Thanks to Westcott, PetaPixel's preferred lighting partner! This episode we used the FJ200 1 Light Backpack Kit: www.fjwestcott.com/products/fj200-strobe-1-light-backpack-kit-with-fj-x3-m-universal-wireless-trigger?sca_ref=4142132.p5qzF50h12
I'll be honest, we all knew Viltrox was getting serious when they dropped their 13mm f/1.4 APS-C lens a couple of years back. And they go a whole lot more serious with the 75 and 27mm f/1.2 APS-C lenses they dropped in 2023 (almost said "last year" lol). Every lens release from viltrox in the last year and a half has been absolute bangers : either great high end lenses at reasonable prices, or absolute low budget gems, like their 20mm f/2.8, 40mm f/2.5 or all their APS-C f/1.7 primes (25mm, 35mm, 56mm) which are all optically excellent and all under 200 bucks. Their older lenses are no slouch either, I remember using mainly their 85mm f/1.8 AF and their 56mm f/1.4 on Fuji, those were my sharpest lenses by quite a fait margin. They suffered a bit from CA and purple fringing, but they were extremely good for the price, this much has stayed the same : no one can argue Viltrox's price competitiveness nowadays.
I own both the 20mm f2.8 and the 85mm f1.8. I just came back from using the 85 on my a5100 earlier today as a telephoto for taking photos of my fiancée surfing and it worked great as a 127.5mm equivalent. I mostly use the 20mm as a cheap 30mm equivalent for my aps-c body as well, but both of them perform just as well on my A7III too!
Appreciate another detailed and professional review, Chris. We took note of all your test feedback and shared with our product team for the improvement of future LAB lenses, thank you for your constant support.
I did a stupid thing and got the 28/4.5 on an A5100 and I'm loving it so far, an actually pocketable setup with an (accidentally) neutral angle of view.
Thank you for this review. I have been testing the Viltrox 135mm f/1.8 LAB against my used Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM for over a month now and have a hard time letting go the Viltorx due to it's image quality, AF-C speed and especially since I only paid total of 916.30 CND the day they released on Amazon directly from the Viltrox Store. As showing on your comparison images, Viltrox's image is brighter most of the time at the same ISO & f-Stop while have more contrast and dare I said... a bit sharper towards the corners too! I can easily sell the Sony GM for a good price but will loose the 30fps which... I often don't shoot that fast on an A1 even for indoor sports like hockey, soccer & roller derby. When shooting indoor hockey sitting in the center front seat of the upper floor swapping between these two lenses I have to say that when I zoom into the goalie's eyes lashes/pucks labels Viltrox does has more details vs the GM after shooting 6 different games over 10,000 images on each lens. I kind of forgot about the weight all together when swapping between the lenses so I guess it does not bother me even thought it is much heavier when holding it concisely by itself. I also find it's A REALLY BAD FEMAL PORTRAIT LENS! I had used it for a corporate headshot session and when I look at the images, they were WAY TOO SHARP that I had to spend more time than usual just to soften the skins.... Way Too Much Information!🤣🤣🤣 Highly recommended to any Sony users and those who does not need more than 15fps owning A9/A1/A1 II bodies.
I am looking at the Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM for indoor volleyball to use with a Sony A7IV. I currently use the Sony 85mm 1.8 as gym lighting is brutal and the 1.8 is way better compared to my 70-180mm 2.8 in terms of getting enough light to shoot at 1/1000 and maintain a reasonable ISO. In doing my homework I came across the Viltrox which looks great, especially at a fraction of the price of the Sony GM. My only concern based on the reviews I have seen is the autofocus, but you had a good experience shooting sports with it?
I’m glad y’all are able to work so much with your kids and family in these videos. I’m sure they appreciate the time spent. How likely do you think the 85 1.2 is actually going to happen? I need to upgrade mine, and that would definitely be an option.
Only issue with them is that they end up heavier than they need to be. Having similar designs and housings for different focal lengths results in the weight lowest common multiple.
Viltrox is becoming a major player. Once they made the 13mm f1.4 that was the beginning. Then the 27mm and 75mm solidified it. Following the path Sigma layed out.
This will 100% be in my kit down the road. Video: Will be perfect for a nice dreamy medium close up for all my wedding work and for a fun B cam during my interviews (typically serious sports doc) Photo: wildlife photography is my favorite hobby and having a cheap, long, prime in my kit for those early mornings with some of the safer animals to be close to will be great. Overall: At $900 it’s punching well above its weight.
Good and interesting review. Not sure if I would purchase one since I don't do portraits, but I learned more. I believe it does give you a depth of field indicator. When you stop down further, there is a yellowish/greenish line of top that gets wider. If im not mistaken, that should be the depth of feild indicator.
@ maybe, although personally I think 2.8 is more than enough for a 135. The point is, there is an option with IS if that’s what you’re interested in. It’s a pity they didn’t compare to the Samyang, as that seems like the most obvious competitor.
