@@BoxxyFan The Nikon is about 6X the price. Canon more than 4X. The weight is more than double, larger and no built-in lens caps. They are just very different lenses with different strengths.
The optics are amazing for such a lens and form factor, but the fact it has AF is frankly insane. Photographers are super lucky right now with the amount of affordable and/or high quality options from 3rd party manufacturers these days, feels like a new era tbh
I'm so glad they went for optical quality over a larger lens with a larger aperture. Being able to resolve really good center and mid frame detail on full frame and good corner to corner sharpness on APS-C, all while having vasically no distortion in a lens the size of a body cap is amazing.
Sweet little lens. For street photography this should do very well. That's also where the corner softness and vignetting won't matter. It'll probably be a bit of an asset for that style of photography. AND, on APS-C this works out to 42mm, which is very handy again for street photography :)
This is the review I was waiting for - while other reviews are also good, I always wait for your one (and/or Gerland Undone) before making a purchasing decision :)
I’m still weighing whether this is just the lens I need (want), or whether it would be a waste of money for me. Thanks for the review! =) And God bless you too. (Btw. I always enjoy pausing the video whenever you show one of your book shelves, just to see what you’re reading :D)
A lens with character! A lens moreover, to learn how to work around limitations and even turn them into advantages! Clearly a lens maker who cares about what they do! Hopefully this gets a Canon RF mount! I've consciously limited my system to one (50mm) lens, but for this one I would make an exception! Love it!
I've been waiting for this kind of lens for a LOOOONG time. It would be perfect for my needs.. although I would prefer a F2.8 version, even if slightly chunkier.
Just got mine. The Cokin Point-and-Shoot filter holder works just fine with it, so if you want to use filters and have Cokin Series A filters, it's totally doable.
I think a variable aperture would've been a more useful option than autofocus on a lens like this. You could almost go to a fixed focus at the hyperfocal distance, or a simple manual two-position switch like for the lens cover, to go between a "distant" focus and "close" focus.
So true, that is why rangefinder pancakes like a Voigtlander 28 2.8 VM are immense fun on compatible camera bodies. I don't agree about focusing though, digital is just not that forgiving. But after practicing, simply a case of presetting a close enough distance.
Thank you for this review!!! This lens could be the smallest camera option combined with my ZV-E10!! I love the 27mm F1.2 on my a6700, but this could be perfect walk-around-alternative! Edit: bought on indiegogo. Currently ~80€ including shipping to Germany. Thank you again!
Pentax could fit an AF and aperture mechanism into their da 40mm xs! Probably the design is still under patent. Really wish Pentax made some quirky third-party mirrorless lenses.
As a breakthrough, this lens product is great. However, a small-sized lens mounted on a large and fairly heavy full-frame camera, in my opinion, is not the right combination. Unless, for example, a similar lens is designed for smaller and lighter APS-C cameras.
This is mostly going to used with Sony A7C type cameras. Sony APS-C are not much smaller and in some instances (thickness) they are actually bigger. I wouldn't use this on a full sized Sony like A7 IV or A7r V and it's not meant for it.
For about the same price you can get the Sony 28-60mm f4-5.6... which isnt that much bigger and has an aperture mechanism. Sooo personally I think I'll stick with that.
This lens looks similar to the Funleader 18mm f/8.0. While the Viltrox AF 28mm’s autofocus is convenient, the fixed f/4.5 aperture and no manual focus make it less suited for street photography. Street shooters often prefer apertures like f/5.6 or f/8, like the classic Leica 28mm f/5.6.
Well, still the smallest and fully functional lens is Pentax 40/2.8 XS, but only because of usage of in-mount aperture and AF motors that are not avaluable on any mirrorless mount. If I had a choise between AF + fixed aperture or MF + adjustable apertura I`d prefer second option. Depth control is very important for me, while focusing on wide angle is not a big deal. This lens won`t be good for landscape shots, but for street photorgaphy looks very promising.
