The new Viltrox AF 20mm f/2.8 Z-Mount

One of the most unusual new lenses to hit the market for both the Sony E and Nikon Z mounts of late, is the Viltrox AF 20mm f/2.8. Not for what it is, I mean, an AF 20mm is a pretty standard size lens, and sharp ones can be found by a number of manufactures. It's more the fact that the Viltrox one is a little cheaper.

Make that a lot chaper.

With Nikkor's 20mm Z f1.8 hitting costing around the $1,750aud mark (new), this new lens from Viltorx is about 1/7 of the price. 14%, or thereabouts. Think about that as we move on.

I've actually used one of Viltrox's 13mm MF lenses on a Z50 before and even then, it was good value, no question. But a full frame, Z mount, large aperture, AF lens for $240aud (delivered), there had to be a catch, didn't there? Surely?

So the day arrived, this spanking new lens arrived and immediately, a few things are immediately obvious.

1) It's small. Like, really small. Tiny. The closest I could find in exterior size in my dry cabinets, was one of my sons Nikkor DX 18-55mm lenses. And the Viltrox was smaller. Noticeably. Compared to my cherished (I'll get to this), Nikkor F Mount 20mm f/1.8, it was about half the size. This may seem irrelevant, but I'm going somewhere with this.

The weight? With the obligatory NiSi 52mm UHC UV Protection Filter with 18 Multi-Layer Coatings UHD, Ultra Hard Coating, Nano Coating, Scratch Resistant, Ultra-Slim UV Filter... 182gm. To put that in perspective, that's about the same weight as one of my WB 1tb portable HD's. This lack of weight may seem fantastic, but in honesty, it threw my camera off balance a little. I don't know if it's my constant playing around with the new Nikkor 180-600mm, or something else, but my Z7 with no lens always felt light to put in a bag. The Viltrox made it feel camera heavy. Strange.

2) Like all Viltrox products I've seen, it was packaged well above its price range. From the sliding, satin, outside box, to the tiny "VILTROX" labelled anti-tamper stickers, the setup is all class. Nikkor could learn a lot from this company, that delivers $240 lenses the way you expect an expensive watch to be delivered.

3) Did I say it's small?

Anyway, the point of this lens was simple. Try it as a travel lens (would be perfect on a Z50, but then, you waste the full frame) and, like so many people online keep asking, see how it does as a cheap astro lens. But first, it had to have a pic against my closest rival (I don't have the Nikkor Z 20mm 1.8), the F mount Nikkor 20mm f1.8, on an FTZ. Yes, I know, it's not perfect, but it's the closest I have at hand, and it's a lens famous for punching hard. And then, for a "cheap" astro test, against my Tamron F-Mount 15-30 f/2.8. A lens that seems to shoot astro unbelievably well, while still remaining useful in other places. I know there is a big difference in not only price against the Nikkor (although I did pick mine up for $100, still in the box), but also focal length against the Tamron, but this isn't a normal test.

So Because its 40 deg c, and I'm staying inside, the first test was simple. How would it compare against the Nikkor in a simple, relatively close, point and shoot pic? Is this scientific? No. But I've said from the start, there's a million tests online showing CA closeups and distortion charts. I want to see how it works when an ordinary person, hits focus and clicks in an indoor environment. Surely the $240 "toy" lens can't compare to one of the best 20mm lenses ever... Can it?

Well, I'll just post these two 100% crops and leave that at that, until the next test, where I plan to take some random shots in the field. (Note both crops were on a pre-set user setting with auto ISO and exposure, just for comparison. Then literally screenshotted off my laptop, so everything was even).

My biggest question now? Can a lens be TOO small?

Nikkor F-Mount 20mm f/2.8 on Nikon Z7 via FTV @100% crop.

Viltrox AF 20mm f/2.8 on Nikon Z7 @100% crop.

*Disclaimer - Apart from the Nisi filters for protection, all lenses are mine. Neither were supplied by their manufacturer and everything here is exactly as was shot. Feel free to come to your own conclusions, I'm just showing what I saw. Also, prize for first person to email me the Make and Model of the amp I keep taking photos of!