Viltrox has introduced the latest offering in its lightweight Air Series at the CP+ 2025 show in Yokohama Japan – the Viltrox AF 25mm F1.7 AIR tailored specifically for APS-C cameras. This lens is part of the Air Series from Viltrox which is designed to meet the needs of photographers looking for compact and lightweight lenses to match smaller APS-C camera bodies – but that don’t compromise on large apertures and optical quality.
Available for Fujifilm XF, Sony E, and Nikon Z mounts at launch, the Viltrox AF 25mm F1.7 AIR has been engineered with portability in mind at just 170g-180g and 54.4-56.5mm long depending on your mount, it's destined to be an everyday lens that can live on your camera.
The lens’s fast f/1.7 aperture should enable impressive low‑light performance but also offers a relatively shallow depth of field, making it easier to isolate subjects from busy backgrounds – and there is a total of 9 aperture blades making up the rounded bokeh.
The optical design incorporates 12 elements in 10 groups including one extra-low dispersion (ED) element, two high-refractive index elements, two aspherical elements, and a HD nano multi-layer coating to minimize chromatic aberration and enhance clarity, improve contrast and detail, and prevent flare and ghosting.
Optimized for APS‑C sensors, the 25mm focal length translates to an effective field of view of approximately 37.5mm in full frame terms. This classic “normal” perspective is ideal for a range of photography styles – from street scenes, travel, and everyday snapshots to more environmental portraits, weddings, and events.
The lens features an STM screw autofocus system geared toward delivering quick and precise focus performance in both photos and video designed to work with each camera system’s subject tracking, as well as in-body image stabilization (IBIS) – but unsurprisingly for an affordable lightweight lens, there is no optical stabilization to be found here. For close-up photography, 25mm is a bit of an unusual perspective, but the lens can focus down to 0.3m with a magnification of 0.11x.
The lens is available to order online now from stores or directly from Viltrox, with a launch price of just $176 / £165, it significantly undercuts camera manufacturers' own brand lenses, although faces some tough competition from rivals like TTArtisan and 7Artisans. We have the lens in for review so stay tuned over the next few days for our thoughts on how it performs!
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If you’re looking for more low-cost lenses, check out our guide to the best cheap lenses. Or for specific camera mounts, check out the best Fujifilm lenses, the best Nikon lenses, and the best Sony lenses.
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