That is the one complaint I have for the 135 mm GM is the no locking feature for the aperture ring. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve bumped it out of auto. Not realizing it when I’m using off camera flash until I see the photo is almost dark. I think that should be a must for all newer lenses. Viltrox is definitely coming out with some solid lenses and they should not be overlooked. Out of all the lenses I have I only own three Sony lenses. The rest are sigma, samyang, and a viltrox. You can definitely find some solid lenses at budget prices from some of these third-party companies. And I love that Sony has all these lens options
I bought Viltrox 16mm/f1.8 z and loved it. Light weight and great optical performance. So, the next thing I am waiting for is this 135mm/f1.8 z. However, I would say they are focused on making prime lenses now and the real challenge starts when they start making zoom lenses. Wish they this in their road map.
What was the issue with the glass elements moving out of place during shipping? I thought I read on PetaPixel that while this lens is otherwise fantastic, it may have a design flaw. That’s why PetaPixel didn’t review it initially. Was that design flaw corrected?
They told us after that they were being overly cautious and that it ended up not being an issue. Our sample showed no signs of problems during testing either.
@@KNURKonesurthey can’t achieve the same character without Leaded Glass. And Japan outlawed that in the late 90s. That is why they cannot replicate the 200mm f/1.8 Prime.
@@hikertrashfilms doesn't have to be leaded glass, all it needs is to be a Sonnar/Planar/Biotar design and there will be plenty of character in the bokeh, the issue is those designs have only 5-6-7 elements and that would mean the lens won't be as sharp, it will have poor flare control and really bad chromatic aberrations. The 200/1.8 has a cult following and it was an extremely impressive engineering achievement, it was sharp, fast, had amazingly shallow depth of field, but I never really liked the bokeh (the actual character of the out of focus areas) that much.
Olympus introduced telecentricity with the Four-Thirds system, way before Sigma in 2003. Looking at the 135mm f/1.8, I'm reminded of my first third party lens, a Vivitar 135mm f/2.8 for under US$100 in 1978. It was about the size of that camera body but of course, it was manual only.
I snapped up this lens during the pre-sale. Crazy good value. A couple thoughts: First, I don’t know if perhaps it’s my copy, but my lens noise is pretty loud; louder than Chris describes. It works, but it’ll get attention during a quiet moment. I hope there’s nothing faulty with mine. The other thought is just how sharp this thing actually is. It’s already performant wide open. Close it a little and be amazed. When you have enough light for fast shutter, it WILL USE all 61 MP. I already thought my Sigma 85 was sharp as a tack, but this thing will make it blush. If you look at the MTF chart when it’s stopped down, it gets a near-perfect flatline at 30 line-pairs. They really should be using 50+ line-pairs at this point.
Can this lens even work on a tripod without a tripod collar around the lens? Anything heavier than my 135GM on my A1 needs a tripod collar in order to balance on the PD Carbon Tripod.
They are getting better indeed. The only thing I really dislike is the screen. I'm still happy with the Samyang offering. Thanks for the great content.
Agreed. I have had a love hate relationship with Samyang lenses in the past but they absolutely nailed it with the 135mm and I love using it. Viltrox is also very very good and their 16mm F1.8 is a top performer.
damn. what beautiful photos, the one with snow and water on the face, I think it's your daughter's and the first black and white photo, also of your daughter, is what I liked the most, this year I plan to start my photography hobby, I mean, go back to take photos and I want to learn how to take beautiful portraits like these
Hmm, unfortunately I couldn't find a picture with the lens design, showing the individual elements. But at least the front element doesn't seem to be larger than it needs to be for a 1.8/135 mm (75 mm). It would also be interesting to know how large the image circle is on the sensor plane.
I found a Viltrox lens recently. I was impressed by the positive reviews the lens got. I was impressed with the performance when I tested it. Unfortunately it was only an APS-C lens. Thankfully the person selling the lens understood why I didn’t purchase it. Viltrox is starting to earn my trust. Anyone else have experience with their lenses?
I got the Viltrox 13 1.4, 27 1.2 and 75 1.2. I’m generally very pleased for my amateur needs. They are all really sharp almost to sharp. Focus is fast enough. My peeve if the lens hoods are poor. The lens flare is not so good so the hood is essential. It’s a shame Viltrox seemed to have skimped on this feature for such a good value products. Paying 15$ more for a secure fitting hood would be fantastic. I will be very interested how the build quality hold up in the longer term. As new it great.
I would suggest that ANYTIME you test a new/upcoming lens - much like this - that in ADDITION to the G Master you should ALWAYS put it up against the current SIGMA. although the Sig 135 is not updated - its a KNOWN entity. When it comes time for the 50mm - you really need to put it up against the 50mm 1.2 as well. Would be really nice to see this in the L Mount as well.
