When it comes to photographic or video equipment you get what you pay for, it’s true. Usually, more you pay, better quality optically and better quality build lenses you are going to get. It’s true but we all like a bargain, we all hope that there must be some exceptions to this rule but more often than not, when you buy a really cheap lens, you get really poor everything and in the end, you have to buy the “proper” one anyway.
This time, I have here a very rare exception, this brand new, full frame, Viltrox 20mm f2.8 lens for Sony-E mount cameras. It is very small, it is very light and it delivers really good, consistent results but it only costs $160.
I have used a lot of lenses in my time as a professional photographer and here, reviewing them on my channel and I never seen anything like this before. There are a lot of cheap and cheerful lenses out there, especially for Sony cameras but they are always very inferior in comparison to anything, even remotely, more expensive or professional. Take Sony’s own 50mm f1.8 prime. OK but with serious issues like chromatic aberration and slow and loud auto focus … this one however, although, it is similarly priced to the 50mm, cheaper actually, is nothing like it.
Firstly it performs very well. Sharp, great colour and contrast, reliable. It delivers really nice looking images that could really fool even the most picky photographers or critics out there. I was instantly surprised and something I did NOT expect from this lens at all.
The sharpness is very good in the centre, wide open, but it falls off slightly around the edges.Not unusual and not really tragically bad. Totally acceptable and it gets way better when you start closing that aperture down.
The auto focus is OK, better than expected for a lens with such low price tag. It works but it has occasional little wobble. Generally speaking it focuses well but only very occasionally struggles to focus on something smaller or on moving subjects. It is however, pretty much silent.
It is on par with some lenses that costs 3-4 times more than this for sure. Minimal focusing distance is about 19cm. Not as close as with a lot of wide angle lenses but still OK to capture really nice close-ups with it. Nice and smooth bokeh too.
What is really surprising is that there is literally no chromatic aberration visible. There is some but hardly noticeable. Viltrox have done this before with their leases, they have found a solution that eliminates this issue, something that a lot of premium brands cannot do.
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Flaring is also very under control. Optically this lens could really give a lot of expensive lenses run for their money.
When it comes to video, this is when the cheaper price can be more noticed. Generally speaking it is OK. Great focal length for vlogging and general every day usage. The weight and its size make it also a good choice for filming with it from the gimbal.
The auto focus works well but sometimes, only sometimes struggles to acquire focus when changing the distance to your subject or moving, it has an occasional wobble then. Sometimes it can’t keep focusing constantly.
When vlogging, it tracks eyes very well and once it acquires focus, it keeps it there. Considering its price, this is all waaaay above average. There is literally no focus breathing visible either when changing your focus from something close to something further away. This is not a stabilised lens, not a surprised but it works with in body stabilisation of all current Sony cameras.
Build
It is very small, certainly one of the smallest if not THE smallest full frame 20mm lenses out there, it weighs feather light 157g.
It’s made out of standard plastic, standard for light weight and budget friendly lens, plastic. No buttons or switches on the lens. Large focus ring, smooth but it could be a touch smoother. It makes a little bit of plastic on plastic rubbing noise. Metal mount, no weather sealing of any kind and there is USB-C socket at the mount for future firmware updates. It feels light but it feels well made.
What is it good for?
This a perfect focal length for shooting landscape and architecture with. It also is a great travel lens. It’s size and weight make it less conspicuous and it could be used as just one lens for everything when travelling. Also good choice for street, portrait, night or close-up photography.
Very good focal length for vlogging, wide enough to film yourself and show your surrounding in your shots as well. I think that 16 or 18mm lenses can be a touch too wide for vlogging and 24mm to tight to film yourself while holding the camera in your hand. 20mm is that perfect focal length to fill in that gap in my opinion.
Perfect match for any of the smaller size full frame or APS-C Sony cameras. It is 30mm on APS-C sensor size camera, still wide angle and still very usable for most of shooting situations.
Price and value for money
This I an incredible value for money. There is no other 20mm like this one out there. It is capable of delivering really nice, sharp and punchy results. It is a lens that is easy to use, regardless if you are a total beginner or a pro used to shooting with GM master lenses. It is small and FUN to shoot with and it costs only £165 here in UK or $158 in US. Total bargain.
Conclusion
I would have no problem shooting with it professionally. For interiors, big group portraits or even an occasional slow gimbal video shot, no problem what so ever.
There isn’t many lenses like this one out there. Very rare to have a lens this budget friendly and this good optically. It is not perfect but very capable of delivering great results and very good value for money.
I have seen many twice or more expensive lenses perform worse than this. The things are changing and companies like Viltrox can now make good quality optics like this for the fraction of the cost. It’s not gonna replace Sony or Sigma 20mm lenses out there but it is certainly a great alternative.
Cheap price, cheap build and the minimum aperture of f2.8 might put some purists off of it but this is NOT a lens for purists. This is a lens for someone who wants a little lens that can deliver great results and is very cheap to buy, spur of the moment purchase. This is it and it is fun lens to use for sure. Viltrox did it again. Highly recommended.
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