Table of Contents
Intro
I was honoured to be able to test the Viltrox 33mm F / 1.4 over the past month to give you my opinion on this affordable lens. Equivalent to a 50mm on APS-c sensor, this lens is said to be “standard” because it approximates the viewing angle of the human eye. For this reason, it has been used by legendary photographers such as Robert Capa and Henri Cartier Bresson since the creation of photography.
The Viltrox 33m F.1.4 is the best and affordable lens you can buy, having f1.4 maximum aperture to capture some amazing photos.
Viltrox 33mm F/1.4 for Fujifilm X
Viltrox 33mm F/1.4 for Fujifilm x
I refer you to the article I wrote on 50mm lenses vs 35mm lenses to understand more precisely the interests they entail in the context of street photography and documentary-type photography. It is often advisable for those wishing to start buying a 50mm to master photographic techniques.
But what can we say about the performance offered by the Viltrox 33mm 1.4? There are many proposals for the “nifty-fifty” lenses in the FujiFilm range. There is the 35mm 1.4 as well as the 35mm F2. Where does Viltrox stand about these objectives? The price difference between these three lenses is the first thing that jumps out, but is this justified?
Can the viltrox compete with Fujifilm? I will try to provide the answers here so that you can guide your choice as best as possible and that you can find your “king of the streets”.
Specs
Focal Length: 33mm (35mm Equivalent Focal Length: 50mm)
Maximum Aperture: f/1.4
Minimum Aperture: f/16
Lens Mount: FUJIFILM X
Format Compatibility: APS-C
Angle of View: 45.2°
Minimum Focus Distance: 1.31′ / 40 cm
Maximum Magnification: 0.1x
Optical Design: 10 Elements in 9 Groups
Diaphragm Blades: 9
Focus Type: Autofocus
Image Stabilization: No
Filter Size: 52 mm (Front)
Dimensions (ø x L): 2.6 x 2.8″ / 65 x 72 mm
Weight: 9.52 oz / 270 g
Manufacturing quality and ergonomics
This lens is quite discreet in its black version, which perfectly satisfies the practice of street photography or documentary photography, where the interest is to be as discreet as possible. It goes very well with cameras from the Fujifilm black range, like with the XT30, as you will see in the photos. It is very light but quite big compared to the 35mm alternatives, so I prefer to add a grip on my XT30 to have better support and stability.
The lightness is mainly due to the primary use of plastic for this lens. Therefore, the use of this material has a significant interest in portability, especially when it comes to taking long photo trips or taking it in a bag for a trip. However, the qualitative impression of the lens cannot be compared to the Fujifilm alternatives or to other lenses with metal construction as the 7artisans, for example.
It will therefore be necessary to make some concessions on this side. The lens is not weather-sealed, so you will need a waterproof solution if you want to report in the rain, in particular, having a 52mm UV filter on the front and the lens hood that comes with it. The focus ring is soft and, therefore, pleasant to use.
As with many Fujifilm lenses, an aperture ring is very important in aperture priority mode. It is, however, clickless, which is an advantage for videographers who seek smooth transitions between apertures and a disadvantage for photographers who will have to regularly check if they have not changed the aperture inadvertently. There is, however, a click to switch to automatic diaphragm opening in position “A”.
Autofocus
One of the advantages of this lens compared to cheap alternatives is the presence of autofocus. And WHAT AN AUTOFOCUS !! It was the first “slap” for me after having fixed this lens on my Fujifilm: Dead silence, the speed of a Formula 1, the precision of a Swiss watch… I never had a lens with equivalent autofocus in my hands.
I was so surprised by its silence that I thought the autofocus was not working. The autofocus on this lens is very close to what is best done today, even in low-light situations. In continuous mode, the autofocus does not struggle to follow moving objects. Better yet, face recognition works brilliantly! Speed and silence are two significant advantages in the practice of street or documentary photography: you will be fast, sure not to miss any portrait, but in addition, you will be discreet, and no one will notice you even in the quietest places.
