In the SLR era it wasn’t easy to find ultra wide angle lenses and it was even more difficult to find decent, affordable ones. The Tokina 17mm 3.5 SL RMC was one of these few options. Back in the day I used it on my D700, looking for a wide angle lens for my analogue FM2 now, I thought it was a good idea to revisit this compact vintage lens.
In 2023 Viltrox started dipping its toes into the higher end lens market with the releases of their Viltrox AF 16mm 1.8 FE for fullframe as well as the Viltrox AF 75mm 1.2 Pro for APS-C cameras. Both lenses with great performance at a fair price point. Now at the end of 2024 we are getting this Viltrox AF 135mm 1.8 FE LAB, their most expensive lens so far. Let’s find out how it compares to the strong competition in this review!
Update January 2025: comparison to Samyang 135mm 1.8 AF added
During the DSLR era the Nikon users always envied the Canon users for their fast f/1.2 primes – even though most would have never willingly admitted to that. While already the Canon EF 50mm 1.2L USM sounded appealing, I am sure more people lusted after this Canon EF 85mm 1.2L USM II. Time to have a closer look at it!
The Nikon Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S, designed primarily for demanding professionals and discerning enthusiasts, is one of the fastest autofocus lenses in the Nikkor Z lineup. While Nikon has a legacy of producing ultra-fast f/1.2 standard lenses, this is their first f/1.2 autofocus lens. Nikon’s history with f/1.2 lenses began in 1965 with the introduction of the Nikkor-S 55mm f/1.2. This was followed by the legendary Noct-Nikkor 58mm f/1.2 in 1977 and the AI-Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 S in 1981. However, after the 1980s, Nikon took a break from producing f/1.2 lenses until the advent of the Z mount system in 2018.
With the larger Z mount, Nikon aimed to overcome the limitations of their previous f/1.2 lenses by incorporating new technology. As a result, the Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S was launched in September 2020.
But did Nikon succeed in meeting these high expectations? Let’s find out!
I tested this lens on a 46 Mp Nikon Z 7II (Sample images taken with Nikon Zf)
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
We all like surprises and this Viltrox 16mm 1.8 AF for fullframe was a big one. We previously reviewed the Viltrox 85mm 1.8 AF MKI and II and they were solid performers while being very affordable. But this 16mm 1.8 sounds way more spectacular on paper than an ordinary 85mm 1.8 lens and it even comes with some technology we haven’t seen anywhere else yet. Let’s have a closer look.
Update Oct 2024:
You can see this review as a YouTube video here!
In the video Martin also talks about how the Z-mount version of this lens performs. There have also been further sample images taken on a Nikon Zf added.
