What if there were a lens that could rival the Sony 40mm G for less than a third of the price? That’s exactly what Viltrox is aiming to achieve with its new 40mm f/2.5 autofocus lens for the Sony E-mount. Offering a full-frame autofocus prime lens for under $170 is a bold move, and I can’t help but think: is there a catch, and if so, where is it? After using it for about a month, I can tell you that it’s a pretty awesome lens for the price. If you’ve been thinking of getting the Sony but have been put off by the price tag, this Viltrox option is a no-brainer.

Before we dive into what I liked and disliked about the lens, I just want to mention that Viltrox provided it to me, but they have nothing to say about what I write here. In fact, I approached them because I was intrigued by the lens and thought it might be a great alternative for those of us who can’t justify the price of the Sony—especially since I already have two 35mm primes, and 35mm and 40mm are so close. I’ve been happy with another Viltrox lens I own, so I wanted to see if this 40mm could be good enough to rival the Sony and be a perfect cheaper alternative to the Sony 40mm G lens.

The first and most obvious thing I like about this lens is the price point. Getting a full-frame autofocus lens for under $170 is pretty incredible. Even Sony’s "nifty fifty" 50mm f/1.8 is more expensive than that. I’d also say that Viltrox's build quality feels a bit more premium than Sony lens, So in this example, we have a third party lens that feels a bit more premium than a Sony native one.

Now, let’s talk sharpness. You hear this all the time: “I’m not a pixel peeper,” but I think I’m a *bit* of a pixel peeper. I don’t care about how sharp a lens is when zoomed in at 400%, since I won’t be using my photos that way. But sharpness does play a role in creating micro-contrast, that crispness in photos viewed at a normal distance. In my opinion, sharpness is important even if you're not zooming in, and the Viltrox 40mm really surprised me in this area. For this price point, offering such a sharp lens is impressive, and you won’t feel like you’re missing out compared to more premium options.

Another thing I love about this lens is the color reproduction. Similar to my first Viltrox lens, this one adds a subtle warmth to already warm tones like oranges, reds, and yellows. They come out with a bit more saturation and punch. Overall, the colors are accurate and easy to work with in post-production.

When it comes to autofocus, I had a flawless experience. I used it in standard modes as well as for tracking humans and animals, and it performed perfectly. The autofocus is fast and accurate, I guess the lens is already pretty good at autofocusing, and when paired to Sony Camera bodies that are so good with autofocus, we have a perfect combination to have absolutely no problem and gives no frustrations at all when it comes to focusing.

I’m all-in for compact and lightweight gear, and this lens fits in this category. It’s super light, super compact, perfect for long shooting days. It fits nicely in any camera bag, so you have no excuses not to take it with you and shoot more photos.

In some ways, this Viltrox 40mm reminds me of the Samyang 35mm f/2.8 I used a while back when I wanted to improve my photography *productivity* and commit to the 35mm focal length. The Viltrox is similarly cheap, light, and offers great value for money. I used the Samyang for over a year, took some of my favorite photos with it, and once I knew I loved the 35mm focal length, I upgraded to the Sony Zeiss 35mm f/2.8. I think this Viltrox 40mm could serve the same purpose—use it for a year or two, and if you find 40mm becomes your go-to focal length, you can always upgrade to the Sony G.

Now, let’s move on to what I didn’t like as much and some of the limitations. Like the Samyang, this Viltrox lens struggles a little bit with flare and ghosting. It’s not terrible, and it's definitely better than the Samyang, but if the sun is hitting the corner or edge of your frame, you might end up with some flare and ghosting. Personally, I don’t mind a bit of flare—it can look nice in some situations. The good thing with this lens is that the flare is predictable, so you know how it will behave depending on the sun’s position. What I like less is the ghosting, which reduces contrast in your frame, almost as if there’s a filter over the image, turning darker areas into grey mush. The lens hood that comes with the lens doesn’t really help, but again, I took some of my favorite images with the Samyang 35mm, which had worse flare and ghosting issues.

Another downside is that this lens doesn’t have weather sealing. There’s no rubber gasket around the mount, so you’ll need to be careful if you plan on shooting in rain or harsh conditions.

After using the lens and specifically the 40mm focal length for a month, I can see why it’s gaining popularity and why everyone loves it. It has everything I love about the 35mm focal length: a neutral, natural look that’s perfect for documenting everyday life, street photography, and travel. It’s also great for contextual portraits and other situations. Like the 35mm, the 40mm gives you all of that but with a slightly tighter field of view, making it easier to eliminate distractions around the edges of your frame. This makes it a bit easier to compose clean, striking images. So, I think the Viltrox 40mm is a perfect lens for beginners or those new to the 35mm/40mm focal lengths.

In short, it’s cheap, it delivers good image quality, and the focal length is great for learning composition. It’s wide enough to require careful composition without being too wide, and it doesn’t have the visual effects of ultra-wide or telephoto lenses. The 40mm is just tight enough to make composition easier than a 35mm, so it’s a great lens to help you keep shooting and improve.

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