Viltrox Ultra-Wide 13mm f/1.4 for Nikon Z DX | Review with Real World Photographs and Video

[@timrosenburgh9485]

Excellent review on the lens Julian. Anyone thinking of buying this buget lens instead of the more expensive Nikon one will probably buy one because of your review and image's you took in your video.

[@jbairdexp]

Thanks Tim. I think anyone looking for a budget prime will go on well with this lens. The Nikkor lenses are a different kettle of fish though. :-)

[@seantomlinson3320]

Nicely done. Beautiful video as always and thanks for the preview of such an appealing lens. Good for Viltrox. This and the other 3 do what Nikon never will, and I think that's intentional. Nikon realizes that little Viltrox can make their APS-C cameras viable for enthusiasts and I believe they have. Good for both companies!

[@jbairdexp]

Thanks Sean, glad you liked it. I agree third parties are doing a great job of filling the gap, but the danger of Nikon not having native lenses is that people won't buy the cameras. If you go to Nikons page and you look the DX cameras and there is only a few lenses on show it doesn't make it that appealing...even if there are plenty of good 3rd party options. :-)

[@seantomlinson3320]

@@jbairdexp True, but that didn't stop the D3XXX and D5XXX from selling and selling for years. Primes are inevitably aimed higher than the now non-existent entry-level buyers. I sing the Viltrox praises frequently on DPR anyway.

[@SimonBurnCreative]

Great video Julian, this is certainly a lens i'll be seriously looking at myself for my Z50. Thanks for making this 👍

[@jbairdexp]

Cheers Simon. It would be an ideal companion for the trusty Z50. :-)

[@stanobert3475]

After your video and one on another channel, I pre-ordered this lens. It takes the same 67mm filter size as my 18-140mm Z lens. Thanks for your video!

[@jbairdexp]

Thanks Stan, good to hear you purchased one. :-)

[@terrynewmanphotography]

Interesting lens, thanks for review. Lovely images with that morning light.

[@jbairdexp]

Thanks Terry. It was worth that super early alarm call! 😁

[@Kupfertopf65]

I‘m really waiting for this kind of lens. I‘m using the Viltrox, 23mm, 33mm and the 85mm and I‘m pretty happy with it. Great Video btw…THX 🤫😉👍🏼

[@jbairdexp]

Thank you Lutz, always nice to hear from a fellow Viltrox user. I think the 13mm is a great addition to the line up. I was out again with it last night!

[@victorlim5077]

Looks great. Also with the new Megadap adapter ETZ21, there are so many E mount lenses which can now be used on the Z Mount.

[@jbairdexp]

You can just about put any lens on any camera these days!

[@andrewlunn]

Thanks for flagging this up Jules - could be a good option for my Z50... Looks fairly big still, but image quality looks decent.

[@jbairdexp]

An excellent choice for the Z50 Andrew. Image quality is decent for the price, but yep it is bigger than you think. :-)

[@andrewlunn]

@@jbairdexp Cool thanks mate, I'm thinking more for video than photo. How does it compare (roughly) to your other Nikon lenses as a size / weight comparison?

[@eltinjones4542]

Food for thought Julian I've shot Nikon FX and DX for years. The Zfc ir z50 with the two kit lenses would be more than enough camera for what I need What a pity Nikon hasn't as yet brought out a wide angle DX zoom. I've seen the FtZ adapter on the Z50 body. It's so bulky with the corresponding F lenses that you might as well stay with the DSLR camera. Great shots bye the way 📷👌

[@jbairdexp]

I think a compact, wide angle zoom (constant aperture) for the DX line would be a great addition. :-) Glad you liked the shots and thank you so much for watching. :-)

[@bambamhakkai]

More power to you and your Channel. Quality content 👌

[@jbairdexp]

Thank you 🙌

[@CookedLight]

That should be a great astro lens too. You didn't mention distortion, so I guess it doesn't have any issue there, I didn't notice any.

