Viltrox AF 23mm f/1.4 : Specifications and Opinions

Reviews

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The following opinions have been automatically translated with Google Translate.

MassiCricco

sent on 04 Maggio 2024

Pros: Very sharp in the center, good color rendering (on Nikon Z), bright, presence of aperture ring (9 blades), effective AF, excellent bokeh, good construction and very robust lens hood, USB C socket on the bayonet for firmware update. Economic.

Cons: Rather heavy, smooth, non-lockable aperture ring on A (automatic)

Opinion: Recently purchased for my Nikon Z50 thanks to a promotion, I immediately appreciated this lens for the sharpness of the images in the center, even at full aperture. Good bokeh in the ambient portrait and correct color rendering on Nikon Z. For my use of it, the drop in sharpness at the edges at large apertures and the "purple fringing" present in backlight from f/1.4 to f/1.8 do not represent a serious limitation. Just close down to f/2.0 or 2.8 and almost all problems are solved. The autofocus is accurate and fast on the Nikon. The "declicked" manual aperture is useful when shooting video and when you want to quickly switch between values without having to remember the direction of rotation of the dial on the camera. However, since the lens does not have a ring lock, the risk of accidentally operating it is quite high. Otherwise the lens is solid, with metal bayonet, the lens hood (quality) is included in the package and despite the weight of 300 g (it's a 1.4!) it balances well on the Nikon Z50. I am satisfied with it. Rated 9.5

Gainnj

sent on 17 Maggio 2023

Pros: Well built, solid, manual diaphragms

Cons: Less powerful than the brothers 56 MM f 1.8 and 135 mm f 1.8

Opinion: I like the optics, the price quality ratio is good. Not using AFC but only AFS at the center point I did not detect focus problems. The problem is that at F2 compared to the 23 f2 Fujifilm the second is sharper and is also light, I do not need an F 1.4 on a 23 mm that I do not use absolutely for portraits set, at this point I prefer in all the 23m Fujifilm. I keep it because with the brothers 56 mm and 135 mm its color rendering is more homogeneous and avoids me to correct the colors in post as I have to do if I use the 23 mm Fujifilm and mix images of the same subject made with the 23 mm and 56 mm where the difference in color stamp is visible.

Dados1

sent on 22 Giugno 2022

Pros: Cost , AF construction

Cons: Cool colors, marked flickering effect.

Opinion: I have owned this lens for about 5 months, used to say the least, let's say that it behaves well in terms of optical quality and does not regret the original Fuji in some respects, but ....... but..... but unfortunately no one talks about it!! or maybe some on youtube, this lens resulting from reverse engineering has an obvious problem according to my point of view. At closed apertures type F8 is evident a very heavy flichering effect to tell the truth even some old Fuji lens was affected but with the various firmware and new bodies has been attenuated, here we are at very serious levels, that is, in exposure preview mode and on single shot the aperture opens when the F1 shutter button is pressed, 4 to make the AF work better, releasing the button returns to F8 but this happens slowly and jerky producing a very evident display flickering effect, apparently it seems uncertain even the exposure reading of the scene. That said in AFC mode the problem seems almost solved and even pressing the only AF button released from the shutter button, I reported the problem to Viltrox even if I seem to hear around that it is a problem already known. Firmware 1.1.4 at the moment the latest, lens replaced under warranty but has the same problem. Very good optical quality, colors tending to cold easily corrected to those who do not bother flickering I can recommend it. Rating 6+

Andreascaffidi

sent on 11 Aprile 2022

Pros: Price, sharpness, construction

Cons: rendering of images on cold shades

Opinion: For the use I make of it we say that I have little to say, the lens is very valid, built well, excellent sharpness and great price. The only cons I can find is the annoying cold dominant that can be seen in the photos. Obviously you can correct it in post-production, or, as I do, adjust a white balance and select it when using this lens. In any case, recommended.

Simon1

sent on 14 Gennaio 2022

Pros: CONSTRUCTION PRICE

Cons: As I photograph nothing negative

Opinion: Having purchased the 56 1.4 from the same brand, and finding myself really satisfied, or wanted to try the 23mm as well, and I am really happy with my choice, fast in focusing, a beautiful construction, very quiet, compared to the original model, excellent hood, then I was also lucky as a gift I also found a neutral filter, which I immediately installed and also a soft case retailer excellent

Gianluca.bocchetti

sent on 22 Dicembre 2021

Pros: embarrassing quality/price ratio (positively) for what it offers

Cons: how to find cons to a lens that costs around € 350?

