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Viltrox AF 50mm F2 Air: one-minute review
This isn’t my first Viltrox lens review, and nor it will it be my last, because the Chinese lens maker is on a roll, producing a string of excellent optics for users of all skill levels and budgets. Coming in at the opposite end of a recent cinema lens that could cost up to $200,000, the 50mm f/2 Air costs less than $200 / £200 / AU$320, and offers excellent value for money.
It’s a tiny and lightweight prime that’s available for Sony E and Nikon Z mounts – I had the latter for this review – with a decent maximum f/2 aperture for defocusing backgrounds. You don’t get the sharpest detail or creamiest bokeh I’ve ever seen – for those you’ll want to check out the excellent Viltrox 135mm f/1.8 LAB – but the Viltrox 50mm f/2 is an excellent casual lens for enthusiasts, especially for portrait photography, and an ideal foil to a standard zoom.
I’d have preferred the lens’s minimum focus distance to be a little closer, which would bolster its everyday photography credentials, while a couple of external controls to speed up changing settings, such as an AF / MF switch, would be welcome. However, the Viltrox AF 50mm F2 Air delivers performance and image quality that belie its price – and the fact it squeezes proprietary camera-brand alternatives with its aggressive pricing is the cherry on the cake.
Viltrox AF 50mm F2 Air specs
Type: | Standard prime |
Mount: | Nikon Z-mount / Sony E-mount |
Sensor: | Full-frame |
Focal length: | 50mm |
Max aperture: | f/2 |
Minimum focus: | 1.67ft / 0.51m |
Filter size: | 58mm |
Dimensions: | Φ68 x 58.6mm |
Weight: | 7.8oz / 220g |
Viltrox AF 50mm f/2 Air: Price and availability
- Available for Sony E and Nikon Z mounts
- $199 / £229 / AU$319 list price, but it usually can be found for less
Hovering around the $200 / £200 / AU$320 mark and often available for a little less, the Viltrox AF 50mm f/2 Air is an excellent value prime lens, especially when you considering its build quality and optical performance.
Price-wise, it reminds me of the old Canon EF and Nikon F-mount cheap nifty fifties for DSLRs, being an affordable first prime for enthusiasts. There’s bad news for some though – Viltrox’s lens is only available for Sony E and Nikon Z lens mounts.
Viltrox AF 50mm f/2 Air: Design
- Weighs just 7.8oz / 220g
- No external buttons or controls
- Available for Sony E and Nikon Z mounts
The 50mm f/2 Air lens is, as the name suggests, designed with an emphasis on light weight over absolute performance – it’s positively featherweight, especially compared to alternatives such as Nikon’s own Z 50mm f/1.4.
It’s a small lens, too. I paired the 50mm f/2 Air with a Nikon Z6 II, and I could barely feel the lens. It’s not often that I’d describe a camera / lens pairing as rear-heavy, but that’s the case here.
This is also excellent value, with a sale price often dipping under $200 / £200 /AU$319, and the list price only a little more. For context, the Nikon-own f/1.4 lens is double the price (and double the weight), while Nikon’s Z 50mm f/1.8 is four times the price.
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Viltrox’s lens well made too – a rugged metal barrel and rear mount instil confidence, even though there’s no proper weather-sealing to speak of (such are the compromises with such a low-cost lens).
There’s a generously sized focus ring with smooth and easy rotation, and that’s it for controls. No AF / MF switch, no optical stabilization, no focus distance limiter – this is a simple bit of gear.
The lack of controls could, depending on which camera you pair the lens with, make changes to camera settings a little fussy. My camera doesn’t have an AF / MF switch, and because the lens doesn’t either I need to dive into a menu to switch between the two focusing methods, which can be frustrating.
Otherwise, there’s little to talk about regarding design – this is a simple and lightweight optic that accepts 58mm threaded filters and comes supplied with a decent lens hood.
Viltrox AF 50mm f/2 Air: Performance
- Bright maximum f/2 aperture ideal for portraiture
- Fairly limited close-focusing capabilities
- Snappy autofocus speed
This is no pro-quality lens, but for beginners and enthusiasts the optical quality and performance of the Viltrox 50mm f/2 Air are perfectly sufficient.
The bright, zoom lens-beating maximum f/2 aperture ensures plenty of light intake and makes this lens great for low-light photography, as well as for defocusing backgrounds for dreamy portraits. Bokeh is smooth enough – I didn’t really spot the ugly ‘onion ring’ effect that can be evident in cheap optics.
Optical clarity is perfectly acceptable, even if this isn’t the sharpest 50mm lens I’ve used. With a little extra sharpening in post, most users should be perfectly happy with the results.
I shot all images in JPEG and uncompressed raw, and with lens corrections switched off there are slight signs of chromatic aberration, but the Viltrox has a reasonable handle on such distortions.
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I found the 1.67ft / 0.51m minimum focus distance a little limiting for close-up shots – the maximum magnification is a modest 0.11x. This isn’t really a macro lens in any way, and perhaps even less of an everyday lens, with portraiture being its strongest suit.
With such a small and lightweight collection of ashperical (ASPH), ED and IF lens elements, the 50mm f/2’s STM autofocus motor has an easy job – those lens elements are moved with ease for quick and precise autofocus. Not once did I perceive sluggish autofocus on account of the lens rather than the camera.
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Overall, the Viltrox AF 50mm F2 Air is a capable performer, especially when you consider its compact size, low price and bright maximum aperture. For users on a budget who are looking to step up from a standard-zoom kit lens, this is an ideal choice.
Viltrox AF 50mm F2 Air sample gallery
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Should you buy the Viltrox AF 50mm F2 Air?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
How I tested the Viltrox AF 50mm F2 Air
- I’ve used it over a loan period of several months
- I paired the lens with a Nikon Z6 II
- I’ve used it in a range of scenarios, generally in fair weather, and checked image quality at the various aperture settings
I paired a Z-mount version of the Viltrox AF 50mm F2 Air with a Nikon Z6 II for several months, during which time it has seen moderate use, generally in fair weather. Size-wise, the camera and lens are perfectly balanced, with no hint of wrist strain due to front-heaviness.
To test optical quality I’ve snapped portraits with the aperture wide open at f/2, and also taken series of images at each aperture setting to compare sharpness and check for lens distortions.
