Viltrox is a third-party lens manufacturer that has recently been making some of the best budget lenses on the market, and last year it released a modern super-wide prime lens in the form of the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 lens for Sony E mount. This full-frame lens has now been released for mirrorless Nikon users to enjoy on the Z mount.
In addition to offering a fast super-wide prime option, the lens has been recognized for its great build quality and modern features, making it a fantastic video and stills lens.
The Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 features a novel color information panel (Image credit: Viltrox)
The Viltrox 16mm f/1.8 is optically constructed of 15 elements on 12 groups, including 4 ED lenses and 3 aspherical lenses, delivering high image quality with great precision. The addition of the ED and aspherical lenses helps with combating aberration suppression and rendering light sources. Limiting these unwanting artifacts is especially important in astrophotography, a genre of photography where this lens would shine.
AF is relatively new to modern lenses developed by budget third-party Chinese lens manufacturers, but despite being a recent addition, the AF performance has been well received. The inclusion of an STM and lead screw-type stepping motor means that the AF should be quick and efficient, and eye focus makes tracking simple.
Viltrox has thought about the user when designing the 16mm f/1.8 as there are many elements that welcome ease-of-use functions in what Viltrox calls its operating system. The 'operating system' is essentially the control design features that enable the user to have greater 'efficiency' when shooting.
The lens features a 0.95-inch LED panel that shows distance, depth of field, and aperture information on the top of the lens, making it easy to see in low-light environments such as when shooting astrophotography. Two custom function buttons, a click on/off switch, and an AF/MF switch complete the quinumvirate.
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The click / de-click approach option for modern lenses makes them more versatile for both stills and video. Reducing the clicks reduces the motion that may interfere with long exposure or video captures. Having a separate aperture ring also enables greater control and flexibility, and is becoming more common since the success of Fujifilm's iterations.
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(Image credit: Viltrox)
Sample images from the Viltrox AF 16mm F1.8 Z
(Image credit: Viltrox)
Sample images from the Viltrox AF 16mm F1.8 Z
(Image credit: Viltrox)
Sample images from the Viltrox AF 16mm F1.8 Z
Other notable features include a 77mm diameter filter thread, a dustproof structure, HD multi-layer lens coating, and a USB-C port for future firmware updates.
This lens looks great for landscape and astrophotographers, and I would say it also has a place in the kit bag of videographers.
The Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 for Nikon Z mount is available now for just $549 | £440 | AU $799 - an absolute steal for the features included in this lens.
Kalum Carter is a photographer, photo editor and writer based in the UK, and for almost a decade he has worked with brands and publications to create, edit, and sequence imagery. Having recently graduated with a Master's Degree in Photography from the University of the West of England (UWE), Kalum joined Digital Camera World as a Staff Writer, covering news, reviews, and his biggest passion – photography books!
Kalum's photography has been published and exhibited around the world, and he continues to photograph on a project-by-project basis. He is currently working on a personal project capturing the people and landscape of Gower, South Wales. Currently untitled, this body of work will be exhibited for the National Trust later this year.
