The 56mm lens, an 85mm full body equal, has lengthy been the crown jewel for portrait photographers utilizing Fujifilm’s X-mount system. For years, the market has been a crowded battlefield. Fujifilm’s personal 56mm f/1.2 set the unique customary, whereas the stalwart Sigma 56mm f/1.4 grew to become a legend for its unbelievable sharpness-to-price ratio. Viltrox additionally carved out its personal territory with the budget-friendly 56mm f/1.7 Air and its older, value-packed 56mm f/1.4.
For the final couple of years, my bag has not often been with out that older Viltrox 56mm f/1.4. It has been a dependable accomplice for numerous paid shopper shoots and private tasks, serving me extremely effectively with its sharp pictures, good dealing with, and solely minor sacrifices within the chromatic aberrations division. However Viltrox has launched a brand new flagship, the 56mm f/1.2 Professional, and on paper it appears to supply some critical worth. The query is, on this sea of high-quality choices, is that this new “Professional” lens a worthy new king or simply extra noise?
Construct High quality and Dealing with
From the second you choose it up, the 56mm f/1.2 Professional makes its intentions clear. That is no light-weight, plastic-bodied optic. It’s a dense, all-metal-and-glass device that feels substantial within the hand, weighing in at a hefty 575 grams. This construct high quality extends to its options, that are clearly geared toward critical photographers and videographers. If you happen to shoot Sony E or Nikon Z, the 1.2 Professional features a bodily AF/MF swap, a customized perform button, a USB-C port for future firmware updates, and a de-clickable aperture ring for clean iris management throughout video recording. If you happen to shoot Fuji, like myself, you’ll need to do with out the switches, customized button, and de-clicked aperture choice (ouch!).
A detailed look confirms the lens features a sturdy weather-sealing gasket on the mount, offering confidence in less-than-perfect capturing circumstances, and that is one in all my private favourite enhancements, as a result of I put in work outdoors all winter lengthy out right here in Utah. Mud and drip resistance is welcome on any gear I can get it on.
This premium construct is a double-edged sword. This isn’t a lens you toss in a bag and neglect about. It’s a deliberate selection. It’s considerably bigger and heavier than each the Sigma 1.4 and the older Viltrox fashions. A couple of minor quirks are there, such because the aperture ring’s “A” place being a bit too simple to knock misplaced and the sound of inside components shifting when the lens is tilted. Nonetheless, these really feel like minor observations moderately than true useful flaws.
Autofocus and Video Efficiency
The place this lens really earns its “Professional” moniker is in its efficiency. The autofocus is a large leap ahead, not only for Viltrox however for the X-mount system as a complete. Powered by a contemporary voice coil motor, the AF was snappy, silent, and decisive throughout my time placing it via its paces this month. It locked on with no hesitation or pulsing and supplied dependable monitoring for each stills and video, a standard ache level for a lot of Fuji-mount lenses.
This autofocus efficiency, mixed with its different options, makes the lens a formidable device for hybrid shooters. The silent AF and the minimal-to-non-existent focus respiration create a video-ready bundle that many rivals can’t match.
I’m very excited to place this lens to make use of capturing courtside highschool and faculty basketball when the seasons kick off in a few months, and primarily based on the expertise I’ve had with it to date, I count on it to carry out significantly better than the older f1.4 model within the typically poorly lit gyms the place the video games are performed.
Picture High quality and Optical Efficiency
In fact, the principle draw of a lens like that is its f/1.2 aperture, and the optical high quality right here doesn’t disappoint. The Viltrox Professional, very like its 27mm and 75mm siblings, is exceptionally sharp, even when capturing extensive open. Stopping all the way down to f/2 transforms it right into a razor-sharp instrument. This sharpness is paired with the lens’s true character: its bokeh. The out-of-focus rendering is superbly clean and creamy, permitting it to successfully “obliterate” distracting backgrounds and create a profound sense of topic separation.
No lens is ideal. The f/1.2 aperture comes with the anticipated trade-off of noticeable vignetting, although that is simply corrected in post-processing. It additionally reveals a slight, and equally correctable, pincushion distortion. In some high-contrast, backlit conditions, it may be liable to catching some flare, however that is effectively managed for such a posh optical design and is considerably improved over my Viltrox 56mm f/1.4 copy.
The 56mm Showdown: The way it Compares
So, how does it stack up in opposition to the competitors? As a long-time person of the Viltrox 56mm f/1.4, I can say the brand new f/1.2 Professional is a night-and-day distinction. Whereas my f/1.4 is pretty sharp, the Professional is sharper at its widest aperture, and its autofocus is in one other league fully. The skilled construct, climate sealing, and superior options make it a very worthy improve for my skilled work.
Towards the very fashionable Sigma 56mm f/1.4, the Viltrox Professional holds its personal. It matches the Sigma for sharpness when stopped all the way down to f/1.4 and is sort of as sharp at f/1.2. The selection right here comes all the way down to priorities. The Sigma is considerably lighter and extra compact, making it a greater journey or walk-around choice. The Viltrox provides a quicker aperture, a extra sturdy construct, and superior video options, however at the price of dimension and weight.
Essentially the most direct rival is, after all, Fujifilm’s personal 56mm f/1.2 WR. Right here, the Viltrox mounts a shocking problem. It competes immediately with the native lens in each sharpness and autofocus velocity (which was by no means actually the 56mm Fuji’s sturdy level), all whereas costing almost half the value. This makes it an extremely compelling different.
Conclusion and Private Take
For years, I’ve been an enormous fan of the Fujifilm 50mm f/1.0, typically renting it for high-stakes shopper work to get that extra-shallow depth of subject and magical rendering. However this new Viltrox 56mm f/1.2 Professional is positioned to save lots of me that expense shifting ahead. It delivers the same look with autofocus that’s arguably extra dependable, and for a value I can personal as an alternative of lease. It’s secure to say this lens will doubtless imply the tip of my 50mm f/1.0 leases.
The Viltrox 56mm f/1.2 Professional is a heavyweight contender in each sense. It’s giant, it’s heavy, and it’s constructed to final. However its efficiency unequivocally matches its dimension. It’s not simply one other 56mm lens; it’s a new benchmark for third-party choices on the X-mount, delivering professional-grade efficiency at a value that’s arduous to disregard.
Abstract: Professionals and Cons
Professionals
Distinctive optical high quality with excellent sharpness, even at f/1.2
Stunning, creamy bokeh for wonderful topic isolation
Quick, silent, and dependable autofocus for each images and video
Minimal focus respiration and de-clickable aperture ring on Sony mount model
Skilled, all-metal physique with climate sealing and premium really feel
Priced considerably decrease than its fundamental native competitor
Cons
Giant and heavy, which can deter customers in search of a compact setup
Noticeable vignetting at its widest aperture (correctable)
May be prone to flare in high-contrast conditions (correctable)
Aperture ring could be too simply knocked from auto setting
Audible noise from inside components when the lens is moved
