Viltrox 23mm, 33m, 56mm f1.4 Review | Best Budget APS-C Lenses Ever? (Sample Photos + Video Footage)
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- čas přidán 24. 07. 2024
- In this video I review the Viltrox 23mm, 33mm, and 56mm f/1.4 lenses for APS-C sensor cameras from Canon, Fuji, and Sony. There are sample photos throughout the review, and a short, cinematic b-roll sequence to show off the video capabilities of these lenses as well.
These are wide aperture, fixed focal length, autofocus lenses with great build and image quality, making them a killer value for the price. And for you lucky Canon shooters, they come in silver.
This trio of lenses singlehandedly convinced me not to sell my Canon M50, but after viewing the example images and video footage, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.
Are these the best budget APS-C lenses ever?
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== LINKS ==
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Please consider using these affiliate links if you purchase any items. It won't cost you anything extra, but it will help me create more content like this.
Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 (Canon EF-M) - geni.us/viltrox23mmefm
Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 (Fuji X) - geni.us/viltrox23mmx
Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 (Sony E) - geni.us/viltrox23mme
Viltrox 33mm f/1.4 (Canon EF-M) - geni.us/viltrox33mmefm
Viltrox 33mm f/1.4 (Fuji X) - geni.us/viltrox33mmx
Viltrox 33mm f/1.4 (Sony E) - geni.us/viltrox33mme
Viltrox 56mm f/1.4 (Canon EF-M) - geni.us/viltrox56mmefm
Viltrox 56mm f/1.4 (Fuji X) - geni.us/viltrox56mmx
Viltrox 56mm f/1.4 (Sony E) - geni.us/viltrox56mme
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== TABLE OF CONTENTS ==
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0:00 - Intro
0:32 - Sample Photos While Explaining Crop Factor
1:07 - Build Quality
1:34 - Most Satisfying Part
1:58 - More Sample Photos
2:30 - These Lenses for Video
3:06 - Chromatic Aberration
3:38 - IMPORTANT: Double Video Crop Factor
4:34 - Vlogging with These Lenses
5:22 - Sample Cinematic B-Roll Sequence
7:06 - Final Thoughts
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== CONNECT ==
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Instagram: / newlayercom
Facebook: / nwlyr
Twitter: / nwlyr - Jak na to + styl
What do you think? Is there a better value out there for autofocus, APS-C sensor cameras? If so, let me know so I can check them out!
Nicely done review. I think Canon 22mm is better value for EF-M even with f2... . 33mm looks good to me, but I already have Canon 32mm. Thinking about getting that 56mm which is much cheaper then competitions...
@@ximesxiang4933 The Canon 22mm f/2 is a great lens too, especially for how tiny it is, as well as the price. Like you mentioned, the main benefit to these is the f/1.4 aperture, which is 1 full stop difference in light, and a much shallower DOF, which are both especially important with APS-C sensor cameras.
For people reading this comment who aren't aware, f/2 on an APS-C camera is equivalent to around f/3.2 on a full frame camera as far as depth of field goes, while f/1.4 is equivalent to around f/2 on a full frame, so if you want strong background blur, you won't quite get that with an f/2 EF-M lens.
1 stop difference in light lets you get images with less noise in low light environments, because you can shoot at a lower ISO as well.
Thank you so much for this very complete video! Your B-roll sequence looks amazing O_O
Thanks so much! I'm glad it was helpful. I love these lenses :)
Nice shots. Pretty sharp lenses. Love that you're venturing out of your studio and shooting sample footage man!
Thanks. Especially if you're just shooting for sharing online, they are plenty sharp. Didn't have a chance to venture super far this time, but I definitely want to get out more.
I know I'm late to the party, but I must thank you for a concise, non-stressful review of these lenses (I've watched a lot of reviews on these lenses, LOL). Your b-roll, however, shows that skill and framing are just as important as equipment. Thanks for a great video!
Glad it was helpful! And thanks for the kind words :)
This was well done. Thank you for showing us options.
Thank you, glad you liked it :)
Love this review. Planning to get myself the 23mm. Congrats for reaching 100k subs man.
Thanks! I miss these lenses but don't have my Canon M50 anymore :')
Great review! I’m looking for a complete set of lenses on a budget. I believe you convinced me that these lenses are worth it!
I still have and use mine, so I think so! :)
Hello Shaver, great review about the Viltrox, I was curious about the equipment and lens used to create the videos here for CZcams!
