[intro music] Viltrox has leveled up once again
with their latest release – The AF 16mm F1.8 for Sony FE. This full-frame wide-angle,
wide aperture prime lens Has the features and performance
of a Sony G Master lens… But at a fraction of the price. Find out why the Viltrox AF 16mm F1.8 Should be near the top of your list if you are
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Ridge's biggest sale of the year. Viltrox has seriously upped their game
in terms of features and handling. The AF 16mm features an aperture ring
that now has the option of being declicked, Allowing aperture racks without detents
for video. You can also control the aperture with
traditional clicks at every 1/3 stop if you desire. There is an AF/MF switch,
along with two function buttons. The first acts as a focus hold button
that can be programmed To different functions from within the camera, While the second allows you to preset
an A and B focus position, And automatically move back and forth
between them at a touch of a button. Helping that program this is the top
mounted LCD screen, Which shows you a distance scale,
current aperture settings, And the position of the preset focus locations. Long press the second function button
to set a new position.
The function buttons could use a
little improvement in feel, But I’m very glad they’re here. The AF 16mm has a thorough weather sealing That starts with a gasket at the rear of the lens
and with internal seals inside. The metal focus ring has 210° of rotation, A smooth feel, and the LCD screen allows
for repeatable focus pulls. There is a USB-C port on the lens mount
to allow for firmware updates. The lens is 85.2mm or 3.35″ in diameter, And is 101mm or right over 4″ in length. It weighs 550g or 19.4oz, Making it slightly larger and heavier than
the Sony 14mm F1.8 GM, But still very moderate in size. Viltrox has managed to retain a traditional
front element instead of a curved one, And you can use traditional filters in a 77mm size. There are nine rounded aperture blades
inside that do a good job of Retaining a circular shape as the lens is stopped down. Two negatives include a low minimum
focus distance, just 27cm, And a low maximum magnification of just 0.10x. While the lens hood is included, it feels
a little cheap and plasticky Compared to the metal construction of the lens. In general, however, this is a very nicely made lens
that is extremely feature-rich. Autofocus comes via a lead-screw-type STM motor, With focus changes that are very fast
but not quite as instantaneous As Sony G Master lenses with multiple motors. I found that autofocus accuracy
for stills was very good, Including use in a portrait session
or when tracking animal eyes. The lens exhibited very good eye stickiness
while tracking Nala in this video sequence. Video focus pulls were smooth and confident,
and with almost no focus breathing. Focus transitions in video shots were generally
nice and smooth as well. My hand test also worked well with smooth transitions
back to my eye. I have no complaints about the autofocus performance: Good focus allowed the excellent optics to shine. And the optics are excellent. The MTF charts shows a strong performance
both wide-open
And at smaller apertures, and that’s
exactly what I found. The 16mm is very sharp in the middle
of the frame wide-open, With the mid-frame and corners not far behind. I actually found that the Viltrox was sharper
than the Sony 14mm F1.8 G Master Both wide-open and at F2.8. The Viltrox reaches very high levels
at landscape apertures, Allowing for deep crops of images
while retaining good detail. There is a minimal amount of distortion,
though it is a little complex. I didn’t find it worth fixing in most situations. There is heavy vignette. Over three stops in the corners,
but it corrects easily. I found very little chromatic aberrations of any kind. Viltrox color is much improved, and I liked the
look of images taken with the lens. Flare resistance was fairly good as well,
without much disruption to my images And just a little flaring at certain points in the frame. Coma performance was also very good, With crisp star points and only minimal coma smear
near the edges of the frame. All told, this is a very strong lens optically. The Viltrox AF 16mm F1.8 is a home run, Particularly when you consider that you are
getting a feature-rich, high-performing Large aperture, wide-angle prime for just
549 US dollars. This becomes perhaps the best value for a
wide-angle prime on the Sony platform, And that’s saying something when you consider
how many options already exist. I’m very excited about the direction Viltrox is heading! If you want more information, check out
my definitive video review, Or read my text review that is linked below
along with buying links there. Please like and subscribe. Thanks for watching. Have a great day,
and let the light in! [outro music]
