Viltrox recently announced its new AF 26mm F2.8 EVO, an ultra-compact full-frame autofocus pancake lens that is available in Sony E and Nikon Z mounts.
It looks to be a good option if you are running a lightweight handheld or gimbal setup.
The lens features independent aperture and focus rings, fast STM autofocus, and an all-metal construction.
The EVO series is designed to sit between the Air and LAB series in Viltrox’s line-up.
Key features
- Full-Frame | f/2.8 to f/16 Aperture
- Wide-Angle Prime Pancake Lens
- STM Autofocus | 7.9″ Close Focus
- Compact 2.7 x 1″ Form Factor
- Multilayer HD Nano Coating
- Manual Aperture and Focus Rings
- Magnetic Front Lens Cap
- Lens Hood with 43mm Front Filter Thread
The optical design consists of 8 elements in 6 groups. There is one high-refraction and two aspherical elements. Viltrox claims that the AF 26mm F2.8 EVO achieves edge-to-edge clarity even when shot wide open at F2.8. It is also claimed to maintain exceptional sharpness and natural contrast from center to corner.
The lens has a 43mm front filter diameter, but you need to use the included adapter to run a filter.
The minimum focus distance is 7.9″ / 20.06cm.
The lens features an STM stepping motor, which is claimed to provide fast, quiet, and accurate AF for both photography and video applications.
Size & Weight
The AF 26mm F2.8 EVO weighs just 130g / 4.58 oz and is 23.8mm / 0.03″
thin.
| WEIGHT | |
| Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO | 130g / 4.58 oz |
| Nikon NIKKOR Z 26mm f/2.8 | 125g / 4.4 oz |
| Nikon NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 | 155g / 5.5 oz |
Above, you can see how its weight compares to some other similar focal length lenses with a F2.8 aperture.
The lens is very lightweight and easy to use with small-sized cameras like the Sony FX3/FX30/FX2, Nikon ZR, etc.
Build Quality
The overall build quality of the Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO is pretty good considering how lightweight it is.
It also features a multilayer, water-resistant HD Nano lens coating.
Other Features
There are manual focus and aperture rings, but the aperture ring isn’t de-clicked.
You can also use the Viltrox App for firmware updates and function customization via the USB-C input on the lens. The lens supports EXIF data transmission with compatible cameras.
As I mentioned earlier, with the lens you get a very thin lens hood that you can attach to the front of the lens. This lets you attach 43mm screw-on filters or use step-up rings, etc.
Above, you can see what it looks like when it is on the lens.
The AF 26mm F2.8 EVO also has a magnetic front cap for quick access.
Sharpness Tests
I tested out the lens at a variety of f-stops to see how sharp it was. The Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO is nice and sharp; even when used wide open at F2.8, it’s pretty good. As you would expect, there is a sharpness improvement when you start to stop it down.
The edge sharpness is very good, and there is not a huge difference when you start stopping the lens down. You can certainly see the drop-off in edge brightness when using the lens.
Flare
The flare the lens produces isn’t what I would categorize as great; however, that is just my personal opinion.
There is quite a bit of halation and veiling at F2.8, as well as a loss of contrast. At F5.6, there is less halation and better contrast.
Focus Breathing?
The lens does have quite a lot of focus breathing. Even with the focus breathing compensation turned on in the Nikon ZR, it is very pronounced.
AF Performance
The Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO’s AF performance is ok, but not nearly as good as a native Nikon lens. It did have a tendency to hunt.
Real World Use
In the real world, the lens performs pretty well. While it does have a little bit of interesting optical characteristics, it’s still sharp and clean. The vignetting is quite noticeable and something you need to be aware of.
Above, you can see some footage I took with the lens on a Nikon ZR.
Price & Availability
The Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO is now available for $299 USD.
| PRICE | |
| Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO | $299 USD |
| Nikon NIKKOR Z 26mm f/2.8 | $446.95 USD |
| Nikon NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 | $226.95 USD |
Above, you can see how its price compares to some other similar focal length lenses with a F2.8 aperture.
Thoughts
Viltrox is certainly releasing a lot of lenses, and the quality of their lenses keeps improving. The AF 26mm F2.8 EVO is a solid and well-performing lenses that offer very good value for money, but it’s not without its faults. There is significant vignetting that you need to be aware of, and the AF performance isn’t great.
It is very compact and lightweight, and it would make for a good match with a wide array of cameras, especially if you need to travel light or want to create a lightweight gimbal setup.
It produces nice, sharp images even when used wide open. The lens doesn’t have a lot of ‘character,’ but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
