An excellent high speed ultrawide lens at an attractive price!

The Viltrox AF 16 mm f/1.8 full-frame lens offers a unique combination of an uncommon focal length and a large aperture. The lens ticks all boxes when it comes to size, weight and price, but how does it perform optically? Read on to find out how it performed on our test bench.

- Ashok Kandimalla

Viltrox AF 16 mm f/1.8 59,999/-

Design & Build Quality

This is an all-metal lens that is solidly built. There are two rings on the lens - the first is for focussing and the second is for aperture control. Two function buttons (programmable) and two switches - AF/MF, and Aperture click stop enable/disable are provided. There is also a display panel with a dash of colour. The lens is sealed against dust and moisture. The lens we tested came with a Sony E mount, and a Nikon Z version is also available.

Key Features

This is a prime lens with 15 elements in 12 groups. These include three aspherical and four extra low dispersion (ED) elements. The lens elements are given a HD Nano-multilayer coating to reduce reflections and there also an antifouling coating to prevent smudges on the exposed surfaces. The aperture has 9 blades.

The focussing is internal. The aperture ring can be made stepless or click-stopped using a switch. There are clear aperture markings on the ring, and the aperture is electronically controlled.