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Viltrox AF 55mm F1.8 EVO APO
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UNSCORED
Viltrox · 55 mm · f/1.8 · Sony E, Nikon Z mount

Viltrox AF 55mm F1.8 EVO APO

From $370 — 1 offer
KEY FACTS
BrandViltrox
Announcement dateApr 2026
Released2026
Production started2026
Production statusIn Production
What We Like
+Outstanding APO optical correction with minimal chromatic aberration at all apertures
+Excellent edge-to-edge sharpness and resolution across the frame
+Compact and lightweight (370-390g) with premium all-metal construction
+Fast and silent STM autofocus with reliable performance in challenging lighting
+Versatile de-clickable aperture ring and intuitive controls ideal for hybrid stills/video work
+Exceptional value at $370 USD, significantly undercuts competitors like Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S ($667) and Sony Zeiss 55mm f/1.8 ($1100)
Worth Knowing
−Slight vignetting at widest apertures (f/1.8-f/2.8), though easily corrected in post-processing
−Minimal traces of 'onion bokeh' observed in highlights under certain conditions
−Some autofocus users report slightly slower AF speed compared to Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S
−Limited close-focus magnification (0.16x at 0.43m) compared to some macro-focused alternatives

General

Brand
Viltrox
Announcement date
ⓘ
Refers to the date the manufacturer publicly announced the upcoming release and general specs of this camera.
Apr 2026
Released
ⓘ
Refers to the year this camera was officially made available for sale.
2026
Production started
2026
Production status
ⓘ
Current status of lens manufacturing (e.g., in production, discontinued).
In Production
Read our notes on general
The Viltrox AF 55mm f/1.8 EVO is a compact (78mm long), lightweight (385g for Z-mount) lens delivering high-end APO optics in an inexpensive package. The lens delivers almost shockingly high performance, with sharpness that is about as good as it gets in this lens class. Compared with the Nikkor Z 50mm F1.8 S and Sony 55mm F1.8, the EVO is smaller, lighter, more feature-rich, and often sharper in the corners, making it an outstanding value. The main practical trade-offs are its relatively weak close-focus/magnification and some vignetting, but otherwise it's a highly compelling 50mm-class option.

Optical design

Type
APO (Apochromatic) design
Elements
13 elements in 9 groups
Special Elements
2 ED, 2 HR, 1 UA (Ultra-Precision Aspherical)
Minimum Aperture
f/16

Autofocus control

Motor Type
STM (Stepping Motor)
AF/MF Switch
Yes
Aperture Ring
Yes (click/de-click switchable)
Function Button
Yes
Manual Focus Ring
Yes

Image stabilization

Stabilization
Not specified

Focus distance

Maximum Magnification
0.16x

Physical specifications

Weight (Sony FE)
370g
Weight (Nikon Z)
390g
Length (Sony FE)
76mm
Length (Nikon Z)
78mm

Build durability

Construction
All-metal body
USB C Port
Yes (for firmware updates)

Optical performance

Aperture Range
f/1.8 to f/16
Field of View
43°
Chromatic Aberration Control
APO design with minimal axial and lateral CA

Optics

Min focal length
55 mm
Max focal length
55 mm
Focal range
ⓘ
Shortest to longest focal length of the lens (zoom range start - end )
55 mm
Zoom lens
ⓘ
Zoom allows you to vary the focal length, change between long shots and close-ups
No
Max aperture wide
1.8
Max aperture zoom
1.8
Autofocus mode
Yes
Closest focusing distance
ⓘ
Minimum distance for a subject to be in focus.
43 cm01500

Physical

Lens diameter
ⓘ
Width of the lens at its widest point
69 mm
Front filter size
ⓘ
Diameter of attachable filters.
58 mm
Lens mount
ⓘ
The lens mount will tell you what type of lens range you can fit onto the camera body. Often the same camera company will have different lens ranges for different cameras.
Sony E, Nikon Z

Features

Weather sealing
ⓘ
Weather sealing capabilities will give you more confidence when shooting in unfavourable conditions.
Yes