Viltrox Pancake 28mm F4.5 28mm

Viltrox Pancake 28mm F4.5 28mm

Viltrox
53 Overall Score
vs
Tamron Di III 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2

Tamron Di III 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2

Tamron
98 Overall Score

What Buyers Say

Viltrox Pancake 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

Tamron Di III 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2

88 out of 100 medium confidence 20 reviews

The Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 lens is highly praised for its sharpness, fast autofocus, and lightweight design, making it a versatile and affordable alternative to Sony's GM lenses. Users appreciate its performance in portraits and low light, though some note the plastic build and lack of weather sealing as drawbacks. Overall, it is considered an excellent value for both enthusiasts and professionals.

Pros
  • Sharp image quality
  • Fast and accurate autofocus
  • Lightweight design
  • Versatile focal range
  • Good value for money
Cons
  • Plastic build quality
  • No weather sealing
  • Zoom ring reversed from focus ring
  • Slightly long for discrete use
  • Colors slightly duller than GM lenses
👍 Image quality 12
👍 Autofocus performance 10
🤔 Build quality 8
👍 Value for money 7
👍 Weight and portability 6
👍 Low light performance 5

Scores

Video Cinema
Viltrox
67
Tamron
97
Budget
Viltrox
53
Tamron
97
Professional
Viltrox
68
Tamron
94
Portrait
Viltrox
60
Tamron
92
Macro
Viltrox
47
Tamron
88
Street
Viltrox
68
Tamron
84
Landscape
Viltrox
62
Tamron
81
Wildlife Sports
Viltrox
58
Tamron
79
Travel
Viltrox
60
Tamron
74

Specifications

Viltrox Pancake 28mm F4.5 28mmTamron Di III 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2
Optics
Typewide-anglezoom
Focal Length Min28 mm28 mm
Focal Length Max28 mm75 mm
Elements617
Groups615
Aspherical Elements22
ED Elements22
Coatingnano multi-coatingFluorine Coating
Aperture
Max Aperturef/4.5f/2.8
Min Aperturef/4.5f/2.8
Constant✓✓
Diaphragm Blades69★
Build
MountL-MountSony E
Formatfull-framefull-frame
Weather Sealed✓✓
Weight0.08 kg★0.54 kg
Filter Thread—67 mm
AF & Stabilization
AF TypeVCMVXD linear motor★
Stabilization✓★✗
Focus
Min Focus Distance420 mm180 mm★
Max Magnification0.11X1:2.7★

Pros & Cons

Viltrox Pancake 28mm F4.5 28mm

  • Strong build (99th percentile)99th %ile
  • Strong stabilization (80th percentile)80th %ile
  • Below average social proof (9th percentile)9th %ile
  • Below average user sentiment (16th percentile)16th %ile
  • Below average macro (31st percentile)
  • Below average versatility (34th percentile)

Tamron Di III 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2

  • Strong af (98th percentile)98th %ile
  • Strong optical (92nd percentile)92nd %ile
  • Strong bokeh (89th percentile)89th %ile
  • Strong aperture (87th percentile)87th %ile

Pricing

Viltrox Pancake 28mm F4.5 28mm

Tamron Di III 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2

No current pricing available

Verdict

★ Winner: Tamron Di III 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2

Scores 98 overall, wins 9 of 9 usage categories and 4 of 21 specs.

Tamron Di III 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 Better at:

MacroBudgetStreetTravelPortraitLandscapeProfessionalVideo CinemaWildlife Sports

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