Thanks! In the beginning I just used a Canon M50 with the kit 15-45mm lens.
Then I used the Sony a7R III and Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8. Then the Sony a7S III. Now, I have the Sony a7IV with the same Tamron lens, and it is the BEST overall camera for video/photo in my opinion.
geni.us/sonya7ivbody
geni.us/tamron2875sony
geni.us/tamron2875g2 (this is the newer, Generation 2 of the lens I use)
Thank you for the nice honest review
Always! Thanks for watching and commenting :)
Some of your photos are so good I'm crying 😭
Thanks! And sorry 😅
Awesome review! Just got the 33mm and i'm excited. Were your sample videos handheld footage?
Yes, they were all handheld! I may have used Warp Stabilizer a tiny bit in post production, I can't remember anymore :)
Some channels sell LUTs but gear ASMR is an undiscovered country
I think we're on to something here...
Thanks for the video. Where did u color grade it, the settings and what profile!
You're welcome! This was the first video I edited/color graded in Davinci Resolve. All I did besides technical color correction was to add blue/teal to the shadows with the Lift wheel and orange to the midtones with the Gamma wheel.
I shot the footage with the Canon Cinestyle profile www.technicolor.com/cinestyle
Hope that helps :)
Love the colour and sharpness of the footage. Thank you! I'm getting the 23mm and 33mm as I love the results from my Viltrox 56 and 75 for my XT5 (sharpness, bokeh, AF).
Thanks! I miss these lenses, I just don’t have the Canon EOS M camera anymore.
Do you know what the cable port is on the lens in order to do the firmware update is? I can't find that information anywhere.
They use Micro USB!
@@NewLayer Thanks so much!
I couldn’t make up my mind whether to buy the 23mm or the 33mm for my XT3. Then they brought out the 56mm and my mind was going haywire - haven’t seen a bad review yet. Anyway, I couldn’t decide so I bought a Godox ML60. Thanks for that review too.
Haha! Which lens to buy... I can't decide! Screw it, I'll buy lights instead!
Are they better than/as good as the Sigma Trio? I have the Sigma 16mm f1.4 and was planning on getting the 30mm f1.4 but these are more affordable alternatives and I am interested
I would say that with Sigma the chromatic aberration is slightly better, and MAYBE have slightly better edge sharpness. Everything is going on and off sale right now for the holidays, so if you can get the Sigma lenses at the same price or close, I'd get those. For some reason the Sony versions of a lot of lenses are cheaper than Canon or Fuji right now, but that might change.
I will say though, I would never be disappointed with the performance of these lenses at their regular prices, so they are still worth it, and if they go back on sale for ~$30 more again each, then you really won't even find anything cheaper.
I hope that helps, it's tough since pricing fluctuates so often across all the different mounts.
spend the extra $40 and get the sigma 30mm 1.4. it's worth the extra $40!
I'm struggling to find what filter to use on theses lenses. Any help ?
They are 52mm thread size, so any standard 52mm filters will work :)
i mean, theyre not really budget, about same price as sony and sigma lenses, at least for sony. how would you rate them compared to those? (esp the sigmas which are super sharp, and the sonys also have oss)
These lenses come in a variety of mounts, so yes, it does also depend on your camera system. For Canon and Fuji the Viltrox equivalent lenses are typically $100-$15 cheaper than first-party or Sigma lenses. Especially if you're buying a whole set, it can be a significant difference. For Sony, it's a lot closer, or even identical pricing in some cases.
Everything is on sale right now, so it's a bit hard to tell until after the holidays. The pricing I mentioned in the video is the regular pricing, but I'm also seeing the Viltrox lenses going on and off sale lately for another $30-40 off each. They are also new so may come down in price after they've been available a little longer.
If you can get Sony or Sigma for the same price, definitely go for it. If you're looking at a $100-150 price difference and are just buying 1 lens, then it may make sense to grab the bigger brand name still. If you want a whole set, you could save a few hundred dollars easily depending on the system you're using, which could be better used on other gear, so it just depends on your current needs.
My experience is mostly with the EF-M versions, and has been overwhelmingly positive.
Thanks for your feedback, it's hard to keep up with all the price changes, especially on the systems I don't personally use.
@@NewLayer man that was a clear and detailed answer. thanks a lot. id subscribe again if i wasnt subscribed already, love your channel and how precise and technical you get on the vids.
