Viltrox AF 16mm F/1.8 FE

Specifications01

MountSONY FE

Focal length16mm

Max aperturef/1.8

TypeCinema · Wide · Prime

Weight550 g

Filter size77 mm

Physical length103 mm

Barrel diameter85 mm

Min focus distance0.27 m

Max magnification0.1

Aperture blades9

Optical elements15

Groups12

AutofocusYes

StabilizationNo

Weather sealedNo

Lens hoodpetal-shaped (bayonet mount, supplied)

Approx price$580

Additional Info02

TypeUltra wide-angle prime

Category["Sony","Sony FE (Full Format)"]

Keywords["E-mount","Prime","Ultra-wide","Viltrox"]

Angle Of View105.6°

Review AuthorKlaus

Review Rating8

Other FeaturesLCD display, 2 custom buttons, clickless aperture mode, dust-sealing, aperture ring

Review VerdictThe Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE impressed us, to say the least. Ultra-wide lenses are already difficult to design, and high speed on top of this increases the related complexities substantially. Yet, the lens has performed surprisingly well both in our lab as well as during field sessions. The center performance is exceptionally high - most manufacturers manage to do this. However, the Viltrox lens is also capable of providing high-quality results in the outer image field. At f/1.8 and f/2.2, the image corners are already pretty good. At medium aperture settings, the borders/corners are boosted to very good levels - surpassing even the Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM here. The field curvature is also very moderate. Lateral CAs are low. Another almost baffling aspect is the near-absence of image distortions in RAW images. The vignetting is high at f/1.8 - more so in RAW images - although that's to be expected in this lens class. Auto-corrected images show a reasonably low light falloff from about f/2.8 onward. Viltrox also made progress with their lens coating - backlight is handled quite well. The build quality of the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE is very high, thanks to a dust-proof, all-metal construction with internal focusing. Viltrox kept the weight at a reasonable 550g. The lens also features higher-end goodies such as a dedicated aperture ring with a clickless mode option and custom buttons. Some users will also cheer the return of a distance scale via an LCD display. The STM AF is decently fast and noiseless. Video shooters will also appreciate the lack of focus breathing - once again, without any digital trickery. Many users may still not be aware of Viltrox as a lens manufacturer, but they are becoming a force to be reckoned with. The AF 16mm f/1.8 FE leaves the Laowa 15mm f/2 far behind in the dust. It's a very serious alternative to Sony's own offering. And Viltrox managed this at a much lower price tag. Therefore - Highly Recommended!

Review Criteria{"Build Quality":9.5,"Optical Quality":8,"Price / Performance":10}

Review Published2023-06-20T05:15:00+00:00

Optical Construction15 elements in 12 groups, incl. 4xED and 3 aspherical elements

Field Notes02

Viltrox AF 16mm F/1.8 is a fixed wide-angle prime lens for Sony E (FE) full-frame/mirrorless cameras. It uses a bright f/1.8 maximum aperture for low-light and general wide-angle photography.

AI-assisted summary — verify against linked sources

Catalog note · source: opticallimits