The Inexpensive Viltrox 20mm Tested Against Nikon Z Lenses

How Does a $158 Optic Hold Up Against a $499 Brand Name?

Earlier this week on my TDS Photography Podcast, I talked about the bargain-priced Viltrox 20mm f/2.8 super wide lens for Nikon Z cameras (and for Sony E as well). At $158, the outlay was certainly within reach of just about any photographer. But the real question is: How does it perform? Well, let’s take a look.

The Viltroz 20mm f/2.8 on a Nikon Zf.

I have the Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8 pancake lens ($499) and a Nikon Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 zoom lens ($396) that I like a lot. So I turned down the room lights for a shadowy environment, held the Nikon Zf steady in my hands, and recorded test shots with all three lenses. Here’s what the scene looked like with a little bit of editing.

Low light scene recorded with a Nikon Zf and Nikon 26mm lens - ISO 6400, 1/15th, f/2.8, handheld, mildly edited.

The next series of shots are unedited Jpegs, magnified to 200 percent, with all three optics. This is an apples-to-apples way to capture their performance.

Viltrox 20mm, 200 percent, Unedited Jpeg, ISO 3600, 1/15th, f/2.8.

Nikon Z 26mm, 200 percent, Unedited Jpeg, ISO 5600, 1/15th, f/2.8.

Nikon Z 24-50mm at 24mm, 200 percent, Unedited Jpeg, ISO 10,000, 1/15th, f/4.

The ISOs vary because I was shooting with Auto ISO on the Zf and in Program mode. I wanted the camera and lens to make the exposure decisions. The perspectives vary because of the different focal lengths of the lenses. All images are at 200 percent.

If you want to clean things up, which is what I discussed in the podcast, then let’s take a look at two RAW files that have basic edits applied.

Viltrox 20mm, captured in RAW, edited, and at 200 percent

Nikon Z 26mm captured in RAW, edited, and at 200 percent.

Images from the Nikon Z 26mm lens clean up much better. Not only are they sharper, but the quality of the detail is more pleasing and photo-like.

Now, granted, these are extreme conditions at high ISOs, not the typical shooting scenarios for these optics. When I take the Viltrox 20mm outside for casual picture taking, the images are quite good.

Viltrox 20mm on Nikon Zf, ISO 200 at f/7.1

Viltrox 20mm on Nikon Zf, ISO 200 at f/5.6

The Bottom Line

The results are what most of us would suspect. When casually taking pictures outside in good light, the Viltrox 20mm f/2.8 will deliver solid results. These are images you can publish and print.

But when conditions deteriorate, we see more quality separation between the inexpensive 20mm optic and the moderately priced Nikon Z lenses.

I like the Viltrox 20mm wide angle, and I’m keeping it in my kit. The key to success is knowing your lenses and reaching for the right one in varying conditions.

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