Viltrox 28mm F/4.5 Pancake Lens Review
This lens has been discussed quite a lot since its release. I was sent this lens ahead of its release to review, but it wasn't something that I felt immediately excited about, so it sat on the shelf for a while. I used it a little, and honestly, having used enough pancake lenses, this one felt like it was not really up to par. Part of the reason for that was the locked f4.5 aperture.
You can view the locked aperture as either a benefit or a weakness of this lens. Having the locked aperture is part of the reason that this lens can be so small. If you haven't used a lens of this size before, it is pretty much the size of a body cap. Similar to the Lumix 26 millimeter manual focus locked f8 lens that came out earlier this year with the Lumix S9, this lens offers a much stronger value proposition than that Lumix lens. This is a strength of Viltrox, as they have created something lightweight and compact.
I am extremely impressed that this lens comes from Viltrox because, for a while, their prime lenses were significantly larger than those from first-party or other third-party manufacturers. It is refreshing to see them going in the opposite direction and creating super small pancake lenses. This lens, along with the 40 millimeter f2.5, are probably the two most usable primes of theirs that I have personally had the opportunity to review and test.
So how does it actually perform when creating images? When shooting with this lens on a full-frame camera, you get the full 28 millimeter field of view. You also have the option to crop in to APS-C, which will give you about a 42 millimeter field of view, which is quite handy. Transitioning from 28 millimeters to 40 millimeters as a street photographer with a small lens is a dream come true.
The lens has a close focus distance of 0.32 meters, or 32 centimeters, which is approximately 1.05 feet. That is quite close. Once you are accustomed to shooting at close distances, this lens is a very good option. I have found that when shooting thumbnails for YouTube videos, the close focus sometimes feels a bit further away than expected. However, after testing it more rigorously and measuring, it is indeed close enough. Typically, on a wider angle lens, you would expect a closer point of focus, which is very useful.
The lens is very quiet, and its low profile is enhanced by the fact that it does not have a traditional lens cap. Instead, the lens cap is operated by a small switch on the front of the lens, allowing you to open and close it easily without carrying an extra lens cap. I think that is one of the most impressive features of this lens.
Of course, it is fully autofocus, and in my experience so far, the autofocus has been quite good. It can hunt a little, but there are no major problems. Considering the size of this lens, I am very impressed by its autofocus performance. A similar lens for APS-C mount is the Sony 20mm f2.8 for Sony E mount, which is slightly larger than this lens, and the autofocus performance is about the same. The fact that a third party has been able to create this lens so well is truly impressive.
Looking at a couple of images I have shot with this lens, I find it to be a fun, more pocketable option for your Sony full-frame or APS-C sized cameras. However, I do not think it is a replacement for a full-time 28 millimeter lens. If you were to buy a 28 millimeter lens for Sony E mount, you could spend about $100 to $150 more and get the Sony 28 f2, which has a full range of apertures from f2 to f22. The fact that this lens is locked at f4.5 does limit some of its usability.
I prefer to either shoot wide open or stop down past f8 to achieve sharp focus on many subjects. This lens sits in the middle; it is very usable, but it is not really a one-and-done prime lens as one might desire. However, considering the price of under $100, I believe it does a very nice job for the value. It is encouraging to see small lenses like this coming from Viltrox, especially as Sigma and Tamron, other third-party manufacturers for Sony, have slowed down. It is great to see Viltrox actively pushing out new lenses for Sony E mount and Fuji X mount as well.
