Just today announced is the new VILTROX 75mm 1.8 EVO lens for APS-C cameras, a focal length that is not commonly found in the cropped frame camera format
There is much to like about this announcement, and one thing that is driving me a little nuts. I’m going to take a deep breath and get that one thing out of the way. Why, why, why didn’t VILTROX make this a 70mm lens so I could just call it a 105mm equivalent? An explanation is in order. I’m a Nikon guy. I’ve got a couple of rangefinders, the entire F series, FEs and FMs, and put literally over a million clicks on their F mount digital cameras. Through all of that I have always had a 105mm lens in my bag.
Nikon has made a 105 since 1954, when it was labeled as a 10.5. When the F series cameras were introduced, the focal length came with them. Those lenses were good. Very good. Then in 1971, Yoshiyuki Shimizu reformulated the original 5 element Sonnar design, and Nikon introduced his 5 element, 4 group Xenotar lens. This lens was optically so perfect that it was kept in production (with slight changes to the housing) for 34 years! Along the way they also produced the 105 f2.0 DC, and the brilliant 105 f/1.4. both of those lenses are great, but it was the 2.5 that has become legend in photography circles, with Steve McCurry’s National Geographic cover shot “Afghan Girl” cementing its status. For all those years, the 105 was standard issue for reporters and portrait photographers Nikon still produces a 105. In the Z mount this is the 2.8 macro lens. But Nikon has never produced a lens in the 105 focal length for their APS-C cameras, And no, I’m not talking about some retched variable aperture zoom lens, I’m talking about a proper fast clean prime.
With that off my chest, let’s move forward and talk about the new VILTROX 75mm 1.8 EVO. First, there is a very logical reason that VILTROX developed this lens at 75mm. They already have a very highly regarded 75mm Pro lens with an f/1.2 aperture. That lens is bigger, faster, weather sealed and built to a “Pro” standard. And of course, it’s more expensive. For photographers who through preference or brand are locked into an APS-C system, the Pro model is an attractive option, but for my humble Nikon Zfc, it seems like overkill. One of the things I like best about VILTROX’s APS-C lenses on the Zfc is they are right sized, deliver really good performance, and are very attractively priced.
The VILTROX 75mm 1.8 EVO checks all those boxes. As an EVO lens, it comes with extra features you won’t find in the AIR series. A de-clickable aperture ring makes the lens feel right at home on the retro Zfc and lends an old-school handling experience to shooting, It can also be used in an automatic mode. An AF/MF switch is a very welcome addition, and if you want to get a little more up to date shooting experience, VILTROX has included a function button. Options for the additional function button will vary by camera model, and we should point out that the click switch, AF/MF switch and function button are not available on the XF mount version. There is a visible weather sealing ring on the all-metal bayonet mount and like all VILTROX lenses, a USB-C port is included for software updates.
At 75mm, this lens is about a 112 mm focal length in full frame terms. That makes it a little longer than my favorite 105s, but within spitting distance. Given Nikon’s history with the 105, it’s surprising that in all those dark years when using a digital Nikon meant using a cropped frame camera, Nikon never came out with a lens like this. The popularity of the Fujifilm X series of cameras has probably driven development of 75mm APS-C primes by the third-party manufacturers, and I’m happy that VILTROX has included Nikon Z mount (and Sony E) in the release.
When VILTROX and Hamish asked if I would like to review the lens, I immediately said “yes” as I’ve developed a real fondness for these inexpensive little wonders. Of course, in my world “testing” a lens doesn’t mean throwing it on a workbench and carefully taking measurements, it means throwing it on a camera and taking pictures! In the time I had to test the lens, I had four very different opportunities to do just that. An MLS football (soccer) match, a solo camping trip to Big Bend National Park, an outdoor concert by local legends Tripping Daisy, and a paid gig photographing the Dallas Pride parade. Here are the results:
Big Bend National Park is located in far southwest Texas, right along the Rio Grande river and the border with Mexico. Just to the west is the biggest State Park in Texas, and both parks are famous for their dark night skies. With Bortle Class 1 ratings, they are among the darkest skies in the contiguous 48 states. I was there to do a little remote camping get some practice taking pictures of the Milky Way, and I had my “big” cameras set up to do that. During the day, I would be using the Nikon Zfc and the VILTROX 9mm, 15mm and of course the brand new VILTROX 75mm 1.8 EVO.
My favorite campsite was up Pine Canyon road, with spectacular views of Crown Mountain and Seirra del Carmen.
The view at 9mm:
Slapping on the 75mm, 1.8 EVO gives you an entirely different feeling, and gives the mountains an immediacy that you don’t get with the wide-angle lens.
When the sun started to disappear behind the ridge I stopped down to f 11 and tried to get some sunstars. The desert sun was so bright that it was a little overwhelming. The VILTROX 75mm 1.8 EVO is built with 11 elements in 9 groups and includes 2 HR (high-refractive) elements and two ED (extra-low dispersion) elements. All of this glass is then funneled through 9 aperture blades on it’s way to the sensor. At certain positions I could pick up a hint of lens flair, but all in all the lens handled the overwhelming desert sun really well.
