Why you can trust TechRadar
We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Viltrox AF 50mm F2 Air: one-minute review
This isn’t my first Viltrox lens review, and nor it will it be my last, because the Chinese lens maker is on a roll, producing a string of excellent optics for users of all skill levels and budgets. Coming in at the opposite end of a recent cinema lens that could cost up to $200,000, the 50mm f/2 Air costs less than $200 / £200 / AU$320, and offers excellent value for money.
It’s a tiny and lightweight prime that’s available for Sony E and Nikon Z mounts – I had the latter for this review – with a decent maximum f/2 aperture for defocusing backgrounds. You don’t get the sharpest detail or creamiest bokeh I’ve ever seen – for those you’ll want to check out the excellent Viltrox 135mm f/1.8 LAB – but the Viltrox 50mm f/2 is an excellent casual lens for enthusiasts, especially for portrait photography, and an ideal foil to a standard zoom.
I’d have preferred the lens’s minimum focus distance to be a little closer, which would bolster its everyday photography credentials, while a couple of external controls to speed up changing settings, such as an AF / MF switch, would be welcome. However, the Viltrox AF 50mm F2 Air delivers performance and image quality that belie its price – and the fact it squeezes proprietary camera-brand alternatives with its aggressive pricing is the cherry on the cake.
Viltrox AF 50mm F2 Air specs
|
Type: |
Standard prime |
|
Mount: |
Nikon Z-mount / Sony E-mount |
|
Sensor: |
Full-frame |
|
Focal length: |
50mm |
|
Max aperture: |
f/2 |
|
Minimum focus: |
1.67ft / 0.51m |
|
Filter size: |
58mm |
|
Dimensions: |
Φ68 x 58.6mm |
|
Weight: |
7.8oz / 220g |
Viltrox AF 50mm f/2 Air: Price and availability
- Available for Sony E and Nikon Z mounts
- $199 / £229 / AU$319 list price, but it usually can be found for less
Hovering around the $200 / £200 / AU$320 mark and often available for a little less, the Viltrox AF 50mm f/2 Air is an excellent value prime lens, especially when you considering its build quality and optical performance.
Price-wise, it reminds me of the old Canon EF and Nikon F-mount cheap nifty fifties for DSLRs, being an affordable first prime for enthusiasts. There’s bad news for some though – Viltrox’s lens is only available for Sony E and Nikon Z lens mounts.
Viltrox AF 50mm f/2 Air: Design
- Weighs just 7.8oz / 220g
- No external buttons or controls
- Available for Sony E and Nikon Z mounts
The 50mm f/2 Air lens is, as the name suggests, designed with an emphasis on light weight over absolute performance – it’s positively featherweight, especially compared to alternatives such as Nikon’s own Z 50mm f/1.4.
It’s a small lens, too. I paired the 50mm f/2 Air with a Nikon Z6 II, and I could barely feel the lens. It’s not often that I’d describe a camera / lens pairing as rear-heavy, but that’s the case here.
This is also excellent value, with a sale price often dipping under $200 / £200 /AU$319, and the list price only a little more. For context, the Nikon-own f/1.4 lens is double the price (and double the weight), while Nikon’s Z 50mm f/1.8 is four times the price.
Image 1 of 4
Viltrox’s lens well made too – a rugged metal barrel and rear mount instil confidence, even though there’s no proper weather-sealing to speak of (such are the compromises with such a low-cost lens).
There’s a generously sized focus ring with smooth and easy rotation, and that’s it for controls. No AF / MF switch, no optical stabilization, no focus distance limiter – this is a simple bit of gear.
The lack of controls could, depending on which camera you pair the lens with, make changes to camera settings a little fussy. My camera doesn’t have an AF / MF switch, and because the lens doesn’t either I need to dive into a menu to switch between the two focusing methods, which can be frustrating.
Otherwise, there’s little to talk about regarding design – this is a simple and lightweight optic that accepts 58mm threaded filters and comes supplied with a decent lens hood.
Viltrox AF 50mm f/2 Air: Performance
- Bright maximum f/2 aperture ideal for portraiture
- Fairly limited close-focusing capabilities
- Snappy autofocus speed
This is no pro-quality lens, but for beginners and enthusiasts the optical quality and performance of the Viltrox 50mm f/2 Air are perfectly sufficient.
The bright, zoom lens-beating maximum f/2 aperture ensures plenty of light intake and makes this lens great for low-light photography, as well as for defocusing backgrounds for dreamy portraits. Bokeh is smooth enough – I didn’t really spot the ugly ‘onion ring’ effect that can be evident in cheap optics.
Optical clarity is perfectly acceptable, even if this isn’t the sharpest 50mm lens I’ve used. With a little extra sharpening in post, most users should be perfectly happy with the results.
I shot all images in JPEG and uncompressed raw, and with lens corrections switched off there are slight signs of chromatic aberration, but the Viltrox has a reasonable handle on such distortions.
Image 1 of 3
I found the 1.67ft / 0.51m minimum focus distance a little limiting for close-up shots – the maximum magnification is a modest 0.11x. This isn’t really a macro lens in any way, and perhaps even less of an everyday lens, with portraiture being its strongest suit.
With such a small and lightweight collection of ashperical (ASPH), ED and IF lens elements, the 50mm f/2’s STM autofocus motor has an easy job – those lens elements are moved with ease for quick and precise autofocus. Not once did I perceive sluggish autofocus on account of the lens rather than the camera.
Image 1 of 4
Overall, the Viltrox AF 50mm F2 Air is a capable performer, especially when you consider its compact size, low price and bright maximum aperture. For users on a budget who are looking to step up from a standard-zoom kit lens, this is an ideal choice.
Viltrox AF 50mm F2 Air sample gallery
Image 1 of 6
Should you buy the Viltrox AF 50mm F2 Air?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
How I tested the Viltrox AF 50mm F2 Air
- I’ve used it over a loan period of several months
- I paired the lens with a Nikon Z6 II
- I’ve used it in a range of scenarios, generally in fair weather, and checked image quality at the various aperture settings
I paired a Z-mount version of the Viltrox AF 50mm F2 Air with a Nikon Z6 II for several months, during which time it has seen moderate use, generally in fair weather. Size-wise, the camera and lens are perfectly balanced, with no hint of wrist strain due to front-heaviness.
To test optical quality I’ve snapped portraits with the aperture wide open at f/2, and also taken series of images at each aperture setting to compare sharpness and check for lens distortions.
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5vsKDn2hQvo9r8rtmecX8o.jpg
Source link
