First impressions: Viltrox 14mm f/4 AIR and 55mm f/1.8 EVO II APO on a7c II
Decided to give myself a modest present - Viltrox 14mm f/4 AIR and the new Viltrox 55mm f/1.8 EVO II APO.
I've always been somewhat of a sceptic regarding cheaper lenses - I mean, you have to cut costs somewhere to make it that affordable, right? It can't just be cheap and great, right? But...
Don't have any meaningful photos yet, just some test city shots from my balcony to test overall sharpness and centering and so far I'm very impressed and I'm very picky about these things.
14mm f/4 - very sharp corner to corner, centering is very good, AF is silent and unless it's a very quiet room you can't hear it. Focusing is fast, no complaints. Build quality is ok. It feels a bit cheap and "hollow", so this is something I think a lot would like to see improved. It's not terrible, just "okay". No weather sealing, sadly. Given how sharp this little thing is and how rare affordable super-wide lenses are, this is a not-so-hidden-anymore gem. But oh how great would that be to have something like 14/2-2.8 with EVO II build quality... All in all, given the comically low price, this lens is a steal for anyone who is looking for something wider than 16mm.
55mm f/1.8 EVO II APO - this thing is something entirely different. Excellent build quality, feels like a truly premium product. I really have nothing to complain about - it's just pleasant to hold and use. Sharpness - I think this is the sharpest lens I've owned in ~20 years in photography. Just incredible. Also, my copy is perfectly centered - absolutely no reason to complain even if pixel-peeping. Again, impressive. Focusing - good, not perfect, but good. Pretty capable STM motor, but feels a behind the newest tech. Weather sealing - couldn't find any information about it, the only thing that's visible is the orange rubber gasket on the mount. But it's nice and feels just about right amount of tightness when mounting. Also, there's almost no play once mounted - again, pretty nice tolerances here.
Overall, I'm very impressed by this one, and while it's not perfect in terms of AF and weather sealing, you simply can't find anything nowhere close to this image quality from more "established" brands for even twice the price. Definitely a highly recommended lens and it lives up to its glowing reviews.
So, after even a very short time with these two lenses, I can say that I am now a believer that it surely is possible to make a lens that is affordable and great optically, and not just one but a several different "levels" of lenses, which all produce fantastic images. Well done, Viltrox.
