Viltrox AF 28mm 1:4.5 VCM ASHP ED
Navigation
- In short
- Main Specifications
- Assembly
- Focusing
- Image quality
- Sample Photos
- My experience
- Price
- Video review
- Results
- User Comments
- Add your review or question on the lens
In this review I will refer to the Viltrox AF 28mm 1:4.5 VCM ASHP ED lens as Viltrox 28 / 4.5.
It's important: This review shows the Viltrox 28/4.5 version for Sony mirrorless cameras with a mount Sony e-mount and with the firmware version “out of the box”.
Viltrox AF 28mm 1:4.5 VCM ASHP ED
In short
Viltrox 28/4.5 – wide-angle lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras with bayonet mount Sony E / FE. The "pancake" lens is very compact and lightweight. It has automatic focusing and works quite quietly thanks to the VCM focusing motor. Optically not bad.
The disadvantages include mediocre quality aperture, as for a fixed lens with a 28 mm focal length and the inability to control the aperture (a fixed aperture of F/4.5 is always used) and problems in backlighting. And aperture The lens is quite weak.
28mm is a classic and very popular focal length. The price for Viltrox 28/4.5 is around $ 100. There are very few similar solutions, the most similar lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras with a bayonet mount Sony E / FE - Samyang Remaster Slim with AF module 28/3.5.
It's important: when searching and choosing autofocus optics for Sony E-mount Full Frame, use these very useful links:
- All autofocus lenses for Sony E / Sony FE (original and from third-party manufacturers)
- All Viltrox Lenses
Viltrox AF 28mm 1:4.5 VCM ASHP ED
Main technical characteristics of Viltrox AF 28mm 1:4.5 VCM ASHP ED:
| Review Instance Name | Near the front lens: AF 28mm 1:4.5 VCM ASHP ED IMAGE SIZE Ø43.3mm 0.32m/1.06ft |
| Basic properties |
|
| Front Filter Diameter | does not use |
| Focal length | 28 mm, EGF (cameras Sony with APS-C sensor) is 42 mm |
| Zoom ratio | 1 X (this is a fixed lens, it does not have a zoom) |
| Designed by | for mirrorless cameras Sony NEX/Sony ALPHA/Sony ILCE with E-mount (sometimes listed as FE) |
| Number of aperture blades | there is no diaphragm device (but there is an 8-sided front hole) |
| Tags | bayonet mount mark |
| Diaphragm | fixed F/4.5 |
| MDF | 0.32 meters |
| The weight |
|
| Optical design | 6 elements in 6 groups. The scheme includes
|
| Lens hood | do not support |
| Manufacturer country | Made in China |
| Period | From September 26, 2024 (this review was released on the day of its announcement) |
| Firmware | The lens in the review used the firmware “out of the box” |
| Prices |
EGF This lens on cameras with an APS-C sensor corresponds to approximately 42 mm, which provides a natural rendering of perspective close to the human eye.
Viltrox AF 28mm 1:4.5 VCM ASHP ED
Assembly
Viltrox 28 / 4.5 has metal mount. There is no focusing ring, instead there is just a plastic decorative ring with ribs, imitating the focusing ring. The lens feels good in the hands. The design is reminiscent of Olympus 15 / 8.
Viltrox 28/4.5 has a built-in mechanism for closing the front lens, which is implemented using a corresponding slider located in the same place, near the front lens. Unfortunately, Viltrox 28/4.5 cannot use protective hoods or filters (there is no thread for filters or petals for attaching a hood).
It's important: There is an octagonal opening on the front lens side that allows you to get pronounced “star rays” when working with bright point light sources. This opening imitates the operation of the aperture blades.
The Viltrox 28/4.5 weighs about 60 grams. Its compact size and light weight make the Viltrox 28/4.5 a real “pancake”.
On the body there is only a bayonet mount mark and an information plate on the bayonet side.
The lens has a connector USB TYPE C to connect to a computer.
Viltrox AF 28mm 1:4.5 VCM ASHP ED
Focusing
For focusing, the Viltrox 28 / 4.5 uses focus motor VCM (Veye Coil Motor).
Very important: Viltrox 28/4.5 will only work correctly with modern cameras with a Sony E mount. Certain difficulties may arise with older models. For example, on cameras Sony NEX-F3 (2012) and Sony a3500 (2014) Viltrox 40/2.5 autofocus does not work at all. Most likely, for the correct operation of the Viltrox 28/4.5, a camera with phase focus sensors is needed. For example, on Sony a7 The lens works correctly in photo mode.
Focusing speed is average, closer to high, quite comfortable for work. On camera Sony a7 I didn't have much focusing problems. After the lens loses accurate focusing, refocusing is performed quickly enough.
Auto focus silent, however, with frequent refocusing (beating) you can hear a characteristic crackling sound.
The lens does not have internal focusing, during focusing the front lens moves back and forth, but does not leave the body. We can talk about virtual internal focusing. The lens block can move independently inside the body under its own weight (only when the camera is turned off/sleeping, or removed from the camera).
The minimum focusing distance is 32 cm, while the maximum magnification for macro photography of 1: 10 can be obtained.
'Focus Breathing' effect (changes in viewing angle during focusing) strongly expressed.
There are no useful marks on the focusing distance, depth of field, or anything else on the lens.
The lens does not have a focusing ring, but the focusing distance can be controlled using the camera menu (I don’t know the specific list of Sony camera models that support this function).
Viltrox AF 28mm 1:4.5 VCM ASHP ED
Image quality
Optically, this is a pretty good lens, but its obvious drawbacks include a large amount of glare when working in backlight.
