Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 Lab N FE is a new version of existing lens for Sony cameras that aims to prove that less is more

Viltrox has been steadily building up its lens portfolio over the last few years, more recently majoring on ultra-compact, lightweight and inexpensive Air series lenses, Evo lenses that combine up-market features and high-end handling with lightweight constructions and affordable price tags, Pro lenses with premium quality and performance, and Lab series lenses that sit at the top of the tree as the company’s ultimate offerings.

So far, there have only been two Lab series lenses released, the first being the Viltrox AF 135mm f/1.8 Lab, which was followed by the super-fast Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 Lab. Both are currently available in Nikon Z and Sony E mount options. But now there’s something new. Or at least, if not new, changed.

There’s now an alternative version of the Sony edition of the 35mm lens, going by the name of the Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 Lab N FE. Compared with the original lens, there’s one glaring omission, in that the OLED color info screen has been stripped out. I personally rather like the info screen, which can show focus distance and aperture setting, and more besides.

I’ve encountered similar OLED info screens on some of Nikon’s S-line lenses, although they’ve also been removed from some of Nikon’s latest versions like the Nikon Z 70‑200mm f/2.8 VR S II. Perhaps that’s not such a bad idea. While these info screens seem like a neat idea, I have to confess that I barely use them or even pay any attention to them while actually shooting.

The new ‘N’ version of the Viltrox 35mm Lab ditches the info screen in favor of a more streamlined, simplified appearance. I suspect there’s also an upside in increased battery life. But while that’s the most obvious change in the new version of the lens, it’s not the only one. The original lens has a multi-function control ring towards the rear of the casing that you can assign to different functions via camera menus. The new N version swaps this out for a dedicated aperture control ring. Again, it’s a personal preference but I’m actually very much in favor of the change.

I tend to only use the ‘multi-function’ control ring for aperture adjustments, so it’s good news to me that the new dedicated ring has clear markings for aperture settings, rather than no markings at all. And the ring comes complete with a click/de-click switch, the latter mode enabling smooth and silent aperture adjustments when shooting video.

Headline attractions of the original lens remain. It has a fast f/1.2 aperture with an extremely well-rounded 11-blade diaphragm, two customizable function buttons, and super-fast yet virtually silent Quad HyperVCM (Voice Coil Motor) autofocus.

You might be expecting that without the info screen, the new N version of the lens would be less expensive to buy. It’s actually the same price as the original, listing at $999 / £869. However, with everything else in the world seeming to be going up in price, at least the cost has stayed the same, and the lens still represents outstanding value for money.