Lens manufacturer Viltrox looks set to announce a trio of exciting new optics on Christmas Day: 24mm, 35mm and 50mm prime lenses for the Sony E Mount, with a fast f/1.8 maximum aperture.
The Viltrox AF 24mm f/1.8 FE, Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.8 FE and Viltrox AF 50mm f/1.8 FE lenses will apparently be launched on 25 December. The trifecta of new primes should provide an alternative to the three faster f/1.4 lenses – the Viltrox AF 23mm f/1.4, Viltrox AF 33mm f/1.4 and Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.4 – which have finally made it to market for Canon and Sony APS-C mirrorless systems.
The news of the three f/1.8 primes was broken by Camera Enchantment on Chinese social media site Weibo (spotted by Sony Alpha Rumors).
No other information was divulged about the optics, though obviously their fast apertures will offer excellent low light performance, background blur and subject separation, and all three will feature autofocus.
Of course, Viltrox is known for its affordable pricing – so we can safely expect these recent announcements to be friendlier on the wallet than proprietary options from Sony itself.
Indeed, these lenses should provide a versatile and value-focused alternative to first-party glass, and will no doubt prove popular with photographers on a tight budget in the challenging economic climate.
It's a notable trend that we're seeing more lenses from Chinese manufacturers – and, crucially, more adoption and acceptance of them from western markets, rather dismissing them as second-rate options compared to the established brands.
With more and more lenses coming from the likes of Viltrox, Laowa, Zhong Yi and others, there are more options than ever for DSLR and mirrorless users. We look forward to seeing this new trio in the new year – and seeing how they stack up to Sony's own lenses.
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