Answering Questions No One Asked Me Series: Daily Carry Solution Entry.
Subtitle: These Viltrox AF Air lenses are cuss word amazing.
The imagined question.
What is the least spendy full frame daily carry solution that I would actually want to use?
Answer:
…and Viltrox AF 50mm f/2 Air lens.
Why this camera?
It is effectively an A7III, one of my favorite all time cameras, in a more compact body. Chosen over the A7C II because, after owning both, there is nothing stills related that justifies the extra outlay. And with the $800 difference on the used market, you can get a few nice, inexpensive lenses. Which leads me to…
Why this lens?
This lens is the biggest factor in this combination working. Many have tried. And I have tried most of their offerings and have written about them in this space. Sony did not manage after one early weak attempt…
…and a better later attempt that still fell short.
Rokinon/Samyang gave it a go with their nifty fifty-ish entry…
…but it did not make the cut.
7ARtisans recently put forward a valiant effort…
…but did not quite make it either.
So what did Viltrox do that was so different?
Short version:
Impeccable image quality, fast and accurate AF, in a reasonably sized and respectably built body.
Was going to go on for a bit, but that about sums it up. Not much more needs to be said about the lens.
Combine that with the A7C body style and you get a very competent, compact full-frame imaging solution. One that rivals the size and capabilities of all-in-one solutions that are all the rage, while:
- Costing less combined.
- Offering AF as good or better than most cameras on the market.
- Offering comparable image quality.
- I do not say this lightly. This lens performs far above its humble provenance and frugal price point.
- Offering the flexibility inherent with an interchangeable lens camera.
- Yesterday I trucked about with this lens and another Viltrox Air lens. Both lenses can be had with this camera for less than any of the current point and shoot media darlings.
- A 50mm focal length.
- My preferred interchangeable lens focal length.
- Looking quite spiffy while doing it.
But in the end it is the images that one me over.
I had a Leica Q for a time.
A fine camera. But as much as I prattled on about that camera… I did not use it that much (As evidenced by my pitiful Flickr album image count.), and after a short period of time, I sold it on. Not the camera’s fault. It was not the Leica camera I wanted. And while I did later get my hands on a proper M body…
…I sold that on as well after a couple of years. Both are lovely. But in both cases I found solutions elsewhere that suited me better. Both from Fujifilm, now that I think about it… Hm… Anyways. Back to the task at hand.
There is no better endorsement of this pairing than this.
I could happily use this pairing instead of all of those instathreadface darlings are be no worse for wear. I could definitely get the images I wanted and if honest I would have a higher probability than most of those offerings, given the excellent A7C hit rate.
Ok. Enough talk. The images.
Thoughts.
Reviewing these images again, I noticed something. Up to this point, it has been somewhat of a mystery to me why I like the images this lens produces so much. But I think I have it sorted out now.
- Colors.
- Look at this last image… Wow. Just wow.
- I cannot point to another lens of any heritage or price point that has done better.
- Sharpness.
- Zoom in all you wish, and you will find sharpness even wide open at f/2.
- Subject isolation.
- I have now noticed something. To my eye this lens produces subject isolation that looks more like an f/1.8 lens or faster.
- And related to that…
- Background blur.
- Like above, the blur available with this lens looks like a faster lens than f/2 to me. And not only the quantity, but the quality. I really like it.
- Hit rate.
- This lens does not miss. Nearly every image captured seems to be a keeper.
- As a result, this lens has racked up more keepers than the Leica Q I had, even though I have not had it as long. And lastly…
- Fun.
- This lens is fun. Fun to use. Small and light, so no bother to carry. Feels good in the hand. Affordable, so the Leica Q’s drop/lose/grow legs stress levels are not at play. Low key none of those, “Is that a Leica?!”, outbursts that would give me agita. Easy going and fun.
Better than?
No.
No such thing. There are high points and advantages to all gear. Whatever floats your boat.
Bonus round part 1.
In a bit of good news, Viltrox also has you covered in Nikon full-frame mount. While I shared the tale with Sony, largely because…
- I already have a Sony body.
- Clean slate, I would lean to the smaller size of the A7C over the Nikon body I would have.
But I am sure it would perform as well with the Zf also. All that being said…
Bonus round part 2.
50mm is not your focal length? Viltrox may have you covered, since they offer other full frame focal lengths as well. I also have and am a fan of the 14mm f/4 Air.
They have APS-C options also while we are at it, including a portrait length option that I am only slightly envious about. But until Viltrox steps up with a full-frame portrait length Air option, TTArtisan has me covered.
Do I recommend the Viltrox AF 50mm f/2 Air?
Yep.
Happy capturing.
-ELW
Eric L. Woods 