I get it, it can be very frustrating to have a poor handling experience due to a narrow gap between lens and grip, but how is the lens tho blame? How is it not the poor ergonomics of the camera?
To be fair it was covered a good bit? Guessing you skimmed. Chris mentions the tight fit between the grip and the barrel. He also notes that it weighs 1.265 kg and is quite big. @4:49
I just love the Viltrox Air Series! 56mm f1.7, 35mm f1.5 and soon 25mm f1.7 for APS-C and 20mm f2.8 and 40mm f2.5 for FF. Small, sharp, light and all under 200€. Just great
I have another lens which is a tad oversized for better performance: a Wallensak 85mm f/3.5 in the Ciro-Flex TLR. It was more common to use a 75mm lens, but to increase the IQ of the fairly simple triplet lens, the camera went with a slightly oversized, slightly longer focal length, increasing the image circle to get a tad better corners. Anyhow, it’s hard to argue against the results from the Viltrox, but I miss the compactness of the old 135mm f/2.8 lenses. I’ve really loved the FA Pentax one I bought recently, and it’s fairly small with a 52mm filter thread and a built-in hood. Something fun to see would be the 135mm equivalent of the compact f/2.5 Sony G primes. It’d probably be an f/2.8 or 3.5, nice build quality, and rather small. The Sigma 90/2.8 does something similar, and I’d be over the moon if they released it for Fuji X. It seems like it’s a focal length which has been ignored for ordinary use since 70-200 zooms became common, but it really is a lot of fun. There are the extremely pushed designs like this, but something more modest build for ease of use rather than extreme IQ would be a great piece of kit.
So, similar to how you would stop down a lens to get better sharpness, is that essentially what is going on with a lens like this? Making a lens that could hypothetically be an F1.2 or F1.4 and stopping it down out the factory to a 1.8?
Pretty nice classic colors I feel like.. with the weight and fps restriction I think if you’re planning on using this for sports you may really need to spend the extra cash for the GM but for the portrait hobbyistI definitely think it’s a great option
Why not the 35mm? 😉 ~it's the very one I'm waiting for next! My Viltrox collection is honestly becoming some of my favorite glass: 13, 27, 75 on FujiX, 16, 85, and even the 75 (112mm cropped) on Nikon Z...Love them! Amazingly good for the quality/price consideration. And aperture rings! [C'mon Nikon - why make the great Zf body and no manual-aperture ring lenses to match it?]
Love your three 135mm comparison video and wish you can update that to include this new Viltrox 135. Regarding the ergonomic issue and your fingers are crammed in there against the handgrip, I would say Sony is the one to blame there, this will never be an issue if the same lens is available for Nikon and Canon, I really hate the way Sony has the lens mount so close to the grip and it's one of the reason I stopped using my Sony system. it's just painful to operate those Sony especially with gloves.
Has that lumix sticker always been in the sharpness test as I don't remember it. It seems to have the letters S and G more highlighted in white than other maybe we're getting and new S full frame a G micro 43 soon
Hi guys: Thanks for creating and sharing this video. This product certainly opens up some possibilities for my Sony kit, as I am looking for a 135mm lens currently. Cheers, Keith (Barrie, Ontario)
Great lens for a starting photographer or on a low budget! The ergonomics would make me look for alternatives if I had to choose a 135mm 1.8... I already own the Sony so I'm good :D
I had this lens for a short period of time before returning it. Maybe it was my particular A7RII, but it wouldn't work on that camera. It worked fine on my A7III. I also adapt my E-Mount lenses on to my Nikon Z7 and the Viltrox simply wouldn't work on that. I totally understand that since it's adapted and Vitrox told me during the return process that the lens might need a slightly higher voltage than other E-Mount lenses that the adapter can't handle. My Sony, Tamron (for the most part), and Sigma E-Mount lenses work fine adapted to the Nikon Z7, but the Viltrox refuses to work. For Sony purists, I'm sure it's a fantastic lens.
Looks like a great lens, but I went with the Samyang, mostly because it's been out long enough to be available on the used market. Pretty solid deal for $450 USD. Viltrox has been crushing it though, and I think they're positioning to be a budget Sigma alternative. The prices are down in the Samyang range, but I still tend to favor Samyang because their products tend to be lighter and smaller.
Thats not a big 135mm lens, have you seen the Hasselblad version (for the H system)?; though they don't have an exact 135, they have the 120 macro and the 150N which are bigger and most likely heavier than that lens.
I always prefer a BIG HEAVY LENS with outstanding quality and features, rather than a small one with less quality. I wish the RF100-300mm F2.8 lens (weights 1.5 Nocts) was available for sony, or the RF24-105mm F2.8 (weights 3/4 of a Noct) that has INTERNAL ZOOM! I wish sony would remove the limiter of 3rd party glass on FPS, that would make this lenses more appealing
Seems like it has great image quality but it's just to heavy for me. I am waiting for Sigma to make a new 135 f1.8 that is smaller and lighter than the original like they did with their 85 f1.4. Which is also do for an update.
