Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 review: effectively a neat 'nifty fifty'for APS-C format mirrorless cameras

The speedy Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.7 Air delivers a standard perspective for crop-sensor cameras, equating to a touch over 50mm in full-frame terms

By Matthew Richards published December 18, 2024 This article is reprinted from Digital Camera World. Below is the original content. 

Digital Camera World Verdict

"I do like a fast lens and this Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 Air certainly isn’t lacking in speed, both in terms of aperture rating and autofocus performance. I like it even better for combining really nice image quality with solid build quality, at an incredibly low price. All in all, there’s a lot to like here."

Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7: Affordable Quality and Performance for APS-C Cameras, Tested on Fujifilm X-T50

"I’m sold on the fact that Viltrox can make very respectable lenses to suit a tight budget, and I’m speaking from experience. A couple of years ago I put my money where my mouth was and bought all three of the compact yet fast, APS-C format metal-bodied Viltrox AF 23mm F1.4 Z, Viltrox AF 33mm F1.4 Z, and Viltrox AF 56mm F1.4 Z primes, plus the slightly larger Viltrox AF 13mm F1.4 Z and the faster Viltrox AF 27mm F1.2 Pro, both of which are also metal-bodied. They work a treat on my Nikon Z fc and continue to impress me every time I use them. This newer AF 35mm f/1.7 lens ditches the aperture ring, which I’d generally only use for shooting video, has a plastic rather than metal body (but still a metal mounting plate) and has an aperture rating that’s half an f/stop slower than the f/1.4 lenses. That results in an even cheaper purchase price and, as such, the new 35mm F/1.7 lens follows in the footsteps of the Viltrox AF 56mm F1.7, which I reviewed a few months previously. Whereas the 56mm lens has a portrait-friendly ‘effective’ 84mm focal length in full-frame terms, the 35mm equates to 52.5mm, giving an entirely natural field of view. I tested the XF version of the new 35mm lens on a Fujifilm X-T50 camera and, indeed, the lens aims to be a perfect fit for the best Fujifilm cameras as well as taking on the best Fujifilm lenses. If it follows suit with previous Viltrox launches, Nikon Z and Sony E mount versions will also be available."

Compact and lightweight, the Viltrox lens feels well balanced on slim APS-C format mirrorless bodies like the Fujifilm X-T50. (Image credit: Matthew Richards)

{Product Name}: Specifications 

Mount options

Fujifilm X, Nikon Z, Sony E

Lens construction

11 elements in 9 groups

Angle of view

45 degrees

Diaphragm blades

9

Minimum aperture

f/16

Minimum focus distance

0.33m

Maximum magnification

0.13x

Filter size

52mm

Dimensions

64x55mm

Weight

170g/Nikon Z:180g

Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7: Price 

"There’s no denying that the original trilogy of Viltrox AF 23mm, 33mm and 56mm F1.4 lenses are exceptional value at around $299/£249 each. It’s available from Viltrox’s international online store, and from a growing range of independent photographic retailers around the world. For the sake of further comparison, the closest own-brand Fujifilm lens is the XF 35mm F2 R WR, which retails at $399/£389, but features weather-seals and an aperture control ring, although with a slightly slower aperture rating."

Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7: Design & Handling 

"The Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 adheres to the ‘keep it simple’ principle. Compared with some Viltrox lenses that spout an aperture control ring, customizable function buttons and even a color LCD info display, this one looks slim pickings. And it really is slim and lightweight which, as far as I’m concerned, add to the attraction for use on slinky APS-C format mirrorless cameras. So yes, keeping it simple, the lens doesn’t give much for your left hand to play with, apart from an electronically coupled manual focus ring, linked to the now common stepping motor breed of autofocus motor."

With no AF/MF focus switch or aperture control ring, the focus ring is the only moving part on the lens barrel. (Image credit: Matthew Richards)

"With hybrid stills and video shooting in the ascendency, the choice of a stepping motor for autofocus is entirely natural. It delivers fast performance for stills while enabling smooth and near-silent focus transitions when shooting video. Autofocus is the go-to mode for most of us but the large and grippy manual focus ring enables smooth and very precise adjustments, if you feel the need."

(Image credit: Matthew Richards)

"The barrel of the lens is made from high-quality plastic but, unlike in some lightweight, budget-friendly lenses, the Viltrox retains a metal mounting plate. Not only that, but the mounting plate includes gold-plated electronic contacts and a USB-C port for applying firmware updates. It’s a plus point for independently manufactured lenses, helping to maintain compatibility if camera manufacturers throw any curveballs when bringing out new models. You can’t expect the best of everything at this sort of purchase price and one omission is that there’s no rubber weather-seal gasket on the mounting plate. That’s hardly surprising."

(Image credit: Matthew Richards)

"Although small, the lens feels well built. A telltale sign of its compactness is that the filter attachment thread has a downsized 52mm diameter. And while it looks fairly basic, the lens isn’t bereft of extras. Unlike many own-brand budget lenses from camera manufacturers, it comes complete with a petal-shaped, bayonet-fit hood and a nice little carrying pouch."

A quick glance at the lettering on the front of the lens reveals that it has aspherical and extra-low dispersion elements, internal focusing, a minimum focus distance of 0.33m / 1.1ft and internal focusing driven by a stepping motor. 

(Image credit: Matthew Richards)

"The optical path is impressive for a lens at this price point, featuring 11 elements in 9 groups and including one aspherical element, one ED (Extra-low Dispersion) element and two HRI (High Refractive Index) elements."

