Photography Life

PL provides various digital photography news, reviews, articles, tips, tutorials and guides to photographers of all levels

  • Lens Reviews
  • Camera Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • Compare Cameras
  • Forum
    • Sign Up
    • Login
  • About
  • Search
Home โ†’ Reviews โ†’ Cameras and Lenses โ†’ Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 Review

Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 Review

By Spencer Cox 20 Comments
Published On November 28, 2023

«»

With the AF 35mm f/1.8, Viltrox is hoping that there’s still a market for budget, autofocus prime lenses that sacrifice some performance compared to name-brand glass. It’s not that the Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 is a bad lens, but it’s definitely weaker than most first-party 35mm f/1.8 lenses, and even weaker than a good zoom. I’d say it’s about on par with a basic zoom lens optically.

Still, for a $380 third-party lens, maybe that’s all you need… although I think it would be an easier sell at the $300 price point or less.

Viltrox-AF-35mm-f1.8-Review-00010
NIKON Z 7 + Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 Z @ 35mm, ISO 64, 1/25, f/7.1

Here’s how I’d sum up the pros and cons of the Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8.

Pros:

  • Good corner sharpness even wide open
  • Better-than-expected autofocus performance
  • Physical aperture ring gives an alternative way to change aperture
  • Internal focusing
  • All-metal design

Cons:

  • Midframe and central sharpness are pretty weak
  • High levels of wavy field curvature
  • Some focus shift upon changing aperture
  • Distracting bokeh with clear longitudinal chromatic aberration
  • Minimalist handling, no A-M switch
  • No weather sealing

I didn’t start testing the Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 with particularly high expectations. And although you could argue that the lens met those expectations, it definitely didn’t exceed them.

Don’t get me wrong – it might still make sense to pick the Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 if you’re on a budget. At $380, it’s less expensive than most other autofocus-capable 35mm f/1.8 lenses, and its flaws aren’t fatal. Even so, I would try to find an alternative first. While the Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 is not a terrible lens, it’s definitely below average in a lot of ways.

Viltrox-AF-35mm-f1.8-Review-00002
NIKON Z 7 + Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 Z @ 35mm, ISO 64, 1/1000, f/5.6

I hope that you found this review of the Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 to be helpful in making your decision! If you want to purchase the lens, you can thank us at Photography Life for all the work that went into this review by using the affiliate links below:

  • Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 at B&H – check current price
  • Used and worldwide at eBay

Photography Life gets a small percentage of each purchase made through the affiliate links above, even if you buy something other than the Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8, without costing you anything extra.

The next page of this review has some more sample photos from the Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8, followed by reader comments on the final page. So, click the menu below to jump to the section you want:

Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8
  • Build Quality and Handling
  • Size and Weight
  • Sharpness Performance
  • Other Image Quality
  • Value

Photography Life Overall Rating

4

Table of Contents

  • Specifications & Build Quality
  • Optical Features
  • Verdict
  • More Sample Images
  • Reader Comments
«»
Looking for even more exclusive content?

On Photography Life, you already get world-class articles with no advertising every day for free. As a Member, you'll get even more:

Silver ($5/mo)
  • Exclusive articles
  • Monthly Q&A chat
  • Early lens test results
  • "Creative Landscape Photography" eBook
Gold ($12/mo)
  • All that, PLUS:
  • Online workshops
  • Monthly photo critiques
  • Vote on our next lens reviews
 
Click Here to Join Today
 
Disclosures, Terms and Conditions and Support Options

Learn

  • Beginner Photography
  • Landscape Photography
  • Wildlife Photography
  • Portraiture
  • Post-Processing
  • Advanced Tutorials
Photography Life on Patreon

Reviews

  • Camera Reviews
  • Lens Reviews
  • Other Gear Reviews
  • Best Cameras and Lenses

Photography Tutorials

Photography Basics
Landscape Photography
Wildlife Photography
Macro Photography
Composition & Creativity
Black & White Photography
Night Sky Photography
Portrait Photography
Street Photography
Photography Videos

Unique Gift Ideas

Best Gifts for Photographers

Subscribe via Email

If you like our content, you can subscribe to our newsletter to receive weekly email updates using the link below:

Subscribe to our newsletter

Site Menu

  • About Us
  • Beginner Photography
  • Lens Database
  • Lens Index
  • Photo Spots
  • Search
  • Forum

Reviews

  • Reviews Archive
  • Camera Reviews
  • Lens Reviews
  • Other Gear Reviews

More

  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Workshops
  • Support Us
  • Submit Content

Copyright © 2025 ยท Photography Life

You are going to send email to

Move Comment