Viltrox is steadily expanding its line of lenses and I’ve committed to making 2025 the year that I review more of them. Viltrox lenses have earned a glowing reputation and I very much enjoyed the 135mm f/1.8. But the latest 25mm f/1.7 comes in at an incredibly low price of $179. Can a lens this affordable make a favorable impression or is it too good to be true?
Viltrox Air 25mm f/1.7 Review: How It Handles
Part of the low cost of this optic is attributed to the fact that this lens is made to cover a smaller APS-C sized sensor and gives the lens a full-frame equivalent focal length of roughly 37mm. It is very compact with 52mm filter threads on the front and weighing in at only 170 grams (six ounces). It has very little in the way of tactile features, too: there is a rudimentary manual focusing ring and not much else. There is no AF/MF selector switch and no weather sealing but at least the mount is solid metal.
The Viltrox 25mm uses an affordable stepping motor to focus the lens but it does a fantastic job shifting the lens elements quickly and quietly. The lens can also focus fairly close but this is no macro lens: close-up shots may not be magnified but they are at least sharp.
Viltrox Air 25mm f/1.7 Review: How It Shoots
I had a bright and sunny day available to test this little lens so I pointed it towards the sun to get some flare examples. The coatings do a great job of controlling washed-out areas of exposure and contrast is well-maintained. Ghosting was minimal even at tight apertures. The sun stars are pretty bland, however, with no real definition, but I don’t think many users will mind on a lens like this.
Although this lens isn’t what I would call a shallow depth of field kind of lens, the bokeh is quite nice with a swirly cat’s eye look at f/1.7. However, the specular highlights are pretty distracting with onion rings and some soap bubble effect to them. This makes the background somewhat distracting when shooting at wide apertures. In most situations though, this lens is not going to deliver an ultra-shallow look to the focus so the results are acceptable for the price.
The Viltrox 25mm f/1.7 has some lateral chromatic aberration problems and you can see these purple smears quite clearly when shooting contrast-y subjects. At this price, a lens isn’t going to correct for these aberrations but remember that they are easily removable in post. It’s the longitudinal chromatic aberrations (LoCA) that are more critical because they are difficult to remove in editing. Luckily, the LoCA is pretty minimal when shooting at f/1.7 with only a slight color shift in the out-of-focus areas.
Can a cheap lens be sharp? The answer is a resounding yes. The Viltrox shows good detail and contrast in the center of the frame and any improvement from stopping the aperture down is minimal. The corners are a little soft at f/1.7 and the vignetting is very apparent but this largely goes away with a tighter aperture.
Incredible Performance for a Lens This Affordable
What’s not to like about a cheap and cheerful lens that delivers excellent results? The lens is bare bones for sure but the results deliver excellent value for the $179 price. Viltrox has shown that it can produce premium lenses like the 135mm and useful value optics alike. I truly wish that Viltrox will produce more affordable primes in the future if they are anything like this latest little wonder.
Are There Alternatives?
In Fujifilm X-mount, the 23mm f/2 is an option with comparable image quality, albeit at a higher price. The XF 23mm f/1.4 provides way more light for way more money. It’s a similar story with Sony when you look at its 24mm f/1.8 that comes in at twice the price.
Should You Buy It?
Yes. The Viltrox 25mm f/1.7 represents incredible value for the dollar and punches well above its weight.
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