Viltrox recently sent me a lens to try out: their brand-new AF 75mm f/1.8 EVO. This a portrait lens with a somewhat large maximum aperture. As a third-party (non-Fujinon) option, how good is it? Where does it fit within Fujifilm’s lineup? Is it worthwhile to buy? Those are the questions I will try to answer in this review.
The first question I had is: what does EVO mean? Apparently, it is short for “Evolution of Essentials” and designates Viltrox’s mid-tier lineup. They call their low-budget line AIR and the top-end PRO. So the 75mm f/1.8 fits in the middle. It’s probably most equivalent to Fujifilm’s “Fujicron” f/2 series, as far as build and image quality goes, which is good company to be in.
Fujifilm has a pretty mature lens lineup with high quality glass and without a lot of holes; however, there are indeed some holes. The middle ground is pretty crowded, but at the ultra-wide and telephoto ends, there is a little lack of coverage. After the Fujinon 56mm f/1.2, there are two macro’s—the aging 60mm f/2.4 (in need of a refresh) and the excellent but expensive 80mm f/2.8—and then the 90mm f/2. The 56mm f/1.2 and 90mm f/2 are a couple of my favorite lenses, and are great options, but there should be something in-between that’s fast and affordable (and not a macro). That’s where we find the Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 EVO.
A 75mm (112mm full-frame equivalent) lens isn’t just good for portrait photography, but for a lot of other things, too. Anytime you want to isolate the subject or compress the scene, this is a good focal-length choice. It can be used in street, travel, landscapes, events, still-life, and more. It’s a very useful focal length to have available for a variety of subjects and situations, but Fujifilm doesn’t offer it.
The image quality from the Viltrox 75mm f/1.8 is fantastic. It has excellent sharpness edge-to-edge and very little distortion. When wide open, there is a very small drop in overall sharpness and some minor vignetting (nothing to be concerned about); however, stopping down just a little improves it, with optimal image quality around f/4 and f/5.6. Bokeh, which is the quality of the out of focus areas of the picture, is very pleasing. I was impressed with the photographs that this lens produces, and found very little to complain about. Well done, Viltrox!
Personally, I like lens flare, but not everyone does. The Viltrox lens controls flare very well. If the sun or a bright light is just out of frame, you can get some hazy “veiling” flare. Sunstars aren’t half bad when using small apertures. If you don’t like lens flare or if you do like sunstars, this lens is pretty good. Below are two examples of sunstars and one example of flare with this lens.
Autofocus was quiet, quick, and accurate. The focus ring is smooth, making manual focus pleasant. Close focus is mediocre, at “only” 29 inches (maybe a reason why those two macro lenses might be preferable). The aperture ring—yea, it has an aperture ring!—has nice clicks, with one-third intermediate stops in-between the full stops. It takes 58mm filters. Build quality seems quite good, perhaps a tad plasticky, if there’s anything negative to say about it. It has some level of weather sealing, although I did not put that too the test. The lens weighs only 11.8 ounces, which is just slightly more than the old kit Fujinon 18-55mm f/2.8-4 zoom, and pretty lightweight for a telephoto. It’s a little smaller than both the Fujinon 56mm f/1.2 and Fujinon 90mm f/2, making it a good in-between option that will fit a little easier into your camera bag.
Perhaps the number one selling point for the Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 EVO is the price, at only $330. For that low amount, it’s very easy to recommend. This isn’t a “good for the money” situation, though: the lens is good, the affordable price is a bonus. If you are in the market for a lens in-between Fujifilm’s 56mm and 90mm options, and you don’t want or need a macro, this is one to strongly consider. Also, maybe you own and love both the 56mm and 90mm, but want something that’s close enough to both yet is a little easier to travel with, this might be it. I think the Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.8 EVO is a really good lens, and it fills a void in the Fujinon lineup quite nicely. I’m very happy with it, and you probably would be, too.