Thank you for the review mate, but has anyone used the Viltrox AF FF 28mm f4.5 pancake lens on a Sony A6300? I'm experiencing a focusing issue with it.
I see little point in having a lens shorter than the camera grip. If extra 5mm would mean variable aperture or slightly brighter aperture, in my book it would be worth it.
I have made something similar..... I took a zeiss tessar 35mm f3.5 from a dead Yaschica T4 and put it on an Industar-22 (without the 50 3.5 unit) , added a disk with a hole which made it f5.6 . Manual focus of course. Great on a Sony Nex 5. Not so good at the edges on FF
Buyers beware. This lens is not compatible with Sony NEX cameras. The compatibility list is at the very bottom of the Viltrox Website where few people venture. I have a NEX-6 and the lens. The camera doesn't even power on with the lens attached. It's a real pitty because the two are the right match for a pocketable (almost) photography kit. I can confirm that the lens does look somewhat out of proportion on a larger body, like my a6700. Naturally, on a full frame it would be even more so.
I’d love to see Sony or sigma use this as inspiration and make a similar lens at a $3-500 price point with better optical qualities and solves a few of the quirks. I just received mine, fantastically small, but also seems a bit of an oxymoron to have on a $3000 a7cr
@@ingediaingedia4368 I tried to send you the link twice, but I think RUclips just doesn't allow me to, but you can search it on Google and it's on the L mount rumors website.
i think that shape is what gives the "starburst" effect additionally diaphragms are cheap ways to reduce the aperture. having electronic control of the aperture would increase cost
I would really like a pancake lens like this, but I think the image quality is a bit too good 😂 Some more fun character would have been nice. I might still buy it someday if a better option doesnt come.
I'm a little disappointed, how few copies were listed in their early bird specials. By the time I woke up on the first day of the indiegogo they were all already gone. That said, the full price isn't that bad. and it is very interesting. I wonder if it's more interesting than the aps-c 20 mm I've already got
This pretty much makes a camera like the Sony a5000 borderline pocketable (depending on pocket size). I really hope it gers released to Fuji X and Nikon Z mounts, this one would also be great for the Zf!
It always amuses and baffles me why some photographers want to buy expensive full frame cameras and then fix onto their cameras tiny lenses with restrictions/flaws. It sounds like Oh I’ve got a bulky camera body which I really hate. Now I want to reduce my camera setup. So I need to pair it with the tiniest lens possible. Or do they do it merely because they can do so? Fixed f/4.5. What am I going to do in bright conditions?! Fixed focal length. Soft corners. Why would I subject myself to all these restrictions? Surely you got a full frame camera for specific reasons. If you want a casual light street photography style camera, you should really be looking at the OM system or one of those capable compact cameras from Sony/Ricoh. Just my 2 cents!
The nikon is a better lense, but for people that want the smaller pancake possible the viltrox would be nice indeed. Doesn't make more sense on nikon's camera though since most of them are pretty big, even the ZF is pretty big for a retro style camera, but that lense would be loved by sony users with A7C/II/R and ZVE1.
That's most likely the only thing we can't have on Sony mount - good IQ wide 2.8 pancake at a reasonable price. The smaller mount is fine for conventional bright lenses I think, but this extreme design where the largest possible rear element has to fit in pancake seems harder or impossible when I checked the Nikon/Canon 26/28/2.8 in hand.
Well, actually, ol'harry was married 22 years to his first and 4 years to his second wife. And the last one got five years.... That's plenty of time for quite some lens reviews....
Not compatible with NEX cameras, mate. Received the lens today. Put it on my NEX-6, no action. Camera does not power up. Checked Viltrox Web site, incompatibility. Bummer, because I wanted a small lens for my small camera. I ordered the lens via the Indiegogo crowd funding campaign when it was not yet listed by Viltrox. Works fine on my a6700 but looks looks out of proportion to the body in my opinion.
