In March this year we reported on a giant superzoom cine lens being teased by Viltrox. Well now it seems this lens is no prototype/mock-up, as it's now in pre-production and due to go on sale in early-mid 2025.
The huge 10x focal range of the lens makes it ideal for uses like motor racing, allowing you to follow the action around a circuit from a single viewpoint. While a 10x zoom range is not unusual for a superzoom lens, the fact that the Viltrox 30-300mm maintains a constant T4 aperture makes it a very special optic. Combine this with the 46.5mm image circle (which enables full-frame sensor coverage) and it's easy to see why the lens has such an immense barrel diameter. Inside is likely to be a highly complex optical path comprising multiple large-diameter lens elements, which necessarily add significant weight. We're told that the overall weight of the lens is a whopping 33lb (15kg), though this being a cine lens, it'll almost certainly be used exclusively on a tripod, so weight will only be an issue during transportation.
In our March report of the lens we speculated that it could be available in Sony-E, Leica-L, Fuji-X and Arri PL-mounts. At that time there were no details on how much the lens would cost, but the latest information from NAB 2024 has revealed that when the Viltrox 30-300mm goes on sale next year, you'll need to part with an eye-watering $65,000 to get your hands on one.
This comes as a bit of a shocker, as we've become used to Viltrox being a lens manufacturer that undercuts more established brands on price. However, we've got no reason to think the 30-300mm can't justify such a price tag. We've reviewed five Viltrox lenses on Digital Camera World, awarding five-star ratings to two of them, and 4.5 stars to the other three. Having personally lab tested all five lenses, I'm able to report that all have the build quality, features and performance to rival equivalent lenses from any more established brand. Now Viltrox has thrown cost constraints out the window and produced this no-compromise 30-300mm lens, from our experience we'd wager it'll be a stellar performer.
Story credit: Newsshooter
