Viltrox just posted a teaser to its Instagram that another lens will be joining the Air Series APS-C lens family on February 28.
With an entire collection of prime lenses from the Pro and Lab series, and even cine with the Epic anamorphic cinema lenses and “wild” Luna super zoom series like the Luna 30-300mm T4.0 10x Zoom, Viltrox offers competitive options for both stills and film. Viltrox’s Air Series lenses, named for their size and weight, are an affordable, lightweight take on prime lenses.
The Air lenses are designed for entry-level and enthusiast photographers with APS-C cameras. Currently there are two lenses in the Air Series: the AF 35mm f/1.7 Air and AF 56mm f/1.7 Air both for Sony E-mount, Nikon Z-Mount, or Fujifilm X-mount. Judging by the picture, this is another prime to form what Viltrox calls the Air Series Trinity. PetaPixel has covered the previous two Air Series lenses, AF 35mm f/1.7 Air and AF 56mm f/1.7 Air, which offer roughly the same field of view approximately 50mm and 85mm primes on full-frame cameras.
As an example of the Viltrox Air Series quality and price, the AF 35mm f/1.7 Air has 11 elements arranged in nine groups with extra-low dispersion glass and atmospheric elements. This construction promises to minimize distortion and chromatic aberration combined with multi-layer coating to reduce flare and ghosting. The 35mm also has a nine-bladed aperture for pleasing bokeh. A stepping motor drives the autofocus and provides full electronic communication with Sony E-mount, Nikon Z-Mount, or Fujifilm X-mount cameras. This lightweight prime comes in at a mere $179, so it is easy to see why this series has gained a foothold for photographers who are on a budget.
As speculation rises in Viltrox’s Instagram comment section and the community of their public Discord server, guesses flood in of what the lens could be. Viltrox shared the teaser at the top of this article on both platforms, although the latter kept its filename, “25mm.jpg.” Whether a simple mistake or an Easter Egg, PetaPixel looks forward to sharing the complete reveal next week during CP+ in Japan. A budget-friendly 35mm-ish equivalent prime lens would be a nice addition to the Viltrox Air family.
Image credits: Photographs courtesy Viltrox