Hey Petapixel...thank you for the great reviews. About 2 years ago you made a great review of wildlife cameras at different prices. It's been nearly 2 years since you made that video. I'm in the market for a wildlife specific setup and I'm wondering if that review still holds true or would you recommend something different. I'm particularly interested in the 3k range. Or would it make sense to wait for potentially new cameras to come out from the likes of Canon, Nikon and Fuji? I know this isn't in regards to this video, but thought to ask. Any help would be great!
My Minolta Celtic 135mm f/2.8 works well on my G95D. My favorite Minolta lens back in the day was a pre-Series1 Vivitar 70-210mm. I'm not afraid of big lenses. Do they make it in m43? f/1.8...tasty.
@9:53 - Maddie made my day! Wow!! Loved her expressions! She could be an Oscar winning actress ... . Please convey our compliments to your beautiful children. :)
I am waiting for the 35/1.2 LAB, and 35/1.4 PRO Viltrox....to see, how they perform....would buy a copy, if the price/performance is right. Sony 35/1.4 GM quality, albeit for much less - would be awesome. 🙂
I heard someone already asked Viltrox and they replied "stay tuned". Perhaps they intended to release it simultaneously with the E-mount version, but it seems Nikon has not licensed them yet, so I think Z-mount version will come later this year or later.
Thanks to Westcott, PetaPixel's preferred lighting partner!
This episode we used the FJ200 1 Light Backpack Kit: www.fjwestcott.com/products/fj200-strobe-1-light-backpack-kit-with-fj-x3-m-universal-wireless-trigger?sca_ref=4142132.p5qzF50h12
I'll be honest, we all knew Viltrox was getting serious when they dropped their 13mm f/1.4 APS-C lens a couple of years back. And they go a whole lot more serious with the 75 and 27mm f/1.2 APS-C lenses they dropped in 2023 (almost said "last year" lol).
Every lens release from viltrox in the last year and a half has been absolute bangers : either great high end lenses at reasonable prices, or absolute low budget gems, like their 20mm f/2.8, 40mm f/2.5 or all their APS-C f/1.7 primes (25mm, 35mm, 56mm) which are all optically excellent and all under 200 bucks.
Their older lenses are no slouch either, I remember using mainly their 85mm f/1.8 AF and their 56mm f/1.4 on Fuji, those were my sharpest lenses by quite a fait margin. They suffered a bit from CA and purple fringing, but they were extremely good for the price, this much has stayed the same : no one can argue Viltrox's price competitiveness nowadays.
Agreed with all you said.
I own both the 20mm f2.8 and the 85mm f1.8. I just came back from using the 85 on my a5100 earlier today as a telephoto for taking photos of my fiancée surfing and it worked great as a 127.5mm equivalent. I mostly use the 20mm as a cheap 30mm equivalent for my aps-c body as well, but both of them perform just as well on my A7III too!
I agree with you. The price to play with these lenses is worth it.
They are not budget friendly garbage but worthwhile investments.
The 27mm f1.2 is my favorite lens
Indeed I had the 16mm 1.4 FUJI lens and I have the Nikon 16mm 1.8. I'm patiently waiting for this in a z mount vs 2000 for the Nikon alternative.
I love your kids reaction to you talking about child labor, hahah! Also she's a great model, seems to take her work seriously.
Appreciate another detailed and professional review, Chris. We took note of all your test feedback and shared with our product team for the improvement of future LAB lenses, thank you for your constant support.
Viltrox has come a long way and this lens proves they can produce high quality lenses at affordable prices.
I use 3 of them for my Fuji, the 27 & 75mm are insane!
They already did that with their incredible f1.2 apsc lenses. Now they have proved it for full frame as well.
I did a stupid thing and got the 28/4.5 on an A5100 and I'm loving it so far, an actually pocketable setup with an (accidentally) neutral angle of view.
Rf 85mm is great. Not the best AF but it works
@@KNURKonesur that is not stupid, one down side with the 28mm f4.5 is the weak coners, apsc crop that out and use the best central section
Happy New Year PetaPixel ! Jordan & Chris & Familys
Nice review, guys! Been loving that lens as well and really can't wait for their 35mm LAB lens!
Jordon. Your audio is really nice on this brother.
Thank you for this review. I have been testing the Viltrox 135mm f/1.8 LAB against my used Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM for over a month now and have a hard time letting go the Viltorx due to it's image quality, AF-C speed and especially since I only paid total of 916.30 CND the day they released on Amazon directly from the Viltrox Store.
As showing on your comparison images, Viltrox's image is brighter most of the time at the same ISO & f-Stop while have more contrast and dare I said... a bit sharper towards the corners too! I can easily sell the Sony GM for a good price but will loose the 30fps which... I often don't shoot that fast on an A1 even for indoor sports like hockey, soccer & roller derby. When shooting indoor hockey sitting in the center front seat of the upper floor swapping between these two lenses I have to say that when I zoom into the goalie's eyes lashes/pucks labels Viltrox does has more details vs the GM after shooting 6 different games over 10,000 images on each lens. I kind of forgot about the weight all together when swapping between the lenses so I guess it does not bother me even thought it is much heavier when holding it concisely by itself.
