Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
p.8 #1Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
Andrei Dima won't get out of my YT comments, insisting that this is the "first" modern lens to respect the "classic" Nikon aperture ring direction, basing that on his experience with a single old F mount Vivitar 
The hell is going on with people these days?
The hell is going on with people these days?
Aug 06, 2026 at 08:03 AM
p.8 #2Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
RacingManiac wrote:
I was using a A5100 so it was rear panel LCD and I took the shot knowing about that because I want to see the effect.
I shot other also purposeful photos with glare and I don't think they look that bad...
https://a4.pbase.com/o12/13/848813/1/176435259.q8gTiott.DSC02228_DxO.jpg
https://a4.pbase.com/o12/13/848813/1/176449321.4V0HXAKb.DSC02288_DxO.jpg
I just wonder if Viltrox coatings are not as good as some other manufacturers ...
I was using a A5100 so it was rear panel LCD and I took the shot knowing about that because I want to see the effect.
I shot other also purposeful photos with glare and I don't think they look that bad...
https://a4.pbase.com/o12/13/848813/1/176435259.q8gTiott.DSC02228_DxO.jpg
https://a4.pbase.com/o12/13/848813/1/176449321.4V0HXAKb.DSC02288_DxO.jpg
I just wonder if Viltrox coatings are not as good as some other manufacturers ...
Aug 06, 2026 at 09:05 AM
p.8 #3Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
It’s not really even up for debate, they aren’t. It becomes more obvious if you compare to a similar first-party lens.
rob_ww wrote:
I shot other also purposeful photos with glare and I don't think they look that bad...
https://a4.pbase.com/o12/13/848813/1/176435259.q8gTiott.DSC02228_DxO.jpg
https://a4.pbase.com/o12/13/848813/1/176449321.4V0HXAKb.DSC02288_DxO.jpgI just wonder if Viltrox coatings are not as good as some other manufacturers ...
rob_ww wrote:
RacingManiac wrote
I was using a A5100 so it was rear panel LCD and I took the shot knowing about that because I want to see the effect.I shot other also purposeful photos with glare and I don't think they look that bad...
https://a4.pbase.com/o12/13/848813/1/176435259.q8gTiott.DSC02228_DxO.jpg
https://a4.pbase.com/o12/13/848813/1/176449321.4V0HXAKb.DSC02288_DxO.jpg
Aug 06, 2026 at 10:00 AM
p.8 #4Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
Then I guess it depends on when and where the lens is being used. Last weekend I shot an outdoor group picnic with just the Viltrox 50 AIR, many at f2.0, no flare whatsoever. Quite a few subjects were backlit with sun in or just outside the frame like @RacingManiac examples as far as I can see. The results were crisp and clear, no flare, no colour variations. Just very impressive lens performance. I don't have my 26mm yet -- it's still in the delivery pipeline -- but I have been shooting the 50 for a couple of months and yet to see any problems like the reviewers find.
Aug 07, 2026 at 07:56 AM
p.8 #5Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
Flare is the biggest downside to most Chinese lenses at this point. Body design issues are the second biggest (aperture clicks that aren't firm enough, won't stay in Auto, rotate wrong way, stupid screens, etc). AF performance is generally fine for amateurs but maybe not there for pros.
Aug 07, 2026 at 08:54 AM
p.8 #6Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
I think one way to look at this lens is as a dedicated look or style prime. At least for me, I look to primes for providing something a top tier zoom can’t. It’s usually a look either due to optical imperfections or wider apertures for limited DoF, and usually combinations of both; and then also a very convenient size. This lens lacks optical speed but has some imperfections I like. IOW it has warts that can be either annoying or artistic depending on how they’re used. It’s sharp enough for current gen digicams, it AF’s decently, it’s nearly as small on a body as a current fixed-lens cam. It has light and resolution falloff, some edge distortion and flares in backlighting. But I am aware of all that and can utilize it all in ways that works for me. Sometimes there’s a happy accident, others a “meh” result. So for me at its size and price, it’s a no-brainer, always in my bag lens.