@@luciano.armani Happy to help! Thanks for the support :)
This is a very great video. I have a Canon M50 Mark ii. I mainly want to do event photography and sometimes street photography or taking portrait. Which one do you think I should buy among these 3?
If you're just getting 1, I'd say the 23 or 33mm. The 23mm is a 35mm full frame equivalent, while the 33mm is a 50mm full frame equivalent. I think 50mm is the best all-around focal length, but sometimes it's not wide enough, especially if you're only a few feet away from subjects, so you may want to go 23mm. Hope that helps!
@@NewLayer Thanks a lot for replying too fast. It really did help.
Hello! What lens best for landscape, 23mm, 33 or 56, if its first lens i buy after kit m50 mk2? Also want to use for photos of my family and dogs on a trip.Thanks for answer )
For landscape, definitely the 23mm, as it's a 35mm full frame equivalent, which isn't even all that wide for landscape photos geni.us/viltrox23mmefm
For family photos and general photography, the 33mm would be my choice geni.us/viltrox33mmefm
Hope that helps :)
@@NewLayer many thanks )
I've heard conflicting reviews on the sharpness of the 23mm. Some say it's the sharpest lens they have while others say it can be super soft at 1.4 and 1.8. I'm torn on which lens I should get. I *think* most of my uses will be low-light photos, but I'd also love to get some astro timelapses and low light video as well. 23 or 33, such a hard decision.
I find all three to be plenty sharp with minimal editing (of sharpness), unless maybe you’re looking to do high res prints, but even then you should be able to do anything with a marginal sharpness increase during post processing.
They are negligibly less sharp than more expensive lenses, so there’s a point of diminishing returns as far as pricing goes, but it just depends on how much you want to spend. I have a 33mm EF-M I’m selling if you want a great deal. DM me on Instagram @newlayercom if so.
@@NewLayer thanks, I sent you a message on insta
Could you send me the audio from that ASMR segment? For a friend.
Sure thing. My PayPal is....
Not an ASMR fan, but I did like the way that sounded. I just bought the 33mm and am waiting for it to arrive.
Haha, me neither. These lenses just feel so good to use I wanted to point out. Excited for your 33 to arrive! Let me know how you like it.
I wish they came in micro four thirds mount. That would be so awesome.
I know right! It’s surprising they don’t, but they have about a million lenses in the pipeline so maybe it’ll happen soon 🤞
Looks like Santa Claus is dropping a couple lenses off for Christmas! I'll use you aff-links of course. Thanks from Colorado.
How does Santa always know what photographers/videographers want for Christmas?! That's the true miracle, LOL.
Thanks for the support! I'd love to hear what you think about them after Santa drops by :)
@@NewLayer Well, I have been 'good' boy this year, hope that counts. I'll let you know. I'm stepping up my YT video production capabilities and need a few more lenses for multi-camera shots. So your timing with this video is perfect.
@@CraigHollabaugh Nice! I used to shoot my videos on the M50 and the quality was great, but the kit lens is a f/3.5-6.3 or something, so the lack of shallow depth of field always bothered me. These lenses will definitely up the production value compared to that :)
The whisper convinced me to subscribe.
Haha, thanks!
Any updated information on the 13mm lense you claimed they will be releasing?
Yes! It was eventually released: geni.us/viltrox13mme
Unfortunately they didn't send me one for review, but I can only imagine it's pretty much identical to these, except a wider angle :)
@@NewLayer Well they didn't release it for the Canon M mount sadly. Still a great trio. Thanks!
@@switch-_-blade951 Ah, that's kind of lame! I hadn't even checked and just assumed because I've moved to all Sony E cameras :)
Wonderful!!!!
Thanks!
Viltrox needs to make the silver versions available for the nikon Zfc right now!!
I sold my M50 and still have these lenses because the silver looks so good, haha! I wish all lenses were available with that finish.
Uhhhh where can I get the silver versions??
I think the silver ones are only for EF-M mount. In fact, I don’t think you can get black ones for Canon cameras!
@@NewLayer ah good to know! I was looking for Fuji
@@benjhaisch Sadly, I think Fuji users are out of luck for silver :'(
Thank you 🤟👏👏
Happy to help, thanks for commenting!
I personally like the lens flare characteristics of these lens
Same! It definitely doesn't look like some cheap, low element garbage, which I've seen on other old or cheap lenses.
