My Viltrox journey started a few years ago when I bought a matching set of three APS-C format Viltrox AF 23mm f/1.4, Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 and Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.4 for my Nikon Z fc camera. I was attracted by the fast aperture, compact and lightweight metal build and the inclusion of an aperture control ring, perfectly suited to the retro styling and control layout of the Z fc. These lenses have become old news, with featherweight, plastic-bodied Viltrox ‘Air’ series lenses at the bottom end of the price scale coming to the fore for both full-frame and crop sensor cameras, while Viltrox ‘Pro’ and ‘Lab’ lenses sit at the top of the tree in terms of quality, performance and asking prices.
Full-frame ‘Evo’ lenses are comparatively new, the first Viltrox AF 85mm f/2.0 Evo prime for Nikon Z and Sony E mount cameras being launched in October 2025. The design ethos is to pack high-end handling characteristics into a compact and lightweight yet robust all-metal build. The initial 85mm lens has now been followed up by 35mm f/1.8 and 55mm f/1.8 Evo lenses, the latter being the one that I’m reviewing here. All three are pretty much the same size and weight and are identical in terms of controls and layout. The 55mm is naturally designed as a standard prime for full-frame cameras but thanks to its dinky dimensions, it’s equally adept as a portrait lens for APS-C format Nikon and Sony cameras, on which it has an ‘effective’ focal length of 82.5mm.