Fixed f4.5 aperture is a real deal breaker here. Was really looking to purchase this lens before I have heard its aperture value is fixed. F4.5 is way too low for street photography and way too high for shallow DoF and low light. Any mobile phone or a kit lens would be much more versatile than this lens.
This is your only video where "due to diffraction" was not said. :)
This lens makes a fool out of the Panasonic 26mm f8. A must-have lens.
And the Canon and Nikon f/2.8 pancakes make a fool out of this Viltrox 😂
It has answered the only issue I had with the S9. It's basically a full frame Ricoh GRIII now. I wonder if my GR can keep up. 😎
@@BoxxyFan The Nikon is about 6X the price. Canon more than 4X. The weight is more than double, larger and no built-in lens caps. They are just very different lenses with different strengths.
I sold mine with the S9, hopeless without a decent small lens. What were(are) Panasonic thinking.
@@-grey It's for Sony E Mount...
The optics are amazing for such a lens and form factor, but the fact it has AF is frankly insane. Photographers are super lucky right now with the amount of affordable and/or high quality options from 3rd party manufacturers these days, feels like a new era tbh
Did viltrox just put panasonic to shame ? lol
Haha, I think they sure did!!! Putting a fixed f/8 lens on a full frame camera is just mind-blowingly stupid.
Meanwhile, we Panasonic L mount users have a bigger, smaller aperture, manual focus 26mm f8. What a joke.
That’s cause Panasonic is not as big as Viltrox. Oh wait!
@@lordofthefly😂
That's because Panasonic wants to sell it alongside the S9 to TikTok users who want another fashion item and don't care about specs nor price
Meanwhile Canon and Nikon users have f/2.8 pancakes with focus rings and adjustable apertures 😂
don't forget about it being double the price too!
I didn’t expect this lens to perform at all well but you know what that’s actually outstanding for the size fair play viltrox fair play
Viltrox is shaping up to be an extremely interesting lens maker. I love my 27mm 1.2! Now they should make similar pancake lenses for APS-C and M4/3...
I'd love a similar pancake on μ4/3! My personal preference would be for a 22mm, but I'm weird.
Panasonic 14/2.5. Not really new...
I'm so glad they went for optical quality over a larger lens with a larger aperture.
Being able to resolve really good center and mid frame detail on full frame and good corner to corner sharpness on APS-C, all while having vasically no distortion in a lens the size of a body cap is amazing.
Didn't expect such good performance, sales of this little thing will skyrocket.
They should replace the sliding cover with a sliding ND filter to make it a neat little travel video lens.
genius!
That would've been ace.
I wonder if this would be doable as a mod?
@@Ryan-Payne could probably glue on a step up ring or use something like one of those stick-on adapter rings for the RX100 series
@@nremac j&a reference?
Wow，Objective and professional review, thank you for your recognition of Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 FE (Chip)
creativity doesnt equal out of focus backgrounds or Bokeh in my opinion. Perfectly made video as always Chris! 🥰
I agree.
As a small 42mm on apsc, this makes a great walk about camera lens. Small and compact.
Great lens! It will sell like pancakes!
full frame sony pancake finally!
that lens just shows what joke that panasonic 26mm f8 is.
cant stop laughing😂😂
@@KikujiroChan and the Canon and Nikon f/2.8 pancakes show what a joke this Viltrox is 😂
@@BoxxyFan arent those the DSLR ones?
@@BoxxyFan ah yes, a €500 lens lmfao
Great job on the video! I didn't notice the back element moving past the lens mount. Good to take note of. 👍
The lens cover is amazing.
Sweet little lens. For street photography this should do very well. That's also where the corner softness and vignetting won't matter. It'll probably be a bit of an asset for that style of photography. AND, on APS-C this works out to 42mm, which is very handy again for street photography :)
"My lens cap is a lens."