Before the sun completely disappeared. I took a quick, hand held three shot panorama. I liked the way this turned out because it combined the wide vista of a wide angle while bringing the mountains close enough to get some detail.
VILTROX now provides both a super wide lens (9mm) and short telephoto (75mm) for the Nikon Zfc and other cropped frame cameras. Thank goodness because you won’t find either option in the Nikon store. After piecing together an eight shot panorama of the Milky Way, I added it to my original 9mm campground shot to get this. (The Milky Way was taken with a Nikon Z6iii and Nikon 20mm lens, 60 second exposures using a star tracker)
VILTROX lists the minimum focus distance of the 75mm 1.8 EVO lens as .74 meters, or just under 30 inches. It’s no macro lens, but it can get you this close to bees.
With the naked eye, I thought this might be an animal on the ridge but couldn’t be sure. This zoomed in crop with the 75mm, 1.8 EVO confirms it’s a long horn sheep!
The view from my campground well after the sun has set behind the mountains with 75mm, 1.8 EVO.
Back in Dallas, my next opportunity to test the lens would be an MLS soccer game featuring my home 11 (FC Dallas) against German international star Thomas Müller and the Vancouver Whitecaps. Again, my “big” cameras were set up to capture the on-field action, but I normally carry a small camera for human interest shots in the stands and along the sidelines. The 105mm focal length has always been my favorite for catching “faces in the crowd”, and I was hoping I could replicate that with the VILTROX 75mm 1.8 EVO. It would also be a good chance to test the STM motor’s ability to drive auto focus on moving subjects in a fast-paced environment. All autofocus performance is a combination of lens and camera, and to be honest the Zfc is no one’s autofocus champion. I figured if I could get results with this combination, it would reflect well on the lens performance.
The Zfc and VILTROX 75mm 1.8 EVO passed the “faces in the crowd” test with flying colors, including a few shots of Whitecaps players as they came down past me to warmup during the second half. Müller didn’t start the game, and this was one of my only chances to grab a shot of him.
All the VILTROX lenses in my bag are very sharp, and the 75mm 1.8 EVO is no exception
Normally I would use the Z8 and 70-200 for this kind of action down the sideline, but the Zfc and VILTROX 75mm 1.8 EVO was able to grab and hold focus in this situation, even if it was at a meager 4 frames per second. The east side of the stadium is under construction, which makes for a horrible background, but all the players head to the side where I’m sitting for celebrations, so I just deal with it.
The next opportunity to try out the VILTROX 75mm 1.8 EVO would be at an outdoor concert featuring the Dallas Band Tripping Daisy. The Zfc was set up with a shorter lens and the new VILTROX flash that I reviewed here, so I mounted the VILTROX 75mm 1.8 EVO on a Nikon Z6iii, which automatically switched into APS-C mode. Resolution would be sacrificed, but it gave me a chance to use the lens on a more modern AF system. It was still light out when the concert began, which muted the somewhat spartan stage lighting, so I didn’t get any overly dramatic shots, but once again the auto-focus behaved well.
Somewhat of a sidebar, but I was also testing the new VILTROX Vintage Z1 Pro flash at the concert, using the Zfc and the VILTOX AIR 15mm lens. Included just to show the broadening range of VILTROX offerings. This is an example using that combination
If you enjoy taking pictures of interesting people, and I do, the annual pride parade is a great opportunity. Lots of character and generally people are in a good mood and ready to be photographed. I was shooting for about 4 hours with a 35mm lens and the VILTROX 75mm 1.8 EVO, and felt like a proper journalist. You can see on the 75mm shots, the background bokeh is a little busier than the $2,000 Nikon Plena 135, which doesn’t surprise me. But it’s not distracting and the lens gives plenty of pop. Once again, the auto focus had no issues using primarily the Nikon Z6iii
I had a boss once who was found of saying “Repetition doesn’t ruin the prayer”. So at the risk of repeating myself I’ll just say it again, If you are using an APS-C camera of any brand, you absolutely should be considering VILTROX as an option. These lenses, including the new VILTROX 75mm 1.8 EVO are right sized and right priced for smaller cameras. And for Nikon users especially, they open up options that just aren’t available from Nikon. If you have used the VILTROX AIR series, you’ll find the EVO series to be a little bigger and a little heavier with additional, useful controls added. The VILTROX 75mm 1.8 EVO provides a focal length that has long been missing from the APS-C line up. If like me you are a fan of the 105 (ish) focal length, the new VILTROX 75mm 1.8 EVO comes highly recommended.
All the technical specification can be found on the VILTOX website, including a construction cutaway and the MTF chart. (Spoiler alert, the theoretical results look very impressive)
Price in the US is set at $329.00. As usual, VILTROX is offering discounts during the first week of sales and if you are going to grab on you can do this site a solid by using one of these links:
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