{"id":43419,"date":"2023-08-20T07:19:37","date_gmt":"2023-08-20T06:19:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=43419"},"modified":"2024-04-21T11:50:45","modified_gmt":"2024-04-21T10:50:45","slug":"review-viltrox-af-24mm-11-8-stm-asph-ed-if-z-mount","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-viltrox-af-24mm-11-8-stm-asph-ed-if-z-mount\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Viltrox AF 24mm 1:1.8 STM ASPH ED IF (Z mount)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Viltrox AF 24\/1.8 Z, is the only AF prime 24mm lens for Nikon Z cameras besides the Nikon Nikkor Z 24\/1.8 S (Also available with Sony FE mount). The full name is “Viltrox AF 24mm 1:1.8 STM ASPH ED IF for Nikon Z<\/strong>“.\u00a0 <\/span>24mm on a full frame camera is quite wide at the verge of ultra-wide angle, which can create dramatic images but at the same time it is not so wide that it makes composing images difficult. It is great for landscape photography, but due to its f\/1.8 wide aperture, it can also be easily used indoors or in other low-light situations. <\/span>It costs less than half as much as the Nikon 24mm lens, which makes it a very attractive alternative, but is it good enough? Let\u2019s find out!<\/span><\/p>\n

Sample Images<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"Viltrox
Nikon Z6 | Viltrox 24\/1.8 STM ASPH ED IF | f\/1.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Viltrox
Nikon Z6 | Viltrox 24\/1.8 STM ASPH ED IF | f\/5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Viltrox
Nikon Z6 | Viltrox 24\/1.8 STM ASPH ED IF | f\/5.6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Viltrox
Nikon Z6 | Viltrox 24\/1.8 STM ASPH ED IF | f\/1.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Viltrox
Nikon Z6 | Viltrox 24\/1.8 STM ASPH ED IF | f\/11<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Viltrox
Nikon Z6 | Viltrox 24\/1.8 STM ASPH ED IF | f\/1.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Viltrox
Nikon Z6 | Viltrox 24\/1.8 STM ASPH ED IF | f\/5.6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Viltrox
Nikon Z6 | Viltrox 24\/1.8 STM ASPH ED IF | f\/2.5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Viltrox
Nikon Z6 | Viltrox 24\/1.8 STM ASPH ED IF | f\/11<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Viltrox
Nikon Z6 | Viltrox 24\/1.8 STM ASPH ED IF | f\/8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Viltrox
Nikon Z6 | Viltrox 24\/1.8 STM ASPH ED IF | f\/5.6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most of the sample images in this review and many more can be found in higher resolution here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Specifications<\/span><\/h2>\n

Focal Length: 24mm<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/strong>Aperture Range: f\/1.8 – f\/16<\/strong>
\n<\/span>Number of Aperture Blades: 9<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/span>Min Focus: 0.3 m<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/span>Filter Size: 55 mm<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/span>Lens Mount:\u00a0 Nikon Z (and Sony FE)<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/span>Weight: 370 g<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/span>Size (D x L): 70 x 87 mm<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/span>Elements\/Group: 11\/9<\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Viltrox
Lens Construction | Viltrox 24\/1.8 Z-mount<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Disclosure<\/b><\/h2>\n

This reviewed lens was kindly provided by Viltrox for testing purposes but this is an independent review.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Viltrox
Viltrox 24\/1.8 STM ASPH on Nikon Z6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You can order this lens at the manufacturer’s link here<\/a> and you will get an 8% discount<\/strong> or use the discount coupon code MARTINMH <\/strong>and get 8% discount<\/strong> on any product you buy there.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Handling<\/span><\/h2>\n

The build quality seems to be very good in a small robust package. The lens is built of metal and has two rings on its barrel: a large ring for focus override and an aperture ring. The aperture ring is clickless, which is good for video. It turns easily, but it feels harsh to turn it as it makes a sound like you are rubbing two plastic surfaces against each other when you turn it. The ring also has an A for Auto position, at which the aperture can be set via the camera. The focus ring is wide and very smooth and is programmable from the camera to be set as focus ring, aperture ring, exposure compensation ring, or ISO sensitivity ring.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Viltrox
Viltrox 24\/1.8 STM ASPH on Nikon Z6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Oddly enough, there is no AF-MF button on the lens, which I found very annoying. If you want to set the lens to MF you have to dig deep in your camera menu system and do it there, and when you want to set i back to AF, you have to do the digging process again. The AF is focus by wire, like Nikon\u2019s Z lenses. There is a plastic lens hood included in the box, but the lens hood does not feel as high quality as the lens itself. This lens is both smaller and lighter than Nikon\u2019s 24mm f\/1.8, but has no weather sealing. There is a type C USB port on the lens mount to update its firmware.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Viltrox
Viltrox AF 24mm 1:1.8 STM ASPH ED IF for Nikon Z (Mount Plate \/ USB C Port)<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Optical Features<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"Viltrox
MTF Chart | Viltrox 24\/1.8 Z<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The MTF chart looks promising in the center of the frame but is less convincing when we move away from the center. Let’s check how it is in real life.<\/p>\n

Sharpness (Infinity)<\/span><\/h3>\n
\"Viltrox
Infinity Shaprness Scene for Viltrox 24mm f\/1.8 Z on Nikon Z6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

F\/1.8: Good sharpness in the center, midframe and corner are soft, the corner also lacks contrast and is much darker.
\nF\/2.8: Center sharpness and contrast is very good now, corner improved a lot to a good level, both in sharpness and contrast but the midframe, while the contrast is better, the sharpness does not seem to improve (sign of field curvature)
\nf\/4: Center sharpness and conrast are excellent, midframe is\u00a0 better but not as good as the corner, which is at a very good level
\nf\/5.6: Excellent center, very good corner and the midframe is at a good level at last but worse than the corner
\nf\/8: more or less the same as f\/5.6
\nf\/11-f\/16: The diffraction effect hits and decreases the sharpness a little<\/p>\n

Sharpness (Portrait)<\/span><\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s look at the portrait distance (for a 24mm lens about 50-60 cm) at the very center, center\u2019s inner periphery\u00a0 (1\/3 rule intersection) and center\u2019s outer periphery (points of interest for portraits).<\/p>\n

\"Viltrox
Portrait Points of Interest<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n