Photographers are spoiled for choice these days when it comes to third-party lenses, with Sigma, Tamron, Samyang and others making superb alternatives to costlier proprietary optics from the likes of Sony, Canon, Nikon and Fujifilm. However, there's another name rightly earning renown in 2024: Viltrox.
The Chinese manufacturer of photography and filmmaking gear has been releasing excellent quality lenses for a few years – including, most recently, autofocus lenses for popular lens mounts – for what is almost always at least half the price of proprietary equivalents, and for the most part with no obvious compromises.
I've been shooting with the Viltrox 85mm f/1.8 for Nikon Z-mount for over a year – it costs exactly half the price of Nikon's own 85mm f/1.8, and I can barely tell the difference between photos from the two lenses.
Viltrox's stock is only set to rise with the launch of its latest lens, the Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB. It's the first of Viltrox's premium 'LAB' series of autofocus lenses, and if the response online from reviewers is anything to go by, it's near perfection.
Currently it's only available in the Sony E-mount for Sony mirrorless cameras, including the full-frame Sony A7R V; but the 135mm F1.8 LAB looks incredible, and it's half the price of Sony's superb FE 135mm F1.8 GM – and at the time of writing it's on sale for $764.15 at Amazon the US – that's 24% off.
As someone who's particularly keen on but priced out of this type of lens – the five-star rated Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena was one of my favorite Nikon lenses of 2024 but it costs $2,499.95 / £2,649 / AU$4,249 – Viltrox's new lens has certainly grabbed my attention – I'm assuming that like other Viltrox lenses it'll be made available for other systems in due course, including Nikon Z-mount. Furthermore, there could be more LAB lenses to come – leaked pictures of a 35mm F1.2 LAB for Sony were shared by Sony Alpha Rumors this week.
Is it time to take Viltrox seriously? And should the likes of Sigma and Samyang be worried?
Optically impressive, hampered by one practical hindrance
We're yet to complete our review of the Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB lens, but the general response to it online from those that have used it has been extremely positive. Regarding optical quality, Viltrox itself has published the lens's MTF charts – lab tests that indicate a lens's sharpness and contrast from the center of the frame to the edges – and they show that in this area it's a virtually flawless lens whatever aperture you use it at, even wide open at f/1.8.
Bokeh also appears impressive (see below) – and that's vital for a telephoto prime lens with a fast aperture like this, as it's ideal for portrait photography (though I also love the compression you get with this focal length for landscape photography). Autofocus performance is supposedly quiet and reliably quick too, so there's no real compromise there, although it looks like there is minor focus breathing, which might count this lens out for serious filmmakers.
What filmmakers will like, however, is the aperture ring, which can be set to either smooth or clicked operation. There are no aperture or focus distance markings on the exterior of the lens, with this information instead found on the neat digital display. This display is also customizable, meaning you can import any image you like as a welcome screen through the Viltrox app – for me that's a fun party trick. The app connectivity also enables easy firmware updates.
The 135mm F1.8 is built to a very high standard, with a magnesium-alloy construction and advanced weather sealing. However, the gargantuan build of the lens could be a dealbreaker – it weighs in at 43.6oz / 1,235g, and for reference Sony's 135mm lens weighs much less, just 33.6oz / 950g. The extra weight of the Viltrox lens is unlikely to make too much of a difference if you're shooting with a chunkier camera like a Nikon Z8, while it appears to pair well with the Sony A7R V (see below), but it's a front-heavy mismatch with skinnier models like the Sony A7C R.
Weight aside, Viltrox has made many photographers – and likely rival brands – sit up and take note. Its LAB series could be the beginning of something special, and a range of lenses that cost-conscious photographers who also value quality will increasingly be drawn to.
