Viltrox Tele and Wide Converter Lens for Fujifilm X100VI review: Can going off-brand pay off?

I am a proud owner of a Fujifilm X100VI. I even managed to get one of the limited-edition versions from the anniversary. It genuinely is a wonderful camera that’s easy to use and even easier to have with you. It scored ‘Best for Travel’ in our Fujifilm Camera Buying Guide, and it’s a well-deserved accolade. The fixed 23mm (35mm equivalent) lens does have an in-between feel that’s a great fit for street shots and travel, but neither wide enough for proper landscapes nor long enough for portraits. When I say equivalent, it’s because the X100VI uses an APS-C sensor, which has a 1.5X multiplier on focal lengths.

Of course I wanted to find some way to get wider and longer shots, without adding significant weight. Fortunately, Fujifilm does have a wide and tele adaptor lens for this system, but at a price. I do own these as there were no real alternatives at the time. It was inevitable that other makers would seek to add more competitive options. The big question, of course, is whether they match up to Fujifilm's version, or if that’s not the intention, do they offer something different and unique that I might prefer?

Here I'm looking at Viltrox’s recently launched versions of these screw-on lens adaptors. The WCL-X100VI and the TCL-X100VI, wide and tele respectively. These are significantly lower in price than the Fujifilm version, but is this because the adaptors don’t hit the mark on quality? Maybe I’d be better off saving up and getting the original?

Who are Viltrox even? Well, Viltrox are a well-established third-party lens manufacturer working across a range of camera systems: Fuji, Sony, Nikon, Canon and others. Initially they created manual focus lenses, but branched into autofocus lenses in more recent years. They have a range for the X-Series, and I’m particularly fond of the XF13mm f1.4, which is very sharp for astrophotography. You can check out our Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8mm and AF 90mm f/2.2 review for more.

I’m happy with the pedigree that Viltrox has established, which gives me some hope for the quality of these as a potential alternative to the Fuji WCL-X100II and TCL-X100II. And with Viltrox's reputation for having lenses that sit well above their price point, it could be a win-win on price and performance.

Specifications

Price and Availability

The WCL-X100VI lists for $159, £159, €179, while the TCL-X100VI is $189, £179, €219, though Viltrox often has sales. Given that the Fujifilm versions are $399, £289, €319 and $399, £299, €339, respectively, I think this is a fantastic price point.

Even a not-so-genius like me can see that there’s a massive saving to be made should the lenses stack up. These adaptors have just been launched and are accessible from the Viltrox website or via their suppliers. Given the solid nature of the adaptors, and the amount of glass, I think the build quality exceeds the listed price. If price were the main concern, there are other options, including the Freewell Tele adapter at $149.99 and combined Wide and Macro adapter at $99.99-even cheaper if price is an issue.

Design

Viltrox definitely went out of their way to make these match the X100VI in colour, with both silver and black versions available. I have the silver versions, and they match the camera really well, along with being very similar to the Fujifilm versions. When testing without the lens caps on, I had to read the name on the adapters each time to make sure I’d pulled out the one I wanted to use for the shot while comparing. So yes, aesthetically, they’re quite similar to the originals. Both the WCL and TCL have a knurled ring, which is nice in hand, and distinguishes them from the Fujis’.

It’s having these originals to compare that really makes any potential issues stand out. The filter threads on the Viltrox also match those of the originals, meaning that if I had started with the Viltrox, I wouldn’t lose out if I went to the Fujifilm versions later. I have a lovely 67mm diffusion filter from K&F Concept that gives soft portraits with the TCL, for example.

The lens cap on the TCL is the central pinch-to-remove type that is now the default everywhere (and I am glad to see this). The rear caps and cap on the WCL are Viltrox-branded push-on rubber with the thread marked on them. Still not as cool as the screw-on rear caps from Artra Labs though. Realistically, both Fuji and Viltrox need something better for the back of the adapters, as these wear over time and become loose and easy to misplace.

The adapters screw on easily and are immediately recognised by the camera, showing a W or T icon on the camera screen. Viltrox says this is due to a combination of a magnetic mount and an integrated chip in the camera. This embeds metadata in the file so programs like Lightroom Classic can automatically apply the correct lens correction for that adapter. They also label the focal length correctly, so the TCL shows as 33mm, for example. Viltrox do warn that metal-on-metal screwing can cause issues, but I feel it would take a reasonable amount of force to cross-thread. Just be careful! There’s a small ring that unscrews from the front on the built-in lens to give access to the threads. Something else for me to lose.

