Viltrox has announced that its super-slim, ultra-lightweight AF 28mm f/4.5 Chip lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras is coming to L-Mount.
Viltrox debuted the AF 28mm f/4.5 lens back in October 2024 for Sony E-mount, and then brought it to Nikon Z mount just over six months later. Although a full-frame lens, it is also available natively for Fujifilm X-mount, delivering a 42mm equivalent focal length on X Series cameras.
Each time the lens has arrived on a new mount, it has come with its same aggressive $99 (£90, €109) price tag. That remains true on L-Mount as well. It has also remained distinctly tiny and lightweight across all compatible cameras. That’s true here, too, of course. The Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Chip L weighs just 60 grams (2.1 ounces) and is just 13.2 millimeters (0.5 inches) long. A cost of its ultra-compact design is that the lens does not accept screw-in filters.
There are other tradeoffs Viltrox has made in pursuit of a pancake design. The lens has a fixed aperture, meaning it can only be used at f/4.5 — no slowing down here. The VCM-equipped autofocus lens also cannot be manually focused, which is highly unusual and does take some potentially meaningful control away from the photographer. The lens can focus as close as 0.32 meters (just over a foot), so it’s not a macro lens.
The ultra-thin lens has an integrated slide lever to control a built-in lens cap, which is a convenient feature.
Optically, the lens somehow squeezes six elements inside, arranged across six separate groups. It has two ED elements and a pair of aspherical elements. To the shock of no one, these elements are accordingly small. While most lenses aim for a circular aperture, Viltrox is all-in on distinctive starbursts and has opted for a polygonal aperture instead.
The Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 lens has been an interesting companion to many cameras since its arrival on E-mount in 2024. It was a compelling, affordable choice for a lightweight travel lens on the a7C series, for example. On Nikon, it seems well-suited to something like the Zf. Now on L-Mount, the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Chip has perhaps found its best partners to date, the Panasonic Lumix S9 and the Sigma BF, a pair of very compact, full-frame L-Mount cameras.
When Panasonic unveiled the Lumix S9 in May 2024, it also announced the Lumix 26mm f/8, a $200 fixed-aperture, manual-focus pancake lens. The promise was a lightweight, compact companion to the S9. The Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Chip L makes all the same promises, but at half the price, with autofocus and a faster aperture. Oh, and it’s smaller, too. The Lumix 26mm f/8 earned its spot on PetaPixel‘s Best and Worst Cameras and Lenses of 2024 list of shame.
While the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Chip L is not destined to set any image-quality records, the trade-offs are a lot more palatable at $99 and with autofocus.
Sample Photos
Pricing and Availability
The Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Chip L is available now for $99.
Image credits: Viltrox
PetaPixel articles may include affiliate links; if you buy something through such a link, PetaPixel may earn a commission.
Love PetaPixel? Go Premium.
PetaPixel is the world’s largest independent photography publication and we’re only able to continue our work with your help. Become a PetaPixel Member now and support our mission to bring you regular, high-quality reviews, features, news, and more.
- Remove banner ads
- Gain access to full-resolution RAW and JPEG Sample Galleries
- Get 5% off orders from KEH.com
- Get a $15 coupon to spend at Moment
- Get 10% off lighting equipment from FJ Westcott
- Get 10% off film development, scanning, and printing from Blue Moon Camera and Machine