Viltrox has officially announced that two of its popular line of "Air" prime lenses are coming to Micro Four Thirds cameras (MFT), giving the format a much-needed shot in the arm of third-party support.
While MFT is the longest-running and most prolific mirrorless format, having launched back in 2008, third-party manufacturers have gradually stopped releasing new lenses over the years.
Perhaps most significantly, Sigma stopped developing Micro Four Thirds lenses back in 2023 (though it has produced OEM lenses for OM System, such as the M.Zuiko 150-600mm).
However, this announcement could signify that Viltrox is about to fill the void left by Japanese third-party lens makers.
The Viltrox 25mm f/1.7 Air along with the Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 Air have both been confirmed for MFT cameras, offering respective 50mm and 70mm equivalent prime focal lengths.
The former is a slightly crowded space, including first-party "nifty fifty" options in the form of the weather-sealed OM System 25mm f/1.8 II and the affordable "plastic fantastic" Panasonic Lumix G 25mm f/1.7 Asph.
(The Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 II has reportedly been discontinued.)
The latter is a different story, though, with the closest autofocus options being the Olympus M.Zuiko 30mm f/3.5 Macro and the Panasonic Lumix G Macro 30mm f/2.8 Asph Mega OIS, both of which offer a shorter 60mm equivalent experience.
While it hasn't been confirmed by Viltrox, my assumption is that these lenses are simple mount swaps with the same general size and optical formula for larger APS-C image circles (since they are already available for Fujifilm X, Nikon Z and Sony E).
In other words, don't expect the lenses to possess new slimmed-down designs that better befit the more compact MFT bodies.
Still, if these first two primes prove popular, it seems likely that we can expect more Viltrox optics to make their way to Micro Four Thirds. In addition to the brilliant Evo and Lab lenses, I'd personally love to see the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 – an ultra-thin autofocus pancake lens.
Pre-orders and international pricing have yet to be confirmed, but both the Viltrox 25mm f/1.7 Air and Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 Air carry a price tag of ¥899 in China – which is around $130 / £99 / AU$189.
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