Viltrox AF 56mm F/1.7 E Sony

Specifications01

MountSONY E

Focal length56mm

Max aperturef/1.7

TypeCinema · Macro · Portrait · Prime

Weight170 g

Filter size52 mm

Physical length65 mm

Min focus distance0.55 m

Max magnification0.1111

Aperture blades9

Lens hoodbarrel-shaped (plastic, bayonet mount, supplied)

Additional Info02

Category["Sony E (APS-C)"]

Keywords["E-mount","Prime"]

Review AuthorKlaus

Review Rating8.5

Other Featuresmicro-USB port for firmware updates

Review VerdictUnsurprisingly, the Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.7 E maintains the high quality levels that we've already seen with the X-mount version of the lens. The lens is very sharp at f/1.7 and downright superb at medium aperture settings. Image distortions and CAs are non-existent. Vignetting is on the very high in RAW images but decent when using auto-correction. The quality of the bokeh is impressive as well. Highlights are nicely rendered and the background blur is very smooth. Even LoCAs are on the low side. A bit of a hiccup are focus shifts towards the rear when stopping down. At very close focus distances this might be an issue. It's worth noting that the lens isn't really aligned to close focus scenes anyway. The build quality is far better than what you might expect from a lens of this the price tag. Sure, this isn't a professional grade lens. However, the plastic quality is decent and the focus rings feels pretty good. There is no weather sealing, but the internal focusing should help in most sane situations. The AF is fairly slow, but it does the job just fine for most target applications, except action photography. The Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.7 E is quite a steal at just $180 USD. If you don't feel the f/1.4 itch and want to save a few bucks along the way, this currently the best option in the class for Sony APS-C mount cameras.

Review Criteria{"Build Quality":7.5,"Optical Quality":8.5,"Price / Performance":10}

Review Published2024-09-02T08:41:43+00:00

Optical Construction11 elements in 9 ground including 4x ED, 3x HR