I also find it's A REALLY BAD FEMAL PORTRAIT LENS! I had used it for a corporate headshot session and when I look at the images, they were WAY TOO SHARP that I had to spend more time than usual just to soften the skins.... Way Too Much Information!🤣🤣🤣
Highly recommended to any Sony users and those who does not need more than 15fps owning A9/A1/A1 II bodies.
I am looking at the Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM for indoor volleyball to use with a Sony A7IV. I currently use the Sony 85mm 1.8 as gym lighting is brutal and the 1.8 is way better compared to my 70-180mm 2.8 in terms of getting enough light to shoot at 1/1000 and maintain a reasonable ISO. In doing my homework I came across the Viltrox which looks great, especially at a fraction of the price of the Sony GM. My only concern based on the reviews I have seen is the autofocus, but you had a good experience shooting sports with it?
9:39 Proper cracked me up - some excellent jokes in this vid
Can't wait for Viltrox to release some amazing zoom lenses and a super telephoto prime lens.
Ah..the classic voice activated lightstand
I’m glad y’all are able to work so much with your kids and family in these videos. I’m sure they appreciate the time spent. How likely do you think the 85 1.2 is actually going to happen? I need to upgrade mine, and that would definitely be an option.
At this point I get more excited about Viltrox new lenses than first party.
Only issue with them is that they end up heavier than they need to be. Having similar designs and housings for different focal lengths results in the weight lowest common multiple.
Jordan and Chris, Happy New Year 2025.
Nice to see those beautiful scenes of Canada.
Viltrox is becoming a major player. Once they made the 13mm f1.4 that was the beginning. Then the 27mm and 75mm solidified it. Following the path Sigma layed out.
This will 100% be in my kit down the road.
Video: Will be perfect for a nice dreamy medium close up for all my wedding work and for a fun B cam during my interviews (typically serious sports doc)
Photo: wildlife photography is my favorite hobby and having a cheap, long, prime in my kit for those early mornings with some of the safer animals to be close to will be great.
Overall: At $900 it’s punching well above its weight.
I wonder how well this would cover the mini medium format sensors. Those oversized Sigmas, for example, often work very well on 44x33.
You can't adapt it on a Fuji but 135mm like Sigma Art and zeiss 135mm f2 sonnar work well on gfx
Good and interesting review. Not sure if I would purchase one since I don't do portraits, but I learned more. I believe it does give you a depth of field indicator. When you stop down further, there is a yellowish/greenish line of top that gets wider. If im not mistaken, that should be the depth of feild indicator.
The Batis 135 does have image stabilisation (as well as being half the weight), although you give up a stop.
That 1.33EV difference makes a big difference for a lens like that though :(
@ maybe, although personally I think 2.8 is more than enough for a 135. The point is, there is an option with IS if that’s what you’re interested in. It’s a pity they didn’t compare to the Samyang, as that seems like the most obvious competitor.
That is the one complaint I have for the 135 mm GM is the no locking feature for the aperture ring. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve bumped it out of auto. Not realizing it when I’m using off camera flash until I see the photo is almost dark. I think that should be a must for all newer lenses. Viltrox is definitely coming out with some solid lenses and they should not be overlooked. Out of all the lenses I have I only own three Sony lenses. The rest are sigma, samyang, and a viltrox. You can definitely find some solid lenses at budget prices from some of these third-party companies. And I love that Sony has all these lens options
Great review Chris, no Jordan? This beast although very heavy looks to be the lens of choice for the ultimate portraits in my mind....
I bought Viltrox 16mm/f1.8 z and loved it. Light weight and great optical performance. So, the next thing I am waiting for is this 135mm/f1.8 z.
However, I would say they are focused on making prime lenses now and the real challenge starts when they start making zoom lenses. Wish they this in their road map.
What was the issue with the glass elements moving out of place during shipping? I thought I read on PetaPixel that while this lens is otherwise fantastic, it may have a design flaw. That’s why PetaPixel didn’t review it initially. Was that design flaw corrected?
They told us after that they were being overly cautious and that it ended up not being an issue. Our sample showed no signs of problems during testing either.
@ Glad to hear that. I can’t wait for their affordable 50mm f/1.2. It’s ridiculous how much 50mm f/1.2 lenses cost these days.
Umm, the king of the 135mm is the Nikon 135mm Plena, BUT all 135mm versions are welcome!
I can't wait to see how the future Viltrox 135mm/f1.8 z holds up against the native king.
if you demand spherical bokeh ball then yes.
@@jliang70 Why wouldn't one demand spherical bokeh balls?