[@jbairdexp]

It should be a good astro lens yes...one day I'll get around to that. No distortion that I noticed, but it tends not to be a problem with the photographs I take. I didn't have to correct the lighthouse from those shots of Trevose anymore that I would have done with the 14-30mm. :-)

[@paulconnors2078]

Hello Julian: Now that I own a Z9, I've been tempted to purchase a super-wide, fast lens. Thank you for the detail on this lens and its capabilities.

[@jbairdexp]

Hey Paul...not jealous of you Z9 at all...honest....;-) Have you considered the Nikkor Z 12-24mm f/2.8? A fine bit of glass for a fine camera. :-)

[@paulconnors2078]

@@jbairdexp Hi Julian: I was wondering what you thought of the idea of "possibly waiting" for third party manufacturers, such as Tamron & Sigma to finally catch up to Nikon (like they have with SONY) again, like they have with their manufacture of lenses for SONY's E Mount bodies?

[@jbairdexp]

@@paulconnors2078 I think you'll be waiting for a long time. :-)

[@paulconnors2078]

@@jbairdexp Somehow Julian, I thought you might say that (he says with a sad sigh...) :-)

[@dpie4859]

You know its a dx lens, right?

[@nickyfoulkes8476]

This is one the reasons I stopped shooting Nikon crop sensor 4 years ago. Nothing has changed. Nikon only have 2 DX native lenses. So third party lenses like Viltrox are the only options. We still do not have any F1.2 primes for FX. I have the Nikon 35mm & 50mm F1.8mm primes. I don't shoot video but I am using the primes to improve my photography by restricting myself to one focal length. The F1.8 is nice if I want to try some astro photography the next time on Exmoor.

[@jbairdexp]

Yeah I agree, the Nikon Z mount lens is still lacking in a few areas, especially in the DX camp. They are getting there. The important thing (for me at least) is I have exactly what I need for my Z7 and landscapes. :-)

[@wakeywarrior]

We need a wide fast lens like this from Nikon with VR in it for video. Lack of VR on this lens is disappointing.

[@jbairdexp]

I agree that Nikon's bodies should either have VR in them, or they should have better range of DX lenses. I wouldn't say that this lens not having VR is disappointing though. It depends on your use cases though. I use it on a tripod most of the time. :-)

[@typhoon-7]

I'm now looking at a Nikon Z to expand my collection. I'm thinking Z7ii. I do almost exclusively landscape photography what would you recommend as a good partner? I have a 24-70 f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8 and hope to use those with the FTZ adapter as well as on my D850 which I'm keeping alongside. Any advice? Loving your work!!

[@jbairdexp]

Hey Mike, good choice of camera. No worries with keeping and using your F mount lenses via the FTZ adapter - both are excellent lenses, as is the D850. But I always recommend you get at least one native Z mount lens. Half the advantage of going with the Z system is the lenses. I noticed you have f/2.8 F mount lenses, so the first question is do you still want (or need) f/2.8 or will f/4 do? As I just shoot landscapes, I just have f/4. After that, you can't go wrong with either the 12-24 f/2.8 and 24-70 f/2.8 or, the 14-30mm f/4 and the 24-120mm f/4 (I have both those f/4 lenses and they are excellent). Any combination of those lenses will give you great results. It all depends on what focal lengths you need and at what max aperture. :-)

[@typhoon-7]

@@jbairdexp Good point on the f4 because I can't recall often using the 2.8 capabilities in landscape work. Probably only when I'm taking photos of wildlife and need that extra light/speed! Exciting problems to have eh?!

[@jbairdexp]

@@typhoon-7 I do like camera shopping problems!

[@typhoon-7]

@@jbairdexp aye. Well I've done it. Z7II due to arrive today. Trip to Highlands planned for the weekend!

[@dpie4859]

Hi Julien. How much better would you say this lens is compared to the small kit lens in terms of sharpness etc? Don’t you miss VR?

[@jbairdexp]

Hi, I haven't noticed any difference in sharpness. I don't miss VR as I still use both lenses (so I use the 16-50mm when I need VR), and most of the time I use the 13mm it's on a tripod. :-)

[@DidierMOULINPhotography]

Great video! Thanks a lot. I understand the need of this 13mm for video as it bring wide aperture for subject separation But for landscape I don’t see the benefit compared to the 16-50 wish has gorgeous image quality in a very small package and light price!! Landscape = small aperture so what is the purpose to get a f/1.4 lens please ?

