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In a world where cam sensing units are enhancing all the time, we require lenses that can solving huge quantities of information, which’s precisely what the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE can. This professional-quality prime lens is ideal for astrophotography and landscape photography, thanks to its ultra wide-angle field of vision and quick optimum aperture.

What makes this lens so unique, along with the previously mentioned characteristics, is the truth that it’s offered for a deal rate of simply $464/ ₤ 533 and produces spectacular image quality. Take a look around, and you will have a hard time to discover a comparable prime lens at this rate. This full-frame lens is readily available in Nikon Z-Mount and Sony E-mount.

For a prime lens, the 16mm does have some fascinating and helpful functions that even more increase its beauty. Like the majority of primes, it does not include Image Stabilization, however it does have a manual aperture ring with stepped and stepless control and a number of programmable Fn buttons together with its outstanding construct quality.

Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE: Design

The Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE is compact however rather heavy for a wide-angle prime. ( Image credit: James Abbott )

Quick ultra wide-angle primes can be rather large pieces of glass, however a focal length of 16mm integrated with an f/1.8 optimum aperture appears to be something of a sweet area in regards to size and weight.

The lens is comprised of 15 aspects in 12 groups, consisting of 4 ED glass and 3 aspherical lenses. This style intends to provide sharpness, information and high contrast while decreasing distortion at larger apertures, and the lens unquestionably accomplishes this.

The front aspect includes an HD Nano multilayer covering with a waterproof and antifouling finish. The front component isn’t round, which is excellent, and the filter thread size is 77mm, so you do not need to invest a fortune on circular filters.

Something we did discover when utilizing 100mm square filters is that the filter holder adaptor ring was challenging to eliminate from the front of the lens, even when it was 100% screwed on properly.

The minimum focusing range is simply 10.6 in/ 27 cm, which will bemost beneficial for landscape professional photographers when focus stacking. This is, naturally, of no usage for astrophotography.

The aperture is comprised of 9 blades instead of 11, however this does not produce any issues in spite of being a little less circular than 11-blade apertures.

The construct quality of the lens is excellent with its all-metal body and weather condition sealing, providing the 16mm f/1.8 a premium look. The manual focusing ring is broad enough for gloved usage.

The lens is created for both image and video capture, so the manual aperture ring can be set to stepped and stepless operation through the turn on one side of the lens. Other controls consist of 2 personalized Fn buttons and an AF/MF switch.

Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE: Functionality

As far as prime lenses go, the 16mm f/1.8 together with Viltrox’s Pro and LAB series lenses is remarkably feature-packed compared to much of the competitors. There’s no optical Image Stabilization; you’ll need to utilize IBIS if your cam includes it, however this lens, which is created for image and video capture, has a couple of techniques up its sleeve that you will not see readily available with other lenses.

Considering that this is a third-party lens, firmware updates can’t be used in the very same method as OEM lenses, however Viltrox has actually created a creative repair for this utilizing a mix of Bluetooth and the Viltrox Lens app.

With the lens unattached from a video camera, there’s a USB-C port on the lens install that’s utilized to power the lens. When powered, it can be linked to the Viltrox Lens app, where you can upgrade firmware, personalize the Fn buttons and personalize the digital screen’s welcome screen.

The color digital screen reveals the focus range and the aperture setting, along with revealing the active Fn control. It’s a fascinating function that’s in essence a digital variation of the focusing range scale window on older DSLR and SLR lenses. It’s most helpful when you wish to change settings rapidly without taking a look at the video camera LCD screen or the EVF.

Autofocus is far from the fastest we’ve experienced, and it’s quicker with the aperture broad open at f/1.8 than it is at f/11. It slows as you stop down. With the lens at f/11 or f/16, it takes about half a 2nd to lock onto topics, while broad open, it’s approximately two times as quickly

.

Autofocus is driven by an SMT stepping motor, which is declared to be practically quiet, and this is proper.

Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE: Performance

The all-metal style consists of weather-sealing. (Image credit: James Abbott)

There’s no navigating the reality that quick prime lenses are the very best choice for astrophotography. And while numerous focal lengths offer perfect field of visions for this kind of photography, it’s extremely wide-angle lenses like this that permit you to catch more of the sky and to delight in higher light-gathering abilities.

Wide-angle lenses, by their nature, enable more light to reach the sensing unit. Integrated with a quick optimum aperture of f/1.8, you’re onto a winning mix. Naturally, image quality is an extremely crucial aspect, and the 16mm f/1.8 is extremely sharp at f/1.8 and produces exceptional corner and edge sharpness to match.

Wide open sees the most vignetting, which is practically gone when you stop down to f/2.8 and totally addressed f/4. There is an Adobe Lightroom Lens Profile readily available for this lens, which gets rid of the vignette and likewise the small, practically undetectable quantity of barrel distortion that the lens produces.

Sharpness levels throughout the frame boost as you stop down to the sweet area of the lens at f/8, with f/11 still showing high levels of sharpness. The minimum aperture of the lens

is f/22, which does regrettably, show a loss of sharpness due to diffraction along with f/16. You can, nevertheless, accomplish terrific outcomes at f/16 when shooting landscapes, although f/11 will fix more information.

The general image quality is exceptional with very little distortion, hardly any at all, and likewise very little chromatic aberration. These are both outstanding qualities thinking about the broad field-of-view of the lens, when again highlighting its viability for topics consisting of landscape and astrophotography, where information is whatever.

Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE: PriceThe Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE is readily available for the deal cost of simply $ 464/ ₤ 533, which is amazing for a pro-spec prime lens. In package, you get the lens itself, a lens hood, front and rear lens caps and a soft lens case.

To offer the cost some viewpoint, the Sony FE 16mm f/1.8 G expenses $ 848/ ₤ 849, which is rather a lot more. It’s a smaller sized and lighter lens, however the Viltrox AF 16mm

f/1.8 FE itself is still a compact and relatively light-weight lens, provided the construct quality.

We evaluated the Sony FE variation, however there’s likewise a Nikon Z-mount variation offered. There are no other lens installs offered, which is an embarassment,

Whether you shoot with a full-frame Sony electronic camera and even a Sony APS-C cam, this is a lens you actually should think about for astrophotography and landscape photography.

The ultra wide-angle focal length, outstanding image quality, its robust construct and extremely inexpensive rate all operate in its favor. It’s not as quick as an f/1.4 lens, however this optimum aperture would need the lens to be much bigger and much heavier.

Plus, in spite of being a prime lens, the 16mm f/1.8 uses a number of beneficial functions, consisting of a little digital screen revealing beneficial details, 2 personalized Fn buttons, a manual aperture ring with stepped or stepless operation and app-based firmware updates.

There’s no integrated Image Stabilization, however its lack assists to keep the size of the lens little, and lots of video cameras provide In-body Image Stabilization anyhow, if you require it.

If the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE isn’t for you

How we evaluated the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FEThe Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE was evaluated over a number of weeks to record landscapes lit by a moon and seascapes around sundown. The lens was connected to a Sony A7R V because the high-resolution sensing unit is unforgiving and plainly records the optical defects of lenses.

The Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 FE was utilized usually in a range of conditions to evaluate its usage in various shooting circumstances and to examine performance, consisting of autofocus efficiency.

Pictures were likewise taken in daytime to look for distortion and aberrations. Sharpness was likewise inspected throughout the aperture variety to take a look at total sharpness, edge sharpness, corner sharpness and diffraction at a narrower aperture.

James is an acclaimed freelance landscape and picture professional photographer, in addition to an extremely skilled photography reporter dealing with a few of the very best photography publications and sites with an around the world audience. He’s likewise the author of The Digital Darkroom: The Definitive Guide to Photo Editing. www.jamesaphoto.co.uk

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