Hands On With The Viltrox 56mm f/1.2 Pro

When it comes to lenses these days, we are spoiled for choice. For crop-sensor shooters, Viltrox has just made the decision a little harder with the 56mm f/1.2 Pro.

Third-party lenses have come a long way. I’ll admit, when it comes to lenses, I haven’t always been the most “adventurous” wolf in the pack. With the exception of renting cinema primes that cost more than my house for very specific projects, the rest of the time I’ve pretty much stuck to the name on the camera badge. And, to an extent, this makes sense. I mean, of course the native brand should make lenses optimized for their systems. But even the best camera brands can’t possibly produce enough lenses to suit everyone’s needs. So, smart money opens up their mounts to third-party developers to have a go at broadening the options for their users.

Viltrox is one of those companies whose products I’ve used for years, mainly by way of lens adapters and various accessories. But the Viltrox 56mm f/1.2 Pro is the first time I’ve gotten my hands on one of their lenses, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

Viltrox is one of those companies whose products I’ve used for years, mainly by way of lens adapters and various accessories. But the Viltrox 56mm f/1.2 Pro is the first time I’ve gotten my hands on one of their lenses, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the lens well-built, with sturdy metal construction. I tested the Z-mount version, and it felt sturdy on my Nikon Zf and Nikon Z9. Why did I test it with the Zf? Well, this lens is crop-sensor, meaning it covers the DX format/APS-C on a Nikon system. I don’t own any crop cameras, so I opted for the Zf simply because the Zfc (Nikon’s cropped version) seems like just the kind of camera I might use the 56mm lens on. I also tested it on the Z9 in order to see more of how it would resolve at a higher resolution.

56mm itself is an interesting focal length—6mm longer than a standard lens. But it makes sense when you discover that it equates to roughly 85mm on a full frame sensor. When you pair that with a maximum aperture of f/1.2, you get pretty amazing bokeh right out of the box, and it’s quick to see that this lens is fully intended for portrait shooters. Even aside from portraits, I’d be tempted to pretty much shoot the lens wide open almost 100% of the time. I really enjoyed the shallow focus look that it provided. And, obviously, f/1.2 allows you to pull in a whole lot of light, making night scenes a breeze.

Importantly, this f/1.2 lens comes in a much smaller form factor. No doubt, this is where it being an APS-C lens versus a full frame lens comes in handy. Most f/1.2 lenses can dwarf the size of the camera bodies they are attached to. But I found the relatively compact size of the Viltrox to be a pleasant hold on the smaller camera body. Ergonomics tend to matter more to me in a lens than most specs. I’ve owned so many technically amazing lenses that I never actually used because I hated having to pick them up. This lens is a natural fit and helps the combined camera-and-lens setup feel good on a smaller body.

With regard to specs, the camera delivered a sharp image. I was impressed that the autofocus seemed to perform well. This is always a question with third-party lenses, but I found focus speed to be perfectly capable for my use case. And, in terms of minimum focus, the lens gets relatively close at 0.5 m, or 19.6 inches. Considering the 85mm-equivalent focal length, that gets you pretty close.

The lens has 13 elements in 8 groups. It comes in at 595 grams and has a 67mm filter thread.

I love that the lens has a manual aperture ring, allowing you to take over iris control with a simple turn. Even more importantly, the aperture ring can be switched from clicked to clickless. This is vital to filmmakers looking to rack aperture during a scene to maintain exposure.

Focus breathing is there, but manageable.

Pros

• Small size
• Fast aperture
• Metal construction
• Fast autofocus
• Clicked or clickless aperture control

Cons

• APS-C vs Full Frame

Conclusion

The Viltrox 56mm f/1.2 Pro costs $580 and is currently available in Z or E mounts. It’s an interesting option for crop-sensor shooters who want a go-to portrait lens at a reasonable price. If you’re building out a portrait workflow alongside it, the Skin Retouching Course for Beauty, Fashion, and Portrait Photography is a strong companion for refining the final look.