Whenever a new pancake lens arrives in the lab, I’m getting pretty excited. Sure, their on-paper specs are never impressive – especially in terms of speed – but they are cute or, in other words, darn compact and super-lightweight and thus easy to carry around. So when Viltrox asked me whether I’d like to review this new -full-format- Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 VCM, I raised my hand, of course. However, while this appears to be a “normal” pancake lens, this isn’t really the case here. Thus, let’s get the elephant out of the room here—this lens offers autofocus and electronic…
Author: Klaus
Website: https://viltrox.com/en-au/pages/2024-via Disclaimer: Viltrox does provide lenses for testing, but they do not sponsor opticallimits.com.
Ref.: https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/p/rf28-70mm-f2-8-is-stm Price $1100 USD SpecificationsOptical construction15 elements in 12 groups (2x aspherical, 2x UD)Number of aperture blades9 (rounded?)min. focus distance0.37m (max. magnification: 1:4.16)Dimensionsφ 92.2 x 76.5 mmWeight495gFilter sizeφ 67mmHoodPetal-shaped, bayonet mountOther featuresOptical IS (5.5 stops, combined with the camera up to 7 f-stops), dust- and weather-resistant
Ref.: https://www.hasselblad.com/x-system/lenses/xcd-20-35e/ Approx price: $5,929 USD SpecificationsOptical construction16 elements in 12 groups (3x aspherical, 4x ED)Number of aperture blades9 (rounded)min. focus distance0.32m (max. magnification: 1:10.4)Dimensionsφ 81 × 112mmWeight805gFilter sizeφ 77mmHoodPetal-shaped, bayonet mountOther features leaf shutter
Ref.: https://imaging.nikon.com/imaging/lineup/lens/z-mount/z_50mmf14/ Price: $500 USD SpecificationsOptical construction10 elements in 7 groups (1x aspherical)Number of aperture blades9 (rounded)min. focus distance0.37m (max. magnification: 1:5.9)Dimensionsφ 86.5 × 74.5mmWeight420gFilter sizeφ 62mmHoodPetal-shaped, bayonet mountOther featuresdust- and drip-resistance sealing
Most of us just love high-speed lenses. And if it’s a 35mm lens, that’s even better. When it comes to prime lenses, it’s a typical example of the one lens that you’d take to an isolated island if you could only take one. While some may consider them fairly boring, they are simply very versatile. That is … if it wasn’t for the costs. Sony’s own FE 35mm f/1.4 GM sets you back by $1300 USD, placing it outside of the realm that is still accessible for most amateurs at least. However, a more affordable entry ticket is the Sigma…
Ref.: https://leica-camera.com/en-AU/photography/lenses/sl/vario-elmarit-sl-70-200-f28-asph-black-anodized-finish Price: $3300 USD Note: This seems to be a slightly tuned version of the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG DN ART – just like the Leica 14-28mm f/2.8 and 24-70mm f/2.8. SpecificationsOptical construction20 elements in 15 groups (7x LR, 3x aspherical)Number of aperture blades11 (rounded)min. focus distance0.7-1.0m (max. magnification: 1:5.1)Dimensionsφ 89 × 207mmWeight1540gFilter sizeφ 82mmHoodBarrel-shaped, bayonet mount, suppliedOther featuresFluorine coating, detachable tripod mount, dust and splash-proof, compatible with converters, optical IS
Ref.: https://www.sigma-global.com/en/lenses/c023_10_18_28/ Price: $660 USD SpecificationsOptical construction13 elements in 10 groups (3x FLD, 1x SLD, 4x aspherical)Number of aperture blades7 (rounded)min. focus distance0.116 (W) – 0.191m (max. magnification: 1:4)Dimensionsφ72.2 x 62.0mmWeight270gFilter sizeφ67mmHoodPetal-shaped, bayonet mount, suppliedOther featuresMount gasket
Ref.: https://www.sigma-global.com/en/lenses/a024_28_105_28/ Price: $1500 USD in E- and L-mount SpecificationsOptical construction18 elements in 13 groups (2x FLD, 1x SLD, 5x aspherical)Number of aperture blades12 (rounded)min. focus distance0.4m (max. magnification: 1:3.1)Dimensionsφ 84.8 × 157.9mmWeight995gFilter size82mmHoodPetal-shaped, bayonet mount, suppliedOther featuresFocus-stop button, aperture ring, dust and splash resistance, fluorine coating
Introduction A short while ago, we reviewed the Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.7 X in Fujifilm X-mount – with rather surprisingly positive results. Meanwhile, Viltrox also released the lens in Sony E-mount, so let’s have a quick look at whether it can repeat the Fujifilm results, even if it may just be for the sake of testing performance consistency. In Sony E-mount, it would set up back by $180 USD, so it’s positioned at the affordable end of the market. For comparison – Sony’s own FE 50mm f/1.8 costs about $250 USD, and the Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS goes for…