Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 XF 35mm

Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 XF 35mm

Viltrox
97 Overall Score
vs
Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

Sony
90 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 XF 35mm

85 out of 100 high confidence 95 reviews

The Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.7 lens is widely loved for its sharp image quality, fast aperture, and surprisingly low price. Users praise its lightweight design, compact size, and quick autofocus, making it an excellent everyday walk-around lens. Some note autofocus can be noisier or slower than premium lenses, and a few report chromatic aberration in high-contrast scenes. A handful of complaints involve inconsistent packaging or compatibility misunderstandings, but the overall sentiment is overwhelmingly positive.

Pros
  • Sharp image quality wide open
  • Fast f/1.7 aperture for low light
  • Lightweight and compact design
  • Great value for the price
  • Fast and accurate autofocus
Cons
  • Autofocus noise in quiet environments
  • Chromatic aberration in high contrast
  • No weather sealing
  • Slow autofocus in low light
  • Missing aperture ring
👍 Image quality 45
👍 Value for money 35
👍 Build quality 30
🤔 Autofocus performance 28
👍 Bokeh 15
👍 Low light performance 18

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

82 out of 100 high confidence 117 reviews

The Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens is widely praised as an excellent all-in-one travel and walkaround lens for APS-C E-mount cameras. Users consistently highlight its sharpness, compact size, light weight, and versatile 27-200mm equivalent zoom range. While many note it is not ideal for low light and some report significant vignetting at the wide end, the overall sentiment is very positive, with most considering it a great value kit lens upgrade.

Pros
  • Sharp image quality
  • Compact and lightweight
  • Versatile 27-200mm equivalent zoom range
  • Effective optical image stabilization
  • Fast and accurate autofocus
Cons
  • Significant vignetting at 18mm wide end
  • Not ideal for low light photography
  • Variable aperture limits brightness at telephoto
  • Some copies may have quality control issues
  • Slight autofocus lag compared to premium lenses
👍 Image quality 35
👍 Build quality 12
👍 Value for money 18
👎 Vignetting 6
👎 Low light performance 10
👍 Zoom range 25

Scores

Budget
Viltrox
89
Sony
100
Street
Viltrox
96
Sony
87
Macro
Viltrox
94
Sony
67
Portrait
Viltrox
94
Sony
88
Travel
Viltrox
69
Sony
85
Wildlife Sports
Viltrox
69
Sony
84
Video Cinema
Viltrox
81
Sony
83
Professional
Viltrox
73
Sony
73
Landscape
Viltrox
60
Sony
73

Specifications

Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 XF 35mmSony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
Optics
Typeprimezoom
Focal Length Min35 mm18 mm
Focal Length Max35 mm135 mm
Elements1116
Groups912
Aspherical Elements11
ED Elements12★
Coatinghigh-definition multi-layer coating—
Aperture
Max Aperturef/1.7f/3.5
Min Aperturef/1.73.5-5.6
Constant✗✗
Diaphragm Blades9★7
Build
MountFujifilm XSony E
FormatAPS-CAPS-C
Weather Sealed✗✗
Weight0.18 kg★0.33 kg
Filter Thread52 mm55 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeSTM (Stepping Motor)Linear motor★
Stabilization✓✓
Focus
Min Focus Distance35 mm★450 mm
Max Magnification1:7.7★0.29x

Pros & Cons

Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 XF 35mm

  • Strong macro (97th percentile)97th %ile
  • Strong bokeh (96th percentile)96th %ile
  • Strong aperture (95th percentile)95th %ile
  • Strong build (87th percentile)87th %ile
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS

  • Strong af (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong versatility (96th percentile)96th %ile
  • Strong social proof (90th percentile)90th %ile
  • Strong stabilization (81st percentile)81st %ile

Verdict

★ Winner: Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 XF 35mm

Scores 97 overall, wins 3 of 9 usage categories and 4 of 21 specs.

Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 XF 35mm Better at:

MacroStreetPortrait

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Better at:

BudgetTravelLandscapeWildlife Sports