Aug 07, 2026 at 08:54 AM
p.8 #7Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
deadwolfbones wrote:
Flare is the biggest downside to most Chinese lenses....
Not to mention quality assurance.
The defect rate for these lenses is significantly higher (which is understandable, since quality assurance costs money).
Flare is the biggest downside to most Chinese lenses....
Not to mention quality assurance.
The defect rate for these lenses is significantly higher (which is understandable, since quality assurance costs money).
Aug 07, 2026 at 05:15 PM
p.8 #8Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
Zmounter wrote:
Not to mention quality assurance.
The defect rate for these lenses is significantly higher (which is understandable, since quality assurance costs money).
I've not personally encountered any defects yet, and I test lenses for a living. But I also don't doubt it.
deadwolfbones wrote
Flare is the biggest downside to most Chinese lenses....The defect rate for these lenses is significantly higher (which is understandable, since quality assurance costs money).
I've not personally encountered any defects yet, and I test lenses for a living. But I also don't doubt it.
Aug 07, 2026 at 06:00 PM
p.8 #9Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
I have yet to get a bum Viltrox, but plenty of bum other Chinese lenses. When these things undercut OEM by half to a third of the price, you expect a bit of that.
Aug 07, 2026 at 06:03 PM
p.8 #10Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
Flare: 'Once considered a technical flaw to be aggressively avoided with matte boxes and lens hoods..
(you are here)
.. the lens flare transformed into a celebrated cinematic aesthetic. Pioneered in New Hollywood gems like Cool Hand Luke (1967) to inject raw, sun-drenched realism, flares now signify texture, heightened emotion, and sci-fi spectacle.'
'Deliberate Vintage Character: Brands designing specialized fast prime or rangefinder-style lenses (like Thypoch or 7Artisans) often tune their optics to lean into a dreamy, low-contrast aesthetic wide open, viewing controlled flare as an artistic asset rather than a pure optical defect.'
'Washing out contrast and lifting blacks creates a hazy, nostalgic, or dreamlike atmosphere.' 'Modern projects utilize vintage glass, diffusion filters, or digital overlays as a shorthand for tactile, organic filmmaking.' (they are there).
The Chinese are, above all, aesthetes in their approach to imaging. Many of their lens makers either began or operate in both stills and videography fields (Nisi, Thypoch, Sirui, Laowa, Viltrox, Meike, etc.). Many of their lenses are targeted at the burgeoning videography field.
Resources
https://imbaproduction.com/blog/chinese-video-camera-lens-brands
YT Title: 'The History and Mechanics of Lens Flares' (5:36)
(you are here)
.. the lens flare transformed into a celebrated cinematic aesthetic. Pioneered in New Hollywood gems like Cool Hand Luke (1967) to inject raw, sun-drenched realism, flares now signify texture, heightened emotion, and sci-fi spectacle.'
'Deliberate Vintage Character: Brands designing specialized fast prime or rangefinder-style lenses (like Thypoch or 7Artisans) often tune their optics to lean into a dreamy, low-contrast aesthetic wide open, viewing controlled flare as an artistic asset rather than a pure optical defect.'
'Washing out contrast and lifting blacks creates a hazy, nostalgic, or dreamlike atmosphere.' 'Modern projects utilize vintage glass, diffusion filters, or digital overlays as a shorthand for tactile, organic filmmaking.' (they are there).
The Chinese are, above all, aesthetes in their approach to imaging. Many of their lens makers either began or operate in both stills and videography fields (Nisi, Thypoch, Sirui, Laowa, Viltrox, Meike, etc.). Many of their lenses are targeted at the burgeoning videography field.