The lens has a 52mm filter attachment thread and comes complete with a petal-shaped, reversible hood and pinch-release front lens cap, which you can fit and remove with the hood fitted in front-facing orientation. (Image credit: Matthew Richards)
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Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7: Performance 

"As I’ve mentioned, I tested the lens on a Fujifilm X-T50 camera. I’m mentioning again because this body has an unusually high megapixel count for an APS-C format camera, featuring a 40.2MP image sensor. That puts big demands on the resolving power of lenses, and is a major challenge for such a relatively inexpensive prime as the Viltrox 35mm. As it turns out, I was very impressed with the sharpness and clarity of the lens in real-world testing, right out to the edges and corners of the image frame, even when shooting wide-open at f/1.7. "

Check the detail out at the edges of this image and, despite the gloomy weather, you’ll see there’s plenty of sharpness and bite on tap.EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/120 sec, f/5.6, ISO 125) (Image credit: Matthew Richards)

"Along with impressive sharpness, the f/1.7 aperture enables a fairly tight depth of field, especially for close-ups, which brings the quality of bokeh into the equation. Again, I was pleased that the lens gives a nice, smooth appearance to defocused areas within images."

Bokeh has a pleasantly soft quality when shooting wide-open at f/1.7.EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/420 sec, f/1.7, ISO 8000)

 (Image credit: Matthew Richards)

"As is generally the way nowadays, the lens takes advantage of automatic in-camera correction for distortion. The same applies to own-brand Fujifilm X-mount lens that I’ve used over the years, as well as lenses made by other camera manufacturers for their mirrorless bodies. Even so, there proved little correction necessary in our tests when processing RAW files and disabling correction, with only very slight pincushion being in evidence."

There’s precious little distortion to be seen, even when shooting subjects with very uniform straight edges.EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/10 sec, f/5.6, ISO 80) (Image credit: Matthew Richards)

"Automatic correction is also available for color fringing but when disabling this, fringing remains very minimal, even out at the edges and corners of the image frame, where it can often be a problem."

Even when disabling automatic correction when processing RAW files, there’s very little color fringing around high-contrast transitions, as shown here around the black and white edges of this half-timbered building.EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/105 sec, f/5.6, ISO 320) 

(Image credit: Matthew Richards)

Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7: Sample Images

"This gallery of example shots was taken in the UK’s Somerset city of Wells. The Fujifilm X-T50 camera and Viltrox lens team up to deliver punchy image quality despite very gloomy, overcast weather. The interior shots were taken at Wells Cathedral."

(Image credit: Matthew Richards)

 EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/105 sec, f/5.6, ISO 160) 

(Image credit: Matthew Richards) 

EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/105 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400) 

(Image credit: Matthew Richards) 

EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/4 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800) 

(Image credit: Matthew Richards) 

 EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/4 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800)

(Image credit: Matthew Richards) 

EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/3 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800) 

(Image credit: Matthew Richards) 

EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/8 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800) 

(Image credit: Matthew Richards) 

EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/15 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800) 

(Image credit: Matthew Richards) 

EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/2900 sec, f/1.7, ISO 8000) 

(Image credit: Matthew Richards) 

EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/125 sec, f/2, ISO 125) 

(Image credit: Matthew Richards) 

EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/120 sec, f/2, ISO 125) 

(Image credit: Matthew Richards) 

EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200) 

(Image credit: Matthew Richards) 

EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/105 sec, f/5.6, ISO 320) 

(Image credit: Matthew Richards) 

EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/105 sec, f/5.6, ISO 640) 

(Image credit: Matthew Richards)

 EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/105 sec, f/1.7, ISO 200) 

(Image credit: Matthew Richards) 

EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/200 sec, f/1.7, ISO 125) 

(Image credit: Matthew Richards)

EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/10 sec, f/5.6, ISO 80)

(Image credit: Matthew Richards) 

EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/25 sec, f/5.6, ISO 80) 

(Image credit: Matthew Richards)

EXIF: Fujifilm X-T50 + Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 (1/30 sec, f/5.6, ISO 80) 

Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7: Lab Results 

"We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations. We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration). "

Sharpness

(Image credit: Future)

"We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations. We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration). "

Fringing

(Image credit: Future)

"Color fringing is negligible, even at the corners and edges of the image frame, where lateral chromatic aberration can be problematic.

 

Distortion: 0.61

 

There’s a touch of pincushion distortion revealed in our lab tests when processing RAW files and disabling automatic correction, but it’s of a very low order and is generally unnoticeable in real-world shooting. "

Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7: Verdict 

"The Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 XF ticks a lot of boxes on my wish list for an APS-C format standard prime lens. It’s refreshingly compact and lightweight, has a fairly fast f/1.7 aperture rating, speedy yet smooth autofocus performance and delivers very pleasing image quality. I’m not so keen on the lack of an AF/MF focus mode switch, which saves time and effort compared with rummaging around camera menus, and I miss not having an aperture control ring when shooting video. Even so, I think this Viltrox is a great little lens that’s very easy to live with and a real steal at the price."

Features

The lens comes with caps, hood and pouch but lacks an AF/MF focus mode switch.

Design   

It’s designed with simplicity and cost-cutting in mind, so there’s no aperture control ring.

Performance

The little Viltrox lens punches above its diminutive weight with good performance and image quality.

Value

For a lens that’s simple to use yet delivers impressive image quality, it’s outstanding value for money.

(Image credit: Matthew Richards)

This article was originally published on Digital Camera World by Matthew Richards on December 18, 2024. You can read the full piece at: （URL to the original article）