It is tough to be able to say the same for its direct competitor: the Fujifilm 35mm 1.4, which is one of the first Fujifilm X lenses released and for which the autofocus is unfortunately very slow and noisy. This argument is primary when choosing a lens today, and the Viltrox 33mm 1.4 wins hands down! The minimum distance of 40cm allows you to take close-up shots without any problem. But what about the optical quality of this lens?
Image Quality
I am not a pixel peeper. All I ask of a lens is to be able to capture what I see in the best possible way. I see no point in zooming 200% in an image to determine if the lens is razor sharp. Because no one looks at a photograph that way. The photo is, above all, a whole, an image, a composition, a light … etc., that tells a story. It is much more than an aggregate of pixels. However, in the case of large prints or for professional work, minimum criteria must be respected in terms of sharpness, for example. I will give you my opinion here.
As you will see in these samples, the sharpness in the centre of the image is relatively constant from the largest aperture to the smallest, with better sharpness between F4 and F8. It is, however, different in the sharpness of the corners. The lens is soft at larger apertures, like most open at F1.4. It will be up to you to deal with this as best as possible (Keep your main subject in the centre of the frame at F1.4). Corner sharpness improves significantly between F4 and F8.
The sweet spot on this lens is, in my opinion, around F5.6. You may also notice a loss of contrast from F8 while the micro contrasts are at best about F5.6. This lens has very little or no vignetting, which saves post-processing time. This lens can show many chromatic aberrations, which can be very easily removed in Lightroom, for example. It controls the flare very well, even in the worst conditions.
The Viltrox 33mm offers a bit of a nervous bokeh, which is not remarkably discreet, but with nice round balls. At F1.4, you will have more diffuse bokeh beads than at F2. The image quality is, therefore, entirely satisfactory under all conditions of use. If you can cope with the flaws and qualities of this lens, you should have a professional rendering.
I advise you to use it, particularly around F.5.6 in general street photography conditions to get the best out of it. Compared to the 35mm 1.4, the sharpness in the centre is less pronounced here but equivalent on the corners. Fujifilm, however, manages chromatic aberrations better. Compared to the Fujifilm 35mm F2, they are very close in sharpness; I would even say that the Viltrox has a slight advantage over F2.8.
Lens Personality
Aperture at F1.4 can bring depth to your images, close to using a full-frame camera. You can play with the background blur to highlight the subjects you photograph. The defects of the lens give it a patina, a character to your image far from the lenses, which offer surgical precision and give photographs without identity.
If the Fujifilm 35mm F1.4 is very popular among users, it is for its many imperfections. The Viltrox is between the 35mm F1.4 and the 35mm F2 in terms of character: between magic and precision. The larger apertures make it possible to give a 3D impression to the images, which is always very pleasant. You will find here only straight-out-of-camera (SOOC) sample photos to make you realize with precision what you can get with your Fujifilm camera as soon as it comes out of the box and without any post-processing.
Best for: The beginner looking for a bright standard lens, inexpensive but with performance close to professional lenses, especially in autofocus. For the practice of street photography, documentary photography, still life, portrait, architecture … etc. The advanced photographer wants a secondary 35mm lens to equip his basic kit, outside of studio productions, for any use.
Final Words
I would never trade this lens for the slow, expensive, noisy XF 35mm F1.4. The real competitor to the Viltrox to consider is the XF 35mm F2, but it is more costly and one-stop slower, which is a disadvantage in low-light situations or when looking for a shallow depth of field. This lens has some imperfections, especially at the widest apertures, but it’s nearly impossible to find a perfect lens around F1.4, even in the more expensive ranges.
Its imperfections give it character; it is impossible to find such a good lens currently in this price range. If this lens is not the King of the streets, we can say that it is, at 280 dollars, the Prince of the streets who will open the royal road to documentary/street photography and never let you down.
This lens is a “no brain” investment for those looking for a piece of “nifty-fifty” equipment without breaking the bank and can offer excellent image quality. So: go for it.
