The Viltrox AF 135mm f/1.8 LAB FE lens is a budget-friendly telephoto prime that competes with much more expensive options from Sony, Canon, and Nikon. It’s part of Viltrox’s LAB series, which aims to push optical performance to new heights without costing a ton.
Coming to you from Bobby Tonelli, this thorough video takes a look at the Viltrox AF 135mm f/1.8 LAB FE lens. It’s large and heavy, weighing 2.7 lbs, which makes it comparable in size to some zoom lenses. The optical quality, however, is where it stands out. Even at f/1.8, sharpness is excellent, and the rendering is reminiscent of Zeiss Otus lenses. Autofocus performance is solid but slightly behind native Sony lenses, making it less ideal for high-speed action. For portrait and street photography, it provides beautiful separation and smooth background blur.
Tonelli highlights some quirks that might be dealbreakers for certain users. The aperture ring lacks a locking mechanism, making it easy to knock out of place. The OLED display, while visually appealing, doesn’t add much practical value for most users. The lens hood is well-designed with a felt interior, but its size and shape may be uncomfortable for those with larger hands. Despite these drawbacks, the image quality and price-to-performance ratio make it an interesting option.
Key Specs:
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Focal Length: 135mm
Maximum Aperture: f/1.8
Lens Mount: Sony E
Format Coverage: Full frame
Autofocus: Yes
Image Stabilization: No
Filter Size: 82mm
Minimum Focus Distance: 2.36' / 0.72 m
Maximum Magnification: 0.25x
Optical Design: 9 elements in 14 groups
Diaphragm Blades: 11
Dimensions: 3.7 x 5.7" / 93 x 145.7 mm
Weight: 2.7 lb / 1235 g
One critical factor Tonelli brings up is the necessity of a firmware update. Out of the box, autofocus performance was sluggish, but after updating through the Viltrox app, it improved significantly. This is something users should be aware of, as Viltrox doesn’t widely advertise firmware updates. It’s worth checking their site regularly for new updates, as they can make a noticeable difference in performance.
The lens performs well in various shooting conditions. In low light, the f/1.8 aperture provides excellent subject isolation and smooth bokeh, though highlights in the corners may have a cat-eye shape. Autofocus is generally reliable, though it may not match Sony’s GM lenses in speed. The trade-off comes down to size, price, and performance, making it a strong option for those who can handle the weight. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Tonelli.
The 0.25x maximum magnification ratio is the deal-breaker for me. So many lensmakers still don't seem to realize just how many of us want to use such lenses for close-up work. Not actual macro, but close to it. There is not a wide enough variety of macro lenses out there, so we can't just buy a dedicated macro lens for close-up work.
For the 135mm focal length, I would love one with a 0.50x max magnification ratio, and it doesn't have to be wide aperture. F2.8 would be okay, but F4 or F4.5 would be about perfect, given that the size, weight, and price will come down as the aperture becomes smaller.
It is more impotent to most to have a camera makers lens... BUT in my beginnings with Sony when there were few lenses to choose from there was the option to use ones old film lenses with low cost adapters, $20 to $50 as i think back. The only problem was they where unchipped lenses and you needed to keep a log of lens info and use LensTagger to put info in metadata. Also when lenses from other makers like Rokinon they were unchipped also and with terrible mustache distortion and elongated stars in corners and the pros lived with all things making great images.
I state all this just to say that there is more buck for the bang in lenses of off brands today with even lens updates from a cell phone. With Sony mod 1 and 2 cameras there was/are a on camera app for lens corrections or even Capture ONE at the early days a white plastic square you placed in front of a lens. Just saying less work today with off brands.
This review, as stated, was out and about on a walk about but the lens is basically a portrait lens and mostly used in studio, But his the results of off hand captures look great and you can see what a F1.8 doses to a focus on a head shot with lots of background the nose tip and ears are out of focus but eyes are sharp and bokeh is soft.
Looks good for the beginner on a budget and hopefully PS and Lrc already has a LC.