weigh and length of the lens, personally I don't see it as a problem. I own both the 40 and 28 and no problems thus far.
@@MattIrwinPhotography I agree plastic can be solid , but it feels very cheap… for the SE they could have make some effort. For the diaph ring that we found on sigma and viltrox too… Nikon doesn t breath quality as before… these series reminds me of the E series… rather good optics even not at the level of AI at that time but very low cost material… it s just a pity… for lenses at more than 300$… Nikon nearly missed the hybrid wave ( thx to z9 and z8 they are back) they should be vigilant to not fall into another issue : poor quality/price ratio.
Hi @MattIrwinPhotography, great update on Viltrox. I don't own any Viltrox lenses yet, but I'm hanging out for their 16mm f1.8 in Z mount for astrophotography. I'm currently using a Nikon 20mm f1.8 and the Laowa 15mm f2.0 for astro. I'm hoping the Viltrox 16mm is better than the Laowa. Here's some of my astro images from both lenses, taken with Z5 and Z6ii ruclips.net/video/ei9J-lU83yQ/видео.html.
Ciao io lo uso sulla Z8 con risultati molto soddisfacente, ti ringrazio per la recensione molto puntuale come sempre e ti seguo dall'Italia con molto interesse.
I wouldnt Change my Z 20mm f1.8 S for anything
You can see me?
I can.
First!
G'day Ben !!