Bruh an adapter for this lens would be bigger then the lens itself
Love that you still test with the a5100, Chris. Is this the new smallest total package for E-mount AF lens+camera pair?
I'm sold...but I guess I'll have to wait till they release it for Nikon Z mount.
@@tonytfuntek3262 I'd just get the Nikon 26/2.8 and wouldn't look back.
Wow this is amazing. I think I’m going to get one now. Great video.
Viltrox is doing some amazing things! I have no use for this on FF, but would love to see this on XF.
This is the review I was waiting for - while other reviews are also good, I always wait for your one (and/or Gerland Undone) before making a purchasing decision :)
Might grab one of these for my 6500. Would make a very compact package
thank you for testing it out on an apsc body!
I’m still weighing whether this is just the lens I need (want), or whether it would be a waste of money for me. Thanks for the review! =) And God bless you too.
(Btw. I always enjoy pausing the video whenever you show one of your book shelves, just to see what you’re reading :D)
A lens with character! A lens moreover, to learn how to work around limitations and even turn them into advantages! Clearly a lens maker who cares about what they do! Hopefully this gets a Canon RF mount! I've consciously limited my system to one (50mm) lens, but for this one I would make an exception! Love it!
I've been waiting for this kind of lens for a LOOOONG time. It would be perfect for my needs.. although I would prefer a F2.8 version, even if slightly chunkier.
Nikon Z. Chunkier AF it is. Canon RF.
28mm on FF is a classic focal length!
Just got mine. The Cokin Point-and-Shoot filter holder works just fine with it, so if you want to use filters and have Cokin Series A filters, it's totally doable.
Shame it doesn't come on XF. This would be a great combo with an XT-30 to make a really low profile package for street photography.
I've had so much fun with this lens - unboxing it made me laugh when I saw the size of this thing.
05:32 Is that Doom III’s flashlight on the monitor?
Dancing on the Panasonic Pancake's grave
😂
I think a variable aperture would've been a more useful option than autofocus on a lens like this. You could almost go to a fixed focus at the hyperfocal distance, or a simple manual two-position switch like for the lens cover, to go between a "distant" focus and "close" focus.
So true, that is why rangefinder pancakes like a Voigtlander 28 2.8 VM are immense fun on compatible camera bodies.
I don't agree about focusing though, digital is just not that forgiving. But after practicing, simply a case of presetting a close enough distance.
God bless your channel Sir🙏 I love how you review lenses.
3:58 that's such a level-headed joke
Thank you for this review!!! This lens could be the smallest camera option combined with my ZV-E10!! I love the 27mm F1.2 on my a6700, but this could be perfect walk-around-alternative!
Edit: bought on indiegogo. Currently ~80€ including shipping to Germany. Thank you again!
Lenses like this make Sony the number one fun camera.
That`s what`s it all about.
only thing missing is a possibility to use filters… this would live in my pocket on a5100
Great video Chris. I will buy one of these in a heartbeat if it becomes available in full-frame Nikon Z-Mount.
Greetings from the Philippines 🇵🇭 🇵🇭🇵🇭
Just want to ask if this pancakw lens us sharper than the kitlens 16-50mm
Pentax could fit an AF and aperture mechanism into their da 40mm xs! Probably the design is still under patent. Really wish Pentax made some quirky third-party mirrorless lenses.
As a breakthrough, this lens product is great. However, a small-sized lens mounted on a large and fairly heavy full-frame camera, in my opinion, is not the right combination. Unless, for example, a similar lens is designed for smaller and lighter APS-C cameras.
This is mostly going to used with Sony A7C type cameras. Sony APS-C are not much smaller and in some instances (thickness) they are actually bigger.
I wouldn't use this on a full sized Sony like A7 IV or A7r V and it's not meant for it.
For about the same price you can get the Sony 28-60mm f4-5.6... which isnt that much bigger and has an aperture mechanism. Sooo personally I think I'll stick with that.
Meant to say pre-owned*
Fuji X mount please, and be sharp about it 😊
I NEED this for my Fuji!!
