A nifty fifty, more often than not, is what you’re probably thinking of picking up as your first prime lens. And that’s a good choice. At this focal length, you’re getting a prime lens well-known for its sharpness and, with its wide apertures, creamy bokeh.
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This Vitlrox AF 56mm 1.7 may not quite literally be a nifty fifty but this little lens is rather impressive — especially since it is just under US$ 200. What can you expect? Fast autofocus, lightweight and portable build, and a wide aperture.
But like any budget lens, it comes with its pros and cons. So, is the Viltrox AF 56mm f1.7 worth your investment?
A quick intro
First off, let’s get to know the Viltrox 56mm f 1.7 We have the E variant for Sony mounts but this lens is also available for Fujifilm and Nikon cameras.
On an APSC-C sensor, its 56mm focal length will fetch you aan 84mm equivalent — perfect for portrait, street, or travel photography and probably what you’ll end up using the lens for.
The lens itself is really lightweight (187g) being made of plastic but it doesn’t feel toy-like at all. Inside the box, you will get a lens hood and a pouch which is a nice surprise for a budget package. It also comes with a USB Type-C port right on the mount so any firmware upgrades can be installed directly through here. No aperture ring here or switches for manual focus.
As for its construction, we have a 9-group lens here with 11 elements; four extra-low dispersion lenses for minimizing chromatic aberrations and three high refractive lenses for overall performance.
It just works
First and probably most noteworthy about this affordable prime lens is its autofocus. The Viltrox 56mm f1.7 E works perfectly with Sony’s STM system to provide a surprisingly fast and accurate autofocusing lens. So much so that you can easily just shoot and point.
You can slightly hear the motor when it’s focusing but not so much that it’s distracting for either you the shooter or the subject. This lens also supports eye and face autofocus which also proves to be speedy and accurate even when photographing moving subjects.
With its aperture wide open at f1.7, you can easily shift focus and isolate details like the camera bump of a smartphone or the switches of a vehicle. The bokeh is very smooth. Viltrox describes it as “retro” which kind of makes sense given its classic shape.
At narrower apertures, you still get sharpness across the frame.
On the video side, the autofocus is also plenty reliable. In my time with it, I noticed barely any focus pulsing or breathing — something that happens more frequently with another Sony prime lens I have on hand. But this lens isn’t something I wouldn’t wholly recommend for video and I’ll explain why later on since we are first talking about the positive things about this lens
Something that I also appreciate about the Viltrox 56mm is its build. Despite being a lens on the lower end of the price bracket, you’re getting a pretty solid build.
It’s compact at just 65mm in diameter and just slightly above 2 inches in height. It also has a 52mm filter thread in case you were wondering.
A few things to note
Of course, with an affordable lens like this one, some compromise is expected. Though, I don’t think these are major issues, here are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind if you’re thinking about purchasing this lens.
Being a more affordable lens, it decides to ship without any sort of stabilization. This means you’ll have to rely on your camera’s in-body stabilization. Unfortunately for me, my daily Sony A6400 doesn’t have IBIS but testing it out on the Sony A7RV provided stable enough handheld footage.
This lens is perfect, however, for static portrait shoots like shooting interviews or talking heads.
Another thing to keep in mind with the Viltrox AF 56mm 1.7 is that it isn’t weather-sealed. It does, at least, offer a waterproof coating for its front lens and an anti-fouling layer to keep the lens clean and clear.
So as perfect as it is for travel or street photography, you will have to consider the elements during your shoot.
Final thoughts
So, where does this leave us?
The AF Viltrox 56mm f/1.7 is a solid option if you’re in the market for a budget-friendly portrait lens. It’s not perfect, but for under $200, it works hard to punch above its class.
While admittedly this lens lacks any flair or extra features, at its price, the performance it provides, and even its build quality, the Viltrox AF 56mm 1.7 E becomes easily recommendable for Sony cameras.
Especially for those who are just starting to build their collection and want to get that nifty-fifty.
In the end, whether or not this lens is right for you depends on your needs and budget.
If you can live without image stabilization and weather sealing and are looking for a lens that has fast and sharp autofocus, a wide aperture, and an affordable price, then there’s plenty of room for you to love the Viltrox AF 56mm 1.7 prime lens.
