The Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.7 Air for Sony E-mount is an affordable prime lens aimed at photographers who want a fast aperture in a lightweight, budget-friendly package. As a 35mm lens on an APS-C sensor, it provides an effective focal length of approximately 53mm, making it a standard focal length ideal for portraits, street photography, and general-purpose shooting.
Note: While I received this lens for review from Viltrox, it is a completely independent review. All thoughts are my own.
Features
- Large aperture: The f/1.7 aperture delivers dreamy bokeh and excels in low-light conditions
- Lightweight design: Compact and portable at just 170g, perfect for on-the-go shooting
- APS-C compatibility: Optimized for APS-C cameras with a versatile 53mm equivalent focal length
- Reliable autofocus: Silent STM motor with eye and face detection for fast, accurate focusing
- High-quality optics: ED and nano-coated lenses ensure sharp, vibrant, and true-to-life images.
Pros
- Budget priced and very affordable
- Super shallow depth of field at f/1.7 – f/16
- 0.33m minimum focal distance
- AF /MF Internal Focus
Cons
- Soft focus, especially at f/9 and beyond
- It has a slight vignette on the edges, quite pronounced at f/11 – /16
- Plastic build makes it lightweight but possibly less durable
- AF struggles in complex scenes and busy, high-contrast environments.
Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.7 Air – Technical specifications
All technical specifications have been taken from Viltrox’s website. Please see the website for full details. All images were taken with Sony a7R V.
- Mount: Sony E-mount (also comes in other mounts such as Nikon-Z and X)
- Format: APS-C
- Focal Length: 35mm
- Maximum Aperture: f/1.7
- Minimum Aperture: f/16
- Construction of Optics: 6 Elements in 5 Groups
- Iris blades: 9
- Minimum Focus Distance: 0.33m
- Filter Diameter: 52mm
- Dimensions (L): 62mm (2.4″) without lens hood / 69.5mm (3.7″) with lens hood
- Weight: 170 grams
- Colour: E mount in Black only
Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.7 Air – Ergonomics and build quality
The Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 APS-C Air is impressively lightweight at just 170 grams, making it an excellent option for travel and street photography. The plastic construction does raise some concerns about durability, but it also contributes to its portability. The focus ring is smooth and offers decent resistance, and the autofocus system, while not the fastest, is a helpful addition for general photography.
The 52mm filter thread makes it easy to attach filters, and the nine-blade aperture helps create reasonably smooth bokeh. However, the minimum focusing distance of 0.33m can be limiting, especially for close-up shots.
Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.7 Air – In the field
Despite the small size of the lens, when used with my Sony A7RV, it actually feels very comfortable in my hands, so light weight. I used it for still life, flowers and portraits. I think that this lens might well suited to street photography rather than my usual studio portraits. The minimum focal distance makes this lens unsuitable for true macro, but it was great at f/1.7 for some portrait shots.
Performance in the studio (f/1.7):
In a controlled studio environment, the Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 performs okay, delivering fair subject separation with its wide aperture. At f/1.7 to 2.8, the lens is fairly sharp in the center, with a pleasant fall-off in the corners, which can actually enhance the artistic look of portrait shots. The bokeh is relatively smooth, and the nine-blade diaphragm does a good job of maintaining circular highlights.
The autofocus system is reliable in a studio setting, where you have time to fine-tune your composition. The contrast and color rendering are quite good, providing a natural and slightly warm tone that enhances skin tones in portrait photography.
However, at f/9 and smaller, in the studio with strobes, the lens starts to show its weaknesses. Sharpness suffers, especially toward the edges, making it less ideal for portraits. While the lens does produce decent results in well-lit conditions, diffraction starts to creep in beyond f/8, affecting the overall clarity and contrast. I also found the focus extremely soft and very grainy even at ISO100.
Outdoor performance and stopping down (f/9):
In outdoor sessions where stopping down to f/9 or smaller is required. Sharpness suffers, here too, especially toward the edges, making it less ideal for landscape or garden photography where edge-to-edge detail is more crucial. While the lens does produce decent results in well-lit conditions, diffraction starts to creep in beyond f/8, affecting the overall clarity and contrast.
Backyard and garden photography
Taking this lens to the backyard and garden was a mixed experience. The 52.5mm equivalent focal length isn’t quite long enough for detailed shots of distant subjects, but it worked well for closer flowers, plants, and static subjects. The biggest issue was focus softness, which was particularly noticeable in lower contrast areas. While some images turned out fairly sharp, others required additional post-processing to bring out details.
The autofocus system, while useful, struggled occasionally in complex scenes with busy backgrounds. For slower, deliberate compositions, the lens performed adequately, but it was less effective for capturing quick-moving subjects like birds or dogs.
Low light and bokeh performance
One of the biggest selling points of the Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 is its low-light capability. At f/1.7, it gathers a lot of light, making it suitable for indoor photography, night photography, and dimly lit environments. The autofocus system, however, can be a bit slow in low light, requiring patience or manual adjustments.
Bokeh is pleasing but not exceptional. The nine-blade aperture produces decent background blur, though the transition from in-focus to out-of-focus areas isn’t as smooth as more expensive lenses like the Sony 35mm f/1.8 or Sony 50mm f/1.4. There is also some onion-ring effect in specular highlights, which may not appeal to bokeh purists.
Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.7 Air – Best for street photographers
I used this lens for gardens, macro, portraits and still life in the studio. I am not a street photographer, but I honestly think this lens would be ideally suited for just this genre, or perhaps even travel, due to its budget price and light weight size.