Resources
https://imbaproduction.com/blog/chinese-video-camera-lens-brands
YT Title: 'The History and Mechanics of Lens Flares' (5:36)
Aug 07, 2026 at 06:04 PM
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p.8 #11Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
'defect rate for these lenses is significantly higher'
When trying to persuade readers, nothing - absolutely nothing - compares to providing reliable evidence for our claims. It offers the reader the great advantage of deciding for themselves, based on knowable facts, rather than having to trust you. Trust is in short supply in 2026.
When trying to persuade readers, nothing - absolutely nothing - compares to providing reliable evidence for our claims. It offers the reader the great advantage of deciding for themselves, based on knowable facts, rather than having to trust you. Trust is in short supply in 2026.
Aug 07, 2026 at 06:04 PM
p.8 #12Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
philip_pj wrote:
When trying to persuade readers, nothing - absolutely nothing - compares to providing reliable evidence for our claims. It offers the reader the great advantage of deciding for themselves, based on knowable facts, rather than having to trust you. Trust is in short supply in 2026.
I'm not trying to convince anyone here.
Everyone has to make their own experiences ;-)
When trying to persuade readers, nothing - absolutely nothing - compares to providing reliable evidence for our claims. It offers the reader the great advantage of deciding for themselves, based on knowable facts, rather than having to trust you. Trust is in short supply in 2026.
I'm not trying to convince anyone here.
Everyone has to make their own experiences ;-)
Aug 08, 2026 at 04:41 AM
p.8 #13Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
philip_pj wrote:
'defect rate for these lenses is significantly higher'
When trying to persuade readers, nothing - absolutely nothing - compares to providing reliable evidence for our claims. It offers the reader the great advantage of deciding for themselves, based on knowable facts, rather than having to trust you. Trust is in short supply in 2026.
I'll remember this post for the future philip_pj. I hope you do to.
I'm sorry for being kind of rude but I remember many of us repeatedly asking for proof during the spring getting nothing from you.
'defect rate for these lenses is significantly higher'
When trying to persuade readers, nothing - absolutely nothing - compares to providing reliable evidence for our claims. It offers the reader the great advantage of deciding for themselves, based on knowable facts, rather than having to trust you. Trust is in short supply in 2026.
I'll remember this post for the future philip_pj. I hope you do to.
I'm sorry for being kind of rude but I remember many of us repeatedly asking for proof during the spring getting nothing from you.
Aug 08, 2026 at 05:28 AM
p.8 #14Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
Ah yes, the heady cinematic influences of "chinese aesthetes".
Go back to taking underexposed pictures of dirt, bud.
Go back to taking underexposed pictures of dirt, bud.
Aug 08, 2026 at 07:41 AM
p.8 #15Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
Yeah, sorry. These brands are leaning into a vintage look because they don't have access to the most modern coatings. If they could make flare-free glass they would.
Aug 08, 2026 at 09:28 AM
p.8 #16Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
I don't have this lens but I bought a new Viltrox 35/1.2 LAB N recently. These are all SOOC jpegs. A7V.
SONY ILCE-7M5
1/2000s f/1.2 at 35.0mm iso100
SONY ILCE-7M5
1/2000s f/1.2 at 35.0mm iso100
Aug 08, 2026 at 11:02 AM
p.8 #17Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
jojib wrote:
I don't have this lens but I bought a new Viltrox 35/1.2 LAB N recently. These are all SOOC jpegs. A7V.
https://a4.pbase.com/g13/30/64330/2/176478816.ab845077.jpg
SONY ILCE-7M5
1/2000s f/1.2 at 35.0mm iso100
https://a4.pbase.com/g13/30/64330/2/176478815.546e0c7c.jpg
https://a4.pbase.com/g13/30/64330/2/176478814.3df21999.jpg
https://a4.pbase.com/g13/30/64330/2/176478819.0713bf47.jpg
Let's keep the thread on topic instead of posting random photos as usual.