Awww man, where is the RF lenses! Damn nice sharp shots. Please teach me lol.
So far it seems the E-mount is the only full frame lenses they are making. Something about the RF mount is harder for third party manufacturers, but that should change down the road. Glad you like the photos! I've tried some photo editing tutorials but many people don't seem to care about them, haha.
They are. I have them all for my Fuji and they are amazing.
We've talked about this a few times and I totally agree! These lenses came out for Fuji first, and were so popular they have extended the mounts and have really ramped up the number of lenses they're going to be releasing, which is exciting.
@@NewLayer yup! Pumped for the 13mm
@@BrandonTalbot Same! The 23mm is borderline too tight for vlogging, but the 13mm should be a few mm wider in 4K, and a 20mm equivalent in 1080, so pretty perfect 👌
I need help here, I'm getting the Xt4 with the 18-55 lens as well as the 35 f2 prime, if I could only get one viltrox lens with it, which one should I get according to the lens quality.? i.e which viltrox lens would you recommend?
@@srinivassridhar5151 they’re all pretty awesome but I would pick a focal length the covers a range you don’t already have. So for me, given your future lens selections the 85mm 1.8 seems like the choice
Great video, just wanted to say that I don't really agree with you when you say that the APS-C system is only for hobbyists and semi-proffesionals. It can be used professionally at 100%. 😀
I totally agree. APS-C is great, and better than full frame in some circumstances. There are just WAY more hobbyists and semi-pros using APS-C than full frame cameras :)
You also have to multiply the aperture by the crop factor on apsc
Light transmission will be the same but yes, multiply the aperture by the crop factor to get a good idea of what the DOF will be compared to a full frame camera.
@@NewLayer Yep light transmission is the same but because the sensor is smaller less light is transferred. The 56mm f1.4 lens on apsc would give you the same image focal length and blurry background a 84mm f2.1 lens on full frame.
@@megaman2016 Correct! I just wanted to make sure others knew that exposure settings would be the same regardless of sensor size.
I would have seen some portrait shots with the lenses. I bought the 33mm and waiting for it, but would have been interested in the 23mm for portraits.
The 33mm is equivalent to 50mm full frame, which is kind of the all-around best portrait focal length. The 23mm is a 35mm equivalent, so better suited for full body portraits in my opinion. I'm mostly not a fan of wider angles in general.
@@NewLayer I know all this. 23mm is interesting for me as last time I was shooting in a small studio and I was strugling to find a good position/angle with my 35mm (on aps-c) even for a half body shot as 50mm-ish was still too zoomed in. So 23mm equivalent of 35mm would have helped me.
hi there! How is it going with the 33mm? Is is worth buying?
@@sempatente6831 hi, it depends on your needs. The lens itself is very sharp, good with autofocus, I have more issues with the 56mm 1.4 with autofocus. However I love shooting more with the 56mm recently, 33mm is too wide for me. But all in all the lens is fantastic.
Tbh, i have a Canon M200 and EF 50mm Lens, it is great but It is also too close for street photography, so Im looking for cheaper lens between 30 and 35mm, which can offer a wider angle but also some backgroundblur. Do you think 33mm will fit well ?
Do a comparison with sigma dc dn line up.
I would love to if I could get my hands on them. I don't know anyone who has them, and Sigma won't reply to my messages, haha.
Lol, maybe they are scared!
Was this entire video filmed with the m50?
I've been having a hard time finding videos of the m50 footage that looks as good as the rp or r. I'm guessing it's because of the persons skill level plus color grading not actually the camera. I'm fairly new to all this. I've been debating on upgrading my lenses or get the rp. You have made me rethink getting an rp especially if this was all filmed on the m50
It's been a while so I can't remember on the talking head stuff. Obviously all b-roll and sample footage was.
The 1080p on the M50 is HORRID. Literally unusable. The 4K is really good, so make sure you're always shooting in 4K. The biggest downside is that the 4K is cropped and the autofocus isn't too good in 4K. The M50 II is barely any different than the original, but at this point I've gone all Sony full frame, so can't do any further testing.
Hope that helps :)
please i want to know the difference between the 23mm and 56 mm
One is 23mm and the other is 56mm, lol. There's no difference other than the focal length. 56mm is much more zoomed in than 23mm.
Thank you so 56 mm will do a good job for fashion and portrait pictures?