Both lenses use 5 elements in 4 groups, whereas Fuji has 4 elements in 4 groups for the WCL and 4 elements in 3 groups for the TCL-this explains the roughly 50g difference between each brand’s version of the teleconverter. It’s an impressive reason for the additional weight. As with other Viltrox lenses, there’s a nano coating on the lenses to help retain sharpness, while minimising aberrations and chromatic dispersions. It’s not perfect, as there is a situation where flare is very visible-more shortly. The final note that I should make on the glass is that these don’t change the minimum aperture, so you have the option to shoot at f2.0 with either lens.

Performance

Getting these adapter lenses on and off was flawless, but keeping the caps despite making use of the cloth bags for each lens wasn’t. I couldn’t find them after my first use- I did eventually! I wanted to give these a test in some of my typical shooting situations, so I shot both outside and in studio.

I often shoot quick model sets with the TCL. I had a day-long shoot with Olga Solo, and as part of that I did some test shots to compare to the Fuji. When I A/B’d the shots together I was surprised by how similar they were. Initially, the auto white balance had the Viltrox looking warmer and with better contrast, but when I made them the same temperature and tint in Lightroom, they were hard to tell apart. There is maybe a small amount more vignetting on the Viltrox TCL, but it’s very subtle. Other brands, like Freewell, have significantly more darkening of the corners.

The TCL is wonderfully sharp with these studio shots, again directly comparable to the Fujifilm. Viltrox was definitely trying to match the look and has succeeded. The Viltrox TCL is a little heavier, but in practice you don’t notice the difference.

The Wide Converter lens is practically weightless, meaning I could forgo the tele for some travel elements; I could always use the digital zoom and lose some of the 40MP I have to save weight. Equally, that zoom with the TCL gives a nice 100mm equivalent view, back to the wide lens. When I compare the photos to the original wide converter, they’re very similar.

I used the Viltrox in a variety of situations, and the main issue I could find is that there’s a dramatic flare with the sun in the centre of the frame sometimes, as with this sunset shot in the woods. Even dropping or raising the camera helped significantly, but I haven’t seen anything like this before. It’s the only real negative I have with the lens.

When I tried this during the afternoon, aiming at the sun, it didn’t flare, so it may just have been a fluke related to the conditions in the woods. Flare isn’t strictly a bad thing, and as an avid user of Boris FX Optics, where I add flare, I can’t complain about it artistically. It’s where I can’t control it that I have an issue. Besides this, the lens performed flawlessly for me. At the beach, in the woods, even out camping. When compared to the Fuji, there was very little difference-often anything I thought I’d notice would turn out to be a slightly different white balance or a minor change in shutter speed.

Given that Viltrox only advertises these as conversion lenses for the X100 series, it’s not setting itself up for comparison directly. But I think they match the look and feel of the X100VI beautifully, as well as competing in optical quality-probably the key metric.

Sample Images

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Verdict

I think the Viltrox TCL-X100VI and the WCL X100VI are an excellent addition to my X100VI kit. They’re optically great and easily compete with Fujifilm’s versions of these converters. I love the retro look and the additional knurled ring that adds a unique visual element. The lens caps are great, but I do think there needs to be a better rear cap system. I love that the styling sits perfectly with the camera, so much that I think it looks like it could just be part of the camera natively.

I find the weight to be more than acceptable, even with the TCL being heavier than other versions. They’re more than pocketable should I decide to go out with the camera around my neck-though I’d avoid jeans pockets for moisture.

My only concern is that flare, but I’m finding it hard to repeat, so it may have been a fluke. Perhaps a mix of the shadow and light, and maybe I hadn’t screwed the converter on far enough? Either way, these will come in the small messenger bag for my X100VI, along with a small flash, ready for everything from landscapes to portraits, as well as those travel shots.

I would not hesitate to recommend these converters to anyone, whether budget-driven or otherwise. Viltrox has come through again, showing that they are a force in the optics world.

Alternatives

I’ve mentioned alternatives throughout, but in summary there are three other alternatives:

• Fujifilm have their own converter lenses used for comparison in this review.
• The Freewell Tele adapter combines a Wide and Macro adapter. These do match the styling of the X100VI, but also offer a macro option. The converters have threads on them as well, so require a threading ring to connect them, which comes as part of the kit. The TCL has a strong vignette, and may be related to the fact that they don’t trigger the lens correction switch like Viltrox.
• Artra Labs have slightly longer tele at 60mm equivalent and 24mm equivalent versions. They advertise the 24 as a 16mm and the 60mm as the equivalent. This is entirely true, but at first glance I thought it was a much wider lens for the WCL. It does vignette significantly, though with a lot of barrel distortion.