There are few lenses more comforting than a compact, bright 50mm prime. The Viltrox AF 50mm f/2 Air is exactly that—one of the smaller and lighter 50mm lenses available for the Nikon Z lens mount and one of the few third-party lenses for the system with autofocus. The beauty of a lens like this is its inherent simplicity; it’s a straightforward normal-length prime and a perfect go-to option for everyday shooting. It’s bright enough for shooting during most hours of the day, fast enough to isolate subjects with shallow depth of field, and small enough to carry throughout the day on any camera.
I had a chance to shoot with the Viltrox 50mm Air for a week and the tl;dr is that this lens is great for what it is. It’s a great “nifty fifty” and the type of lens I tend to reach for when I am feeling a bit indecisive. I’m a 50mm type of photographer, so the focal length speaks to me, and I’m also big on smaller lenses, so the small size is a huge benefit in my eyes.
Third-Party AF for Full-Frame Nikon Z
Before getting to the lens itself, I think it’s worth pointing out that, until recently, third-party full-frame lenses with AF have been relatively hard to come by for Nikon Z (especially compared to Sony E, which is the other available mount for this lens). Most of this is due to Nikon’s control over the system, but part is also due to the relative newness of the system. Even as someone who’s been happy with Nikon’s own lens offerings, I think it’s great to see competition and alternative options for a major lens mount.
In the case of this 50mm f/2, it hits a specific segment that Nikon hasn’t yet hit on their own—despite Nikon having four of their own 50mm lenses: their 50mm f/1.8 is an optics-first premium lens; their 50mm f/2.8 Macro is comparable but slower and more dedicated to close-up applications; their 50mm f/1.4 is most similar, but still faster and pricier; and the 50mm f/1.2 is in a different league considering its size, speed, and price.
For this specific situation, a lens like the Viltrox 50mm f/2 fits in as the smaller 50mm that’s affordable, still fast-enough, and optically superb relative to its concessions. Also, the fact that it has autofocus is a boon for quick, spontaneous shooting and removes it from needing to be compared to manual focus-only and adapted lens with regards to other 50mm options for Nikon Z. At the moment, this lens is surprisingly unique given its very plain, generic attributes (which I mean in the absolute best way—not every lens needs to be groundbreaking!).
Viltrox 50mm Air
Viltrox’s aim is clear—the “Air” is intended to be among the lightest lens options available. This lens weighs about 7.8 oz, which is about 1.5 oz lighter than the Nikon 50mm f/2.8, while managing to be a full stop faster. It also measures a svelte 2.3” long (about 0.25” shorter than the Nikon) and is a bit smaller in diameter, at 2.7” (compared to the 2.9”-diameter Nikon 50mm f/2.8).
Measurements aside, this feels like a very small and light lens. Despite the fact I was using it on an oversized Z9, when setting it next to my other Nikon lenses it’s noticeably smaller. It’s even in the same realm as tiny M-mount rangefinder lenses. For me, this small size is the best asset of the Viltrox 50mm f/2 Air; it’s a lens that seems to disappear when mounted to a camera, meaning I hardly noticed it when carrying for a day of shooting.
Optical Performance
Beyond its physical specs, the Air’s performance is the second tier of importance for me when looking at a lens like this. It’s expected there will be some sacrifices compared to premium, flagship-grade lenses compared to a compact, affordable lens like the Air—and I would more often choose the Air because I prioritize its size and weight more than the marginal gains of a more exotic optics system.
The optical performance for this lens is essentially as expected—and this is a great thing. There’s nothing distracting or overwhelmingly “off” about this lens’s sharpness or rendering. In fact, I’d go as far as to say it’s impressive how clean and punchy the image quality is for a lens of this class. I think this is the most pleasant surprise and what added the most to my enjoyment of a lens I already expected to like thanks to its size.
Shooting wide open, at f/2, central subjects aren’t the sharpest, especially when compared to stopping the lens down to f/4 or smaller. However, at f/2 I liked the subject separation and depth of field control I’d get and would often opt to trade in the maximum sharpness for this extra bit of pop and depth.
The one area I might start to criticize on this lens, though, is a somewhat nervous bokeh quality that’s mostly apparent with busier backgrounds. The out-of-focus regions are blurred but also a bit more textured and shaped than an ideal, smooth background. Still, if managed, this added bit of context and texture can be used in a positive way, for situations when you don’t need to fully obscure a background.
One other area this lens performed well in is with flare control and, generally, high contrast in a variety of lighting situations. Viltrox’s HD nano multi-layer coating is obviously doing something right here, as it was surprisingly hard to get this lens to flare more than just a bit. It’s a strong performer in strong lighting.
Autofocus
The fact that this lens has working autofocus that’s smooth, quiet, and reliable is all I could ask for. I have no qualms with this lens’s focusing performance—I didn’t test it while recording video, but for everyday photo needs, focusing was quick and accurate. Since this isn’t a lens you would use to photograph sports or wildlife, I don’t think the STM focusing motor is ever going to be outpaced by basic focusing on relatively static subjects from comfortable working distances.
Also, since the lens has a pared-down physical design, there’s no switch to deactivate AF from the lens itself; you can simply start focusing the barrel to override AF and then manual focus performs just as you’d expect. Besides instances of focusing down to the 1.7’ minimum focusing distance, I’d just assume sticking to AF rather than rely on the not-so-precise focus-by-wire mechanism.
50mm: A Focal Length for All
For me, the 50mm focal length is the best all-arounder single focal length for everyday use. I’m happy this lens exists and it’s a lens I’d reach for over a compact zoom almost every time. I like the combination of speed and size, and the versatile focal length forces you to make creative decisions about when to have more selective framing versus using a wider field of view. Coupled with a useful 0.11x maximum magnification and the bright f/2 design, it’s a lens than can provide a variety of looks despite its fixed focal length and modest speed.
I’m happy I got to use the Viltrox AF 50mm f/2 Air Z lens. I think, in light of all of the great and overbuilt lenses available today, a lens like this takes me back to a simpler time when I cared a bit less about charts and specs and sheer performance—it’s not the best lens on paper but it might be one of the most enjoyable-to-use lenses I’ve worked with in a while. This is a lens that’s fun to use and something I’d reach for to make photographs I enjoy making.