Sharpness
- good resolution across the entire frame
- noticeable drop in resolution at the corners of the frame
Distortion
- distortion is small, barrel-shaped
- It's easy to correct distortion manually
Vignetting
- moderate vignetting
- vignetting is strongest when focusing at infinity
Aberration
- the lens produces a small amount of chromatic aberration, both longitudinal and transverse
- there is a noticeable freezing (color of contrasting zones of blur in green and purple)
- most chromatic aberrations are observed at the periphery of the frame
Rest
- the effect of the star rays is very well expressed (8 rays)
- the lens works very poorly in backlight and strong side light, you can get a lot of glare
There is no lens profile for the lens in popular RAW converters, but most likely the profile will appear shortly or you can create it yourself.
Viltrox AF 28mm 1:4.5 VCM ASHP ED
Sample Photos
Camera used Sony a7 (24 MP Full Frame Exmor HD CMOS sensor). All photos in this review are shown without processing, according to the principles ZEROJPEG.
- Original photos in RAW format (Sony '.ARW' 12-bit compressed) can be download / watch this link (Google Drive).
- Photos in JPEG '.JPG' format can be download / watch this link (Google Drive).
Viltrox AF 28mm 1:4.5 VCM ASHP ED
My experience
Viltrox 28/4.5 – small and nice, image quality was apparently not the manufacturer’s main goal. Viltrox 28/4.5 is even lighter and smaller than similar cropped pancakes – Sony E 2.8 / 20 и Sony E 2.8 / 16.
Of the similar pancake lenses for Sony E Full Frame (Sony FE), the only one that comes to mind is Samyang Remaster Slim with AF module 28/3.5.
I should note that I had a smartphone for review alongside the Viltrox 28/4.5 Blackview A200 Pro with a main photo module of 108 MP and EGF about 28 mm (like the Viltrox 28/4.5) and I found it much easier, and in some cases even better, to get pictures on Blackview A200 Pro, than the Viltrox 28/4.5 pancake. Low-focus wide-angle lenses aperture are slowly starting to lose out to inexpensive smartphones.
The picture of the Viltrox 28/4.5 reminded me of some old manual wide-angle lenses like JUPITER-12 2,8 / 35.
Overall, instead of Viltrox 28/4.5 I would personally look towards Samyang AF 24 / 2.8 FE or TT Artisan AF 32mm F2.8. And even with the standard tiny lens Sony FE 4-5.6 / 28-60 I don't see much point in Viltrox 28/4.5.
Sizes of Risespray 25mm F/1.8 (APS-C) crumb and Viltrox AF 28mm 1:4.5 VCM ASHP ED pancake
Price
The price of Viltrox 28/4.5 is about 100 dollars, which is a very attractive offer. See prices can be at this link.
Video review
Results
Viltrox 28/4.5 – a pancake lens, lightweight, small. It has some unusual features – no focusing ring, fixed aperture and low aperture. Overall, the lens is optically quite good, but is very weak when working against strong light sources. It is worth noting that there are practically no autofocus alternatives for the Viltrox 28/4.5 for full frame Sony E / FE.
10 main advantages:
- very low weight and very compact dimensions, a record among all similar solutions for Sony E / FE
- built-in protective cover with convenient slider for opening/closing
- low cost (about 100 $)
- good assembly, metal bayonet, octagonal “limiter” for a beautiful starburst effect
- quiet focusing motor, fast enough
- virtually internal focus
- USB port for firmware upgrade
- unusual optical design
- good resolution across the entire frame
- low distortion
10 main disadvantages:
- limited selection of cameras with full compatibility. Critical: Lenses are not recognized by some older camera models. Updating the firmware does not change the situation. Most likely the lens will only work with cameras that have phase focus sensors
- there is no focusing ring (only a decorative ring imitating it, on the same pancake Sony E 2.8 / 20 there is a focusing ring)
- there is no possibility to control the aperture (fixed aperture, the same pancake Sony E 2.8 / 20 there is a diaphragm device)
- weak aperture (even lower than the standard lens Sony FE 28-70mm F/3.5-5.6 OSS or Sony FE 28-60mm F/4-5.6)
- no thread for light filters
- there is no hood included in the package (and apparently the lens cannot use any type of hood)
- there are no additional marks (depth of field, focusing distance, etc.)
- no rubber seal for bayonet
- strong 'Focus Breathing' (changes in viewing angle during focusing)
- artifacts when working with strong side or back light
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Material prepared Arkady Shapoval.
Indeed, what is interesting first of all is the pancake, which differs noticeably in focal length from the whale zoom.
Moreover, standard kit zooms today are quite compact (with a lens parking system when inactive).
Therefore, the most interesting range is 24-21 mm (16-12 mm for crop).
Even if it has a low aperture ratio.
There is an interesting Samyang Remaster Slim with AF modules 21/3.5.
Seryoga is right, what's the point of this dark, undersized lens, if there is usually a Kit, which is much more functional and versatile, and even used, it costs almost the same. And there are also relatively high-aperture Kits, which are better in everything, but they are damn expensive.
The Chinese probably practice on such glass.
28 mm, equivalent focal length for Sony cameras with APS-C sensor is 42 mm🙄🤔😢
You were a fool and will continue to live under the rainbow flag.
Please write this also, for example, to the same company Sony, which specifies the Equivalent Focal Length (EFL) for 35 mm (APS-C). As an example, a lens with the same focal length FE 28mm F2 and the equivalent focal length for it and Sony APS-C cameras is also 42mm. We are all here eagerly waiting for Sony to respond.
For those readers/watchers who are still confused about this issue, there is only one correct approach described and told here.
That's why you're a fool, because you read and copy and don't understand yourself.
1. This link of yours is from a Russian site and not SONY with the same equivalent level of intelligence as yours.
oh that was subtle :)