Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 28mm

Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 28mm

Viltrox
55 Overall Score
vs
Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS STM

Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS STM

Canon
87 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 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

Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS STM

82 out of 100 high confidence 331 reviews

The Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens is widely praised for its excellent sharpness, fast and silent autofocus, and lightweight design, making it a fantastic value for amateur photographers and wildlife enthusiasts. Many users highlight the impressive image quality at the long end and the effective image stabilization, though some note softness beyond 200mm and noticeable vignetting at full zoom. A few reviewers experienced quality control issues like blurry images or a non-functional focus ring, but the overwhelming consensus is that this lens delivers outstanding performance for its price point.

Pros
  • Excellent sharpness for the price
  • Fast and silent STM autofocus
  • Lightweight and compact design
  • Effective image stabilization
  • Great value for money
Cons
  • Softness beyond 200mm
  • Noticeable vignetting at full zoom
  • Plastic build quality
  • Electronic manual focus requires camera power
  • Slow maximum aperture (f/5.6 at 250mm)
👍 Image quality 45
👍 Autofocus performance 30
👍 Value for money 35
🤔 Build quality 20
👍 Image stabilization 18
🤔 Sharpness at long end 25

Scores

Budget
Viltrox
55
Canon
94
Street
Viltrox
60
Canon
80
Portrait
Viltrox
35
Canon
78
Video Cinema
Viltrox
60
Canon
78
Travel
Viltrox
65
Canon
74
Landscape
Viltrox
67
Canon
74
Wildlife Sports
Viltrox
63
Canon
71
Professional
Viltrox
63
Canon
69
Macro
Viltrox
62
Canon
68

Specifications

Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 28mmCanon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS STM
Optics
Typeprimetelephoto
Focal Length Min28 mm55 mm
Focal Length Max28 mm250 mm
Elements615
Groups612
Aspherical Elements2★0
ED Elements2★1
Coatingnano multi-coatingSuper Spectra coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/28f/4
Min Aperturef/4.54-5.6
Constant✓★✗
Diaphragm Blades67★
Build
MountFujifilm XCanon EF-S
FormatAPS-CAPS-C
Weather Sealed✓★✗
Weight0.06 kg★0.38 kg
Filter Thread—58 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeVCM Voice Coil Autofocus MotorSTM★
Stabilization✓✓
Stabilization Stops—4 stops★
Focus
Min Focus Distance340 mm250 mm★
Max Magnification1:10★0.29x

Pros & Cons

Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 28mm

  • Strong build (100th percentile)100th %ile
  • Strong af (95th percentile)95th %ile
  • Strong stabilization (80th percentile)80th %ile
  • Strong macro (66th percentile)
  • Below average bokeh (3rd percentile)3rd %ile
  • Below average aperture (8th percentile)8th %ile
  • Below average user sentiment (16th percentile)16th %ile
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)

Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS STM

  • Strong stabilization (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
  • Strong versatility (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
  • Strong af (85th percentile)85th %ile
  • Strong social proof (81st percentile)81st %ile

Pricing

Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 28mm is £181 cheaper (3.0x less).

Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 28mm0.610score per dollar
vs
Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS STM0.320score per dollar

Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 28mm offers 1.9x better value for money

Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 28mm

Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS STM

Verdict

★ Winner: Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS STM

Scores 87 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 4 of 22 specs.

Canon EF-S 55-250mm F4-5.6 IS STM Better at:

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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