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How much difference can half a stop of maximum aperture make? Let’s see if it is worth carrying a much bigger and heavier lens.
When I first saw the Viltrox 35mm f/1.2 Lab before it was launched at an expo back in March, I was very much curious about what difference it would make and how it could impact what photographers and videographers can do with it. Personally, I’m fond of the 35mm perspective for street photography, but I had a hunch that this lens might shine better in other applications. At this point, I could only make assumptions before testing the lens out, and here are a few of them.
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First, it’s visibly large and heavy, so the first thing that anyone might think is that it might not be worth carrying around. Second is that we all know that focal length also plays a role in background blur, which means that f/1.2 at 35mm might not be as visually impactful as it would be on a longer focal length. Of course, the third would be that the great price point (compared to available 35mm f/1.4 options) might come with a trade-off.
Build and Feel
The Viltrox 35mm f/1.2 Lab is not just a big lens. It’s thick and bulky, which means that it’s not going to fit most rotating collar mounts. It weighs 910 grams and comes in at 4.8 x 3.5 inches (89.2 x 121.8 mm), and the biggest indication of its width is the fact that when you set it down with a full frame camera mounted, the base of the camera body will not sit flat on the surface because the lens barrel protrudes past it.
More than that, it’s built like a tank—and I mean literally. This lens is all metal. The body of the lens is made of matte metal, the mount is metal, and even the focus and aperture rings are made of textured metal. While this does contribute to the weight of the lens, it seems only fitting for a lens like this to be built this way, and that truly speaks to how Viltrox sets this lens apart from their more affordable lenses.
On the frontmost part is a 77mm standard filter thread alongside the reversible metal lens hood. Close to the end of the barrel is the focus ring, while on the other end is a manual electronic aperture ring that has no set markings. On the side are two customizable buttons, an autofocus switch, and a switch to remove the clicks on the aperture ring. A neat extra feature on this lens is that instead of focus markings on the lens, there’s a backlit screen on top that displays information that can be customized through the lens’ USB-C port and a computer.
Perspective and Bokeh
When talking about 35mm lenses, for most photographers, street photography would probably be the first to come to mind. However, considering the size and bulk of this lens, it might not help the photographer be inconspicuous. At the same time, since street photography often deals with the visual relationships of different visual elements, shooting wide open at f/1.2, while still applicable depending on the photographer’s style, might not always be ideal.
That aside, the 35mm is well loved because of the perspective that is close to (a little bit wider than) the perspective of human vision. Many would agree that the images taken by a 35mm lens are very easily relatable and feel authentic in terms of perspective. This lens, when photographing human subjects (not up close) in a dynamic environment, can give isolation through background and foreground blur while not overwhelmingly canceling out the environment. Instead, it gives isolation and emphasis on the subject that feels very natural and organic. There is stark separation from the background but still a natural-looking scene.
Low-Light Performance
Of course, given the extra half stop of aperture, the user gains more capabilities in shooting dim environments, and the secondary (in this context) benefit of a shallow depth of field can also be advantageous. This makes the lens extremely beneficial in shooting outdoor portraits at night or documenting events in low-light indoor venues. With the reliability of advanced subject recognition and tracking, shooting distant subjects at f/1.2 is now actually feasible because of how accurately the combination of the lens’ autofocus and the camera body’s tracking can work. With this, the user can come up with accurately focused exposures with less noise due to the fact that the extra half stop of aperture reduces the need to crank up the ISO. I did notice some lapses in high-speed bursts with moving subjects, which is something to be more careful with. However, with the right access to relatively close vantage points, this lens would be great for concerts and stage performances.
Night Photography
The vignette when shooting the night sky at f/1.2 isn’t anywhere near satisfactory for me
I have to admit that when I first saw this lens, photographing the night sky was the first use case I wanted to test it on. Generally, I shoot nighttime landscapes with a 20mm f/1.2, which gives me a good chunk of sky with a lot of foreground elements. Doing this with a 35mm will give you tighter perspectives but is wide enough to fit the Milky Way’s galactic core. I imagined that if I could shoot that at f/1.2, I could probably get some of the cleanest (non-tracked) images I could, because ISO 400–500 would probably suffice. Sadly, during my test of this lens, the weather conditions weren’t close to ideal to get the results I expected. However, I did notice that shooting at f/1.2 in such an environment gives a significant vignette with this lens. While that can be compensated for in post, in this use case, this lens would not be my top choice for shooting the night sky.
Where Would This Lens Shine Best?
Just like any lens, the combination of perspective and depth of field only contributes to how you can achieve the output that you envision. Regardless of subjects or genre, a lens with capabilities like this can do very well with a photographer who knows how to maximize it. As I said, I probably won’t be taking this out for street photography, but I’m sure that a (more) talented street photographer could create amazing, unique-looking images with the isolation and depth of field that this lens offers.
Shot with the Viltrox 35mm f/1.2 Lab. (portrait and beauty photographer Junessa Rendon holding her Nikon Z5II)
That aside, this lens can do great in any instance where 35mm lenses are commonly used, but with the added benefit of giving a different feel to the images. Environmental portraits can be done with considerable separation from the background without entirely losing the context. Studio portraits with meticulous lighting can come out great even with a plain and minimal backdrop. Lifestyle photography with a well-contrived background can be given a uniquely pleasant pop from the combination of the 35mm focal length and the f/1.2 opening, with the subject accurately in focus and perfectly separated from the blurred but comprehensible background.
Of course, because of the low-light performance and wide opening, the Viltrox 35mm f/1.2 Lab can do very well for events, concerts, and even wedding photography when used in the right context. Even as a fixed focal length lens, the combination of the perspective and the aperture range makes this a highly versatile piece of glass.
What I Liked
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Good overall sharpness
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Unique feel from the f/1.2 opening
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Premium feel and build
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Customizable screen
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Good value for money
What I Didn’t Like
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Large and heavy
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Some lapses in focusing on moving subjects