VILTORX AF 16mm f/1.8 Z-Mount

With the release of their latest 16mm f/1.8 in Z-Mount, Viltrox have once again stepped up to the plate, in a game dominated by very big players. Like the FE-mount model, taking it to Sony’s GM range, Viltrox now has to compete with Nikon’s premium S-Line range… or does it?

The obvious difference here, is that Nikon doesn’t offer anything wider than the 20mm, f/1.8S lens, compared to Sony’s 14mm f/1.8 GM. So does that mean Viltrox only need show up, to claim the trophy? Absolutely not. if anything, this lens might have filled a gap in the prime range, but has to also have a go at the stunning, albeit expensive, 14-24mm f/2.8S. So with the 20mm and 14-24mm in its sights, it took Viltrox a year after their Sony release, to come out with the much anticipated, Nikon Z version.

Build quality of this lens, is almost identical to the Sony version, in that if you couldn’t see the typical Viltrox markings, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a native lens. If not, dare I say it, perhaps a little better in the hand? The all-metal exterior, with the now infamous LED screen, is beautiful to touch. The only issue for me, being that the satin finish seems to be somewhat of a fingerprint magnet. Now keep in mind this is an $820AUD lens and that’s the main complaint, that the lens seems to show up fingerprints more that the almost twice as expensive 20mm f/1.8S. Sure, there’s the lens hood (Garbage. I’ve tried a few I had lying around, but none fit properly. Viltrox, please make a decent, metal hood, even if only for sale as an accessory!), the fn buttons could be a tad nicer, all the other trivial things reviews have mentioned. But for me, the fingerprints were bothersome. That’s it. So off to a good start.

The rest of the lens is simply stunning. From the weather sealing, to the almost telepathic focus ring, this thing feels like it was made in a very high-end machine shop, with almost Swiss watch-like precision. If anything, the Nikon 20mm feels somewhat “cheap” in its company. And I love my 20mm. Not to mention the fact it’s about double the price!

Now, this would be a great time to mention the fact that Viltrox didn’t send me a lens. Nope, I’m not that important. So I sold my older AF-S 20mm, to buy one I could try. I love the Nikon Z 20mm, but I was getting frustrated that while optically, it is basically perfect, the 20mm focal length was just a little long. Having an old Tamron 15-30mm, I knew that the 16mm would be basically perfect for my needs, but I did wonder if it was a little too close to 20mm, to be useful. Now I’m wondering if I even need the 20mm? Or, if the Viltrox and my Nikon 24-70mm would be all I ever use? But that decision is going to come after I spend a bit more time with it.

Further in, there are two things I haven’t seen get much of a mention, that I think need to be bought up.

Firstly, every review mentions the fn-2 button, and its ability to bring up set focus positions. For someone who loves astrophotography, this is so much easier than the other methods of focusing at night. I always taped up my old lenses, after focusing on infinity, rendering them useless until after a night shoot. This was a pain in the butt if you were say, away on vacation and wanted to use the lens for anything else. Alternatively, you could always zoom in on a star and focus that way, then hoping you didn’t accidentally bump focus during the night. I don’t think I’m alone in saying that I’ve ruined photos using both of those methods.

Now, it’s simply a matter of (for me), using auto focus during the day to find infinity, switching the AF-MF switch to manual, and holding the fn-2 button, to store infinity focus. Once. Then I can use the lens whenever, and however I want, simply hitting the fn-2 button when in the field, and perfect infinity focus, every time.

So we all knew about that trick, what was I talking about when I said, “two things I haven’t seen get much of a mention”? Well, it also saves your last focus position, when you switch the camera off. This is not something I’ve seen mentioned yet, or even on a lens before. I mean, it’s not even in the manual for the lens. So what does this mean? No matter the situation, simply switch the camera on, and it’s ready to go at last focus, any time at all. Small, and perhaps not as imperative on an ultra-wide lens, but no doubt useful for a lot of people, especially at night. I’ve made the mistake of not double checking my focus after switching my camera back on in the past, and this would have saved me any number of times. And the little LCD screen, labeled a gimmick by a few, allows for quick and easy confirmation of this in the field. Couple this with the focus presets, fast aperture, sharpness, wide field of views, and what do we have? An astrophotographers dream lens.

Secondly, the lens has Bluetooth. No, not through the camera, the lens itself. Again, I read the manual (piece of paper) twice, no mention at all, but yes, you can quite literally connect your phone to the lens! Simply download the Viltox Lens app, connect via Bluetooth, and away you go. At this point in time, I can’t see any functions other than firmware upgrades, which in itself is pretty cool. But consider the possibilities, should Viltrox choose to expand on this. I can’t be the only one thinking of Tamron’s TAP-in console, wondering exactly what you could potentially do via Bluetooth.

Photo examples and more to come, assuming the rain stops long enough to get out and take some pictures of things other than Lego. But there are enough reviews and test charts out there, to prove that this lens shoots as sharp as it looks. And the last thing anyone needs is another YouTube video reiterating that, let alone one with my head in it. So for now, it’s time to sit back and marvel at the fact a third party lens is, in my mind anyway, shaking up the status quo with spectacular build quality, along with a bunch of cool features, well beyond its RRP.

Bravo, Viltrox. Now show us what you can do with a Bluetooth lens!