Two Ducks on a Boat Ramp – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5 & Viltrox 75mm – Provia Positive
Flower Pot by a Lake – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5 & Viltrox 75mm – Provia Positive
Three Palm Trunks – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5 & Viltrox 75mm – Pacific Blues
Vines Climbing a Palm – Goodyear, AZ – Fujifilm X-E5 & Viltrox 75mm – Reggie’s Superia
Waiting on a Bench – Phoenix, Arizona – Fujifilm X-E5 & Viltrox 75mm – 1-Hour Photo
Viltrox just released two conversion lenses for Fujifilm X100-series cameras: WCL-X100VI and TCL-X100VI. These lenses are very similar to Fujifilm’s own conversion lenses for the X100-series, the WCL-X100 II and TCL-X100 II, and if you don’t look closely, you might not notice the differences, as they seem nearly identical. How does the Viltrox version stack up? Should you even consider these for your Fujifilm X100VI? If so, which should you get, Viltrox or Fujinon?
I need to tell you upfront that Viltrox sent me the two lenses to try out. They didn’t give any expectations other than, “We look forward to your impression of the lenses.” This review serves as that. It’s my honest feedback to Viltrox, while also hopefully being helpful to those considering these lenses for their X100VI or other X100-series camera.
There are two conversion lenses—Viltrox WCL-X100VI and TCL-X100VI—and I want to talk about them individually, but also as a set. We’ll begin with the wide-converter, then the teleconverter, and finish up by discussing the two together. Let’s dive right in!
Viltrox WCL-X100VI
The Viltrox WCL-X100VI is a wide conversion lens that’s nearly identical to the Fujinon WCL-X100 II. It has an 0.8x magnification, which, when screwed onto the end of the X100VI’s lens, changes the focal-length from 35mm to 28mm (full-frame equivalents; 23mm to 19mm in APS-C terms). It makes the camera a little more wide-angle, which can be useful when the native focal-length is just a little too tight for the circumstance.
On X100-series cameras, there is a hidden thread for a filter/hood adapter, which reveals itself when a ring on the end of the lens is unscrewed. Both of the conversion lenses attach to this thread, simply by screwing onto it. The WCL-X100VI is threaded to accept 49mm filters. Oh, and the camera automatically recognizes that you attached the lens, just like the Fujinon WCL-X100 II.
Sun Peek, Bougainvillea Peak – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI + Viltrox WCL – Pacific Blues
From my measurements, the Viltrox version is just a hair smaller than the Fujinon, and weighs just slightly less (very minimally on both accounts). Using the TCL adds some size and weight to the camera, but, for the WCL-X100VI, this isn’t a major deal, because the lens is pretty small. The added bulk and heft is a small price for the extra versatility.
As for both the build and image quality, the lens seems to be on par with the Fujinon option. There’s a little difference in how the lens flares, but otherwise it seems to render images pretty much identically. A lot of times when you buy a third-party version of a lens, it’s less expensive, but it’s pretty obvious why, as it feels cheaper and/or has image quality flaws. With the Viltrox conversion lenses, there does not seem to be any reduction in quality. You’re not giving up anything to save a little money. In the case of the WCL-X100VI, it’s not a little money, but a significant chunk of change! The Viltrox WCL-X100VI has an MSRP of $159; the Fujinon WCL-X100 II is a lot more expensive at $399. For a lot less than half the cost, you basically get the same exact thing.
Viltox TCL-X100VI
The Viltrox TCL-X100VI is a tele conversion lens that’s nearly identical to the Fujinon TCL-X100 II. It has a 1.4x magnification, which, when screwed onto the end of the X100VI’s lens, changes the focal-length from 35mm to 50mm (full-frame equivalents; 23mm to 33mm in APS-C terms). It makes the camera a “standard” focal-length, which can be useful when the native focal-length is just a little too wide for the circumstance.
Like the WCL, the TCL-X100VI attaches to the camera by screwing onto the hidden filter/hood adapter thread. It accepts 67mm filters. Also like the WCL, the camera recognizes when you attach the lens, just like it does for the Fujinon TCL-X100 II.