This for apsc will make a perfect compact travel kit with 43 mm focal length.
For Nikon Z mount please!!!
They are releasing this for both Sony E and Nikon Z mounts
This lens looks similar to the Funleader 18mm f/8.0. While the Viltrox AF 28mm’s autofocus is convenient, the fixed f/4.5 aperture and no manual focus make it less suited for street photography. Street shooters often prefer apertures like f/5.6 or f/8, like the classic Leica 28mm f/5.6.
Well, still the smallest and fully functional lens is Pentax 40/2.8 XS, but only because of usage of in-mount aperture and AF motors that are not avaluable on any mirrorless mount.
If I had a choise between AF + fixed aperture or MF + adjustable apertura I`d prefer second option. Depth control is very important for me, while focusing on wide angle is not a big deal. This lens won`t be good for landscape shots, but for street photorgaphy looks very promising.
When I saw tom review it, I knew Mr Frost would cover a nice little pancake
Thank you for the review mate, but has anyone used the Viltrox AF FF 28mm f4.5 pancake lens on a Sony A6300? I'm experiencing a focusing issue with it.
How it compares to Samyang Remaster Slim?
I'd preorder this from the kickstarter campaign, but I'm afraid we get heavy custom charges ordering from the UK to the EU.
yayyy. what a marvel! the world needs more innovations!
I see little point in having a lens shorter than the camera grip. If extra 5mm would mean variable aperture or slightly brighter aperture, in my book it would be worth it.
Will it come with L-mount?
very cool.. almost as small as the panasonic 14mm f2.5
why APSH lens is compatible with full frame camera?
I have made something similar..... I took a zeiss tessar 35mm f3.5 from a dead Yaschica T4 and put it on an Industar-22 (without the 50 3.5 unit) , added a disk with a hole which made it f5.6 . Manual focus of course. Great on a Sony Nex 5. Not so good at the edges on FF
I would like a cheap pancake chipped manual-focus-only lens to trigger zoom assist
Buyers beware. This lens is not compatible with Sony NEX cameras. The compatibility list is at the very bottom of the Viltrox Website where few people venture. I have a NEX-6 and the lens. The camera doesn't even power on with the lens attached. It's a real pitty because the two are the right match for a pocketable (almost) photography kit. I can confirm that the lens does look somewhat out of proportion on a larger body, like my a6700. Naturally, on a full frame it would be even more so.
I’d love to see Sony or sigma use this as inspiration and make a similar lens at a $3-500 price point with better optical qualities and solves a few of the quirks.
I just received mine, fantastically small, but also seems a bit of an oxymoron to have on a $3000 a7cr
I think they should make the next version weather-sealed
Jealous not my fella L mount friends, there are upcoming 7artisans 40mm f2.5 pancake and 35mm f2 lenses! Can't wait as a S9 user.
Do you have sources for that ? I'm really interested !
Sorry I didn't remember it correctly, it's a 35mm f2.8
@@ingediaingedia4368 I tried to send you the link twice, but I think RUclips just doesn't allow me to, but you can search it on Google and it's on the L mount rumors website.
only question is, why have they make a bladed opening, if it isnt a variable aperture? could be round for better bokehm or not?
i think that shape is what gives the "starburst" effect
additionally diaphragms are cheap ways to reduce the aperture. having electronic control of the aperture would increase cost
Canon’s 28mm f2.8 is just slightly thicker but it’s fully functional
I'm sold, but I'll have to wait till they release it for the Nikon Z mount.
Wow, that Henry VIII joke. 😂
It's basically auto-focusing body cap lens
Fuji X mount please.
If they ever made this for RF mount (fat chance, I know) then I would consider buying it and using it as a body cap!
tbf the rf 28mm 2.8 isn't that much bigger, while offering you over a stop more light.
will it work with apsc
I would really like a pancake lens like this, but I think the image quality is a bit too good 😂
Some more fun character would have been nice.