Opinion: I say it and I repeat it ... this Viltrox 23mm 1.4 is superior to the much emblazoned and praised XF23mm 1.4 (old). Point. I speak as a Viltrox owner, I used the Fuji 23mm 1.4 for about a week but it took me a few hours to hate it when compared to the Viltrox ... we leave out the build quality, we leave out the "magic" of Fuji... the Viltrox is much sharper already at 1.4 both in the center and at the edges than the Fuji... the only drawback that I can find them is a dominant bluer than the warmer tones of Fuji but in 10 seconds with pp I solve ... I was baffled by the Fuji I wanted to have in my optical park, but this Viltrox does not make me regret it even a little.

Carlopietra

sent on 10 Novembre 2021

Pros: Sharpness, colors, aperture, construction, AF

Cons: Weight, TA vignetting, AF in dynamic situation with face and eye tracking at TA

Opinion: Used for 1 year on Fuji XT30. I am very satisfied. I use it mainly in manual focus or with back button for sufficiently static AF situations, and in these conditions it gives considerable satisfaction. Like all 23mm he is an excellent "storyteller", with a character all his own. I've never tried Fuji's 23mm 1.4, but I own the 50mm F2. Compared to this it is considerably heavier, on XT30 you can feel it, but you get used to it, and with additional grip (I keep it fixed, as a base for quick hooking to the tripod) it is not a big problem. Colors very different from Fuji, colder and tending to blue blue, but some Fuji lenses are too hot. In PP everything is arranged. Excellent rings, to me the continuous sliding of the opening does not bother. Infinite fire not perfect, actually mine is just before, but if you test it in bright light with Focus peaking is not a problem: I brought home excellent shots of the Milky Way at 1.4. By the way, at 1.4 when used for very close portraits the autofocus of the XT30 does not make it, the plane of focus is too thin, and 8/10 you will find the eye out of focus. For these situations it is necessary to manually adjust, or close from 2.8 upwards... or use the 50 F2 that distorts less and has an atomic autofocus! But the portrait is not the primary use of this 23. For reportage, travel, street, general photography, once the aperture from 5.6 to 9 is fixed, you will take home dozens of very clean, sharp, deep shots. Nothing to do with zoom kits. In addition, at night the 1.4 is a godsend, both for the stars and "on the ground". At this price... highly recommended for me

Beachboy.mbm

sent on 24 Febbraio 2021

Pros: colors, opening, bokeh, sharpness already at TA, price

Cons: the Sony version has tracking issues in continuous focus mode at openings of less than 1.8, sometimes the communication between camera and lens is blocked and you have to wait a few seconds for it to restart and you can shoot again, noisy focus

Opinion: I rarely write reviews, but in this case I wanted to honor this all-rounder goal, which I actually returned to the seller after a couple of months of testing, mainly for the mentioned issues of focus tracking in continuous openings of less than 1.8; If the subject exits the third central vertical of the frame, the chase is failed and the subject unhooks. I do not dwell on the other issues mentioned among the cons, annoying, but that do not compromise their amateur use. However, the blurry is sublime and the colors also, of great character, at a really low price compared to optics of the same focal length and comparable opening. Returned the Viltrox, I took a used 24mm 1.8 Sony Zeiss; perfect focus, perfect TA sharpness, nice colors, but to my less exciting eye than Viltrox, more flat, less alive complexion. With the Viltrox I pulled out some interior portraits with normal home lights with really amazing colors, which for the moment I have not been able to achieve with Zeiss. So if the cons mentioned are not a problem, for what it costs you take home a handyman with exceptional optical quality, in my opinion as an amateur.

Puglisi2

sent on 27 Ottobre 2020

Pros: Usability, angle of view, sharpness, blurry.

Cons: Chromatic aberrations, vignetting, continuous autofocus to be improved (see opinion)

Opinion: I wanted to share my experience with the lens in question, as I found feedback on the web for many of the merits and defects verified during use, except for one very important for those who use the Sony A6400 almost always in AFC with flexible spot fire. I find that with this chamber the fastest way to focus is to hook the subject into AFC, recompose and shoot. With this lens Viltrox operation is feasible up to about F 1.8 full screen. At more closed diaphragms, the fire tracing only works in the central vertical band, corresponding to one-third of the entire frame. In the two-thirds side there is a clear problem of focus hunting at the aforementioned openings in AFC. I bought two specimens and they both revealed this nasty surprise. The first one I returned. For the second I am hesitant, because, once I have ascertained that it is not a single defect but a limit of the project, I want to weigh up the merits and defects of the lens before deciding whether or not to keep it. The last firmware of 19/10/20 did not solve the problem. I have contacted Viltrox so that they can work towards an effective solution.