I am quite interested in the 55mm f1.8, mostly because of the aperture ring. It is also a little bit smaller than the Nikon 50mm f1.8S, but not sure it will be all that relevant in the real world. But I do own the 50mm 1.8S already and it is fantastic, not sure I'll switch to the Viltrox just for the aperture ring :/
There really is no good analog for Z for the 35 being APO short of the CV…I see it as basically an AF version of the Voigt. The Z 35/1.8 ends up looking silly big and expensive now.
If you already have the Z 50, I’m not sure you’ll find much for you in the 55 short of the aperture ring.
Looks like the German Camera store webmaster was working on the website and posted it to early.
The price on the website is 429 Euros. Certainly not cheap. More expensive than the 85 EVO's 315 Euros list price.
The published 35mm technical lens data are from the 55mm lens. It really looks like it was not ready for being published.
Interesting that the importer mentioned is Rollei. They do give a 2 year return warranty on Viltrox lenses.
After I wrote this I found another German retailer (Foto Koch) ready for preorder the 35 and 55 EVO on their website. The listed price for the 35 EVO is again 429 Euros. Available mid April 2026.
I wonder, whether they factored in a price increase for potential license fees to Nikon?
Oh i know 😅 I have 0 need for a 1.2, but Viltrox's pricing is pretty tempting. I want something a little fast and wide with AF to pair with my 85 1.8 for my indoor cats.
RoamingScott wrote:
Those 3 lenses couldn’t be further from each other
loudtiger wrote:
Curious to see how this compares to the Z 35 1.8 S. Contrary to most reviews I actually find it to be very good.
And so did I when I had it. It suffers from "big brother" syndrome in that other lenses like the Z 50 f1.8S and Z 85 f1.8S test "better" for quantifiables like sharpness etc. However, the results from my Z 35 f1.8S I found to be excellent, it was a tad sharper then my Sigma f1.4 Art I had, the bokeh was better and had less CA. I sold the Sigma. I'd probably still own it if I didn't have the Z 35 f1.2 S.
If the Spanish site is correct, then these two f1.8 lenses are very similar in size and weight to the Nikon Z 35 f1.8 and Z 50 f1.8. That is interesting considering many people thought the Nikons were overly large and heavy.
For the record, I like the EVO more by a wide margin. It’s very feature rich and very usable wide open unlike the crazy bloomy Z 40/2. 350g is still nothing in the big scheme of things.
Thanks for the review, Scott - I've been eyeing either this lens or maybe taking a look at the Aurora 35/1.4 (since I, like you, like the 85/1.4 so much) - I know you have both: which do you prefer overall? I know you mention it carves its own niche in the 35mm space, but if you only had one to reach for?
I currently use the Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM, which is darn near perfect for me, but I also am trying to free up some cash in lenses that I don't use as often as I should.
Also - do you happen to know if the higher price compared to the 85 EVO is more to do more exotic lens elements, external price pressures, or are they now paying Nikon a license fee?
Jman13 wrote:
Thanks for the review, Scott - I've been eyeing either this lens or maybe taking a look at the Aurora 35/1.4 (since I, like you, like the 85/1.4 so much) - I know you have both: which do you prefer overall? I know you mention it carves its own niche in the 35mm space, but if you only had one to reach for?
That's a question I've been grappling with since getting both. The Viltrox is definitely the sharper lens, no question, but in general I prefer the bokeh of the Aurora. I put them through the same AF tests and they basically came out equal, but with the Aurora not having that slight pause I describe in the EVO review.
That said, the EVO is the more comfortable lens on the Zf, and thusly, I suspect, the more comfortable lens on all of the non-Z8/Z9 bodies.
Probably worth starting with the Viltrox since it's $150 less and see how you get on with it, assuming you are ok with the bokeh. I tried to get lots of different distances as examples. It's really only a mess directly behind the focal plane (similar to my thoughts about the 85 EVO, though in general I just liked that bokeh less).
There's a used 35/1.4 Aurora at my local camera store for $380 - so they are directly priced in this case. On one hand I definitely like creamy bokeh in a 35mm - on the other hand, I find a very sharp 35mm lens gives a better feel of separation from the background. I feel likely like you that in some cases I really like the look of the Viltrox. In others not as much. But the good thing is that the highlights are clean of fringing, so it looks like a rather large step up from something like the Nikon 35/1.8S.
With that said, there's really only one image from your set where I don't really like the bokeh. Even some of the ones where it's a bit rougher, the nature of that is honestly quite pleasing to me - more character than 'bad'.
After I wrote this I found another German retailer (Foto Koch) ready for preorder the 35 and 55 EVO on their website. The listed price for the 35 EVO is again 429 Euros. Available mid April 2026.
