Viltrox AF 28/4.5 Z 28mm

Viltrox AF 28/4.5 Z 28mm

Viltrox
63 Overall Score
vs
Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

Tamron
100 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Viltrox AF 28/4.5 Z 28mm

72 out of 100 medium confidence 20 reviews

The Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 pancake lens is widely praised for its ultra-compact size, lightweight design, and excellent value, making it a favorite for street photography and travel. Users note it turns a full-frame camera into a highly portable setup, though the fixed f/4.5 aperture and lack of manual focus ring are limiting for some. Image quality is considered good for the price, but low-light performance and autofocus in dim conditions are common drawbacks. A few users reported a stuck rear lens cap or battery drain on certain Sony models, but overall sentiment is positive for its intended casual use.

Pros
  • Ultra-compact and lightweight design
  • Excellent value for the price
  • Great for street photography and travel
  • Sharp image quality for its class
  • Built-in lens cover
Cons
  • Fixed f/4.5 aperture
  • No manual focus ring
  • Poor low-light autofocus
  • Battery drain on Sony A5100
  • Stuck rear lens cap issue
👍 Portability 12
👍 Value for money 10
🤔 Image quality 8
👎 Fixed aperture 5
🤔 Autofocus performance 5
👎 Low light performance 4

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

92 out of 100 medium confidence 13 reviews

The Tamron 28-300mm super-zoom wins praise for its lightweight design, versatile focal range, and solid image quality. Users appreciate the compact build and smooth zoom mechanism, but note the slow aperture and trade-offs in sharpness compared to more expensive zooms. Verified reviewers find it an ideal travel lens that pairs well with Sony bodies.

Pros
  • Lightweight design
  • Versatile 28-300mm focal range
  • Smooth zoom ring operation
  • Compact build for travel
  • Good integration with Sony bodies
Cons
  • Small maximum aperture (f/4-7.1)
  • Reduced sharpness vs. premium zooms
  • Not an internal zoom lens
  • Slow autofocus at high fps on some bodies
👍 Build quality 3
🤔 Sharpness 3
👎 Aperture 2
👍 Weight and portability 3
👍 Zoom range 4
👎 Autofocus performance 1

Scores

Budget
Viltrox
65
Tamron
96
Macro
Viltrox
63
Tamron
91
Landscape
Viltrox
63
Tamron
90
Wildlife Sports
Viltrox
54
Tamron
85
Portrait
Viltrox
61
Tamron
84
Professional
Viltrox
67
Tamron
84
Video Cinema
Viltrox
61
Tamron
81
Travel
Viltrox
64
Tamron
81
Street
Viltrox
69
Tamron
81

Specifications

Viltrox AF 28/4.5 Z 28mmTamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD
Optics
Typeprimezoom
Focal Length Min28 mm28 mm
Focal Length Max28 mm300 mm
Elements620
Groups613
Aspherical Elements23★
ED Elements22
Coatingmultilayer nanocoatingfluorine coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/4.5f/4
Min Aperturef/4.54-7.1
Constant✓★✗
Diaphragm Blades69★
Build
MountSony ESony E
Formatfull-framefull-frame
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.06 kg★0.59 kg
Filter Thread—67 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeAutofocusVXD linear motor★
Stabilization✗✓★
Focus
Min Focus Distance350 mm190 mm★
Max Magnification1:101:2.8

Pros & Cons

Viltrox AF 28/4.5 Z 28mm

  • Strong build (100th percentile)100th %ile
  • Strong social proof (87th percentile)87th %ile
  • Strong macro (66th percentile)
  • Below average user sentiment (16th percentile)16th %ile
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)
  • Below average stabilization (35th percentile)

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

  • Strong versatility (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong af (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong optical (97th percentile)97th %ile
  • Strong user sentiment (91st percentile)91st %ile

Pricing

Viltrox AF 28/4.5 Z 28mm is CA$804 cheaper (6.5x less).

Viltrox AF 28/4.5 Z 28mm0.434score per dollar
vs
Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD0.105score per dollar

Viltrox AF 28/4.5 Z 28mm offers 4.1x better value for money

Viltrox AF 28/4.5 Z 28mm

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

Verdict

★ Winner: Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD

Scores 100 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 5 of 21 specs.

Tamron Di III VC 28-300mm f/4-7.1 Di III VC VXD Better at:

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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