Viltrox AF 27mm F1.2 Pro

A ‘pro’ lens with a consumer price tag

- Matthew Richards

£420/$545

The Viltrox AF 27mm F1.2 Pro picks up the baton from some seriously good f/1.4 lenses, available in Fujifilm X, Nikon Z and Sony E mount options. We were impressed by the Viltrox AF 23mm F1.4 Z, Viltrox AF 33mm F1.4 Z and Viltrox AF 56mm F1.4 Z, which are all pretty much the same size and weight, plus the slightly larger Viltrox AF 13mm F1.4 Z. Personally, I was so impressed by these four lenses that I bought them outright as my go-to lenses for when I’m shooting with my Nikon Z fc camera.

Combining fast and consistently accurate autofocus with good handling characteristics, Viltrox’s back catalogue of lenses include de-clicked aperture rings and are terrific value at the price, although the 23mm, 33mm and 56mm lack weather-seals. The newer 27mm lens, so far available in Fujifilm X and Nikon Z mount options, sets the bar higher with its ‘Pro’ badge and super-fast f/1.2 aperture, along with a feast of upmarket features. It’s naturally bigger and heavier than the trio of 23mm, 33mm and 56mm f/1.4 lenses, and getting on for twice the price, but is still standout value for money.

Key features

The 27mm focal length of this APS-C format lens gives an ‘effective’ 40.5mm in full-frame terms, with a viewing angle of 55.3°. It’s a little wider than a standard 50mm lens but not quite as wide as a 35mm lens (again, in full-frame terms). I find the focal length works well for everyday, walkabout shooting and street photography.