I don't have this lens but I bought a new Viltrox 35/1.2 LAB N recently. These are all SOOC jpegs. A7V.
https://a4.pbase.com/g13/30/64330/2/176478816.ab845077.jpg
SONY ILCE-7M5
1/2000s f/1.2 at 35.0mm iso100
https://a4.pbase.com/g13/30/64330/2/176478815.546e0c7c.jpg
https://a4.pbase.com/g13/30/64330/2/176478814.3df21999.jpg
https://a4.pbase.com/g13/30/64330/2/176478819.0713bf47.jpg
Let's keep the thread on topic instead of posting random photos as usual.
Aug 08, 2026 at 11:08 AM
p.8 #18Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
Definitely I am on thread topic. Someone mentioned about flare control and Chinese lenses. So I posted a few.
Aug 08, 2026 at 11:28 AM
p.8 #19Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
deadwolfbones wrote:
Yeah, sorry. These brands are leaning into a vintage look because they don't have access to the most modern coatings. If they could make flare-free glass they would.
Is it really so unthinkable that it might be both? I don't doubt many Chinese brands would reduce flare in lenses where a more modern IQ is desired if they could, neither that they may not have access to the best quality coatings as of now. But you're either not paying attention or just coming to different conclusions than I am, if you're not seeing some deliberate vintage in a few of their most recent offerings, other than flare.
I personally like the flare in my new Viltrox 26. Of course it's not always desired, but as always it's up to the photographer to use it in a way that adds to the image rather than detracts, using skill, taste and creativity. I'm sure posting images where they've failed to do so is helpful for some.
Yeah, sorry. These brands are leaning into a vintage look because they don't have access to the most modern coatings. If they could make flare-free glass they would.
Is it really so unthinkable that it might be both? I don't doubt many Chinese brands would reduce flare in lenses where a more modern IQ is desired if they could, neither that they may not have access to the best quality coatings as of now. But you're either not paying attention or just coming to different conclusions than I am, if you're not seeing some deliberate vintage in a few of their most recent offerings, other than flare.
I personally like the flare in my new Viltrox 26. Of course it's not always desired, but as always it's up to the photographer to use it in a way that adds to the image rather than detracts, using skill, taste and creativity. I'm sure posting images where they've failed to do so is helpful for some.
Aug 08, 2026 at 05:02 PM
p.8 #20Viltrox 26mm f2.8 EVO for Z and E - first look
twelveish wrote:
Is it really so unthinkable that it might be both? I don't doubt many Chinese brands would reduce flare in lenses where a more modern IQ is desired if they could, neither that they may not have access to the best quality coatings as of now. But you're either not paying attention or just coming to different conclusions than I am, if you're not seeing some deliberate vintage in a few of their most recent offerings, other than flare.
I personally like the flare in my new Viltrox 26. Of course it's not always desired, but as always it's up...Show more →
There's nuance, sure.
They are making vintage-leaning lenses on purpose (perhaps because it suits their current tech level), but also if they had the ability to make lenses with coatings as clinically perfect as those from first-party brands (or even Sigma/Tamron), they would. They might even have both lines, kinda like Cosina/Voigtlander with their "Vintage Line" stuff.
Specifically, I'm sure Viltrox would love for their Lab/Evo lines to have better coatings.
deadwolfbones wrote
Yeah, sorry. These brands are leaning into a vintage look because they don't have access to the most modern coatings. If they could make flare-free glass they would.I personally like the flare in my new Viltrox 26. Of course it's not always desired, but as always it's up...Show more →
There's nuance, sure.
They are making vintage-leaning lenses on purpose (perhaps because it suits their current tech level), but also if they had the ability to make lenses with coatings as clinically perfect as those from first-party brands (or even Sigma/Tamron), they would. They might even have both lines, kinda like Cosina/Voigtlander with their "Vintage Line" stuff.
Specifically, I'm sure Viltrox would love for their Lab/Evo lines to have better coatings.
Aug 09, 2026 at 08:47 AM