Canon RF 135 не хуже
Can’t wait for the 85mm LAB
It’s not going to be f/1.2
I don't mind an f/1.8 lens if the bokeh has lots of character, but it's difficult to get that with new lenses
@@KNURKonesurthey can’t achieve the same character without Leaded Glass. And Japan outlawed that in the late 90s. That is why they cannot replicate the 200mm f/1.8 Prime.
Yeah my guess is that it will be a f/1.4.
@@hikertrashfilms doesn't have to be leaded glass, all it needs is to be a Sonnar/Planar/Biotar design and there will be plenty of character in the bokeh, the issue is those designs have only 5-6-7 elements and that would mean the lens won't be as sharp, it will have poor flare control and really bad chromatic aberrations.
The 200/1.8 has a cult following and it was an extremely impressive engineering achievement, it was sharp, fast, had amazingly shallow depth of field, but I never really liked the bokeh (the actual character of the out of focus areas) that much.
Chris's daughters face at the child kabor comment cracks me up 😂
Olympus introduced telecentricity with the Four-Thirds system, way before Sigma in 2003. Looking at the 135mm f/1.8, I'm reminded of my first third party lens, a Vivitar 135mm f/2.8 for under US$100 in 1978. It was about the size of that camera body but of course, it was manual only.
Archie has a 76mm cannon not a 75mm
Literally unwatchable video
Chris is such a armoured poser not knowing his E8's! Obviously doesn't do the research before trying to go for a pun! ;)
This kind of oversight is definitely unacceptable. Hopefully correction will follow.
That's a Sony. Not canon.
Shots fired!
I snapped up this lens during the pre-sale. Crazy good value. A couple thoughts:
First, I don’t know if perhaps it’s my copy, but my lens noise is pretty loud; louder than Chris describes. It works, but it’ll get attention during a quiet moment. I hope there’s nothing faulty with mine.
The other thought is just how sharp this thing actually is. It’s already performant wide open. Close it a little and be amazed. When you have enough light for fast shutter, it WILL USE all 61 MP. I already thought my Sigma 85 was sharp as a tack, but this thing will make it blush.
If you look at the MTF chart when it’s stopped down, it gets a near-perfect flatline at 30 line-pairs. They really should be using 50+ line-pairs at this point.
can you disable the aperture ring on this lens? please help. i keep on moving it everytime im holding it.
Can this lens even work on a tripod without a tripod collar around the lens? Anything heavier than my 135GM on my A1 needs a tripod collar in order to balance on the PD Carbon Tripod.
Then you need training . I have used 3 135mm heavier than GM
I wouldn’t want this lens hanging off the front of my camera unsupported, that’s a lot of leverage on the bayonet. Would recommend a lens support
@@jliang70not on a Peak Design Carbon Fiber Tripod with their ball head
They are getting better indeed. The only thing I really dislike is the screen. I'm still happy with the Samyang offering. Thanks for the great content.
I am surprised you didn't mention the Samyang 135 1.8 which is much lighter, smaller and just as good optically.
Agreed. I have had a love hate relationship with Samyang lenses in the past but they absolutely nailed it with the 135mm and I love using it. Viltrox is also very very good and their 16mm F1.8 is a top performer.
Great shots, Chris!
Can you disable the aperture ring in camera?
damn. what beautiful photos, the one with snow and water on the face, I think it's your daughter's and the first black and white photo, also of your daughter, is what I liked the most, this year I plan to start my photography hobby, I mean, go back to take photos and I want to learn how to take beautiful portraits like these
Hmm, unfortunately I couldn't find a picture with the lens design, showing the individual elements. But at least the front element doesn't seem to be larger than it needs to be for a 1.8/135 mm (75 mm). It would also be interesting to know how large the image circle is on the sensor plane.
I found a Viltrox lens recently.
I was impressed by the positive reviews the lens got. I was impressed with the performance when I tested it. Unfortunately it was only an APS-C lens. Thankfully the person selling the lens understood why I didn’t purchase it.
Viltrox is starting to earn my trust. Anyone else have experience with their lenses?
Awesome review guys. Happy new year
I got the Viltrox 13 1.4, 27 1.2 and 75 1.2. I’m generally very pleased for my amateur needs. They are all really sharp almost to sharp. Focus is fast enough. My peeve if the lens hoods are poor. The lens flare is not so good so the hood is essential. It’s a shame Viltrox seemed to have skimped on this feature for such a good value products. Paying 15$ more for a secure fitting hood would be fantastic. I will be very interested how the build quality hold up in the longer term. As new it great.
5:42 “I don’t have to worry about it being exposed to the elements.” Causally said while his sensor was exposed in the weather hahahahaha
I wonder if it was intentional, lol.
