Viltrox AF 35mm 1.2 LAB

This test didn't reveal anything fundamentally new, but that's a good thing here, of course. Just like the non-N version, the Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB N FE continues to impress. It's very sharp at f/1.2 already - and slightly better than on the non-N sample that we reviewed before. And it's stunningly good when stopped down a little. Lateral CAs are very low. Axial CAs are noticeable at large aperture settings, although not excessive. The vignetting is typical for such a lens. The lens produces a slight pincushion distortion in RAW images, which turns to slight barrel distortion when autocorrected. The background bokeh is very smooth, and out-of-focus highlights are nicely rendered. The build quality is up to professional standards thanks to a weather-sealed all-metal housing. The focus control ring is smooth. The "N" version has a conventional, marked aperture ring now - which is surely a welcome change, at least among photographers. The AF is quick and noiseless. Unsurprisingly, the Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB N FE maintains its "Highly Recommended" badge again.

Viltrox delivered another impressive lens - this time the ultra-fast Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB FE. It's not only fast, but also capable of producing great image quality. It's very sharp at f/1.2 and reaches greatness from f/2. Lateral CAs are low. Axial CAs are noticeable at large aperture settings, although not excessive. The vignetting is typical for such a lens. Images shows a slight pincushion distortions - and our pre-prod sample didn't have a correction profile to eliminate them. The background bokeh is very smooth and out-of-focus highlights are nicely rendered. The build quality is up to professional standards thanks to a weather-sealed all metal housing. The focus control ring is smooth. We wished that Viltrox had used a marked aperture ring instead of "infinite scrolling" but that's a matter of taste. A more precise aperture change per "click" would have been nice, though. The AF is quick and noiseless. Some may find it almost suspicious that we rated many (although not all) Viltrox lenses so highly. However, most of our rating depends on data, and it matches with what we can see in sample images. So, it is once again ... highly recommended! Viltrox lenses can be purchased via the Viltrox online store (Use code KSDE3512LAB5 for 5% discount) or the usual suspects such as Amazon or B&H.