Viltrox brings its more affordable pro prime to Nikon shooters with the AF 50mm f/1.4 Pro Z

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I loved everything about this lens when I tested it and reviewed it last year, apart from one thing. That’s now been fixed…

Viltrox AF 50mm f/1.4 Pro lens on a black background
(Image credit: Viltrox)

Last October saw the launch of the Viltrox AF 50mm f/1.4 Pro, following hot on the heels of the more portrait-friendly AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro. Both lenses are from the upper echelons of Viltrox product lines, bearing a ‘Pro’ badge and very much aiming to live up to that billing. Interchangeable in the best possible way, both lenses have a virtually identical size and weight of 85x111mm / 3.4x4.4" and 800g / 1.76lb, making it an absolute doddle to switch between the two and carry on shooting as if nothing happened.

Pro aspirations of any lens have more to do with the quality of the glass than anything else. While the Viltrox has really solid, weather-sealed build quality, its top-level feature is an exotic optical path based on 15-elements, arranged in 11 groups. These include a UA (Ultra Aspherical) element with a relatively large diameter and ultra-high precision build, 3 ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements, 8 HR (High Refractive index) elements, and the application of HD Nano multi-layer coatings.

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Viltrox AF 50mm f1.4 Pro product shot
Handling extras include a customizable function button and an aperture control ring with click/de-click switch(Image credit: Viltrox)

The aperture is particularly well-rounded, based on an 11-blade diaphragm that helps to maintain the quality of bokeh when stopping down a little. And with that in mind, there’s a dedicated aperture control ring comes complete with a click/de-click switch, suiting both stills and video capture respectively. Autofocus is courtesy of a high-grade HyperVCM (Voice Coil Motor) system, designed to be fast for shooting stills, as well as delivering ultra-smooth focus transition in virtual silence when shooting video. An AF/MF focus mode switch is fitted, along with a customizable function button.

The fast f/1.4 aperture delivers a tight depth of field, ideal for isolating subjects against fussy backgrounds. (Image credit: Viltrox)

As I said at the start, there’s only one thing I didn’t like about this lens. And that’s that it was only available in Sony E-mount, which was a fat lot of use to anyone with a different make of camera. That’s all changed with the advent of a Nikon Z-mount edition, which follows the recent Z-mount launch of the sibling Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.4 Pro lens. And now that Viltrox has become a signed-up member of the L-Mount Alliance, I’d expect an L-mount version to be somewhere in the pipeline.

The lens is designed with the aim of combining excellent sharpness and clarity with soft and dreamy bokeh. (Image credit: Viltrox)

For now though, the Viltrox AF 50mm f/1.4 Pro ‘Z’ goes on sale for around $549 / £525 / AU$929, making it standout value for such a high-quality lens. For more information, check out our full review.

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Matthew Richards
Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 


His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 


In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.

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