I might still buy it someday if a better option doesnt come.
Fuji x mount please???
I'm a little disappointed, how few copies were listed in their early bird specials. By the time I woke up on the first day of the indiegogo they were all already gone.
That said, the full price isn't that bad. and it is very interesting. I wonder if it's more interesting than the aps-c 20 mm I've already got
Can you use this for aps c
Is it too much to ask for an autofocus 35mm 1.2 pancake that size? 😅
I think it's physically impossible,
since you'd need aperture for stopping down which adds thickness
I want this for the fuji x mount :((
just wish they made it for other camera mounts
Hmmm... OK if you are on a really tight budget. I tried finding a second hand below 100 € that was better but could not.
This looks really good and I would happily have used it on a Canon if it weren't for Canon's proprietary mount stupidity.
Please make it for X-mount!!!!
Make it a Canon RF mount and take my money!
did you say $100 😏 ? well played viltrox
This pretty much makes a camera like the Sony a5000 borderline pocketable (depending on pocket size).
I really hope it gers released to Fuji X and Nikon Z mounts, this one would also be great for the Zf!
Instead of putting a lens protector inside, they could have put a manual aperture control.
I love your plugs for Christ in the videos. 🙏
thx
This is perfect for the Nikon Zf
Not for me because F4,5 is fix
It always amuses and baffles me why some photographers want to buy expensive full frame cameras and then fix onto their cameras tiny lenses with restrictions/flaws.
It sounds like Oh I’ve got a bulky camera body which I really hate. Now I want to reduce my camera setup. So I need to pair it with the tiniest lens possible.
Or do they do it merely because they can do so?
Fixed f/4.5. What am I going to do in bright conditions?! Fixed focal length. Soft corners.
Why would I subject myself to all these restrictions?
Surely you got a full frame camera for specific reasons.
If you want a casual light street photography style camera, you should really be looking at the OM system or one of those capable compact cameras from Sony/Ricoh.
Just my 2 cents!
Just bought the Nikon 26mm ~
The nikon is a better lense, but for people that want the smaller pancake possible the viltrox would be nice indeed.
Doesn't make more sense on nikon's camera though since most of them are pretty big, even the ZF is pretty big for a retro style camera, but that lense would be loved by sony users with A7C/II/R and ZVE1.
That's most likely the only thing we can't have on Sony mount - good IQ wide 2.8 pancake at a reasonable price. The smaller mount is fine for conventional bright lenses I think, but this extreme design where the largest possible rear element has to fit in pancake seems harder or impossible when I checked the Nikon/Canon 26/28/2.8 in hand.
Well, actually, ol'harry was married 22 years to his first and 4 years to his second wife. And the last one got five years.... That's plenty of time for quite some lens reviews....
The campaign doesn't start......
Ouff... the corners though... so bad :(. And since you cannot change the aperture, I don't know man...
APS-C pretty nice.42mm, perfect. Easy complement to the Viltrox 27/1.2.
This lens + sony nex c3 = cheap pocket king
Edit : guys ive just read official post from viltrox and NEX cameraa arent compatible with this lens
Not compatible with NEX cameras, mate. Received the lens today. Put it on my NEX-6, no action. Camera does not power up. Checked Viltrox Web site, incompatibility. Bummer, because I wanted a small lens for my small camera. I ordered the lens via the Indiegogo crowd funding campaign when it was not yet listed by Viltrox. Works fine on my a6700 but looks looks out of proportion to the body in my opinion.
@@tadc I was wishing I could use it on my NEX-5R but oh man. I hope Viltrox will release a hotfix update for NEX cameras.
Fixed f4.5 aperture is a real deal breaker here. Was really looking to purchase this lens before I have heard its aperture value is fixed. F4.5 is way too low for street photography and way too high for shallow DoF and low light. Any mobile phone or a kit lens would be much more versatile than this lens.