Holy Grail Lens? A close-up: Viltrox AF 135/1.8 Z LAB
Recently, I acquired the Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB Full-Frame Lens for Nikon Z-mount — what a fantastic lens!
This is not a full review of this lens, I just want to share what I was able to create using this impressive piece of equipment.
Viltrox AF 135mm Lab
It is certainly a looker, featuring a sturdy built quality with a metal body & hi-quality rubber for the rings — it is weather sealed. The small display is a nice addition to quickly visualise current settings, it has a 2 customisable buttons, 1 button to switch between AF/MF, 1 button for setting the focus range, and 1 to toggle the click for the secondary ring. It has an 82mm filter thread. It also comes with an impressive lens hood that usually comes with high-end lenses!
Some quick test shots revealed that the lens was incredibly versatile, I could use it for detailed close-ups - isolating my subjects, as well as a telephoto lens. I was surprised at how easily I could freeze birds in flight wide open at F1.8. And I loved the colour straight out of the camera, paired with the Nikon colour profiles.
Tip: Click on an image for larger preview ;)
As we transition into summer here in the Netherlands, it is now more enjoyable to watch sunsets without the cold, with clear skies and brilliant light!
I was eager to try the lens, excited to create something with it, and so, for my next test, I went out on an outdoor sunset shoot. Note that I also use a magnetic CPL from Kase in the following shots (an essential item here in the NL to minimise reflections in water bodies and greens).
A visual guide of apertures: F16 → F10 → F8 → F5.6 → F4 → F2.8 → F1.8. Notice that background separation at F1.8!
And now this is where my mind was blown, and I fell in love with this lens. The close-ups took my breath away, literally! Haha at full-frame this is 135mm, and at APS-C, it equivalent to 202.5mm (135x1.5). The details at 202.5mm 🤯 I was able to capture flies in motion, with gorgeous background bokeh - straight into the sun!
This lens could potentially be used for wildlife! Paired with the bird subject detection of the Nikon Z6III, I managed to freeze some high-speed bird action in full focus.
This little black bird in the following images is the comedian of birds, like a chihuahua; it’s small, but it looks for fights with all birds! xD It’s always disturbing the peace in the ponds and lakes! Here it found something on the land, then all of a sudden it made a dash for the water, walked on water, and headed straight for a crash into the poor bystanding family of ducks chilling in the water! It managed to avoid them by a hair, but then came back to look for a fight with the ducks for obstructing the way or something, only to be chased away by the mother duck! Haha, a real comedian!
How does it compare with the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm? Well this is not a fair comparison to begin with but…
As expected with the extended focal range, you can get more up-close and personal with your subjects! The Nikkor Z 100-400 is a different beast by itself, some of my favorite shots have been captured with this lens. The only limitation is that the creamy bokeh and background obliteration that you get from an F1.8 lens is only available at the longer range of 400mm! This is sometimes difficult to get in real-life situations, but it is perfect for distant wildlife!
Later that evening, I caught a glimpse of the moon which further gave this lens my seal of approval!
Most people will probably get this lens for portraiture and events. Here’s some of my preliminary tests with portraiture and compression.
This is one of my favourite images from my tests. I love the compression effect!
Conclusions?
The Viltrox 135 is definitely a value for money lens! It’s been a long time since gear has inspired me to create!
This lens while it is aptly capable of accurately capturing details, I love the artistic twist that it is capable of — one can obliterate backgrounds, create pleasing bokeh and really distort the scene to create a unique view, which is what photography is all about!
