Viltrox has been steadily making quality lenses for super affordable prices for a while now, and our reviewer Matthew Richards can't get enough of them, even giving the Viltrox AF 27mm F1.2 Pro a coveted five-star rating in his review.
This new Viltrox AF 40mm f/2.5 Z lens is a little different – it is smaller, lighter, and even cheaper than Viltrox's Pro lenses. In fact, it looks like an outright bargain at just $158 / £130. There are some compromises to be made though to get to this more affordable price, with the most obvious being in the maximum aperture, which is decently wide, but slightly pedestrian for a short prime at f/2.5.
40mm is an interesting perspective compared to the more usual 50mm or 35mm focal lengths from most manufacturers, hotly debated, but many people argue that 40mm is the perfect focal length for capturing the world exactly as our human eyes see it.
The lens is made for Nikon's full-frame cameras and will cover the entire image circle, so no crop is needed, although the lens can also be used on Nikon's APS-C cameras, although this adjusts the focal length to 60mm. But this full-frame focal length should make the lens great for a range of work from portraits to weddings to landscapes.
The lens has an optical structure of 10 elements in 6 groups, including 1 ED lens, 3 high refractive index lenses, 1 aspherical lens, and a nano multi-layer coating that will help repel water, grease, and grime. The lens has seven aperture blades, a 52mm filter thread, and a minimum focus distance of 0.34cm (1.1ft).
The Viltrox AF 40mm f/2.5 Z lens is available starting now, with stock appearing on Amazon and other online retailers, and will cost £158 / £130 with Australian pricing to be confirmed.
For more budget options for your camera, check out our guide for the best cheap lenses.
