Mark Wiemels AF 15mm F1.7 Air review

by Mark Wiemels

Meet the Viltrox AF 15mm f/1.7 Air

 Photographer and YouTuber Mark Wiemels recently tested this compact wide-angle lens in a fully independent review. He compared it directly against the popular Sigma 16mm f/1.4—widely regarded as a benchmark for APS-C shooters. His conclusion was clear: while the Sigma remains a strong performer, the Viltrox delivers most of its strengths in a smaller, lighter, and far more affordable package.

As Mark himself explained:

“If this lens existed back when I bought the Sigma 16 millimeter, I wouldn’t have bought the Sigma. And that’s not because this is a better lens, it’s because it’s a lens that is nearly as good at about half the price.”

🏞 Build and Portability

The Air series is designed around lightness and convenience, and the 15mm f/1.7 reflects that approach. Wiemels notes:

“It is a smaller, lighter, less expensive lens, but it has a very similar focal length to the Sigma 16mm f/1.4.”

Though its body is mostly plastic, the lens is finished with a polished metal mount and a USB-C firmware port. Its lightweight design makes it especially practical for travel and creators who want to carry multiple lenses without bulk.

“When I’m trying to travel light, I just throw a whole bag full of these Air lenses in, and they weigh almost absolutely nothing.”

🎨 Lens Performance

Sharpness

Sharpness is one of the lens’s strongest qualities. Even wide open, Wiemels found it impressive:

“Even from f/1.7, it is very sharp in the center of frame... at f/2.8, it is razor sharp, as sharp as you would need it to be.”

Corners improve with stopping down, becoming excellent at f/4 and near-perfect between f/5.6 and f/8. For landscape and architecture, this makes the lens highly dependable.

Chromatic Aberration

Fringing is exceptionally well controlled:

“The chromatic aberration performance on the lens is excellent, extremely well controlled.”

Even in strong backlight, real-world images remain clean and free of distracting color edges.

Flare control

Flare handling is outstanding. Shooting into direct light, the lens maintained contrast and resisted ghosting:

“The control of flare was near on perfect… even better than the Sigma 16mm.”

This is rare for a lens in its class, and it places the Viltrox ahead of many alternatives.

Distortion and Vignetting

Wide open, there is visible corner shading and a mustache-style distortion pattern. Wiemels comments:

“I did find this quite easy to correct in Lightroom... by f/4, it’s not bad.”

Both traits are manageable in editing and improve as the lens is stopped down.

⚙️ Real-World Versatility

Content Creation

With a 22.5mm full-frame equivalent field of view, the Viltrox is practical for video and vlogging. Wiemels calls it “a really good all-around walkaround focal length.” Its perspective feels wide yet natural, ideal for YouTube, interviews, and handheld video.

Travel and Street

Lightweight and compact, the lens is excellent for street and travel work. It balances a wide perspective with minimal distortion, making it suitable for portraits in context, urban scenes, and everyday snapshots.

Low Light and Astrophotography

At f/1.7, the lens offers significant low-light improvements over kit zooms. For astrophotography, its slightly wider focal length even allows longer shutter speeds, helping balance the difference from Sigma’s f/1.4. As Wiemels notes:

“In real world use, you’re going to get a very similar performance between the two.”

🔍 Bokeh and Rendering

Out-of-focus rendering is smooth with some distinctive character. In the center, highlights are round, but toward the edges they become lemon-shaped, creating a subtle swirl. Wiemels observes:

“While the out of focus areas aren’t the best I’ve ever seen, I don’t think they’re distracting or bad by any means.”

This adds personality to images while keeping the subject crisp and clear.

✅ Exceptional Value Proposition

Although the Viltrox AF 15mm f/1.7 Air delivers impressive performance for its size and price, Wiemels also noted a few areas where it falls short compared to the Sigma 16mm f/1.4:

- Aperture in low light: the f/1.7 aperture cannot match the subject separation or brightness of Sigma’s f/1.4 in dim conditions.
- Vignetting: strong corner shading at f/1.7 requires correction in post-processing. Wiemels expressed hope for a future Lightroom profile to simplify this.
- Minimum focus distance: closer focusing would have improved versatility. At its limit, the lens is sharp but less capable than the Sigma for near subjects.
- Close-up quality: while usable, detail at the minimum distance does not quite match Sigma’s performance.

Wiemels is clear that these issues do not overshadow the lens’s strengths, especially considering its cost, but they are worth noting for demanding users.

💰 Value and Conclusion

The Viltrox AF 15mm f/1.7 Air excels at delivering sharpness, strong flare control, and lightweight portability at about half the price of its main competitor. For photographers and creators looking for an affordable yet capable wide-angle, it is a compelling choice.

As Wiemels concludes:

“Its biggest advantage is the price. It’s about half the price. Its second advantage is the size.”

And his final recommendation:

“If the Sigma 16mm seems like an expensive lens, then I can’t recommend the Viltrox 15mm f/1.7 highly enough.”

For those seeking an accessible entry into wide-angle creativity, the Viltrox AF 15mm f/1.7 Air delivers remarkable value without compromising on essential performance.

Thank you to Mark Wiemels for the in-depth field test. Explore the AF 15mm f/1.7 Air E on our website and discover the next level of portrait photography.

(The above opinions and content are quoted from LMark Wiemels's channel, specifically from his review video of the Viltrox AF 15mm f/1.7 Air E)