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Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 Test Report Header Foto Koch
Reading time: 8 minutes - January 23, 2023 - by Foto Koch Marketing

New: Viltrox 75mm - Aperture 1.2 for under 600?? Our test

With 75mm and an open aperture of f/1.2, Viltrox creates a previously unrivaled autofocus lens in its price range. What the new lens can do and whether it is right for you, we clarify in this video.

  • Viltrox XF AF 75mm f/1.2
  • 75 mm focal length, perfect for portraits and close ups
  • Full format lens
  • Pro version with highest optical quality
  • impressive light intensity with a maximum aperture of f/1.2
  • robust metal body
  • fast, silent STM autofocus with eye detection focusing support
  • 11 lens groups with 16 lenses
  • USB C port for firmware updates

Exterior Features of the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2

Viltrox has drawn heavily on Fujifilm's popular design and operating concept for the first lens in their new "Pro Level" series. Without any branding, you could almost think you're holding an original Fujifilm lens here. It's made entirely of metal and covered in a matte black finish. The feel is very close to what we usually screw onto our Fujis, and the autofocus switch and aperture ring are also in their usual places. Between the aperture and focus ring, we also find the new "Pro" lettering, but more on that in a moment. By the way, both rings work here with an electronic adjustment, or "by wire", meaning that both aperture and focus can only be adjusted when the lens is supplied with power from the camera. So if you like to focus manually at this point, you'll have to do without a scale here and also crank properly from near to far. The lens is completely weather sealed, i.e. it is equipped with sealing rings at all moving and open points. Another striking feature is the USB-C port in the bayonet, which allows us to update the lens to the latest firmware.

Viltrox 75mm f/1.2
Viltrox 75mm f/1.2

Does it even deserve the title "Pro"?

But what makes this lens and presumably all future lenses in the Pro series so special is the large aperture of 1.2. There really is no other lens with autofocus on the market in this price range and in this focal length range. But does it even deserve the title "Pro" only with that? Well, Viltrox did not develop this lens for Fujifilm cameras for nothing... The wide open aperture gives the image a soft, unique look with a creamy bokeh. While you shouldn't go in expecting an optically perfect image here, Viltrox has managed to find a good middle ground between an analog look and a modern, digital sharpness. Especially if you stop down a few stops, you quickly regain sharpness, contrast and clarity.

Autofocus

However, such a large open aperture is also a big challenge for the autofocus. We can be glad that Viltrox has installed an autofocus at all for an MSRP of only 599 Euros, but this STM motor quickly reaches its limits. It keeps up in most situations during normal portrait photography, but the reliability of the autofocus decreases as soon as the subject moves quickly or you shoot at higher continuous shooting speeds. As I said, at this price it's quite clear that the lens is not intended for sports photography, and accordingly, that's not our claim at all. By the way, the closest focusing distance of the new Viltrox 75mm aperture 1.2 is 88 cm, which ensures an extremely good crop at this open aperture.

Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 Fujifilm
Viltrox 75mm f/1.2

Conclusion

With the new 75mm, Viltrox shows once again that inexpensive lenses should not be underestimated. Fuji portrait photographers in particular have the opportunity to expand their lens portfolio with a new, unique look, both in terms of focal length and image style. Which focal length do you prefer to use for portraits? Do you see it the same way we do as a really good and, above all, affordable alternative?

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