VILTROX 23mm F1.4 Auto Focus APS-C Frame Lens for Fuji X Mount, STM Motor Internal Focus Large Aperture Portrait Fixed Focus Lens for Fujifilm Camera X-A2 X-M1 X-A20 X-T3 X-T100 X-H1 X-Pro2 X-Pro3

I’m a retired professional photographer. When I retired a few years ago, I wanted to keep taking pictures, but it was getting harder and less fun to lug around big, heavy equipment. So I ditched my Nikon gear and switched to Fuji, not because I was unhappy with the performance or image quality of my Nikons, but because I needed to reduce bulk, and especially weight.With that as background, I was intrigued when Viltrox announced their new 23mm f1.4. I already had the Viltrox 85mm f1.8, and although I am very happy with the image and build quality, because that lens was designed for both full frame and aps-c, it was just too big and heavy for me to love. This 23mm is just for cropped sensors, so I hoped it would be smaller and lighter. The 23mm focal length is one of my favorites all-around—great for environmental portraits, street photography, landscapes and kids and pets.When I decided to do this review, I had to decide which lenses to compare it to. It didn’t seem fair to compare a $329 lens to my Fuji 23mm f1.4 which sells for around $900. Fair or not, I think that’s the comparison most photographers would be interested in. So here goes:Build quality: In a word, outstanding. The fit and finish on this lens is absolutely beautiful. The body appears to be all metal, with a gorgeous black finish that rivals any lens at any price. The lens mount is chrome plated brass with a perfect mirror finish. The manual focus ring is buttery smooth. And, best of all for me, even with this all-metal build, it’s about 40g lighter than my Fuji 23mm. The size is about equal. The Viltrox has an aperture ring, but without click stops. Winner: Viltrox.Auto focus: The Viltrox uses a stepper motor that makes the autofocus both quicker and much quieter than my Fuji. Accuracy is about the same. Winner: ViltroxImage quality: I took about 100 pictures when I received the lens just to judge image quality. I’m very picky. Contrast and color were slightly different, but neither was noticeably “better.” Sharpness is also very similar to the Fuji. In general, my copy of the Viltrox is slightly sharper than the Fuji in the center, about the same 1/3 of the way out, and less sharp further out on the edges and corners. It was this way at all apertures from f1.4 to f4. (They were indistinguishable beyond that.) If you’re shooting three-dimensional objects at f1.4, the outer parts of your image are probably out of focus, so sharpness on the edges is somewhat academic. The bokeh quality, usually important to those who buy an f1.4 lens, was delicious on both lenses. Only the most dedicated pixel-peepers will be able to differentiate between the two. Winner, Fuji by a hair.I think it’s incredible that any lens can compare so favorably to a well-regarded lens that costs almost three times as much. Quite an achievement. Highly recommended.

greatest bang for a buck lens available for the fuji-x system! the lens is sharp (center at f/1.4. sharp even in low light and produces some really delicious bokeh. at f/1.4 there is heavy vignetting, but what do you expect at f/1.4? the details and contrast produce is just sow beautiful! and the biggest win is that it has a very good AF! Its far from perfect, but it WORKS!Cliff Notes:- Under $400- Autofocus- SHARP!!!- F/1.4-BUY IT!

I had the opportunity to check out the Viltrox 23mm f1.4 over the past two weeks, and I'd love to talk about it real quick. I've been rocking the X-T3 for the past year, and it's been an incredible camera. Up until now, the only lenses I've used on it have been the 18-55 kit lens as well as the 35mm f2. And while both of those have their uses, I've wanted a lens that I could rely on for an everyday lens.You see, the issue with a 35mm lens on an APS-C lens is essentially a 52mm lens (1.53x crop), which makes it difficult as you often need to backpedal a bit to properly frame someone sitting across from you at dinner (for example).As such, I've been in the market for a 35mm (full frame equivalent) lens for a while. The X100V was tempting, but honestly I didn't have a spare $1400 lying around.When Viltrox reached out for me to try out the lens, I was eager to jump on the opportunity. That said, they aren't paying me for a positive review, so it's as unbiased as possible.When it comes to the build quality, it feels solid. It's certainly no Voigtlander, but it feels close to the heft of my Fuji 35mm. The dials seem to spin quite freely, including the aperture ring, although it's not de-clicked. The quality of the rear lens cap was pretty abysmal, as it wouldn't stay attached at all, but that can be overlooked, especially if you already have another lens that has a decent one. Simply keep one lens on your camera and use the other cap.Optically speaking it certainly isn't perfect, however, given the price tag, it's pretty good. There is quite a bit of chromatic aberration, but sometimes having imperfect optics in a lens is something to be desired. Bokeh is pretty. It vignettes heavily at 1.4, but you can compensate for that in post if necessary. Capture One doesn't seem to have a profile built for this lens, so you'll have to do that manually.Autofocus is surprisingly good for a 3rd party lens. It feels almost as fast and accurate as my 35mm f2, which is saying a lot. It's certainly not perfect, but it's pretty damn close.From a video standpoint, I don't really recommend it, as it is certainly not built for it. It works in a pinch if you lock exposure and focus, but adjusting focus during video looks pretty rough.Ultimately, I think this is a great lens for the price. At only $30 or so more than the native Fuji lens that is a whole lot slower, it's definitely worth considering.

I bought these mostly for low light video on my X-T4. Autofocus performance is on par with the Fuji f2 equivalent and surpasses the Fuji 1.4/1.2 equivalents. Focus is smooth and reliable with latest firmware. Can't really go wrong especially for the price.

Better than my Fuji kit lens. Love the sharp auto focus. I've had it less than a week, but this lens is my go to lens now.

Fast auto focus, the quality of the material is okay i give it 3.5 stars. Value for the money, is good. Works fine with my Fuji XT-20. Happy with my purchase.

Overall it performs great on my x-t4. It tends to “wash out” easily when not using the lens hood, but the build quality is really good and the price is right. Would definitely recommend!

The perfect lens for the price