I would suggest that ANYTIME you test a new/upcoming lens - much like this - that in ADDITION to the G Master you should ALWAYS put it up against the current SIGMA. although the Sig 135 is not updated - its a KNOWN entity. When it comes time for the 50mm - you really need to put it up against the 50mm 1.2 as well. Would be really nice to see this in the L Mount as well.
hopefully they improve the focus ring in the following models. this lens is soo good optically.
I get it, it can be very frustrating to have a poor handling experience due to a narrow gap between lens and grip, but how is the lens tho blame? How is it not the poor ergonomics of the camera?
Very detailed review as always Chris, Jordan mustache is goat 🐐
I am just HOPING that Viltrox does a budget zoom lens similar to Sigma's 18-50mm F2.8. Pleaseee, would love a budget zoom lens option for Fuji cams.
Is the lens large? Not sure if this was mentioned.
It's "Longer" and "Heavier" than the Sony GM
To be fair it was covered a good bit? Guessing you skimmed. Chris mentions the tight fit between the grip and the barrel. He also notes that it weighs 1.265 kg and is quite big. @4:49
Love how the autofocus motor sounds like the roar of an internal combustion engine 6:30
How does having larger glass elements allow for the price to be lower than a lens with smaller elements? If only the same rule could apply with TV's.
I just love the Viltrox Air Series! 56mm f1.7, 35mm f1.5 and soon 25mm f1.7 for APS-C and 20mm f2.8 and 40mm f2.5 for FF. Small, sharp, light and all under 200€. Just great
I have another lens which is a tad oversized for better performance: a Wallensak 85mm f/3.5 in the Ciro-Flex TLR. It was more common to use a 75mm lens, but to increase the IQ of the fairly simple triplet lens, the camera went with a slightly oversized, slightly longer focal length, increasing the image circle to get a tad better corners.
Anyhow, it’s hard to argue against the results from the Viltrox, but I miss the compactness of the old 135mm f/2.8 lenses. I’ve really loved the FA Pentax one I bought recently, and it’s fairly small with a 52mm filter thread and a built-in hood. Something fun to see would be the 135mm equivalent of the compact f/2.5 Sony G primes. It’d probably be an f/2.8 or 3.5, nice build quality, and rather small. The Sigma 90/2.8 does something similar, and I’d be over the moon if they released it for Fuji X.
It seems like it’s a focal length which has been ignored for ordinary use since 70-200 zooms became common, but it really is a lot of fun. There are the extremely pushed designs like this, but something more modest build for ease of use rather than extreme IQ would be a great piece of kit.
love the viltrox 16mm f/1.8 i just wished that they copied the same deisng interms of aperture ring on this lens as well
So, similar to how you would stop down a lens to get better sharpness, is that essentially what is going on with a lens like this? Making a lens that could hypothetically be an F1.2 or F1.4 and stopping it down out the factory to a 1.8?
Pretty nice classic colors I feel like.. with the weight and fps restriction I think if you’re planning on using this for sports you may really need to spend the extra cash for the GM but for the portrait hobbyistI definitely think it’s a great option
Always great to have competition in the field
Why not the 35mm? 😉 ~it's the very one I'm waiting for next! My Viltrox collection is honestly becoming some of my favorite glass: 13, 27, 75 on FujiX, 16, 85, and even the 75 (112mm cropped) on Nikon Z...Love them! Amazingly good for the quality/price consideration. And aperture rings!
[C'mon Nikon - why make the great Zf body and no manual-aperture ring lenses to match it?]
How does it compare to the Samyang 135mm f1.8 AF? Are they roughly on par with each other?
link to that camera strap?
Since the elements are oversized will this lens work on a GFX?
I lived in Olds a few years ago, and yeah.. there isn't much interesting there to take pictures of.
btw, this lens has no aspherical element, making it absolutely out of union rings, which is very well presented in the footage
I'm sorry Chris, but ARCHIE clearly has a 76mm gun, BIG difference.
I believe that is a Pentax turret on Archie.
Love your three 135mm comparison video and wish you can update that to include this new Viltrox 135.
Regarding the ergonomic issue and your fingers are crammed in there against the handgrip, I would say Sony is the one to blame there, this will never be an issue if the same lens is available for Nikon and Canon, I really hate the way Sony has the lens mount so close to the grip and it's one of the reason I stopped using my Sony system. it's just painful to operate those Sony especially with gloves.
Has that lumix sticker always been in the sharpness test as I don't remember it. It seems to have the letters S and G more highlighted in white than other maybe we're getting and new S full frame a G micro 43 soon
Amazing lens from Viltrox. Had few 135's before,i always chose 85 or 200 primes but 135 would possibly be a perfect lens for weddings
Hi guys: Thanks for creating and sharing this video. This product certainly opens up some possibilities for my Sony kit, as I am looking for a 135mm lens currently. Cheers, Keith (Barrie, Ontario)
Still love my EF 135 f2. So much character
This lens looks like a really good option! I've really enjoyed the 16mm 1.8 viltrox, it has been a great lens for the price!
