Viltrox AF 33mm 1.4 für Sony E

While we have focused on the individual strengths and weaknesses of the Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 XF in the previous chapters, the verdict has to be about context. And the context is that this is about a $280 lens costing less than half of the Fujinon XF 35mm f/1.4 R and this Fujinon is far from being flawless. The Viltrox lens actually shares many characteristics with this lens. In terms of resolution, it is quite sharp in the image center at f/1.4 and f/2 whereas the outer image field is soft. Stopping down results in a gradual increase in quality reaching its peak at f/5.6. Images are sharp across the board at this setting although there's still some room for improvement here. Lateral CAs are low and nothing to worry about. If you are into architecture photography, you may spot a tad of pincushion distortion. There is also some vignetting when shooting at f/1.4 but it's not out of the ordinary really. The Viltrox lens doesn't feature a built-in correction profile so you have to live with this - unless you own Photoshop/Lightroom where you can take advantage of a downloadable profile from the Viltrox website. A positive aspect is the quality of the bokeh. It deteriorates somewhat in the far corners but generally, it is pleasing. This is especially true for the out-of-focus highlights. As already mentioned in our previous reviews of Viltrox lenses, the mechanical quality is surprisingly high. Similar to its in-house cousins, the Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 XF is tightly assembled and most of the lens is made of metal including the lens hood. The AF is both speedy and noiseless - something that can't be said about the Fujinon XF 35mm f/1.4 R actually. Firmware upgrades are also possible. This can't be done via the camera but instead, you have to connect a USB cable to the USB port at the mount of the lens - which is perfectly fine, of course. Overall, it may not the last word in terms of sharpness at large apertures but the Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 XF is a killer offering in terms of value and a serious alternative to the aging Fujinon XF 35mm f/1.4 R.