Gone are the days when third-party Chinese lens manufacturers only produced optically questionable manual focus budget lenses. With the advancement in camera technology, companies like Viltrox are now developing high-quality AF glass that remains at the budget price point.
The Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.7 is the latest lens released by the manufacturer and offers an extremely wallet-friendly APS-C portrait lens for Nikon Z and Fujifilm X mount users. With 56mm being the equivalent of 85mm on a full-frame camera, this could be one of the best lenses for portrait photography for smaller sensor systems.
The ideal portrait focal length coupled with the wide f/1.7 aperture will enable the user to create shallow depth of field images, that isolate and separate the subject from the background. With nine aperture blades, the fall-off is subtle and creates a smooth bokeh for that dreamy atmosphere.
The other benefit of a wide aperture is improved low-light performance, and Viltrox promises that the 56mm f/1.7 will provide "purer images in low-light environments".
Many third-party lens manufacturers that previously specialized in manual focus-only lenses have started developing autofocus optics, as is now the case for Viltrox. The 56mm f/1.7 has an internal focusing mechanism and a silent STM motor, enabling fast and accurate focusing for both stills and video.
Regarding the video capabilities, Viltrox states that the focus breathing is "almost imperceptible when the focus changes".
The lens is configured with 9 groups of 11 elements, including 4 extra-low dispersion lenses and 3 lenses with high refractive index, combating aberrations and dispersion.
Despite the number of elements the lens is extremely compact and lightweight, weighing 171g and measuring just 55mm, varying slightly depending on the mount option. This makes it an ideal travel lens to keep in your camera bag, ensuring you always have a great portrait lens option on hand.
Other notable features include HD multi-layer nano lens coating, a 52mm diameter filter thread, EXIF info transmission support and an integrated USB-C port for updating firmware.
Without testing the lens it is hard to identify anything to query, as it provides the user with a great portrait lens option for less than $150. Fujifilm has of course got a great 56mm option, in the Fujifilm XF 56mm f1.2 R WR Lens, but it will set you back more than eight times the price.
The AF 56mm f/1.7 is available now from Viltrox for $139 / £175 / AU$259.
See our guides for more information on the best Fujifilm lenses, the best Nikon lenses, and the best mirrorless cameras.