@@Uccen_ The 56mm is an 85mm full frame equivalent, which is my favorite portrait focal length, so yes :)
@@NewLayer thank you so much
2021 and still waiting for the 13mm f1,4 :C
I want to try their new full frame E mount lenses! It’s taking a while for them to all come out.
@@NewLayer I'm looking for the EF m versions
"this is me vlogging with the 23mm at arm's length.... so if this isn't bad you could use it." You forgot to mention that you are 6'6 and your arms alone are the equivalent to me extending the camera out on a 4 foot tripod. Thanks.
Haha, I purposefully used a super mini (6") tripod and kept my arm bent for a more accurate representation. Plus smaller people have smaller heads sooo...
They will look nice (ilver look) on the new Nikon Z fc.
For sure!
I think Sigma 18-35 f1.8 and paired with this 56 f1.4 can do a lot of damage.
They definitely can! The 18-35 is an amazing lens by itself, with significant differences.
On one hand, it's a zoom lens with an aperture that's very close to the f/1.4 primes, so will be very flexible as an all-around option. On the other, it's more expensive, much heavier at 1.78lbs instead of 0.63lbs, and has a bigger filter thread size, which means more expensive filters if that matters to people.
Unfortunately, it doesn't come in EF-M or Sony E mount, so adapters would be needed.
The Sigma prime is functionally identical, with a slight tradeoff in image quality vs price, so is another great option.
You really can't go wrong with any of them, just have to choose what fits your priorities best :)
@@NewLayer That's true.. I use m50 and 18-35 and it's no longer a 'compact' camera. it's front heavy on gimbal and vlogging on it for 60 days will get you Chuck Norris' biceps.
Anyway great video, bro! So refreshing to watch the soothing brolls! Keep it up!
@@davidjusuf Haha! Sinewy biceps are definitely a selling point with bigger lenses. Thanks for the comments, glad you liked the b-roll segment.
Still waiting for the 13mm update, it will be a better choice than sigma 16mm.
I'm excited for that one too! And the 3 new full frame lenses coming probably in February. They'll have a great start to their whole lens lineup.
im waiting for the 13mm too.. this 13mm coming and 33mm will cover video and photo for my need for travel. Any idea when will it come out??? road map look like 2021 Q1 , but not sure.. sigma 16 around 400$ too much and bulky
@@noblegendforever2052 not within this Q2 for sure. They need to fix some jittery defocus issue with the 23mm as well. Otherwise, its perfect lens for its price.
@@nikfizri Q2 is summer which is too long , guess i just go with pancake len 22mm f2 which doing fine. hopefully it come out soon
many canon m50 user around the world are waiting for 13mm f1.4 for this system.. the budget len from viltrox will kill sigma.. sigma know for quality but for vlogger and the fact that m50 body cant handle expensive lenses.. for those looking for photo go with different body like RP or R
I'm excited for the 13mm, as well as their new full frame lenses for Sony E mount! It's great to have another legitimate option for lenses now.
13mm? Please!
Seconded!!!
the chromatic abberation is horrible wide open. casual shooters are not going to use photoshop to fix that issue most of the time. Used for around $150 they are ok value, but I would not spend $230 to $280 on them new.
I wouldn’t say they are anywhere near horrible, at least mine. Perhaps copies vary, but mine were marginally worse than more expensive lenses, and only noticeable at all wide open in extreme contrast conditions. The example I showed looks bad, but other lenses are pretty close as well. I’ve shared hundreds of photos without correcting the CA and never has anyone noticed, which to me is the best test.
Your opinion is definitely still valid, that’s just my experience, which is why having choices is good, and I’m glad Viltrox is continuing to build their lens lineup.
Sigma trio is much better.
I don’t necessarily disagree, but they do typically cost more. What specifically about them do you like better in your experience? I think the quality difference for the price is negligible so these suit people best whose highest priority is budget.
@@NewLayer Picture quality, sharpness and low aberration. Aberration on Viltrox is problematic.
@@snd7622 I think the aberration on the Viltrox lenses is the noticeable difference, but in my experience is only distinguishable in very high contrast shots, and is easily fixed with the aberration correction in Lightroom in 10-15 seconds (which can be synced/applied to all the photos in a shoot quickly).
Overall, it just depends on current pricing, sometimes if you're buying all 3 lenses, you can save $500, other times, pricing is identical.