A compact, low-cost wide-angle prime for full-frame cameras!

Photography enthusiasts following the market will have noticed a tsunami of new lenses from China.

- Ashok Kandimalla

The first to appear were straightforward manual-focus lenses of standard focal lengths. This was followed by a wave of more specialized designs: low-distortion ultra-wide, fisheye, super-macro, probe macro, and tilt/shift lenses. Today, more than a dozen Chinese manufacturers produce lenses of every variety. However, autofocus (AF) options remain relatively less, as only a handful of companies have mastered the complex technology required, ranging from electronic communication with camera bodies to advanced motors and servo mechanisms. Viltrox is one such company. In addition to offering autofocus lenses of standard focal lengths, it also creates distinctive lenses that stand out for their compact size, light weight, unusual focal lengths, fast apertures, and impressive optical quality.

Viltrox has also announced that it has joined the 'L- Lens Mount' consortium promoted by Leica and Panasonic, among others. Consequently, we can expect L-mount lenses in the future, apart from the already available ones for Sony E, Nikon Z, and Fuji X mounts. We at Smart Photography are happy to present to our readers reviews of the latest Viltrox lenses whenever they are available to us for review.

The Viltrox 20 mm f/2.8 is an interesting lens that has a few unique attributes plus an unbeatable price. It is offered with both Nikon Z and Sony E mounts. To know how it performed on our test bench, read on for more details.

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