Great lens for a starting photographer or on a low budget! The ergonomics would make me look for alternatives if I had to choose a 135mm 1.8... I already own the Sony so I'm good :D
Great!! Love lens competition
I had this lens for a short period of time before returning it. Maybe it was my particular A7RII, but it wouldn't work on that camera. It worked fine on my A7III. I also adapt my E-Mount lenses on to my Nikon Z7 and the Viltrox simply wouldn't work on that. I totally understand that since it's adapted and Vitrox told me during the return process that the lens might need a slightly higher voltage than other E-Mount lenses that the adapter can't handle. My Sony, Tamron (for the most part), and Sigma E-Mount lenses work fine adapted to the Nikon Z7, but the Viltrox refuses to work. For Sony purists, I'm sure it's a fantastic lens.
Not sure it will now work or not but Viltrox has updated the firmware many time for older body compatibility. Now the firmware is v1.17.
Looks like a great lens, but I went with the Samyang, mostly because it's been out long enough to be available on the used market. Pretty solid deal for $450 USD. Viltrox has been crushing it though, and I think they're positioning to be a budget Sigma alternative. The prices are down in the Samyang range, but I still tend to favor Samyang because their products tend to be lighter and smaller.
76.2mm gun ACTUALLY Chris. Sheesh. Instantly turning off now. You made The Chieftain cry.
Who cares ffs
Thats not a big 135mm lens, have you seen the Hasselblad version (for the H system)?; though they don't have an exact 135, they have the 120 macro and the 150N which are bigger and most likely heavier than that lens.
More competition in the quality budget market is always welcome!
Now if only Canon would let them start releasing them for full frame RF lenses...
Canon's own loss, more people will buy Sony...
Great Review! Good thing I use an L-mount camera or else I would be forced to add this to my collection. Amazing value!
I always prefer a BIG HEAVY LENS with outstanding quality and features, rather than a small one with less quality. I wish the RF100-300mm F2.8 lens (weights 1.5 Nocts) was available for sony, or the RF24-105mm F2.8 (weights 3/4 of a Noct) that has INTERNAL ZOOM! I wish sony would remove the limiter of 3rd party glass on FPS, that would make this lenses more appealing
wow what an intro. Did Chris write the script himself?
I don’t really script anything. Just come up on the spot with what I want to convey.
Seems like it has great image quality but it's just to heavy for me. I am waiting for Sigma to make a new 135 f1.8 that is smaller and lighter than the original like they did with their 85 f1.4. Which is also do for an update.
Are those gloves 🧤for photography in winter?
Would this full frame lens be ideal for apsc? For something like fx30 or a6700 although they are apsc.
Great job as always guys ! Keep it up !!
Hey Petapixel...thank you for the great reviews. About 2 years ago you made a great review of wildlife cameras at different prices. It's been nearly 2 years since you made that video. I'm in the market for a wildlife specific setup and I'm wondering if that review still holds true or would you recommend something different. I'm particularly interested in the 3k range. Or would it make sense to wait for potentially new cameras to come out from the likes of Canon, Nikon and Fuji? I know this isn't in regards to this video, but thought to ask. Any help would be great!
Hey you didn’t say the weight in noct
Good review, though I think I may wait for that 85 1.2
No AF speed test? Did I miss it?
My Minolta Celtic 135mm f/2.8 works well on my G95D. My favorite Minolta lens back in the day was a pre-Series1 Vivitar 70-210mm. I'm not afraid of big lenses. Do they make it in m43? f/1.8...tasty.
@9:53 - Maddie made my day! Wow!! Loved her expressions! She could be an Oscar winning actress ... .
Please convey our compliments to your beautiful children. :)
I've got big love for Viltrox!! A massively underrated manufacturer.. I just hope they keep the low price points!
Honey I shrunk Jordan 😅
The kids nailed it.
The video looks beautiful. Not even looking much at the Viltrox content itself.
I am waiting for the 35/1.2 LAB, and 35/1.4 PRO Viltrox....to see, how they perform....would buy a copy, if the price/performance is right. Sony 35/1.4 GM quality, albeit for much less - would be awesome. 🙂
That's a 76mm gun on the tank, not a 75mm. The 76mm gun on the M4 is noticeably longer.
Lens is great on A7r5 but seems to run battery down rather quickly. Some more testing will let me know for sure.
Late to the party on this one guys - still a stellar lens !
Neutron-star stellar yes.
Need this for GF Mount!
Is it available on the nikon Z mount?
Not yet- NikonRumors hints at it coming to the Z mount somewhere down the line... but whether it will be two months or a year is anybody's guess.
I heard someone already asked Viltrox and they replied "stay tuned". Perhaps they intended to release it simultaneously with the E-mount version, but it seems Nikon has not licensed them yet, so I think Z-mount version will come later this year or later.
Viltrox have confimed it is under development, release date unknown. I suspect this year sometime.
Thanks so much for sharing another wonderful video like always