[@jbairdexp]

Thanks, glad you liked the video. :-) I wouldn't say one less is better than the other as each one offers a different set of advantages. For landscape photography the wider 13mm focal length may be beneficial, and the fast f/1.4 aperture could be really good for astrophotography. But if neither of those are a consideration for you then the 16-50 will do the job nicely (it's a lens I own and use myself). I really like the 13mm f/1.4 for video though.

[@DidierMOULINPhotography]

@@jbairdexp thanks a lot for your answer Yes definitively I think both have their place and if I get one 13mm it would be for video for sure.

[@ejmoreno7220]

Hello noob here, im planming to buy 13mm viltrox too, nut may i ask, whats the use of the 23mm?

[@jbairdexp]

Hi, this is a perfectively valid question but also slightly tricky to explain in a KZbin comment. So, 13mm is the focal length as measured on the sensor the lens is designed for which in this case is a Nikon DX lens. If you put this lens on a Nikon FX camera (a full frame, 35mm sensor), the apparent focal length would be around 23mm. For the most part, photographers talk about focal length in 35mm full frame terms, hence why I also refer to the lens using its 23mm equivalent focal length as it tends to be a measurement that is standard (unlike crop sensors which vary in size between manufacturers). This article will probably do a much better job of explaining it to you - www.easybasicphotography.com/35mm-equivalent.html

[@sandrologiudice256]

Can you tell me the difference between this and the 16-50 lens? Using both at f/8 for example, is the sharpness comparable? How much difference would I notice from 16 to 13mm? Anyway great review, I saw also the 23mm f1.4 video and will buy that lens too for family pictures

[@jbairdexp]

Hi, I've not done a side by side comparison with the same shot, but having a quick look at images that I have captured with both lenses I would shay that the sharpness is comparable. The choice between which one will come down to your requirements as each lens offers different things to the photographer.

[@indrajitadvani3742]

Thanks Julian. Will this lens work with Nikon Z9?

[@jbairdexp]

It's a Z mount lens so won't be a problem, but I would question why you would want to. :-)

[@indrajitadvani3742]

@@jbairdexp Hi Julian. I want a wide angle prime for my Z9. I was thinking Laowa 15mm but then I saw this. Otherwise I could get Nikon 14-30 for Z - but that's more expensive

[@jbairdexp]

@@indrajitadvani3742 The reason I ask is that if you've just spent £6500 on a full frame Z9, why would you put a budget lens on it designed for a crop sensor camera? If you want a good wide angle fast lens, I would go with the 14-24mm f/2.8 or 14-30mm f/4 or if you want a prime the 20mm f/1.8, all from Nikon. The Viltrox lenses are great for what they are and the cost, but they aren't a natural partner for a camera like the Z9.

[@indrajitadvani3742]

@@jbairdexp OK thanks. I didn't realise that this was a budget lens.

[@jbairdexp]

@@indrajitadvani3742 It's a budget lens, but for the price point it does a lot of things right. It's far from a bad lens, just possibly an odd pairing with a Z9. If your budget goes to the length of a Z9 then typically it's paired with the very best glass. :-)

[@MaverickMahesh]

not having vr causes blur.. thats the con..

[@jbairdexp]

It's only a con if you need VR.

[@MaverickMahesh]

@@jbairdexp to what shutter speed it maintains the sharpness as it doesn’t have VR neither any Nikon apsc bodies..??

[@jbairdexp]

@@MaverickMahesh The general rule is 1/focal length, so around 1/20th sec...depending on how steady you can hold the camera.

[@MaverickMahesh]

@@jbairdexp okay

[@iainm1594]

Too much obsession with VR these days. Until recently very few cameras had it at all, it was just in long focal length lenses. If you're reasonably experienced at photography you know to keep shutter speed high enough as per Julian's comment above. IBIS or Lens VR is only really needed for video and even then I'd rather use a gimbal as in body stabilisation is still not perfect.