Sun-Kissed Bougainvillea – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI + Viltrox TCL – Pacific Blues
From my measurements, the Viltrox version is just barely a hair smaller than the Fujinon; however, the weight difference is notable, with the Viltrox coming in at about 25% heavier, or 0.1 pounds more, than the Fujinon. For both brands, the TCL is larger and heavier than the WCL, which makes it a little less practical for carrying around. Even so, I really like 50mm (full-frame equivalent), so I tend to use the TCL more than the WCL, personally.
Just like the WCL-X100VI, for both the build and image quality, the TCL-X100VI seems to be right on par with the Fujinon option. There’s a little difference in how the lens flares, but otherwise it seems to render images pretty much identically. You’re not giving up anything to save a little money. The Viltrox TCL-X100VI has an MSRP of $189; the Fujinon TCL-X100 II is a lot more expensive at $399. For less than half the cost, you basically get the same exact thing.
Both Lenses
Last year, I travelled to Austin, Texas, and the only camera I took was a Fujifilm X100VI with the Fujinon WCL-X100 II and TCL-X100 II conversion lenses. It allowed me to travel light but still have some focal-length versatility. An X100-series camera with the two conversion lenses is a compact and powerful three-lens kit. But, for the Fujinon, those two additional lenses will run you $798, which is a lot of money; however, with Viltrox, you can do it for only $348, which is a bargain. If you own an X100-series camera, you should buy these two lenses. Despite having “X100VI” in the name, the conversion lenses will work on any X100-series model, not just the latest iteration.
When you combine the conversion lenses with the built-in digital teleconverter, you get even more focal-length versatility: 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 70mm, and 100mm (full-frame equivalents). On the X100VI, to get 70mm requires both the TCL and the digital teleconverter, and you go from 40mp to 20mp (which is still plenty of resolution); to get to 100mm, you’ll get a 10mp file, which is fine for social media use, but it’s not ideal for photos you intend to print much larger than 8″x12″. You can also skip the digital teleconverter and simply crop after-the-fact and accomplish the same thing.
A three lens kit for your X100VI, which requires only two additional lenses, is nice to have, but it does kind of defeat the purpose of the camera, which is a compact one-camera-one-lens philosophy. I wish that Fujifilm made a wide-angle and nifty-fifty alternative versions of the X100VI (like Sigma did with the DP camera series), so that you could choose the focal length that fits you best. Since they don’t, if you want to adjust the focal length yourself, it does require adding some extra bulk.
What works for me is to keep the conversion lenses in my pockets, and simply screw one onto the camera whenever I need it. With two front pockets in my jeans or shorts, I can have the WCL in one pocket and the TCL in the other. Viltrox includes a little bag in the box that helps to protect the lens when doing this. I’m able to use the X100VI as a fixed-lens 35mm (full-frame equivalent) camera most of the time, but go wider or more telephoto whenever I need to. When you want to travel light, this is quite ideal.
Fountain at Dusk – Buckeye, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI + Viltrox TCL-X100VI – Summer of ’59
To save a little weight, choose the Fujinon TCL over the Viltrox TCL. The Fujinon TCL-X100 II is large and already heavy enough; the Viltrox TCL-X100VI adds a noticeable amount of additional weight. Unfortunately, a second-hand Fujinon TCL-X100 II costs more than the Viltrox version brand-new. If you don’t mind spending an extra $50 or so and getting a used model, the most ideal scenario is to purchase the Viltrox WCL-X100VI and the Fujinon TCL-X100 II. Or, just save a few bucks and don’t worry about 0.1 pounds, and get both Viltrox options.
Both lenses come in silver and black. If you have a silver X100-series camera, you’ll probably want the silver lenses; if you have a black X100-series camera, you’ll probably want the black lenses. I definitely do recommend the Viltrox conversion lenses. I was quite surprised at both the build and image quality, especially considering the price. You won’t break the bank, so get one. Or get both.
