23mm is great for head to hip portrait. If you want to get closer, you'd get distortions. Most people won't notice it, but as time goes on, they'd feel off about your picture and won't pick it over other photos. But it is true, 23mm is in the middle of 16mm and 35mm, so you can shoot almost anything with it. Especially if you don't take close up portraits a lot.
I just bought this last week. I have no regrets. Flying out tomorrow it’s probably going to stay on my camera the whole time. I’m going to do video and photo. Great recommendation. They 40 mm is next. I am using it on my Sony A7r4.
I somewhat agree with you. A 21mm lens was the third lens I purchased for my Leica rangefinders. A 35mm was the first, a 90mm was the second, and a 21mm was the third. With these three lenses, I am able to capture about 80% of the images I need.
I just bought the lens for US$112 for my A7CR. It's small, light, sharp, not bad build quality. Honestly, I can't say anything bad about this lens for the price I paid.
I picked up a Tamron 24mm f/2.8 a few months back for $150 new (on sale)...it is considered to be optically perfect...even on a Sony A7RV. Tam also has a 20mm f/2.8 but is slightly less optically...still excellent on a Sony A7RV...but the Tam 24mm is 'outstanding'. Still...the Tam 20mm will run circles around that Viltrox...it's around 250 right now... still a steal. Nice video...
Thank you for the video. You have great sample shots. I picked up a used one for less than $120! I am going to use it as a compact street lens in APSc mode. So far, I am very impressed with the optical quality. I have Tamron zoom lenses but wanted something really compact and this fits the bill. I will compare it to my 17-28 f2.8 at 20mm setting to see who wins the battle!!
Sounds like a great lens. Very affordable. I use the 23 1.4 x mount from Viltrox and I can really recommend it. I think that this one would be a great affordable addition for the other camera families as well
Great lens, but a lot of vignetting wide open and Fuji for some reason doesn’t allow for manual in camera corrections, unless you buy a BS M mount adapter. For a lens like that, that makes no sense.
@@itacatv2146 Well yes it’s logical that you come across flaws within this price range. Although nothing I can work over in post but it would be nice if it were solved out of the camera.
Thanks Mark. I watched a couple lens comparisons video, this Viltrox 20mm popped up in a few of them- then found your video, and you came right out of the gate with "This should be your next lens after the kit lens." - yup, that's me. I very much appreciate the tailored information, so of course I purchased the lens with your link.
Been looking at the TTARTISAN 27 mm F2.8 autofocus and the Tamron 20 mm F/2.8 Di III for my APC for very light travel. Already own a Sigma 18-50mm F2.8. I think this one just made it to the wishlist.
I have the TT 27/2.8, the Sigma 18-50/2.8, and the Tokina 23/1.4 on Fuji X. I came from the 22/2 on Canon EOS-M (1.6x vs 1.5x crop btw). I really need another lens close to that 22/23mm at f2, but there's nothing convenient out there. Fuji's 23/2 isn't even a pancake.. TT has a 22/2 but it's manual only. Ah, decisions... the lenses I have are amazing. You can't do wrong -- just comes down to need for aperture ring and FOV.
Owning the TTartisan I can attest that it is a wonderful little lens. Just throw away the lens hood or use it on some other lens (it fits the TTartisans 35mm f1.4 very well). It is not needed as the front element is already well recessed and the hood just makes the vignetting unbearable whereas without it the vignetting is not very noticeable in real world situations.
Well Mark, I have taken the plunge and purchased the E-Mount version. Dispatch advertised as starting 6-Nov-2023.Price $239.74 AU, though that may fluctuate a little daily.
I appreciate your sample images here. Looking forward to the EF20mm ƒ2.8 USM headed my way. I have the 3 platform generations of Canons I'll use it on. I'm expecting the field of view to be a goldilocks solution for all the reasons you mentioned. I was tempted to go wider for various reasons but I'm not convinced I'd use wider yet. I grew up with 28mm being the usual wide --- this was before 24mm become popular, yes I am old --- and never really liking 28mm. Too chaotic for street, not wide enough for landscape, although I'm willing to try it again. FYI, you don't need a "crop mode" on full-frame bodies to achieve 30mm with this, any more than you need the 1:1 crop setting to achieve a square image ... I mean, does no one edit anymore? Sure we do. *And learning to see aspect ratios within a standard 2:3 window is a more valuable skill.*
You'll like the 20mm I think, my latest glass is a Sigma 10-20mm on EF mount BMCC - not doing FF conversion math for that setup but it's just right, not disturbingly wide, you can shoot damn close without it looking strange, like 1m away or less, and it still looks normal with some background. I think talent is likely going to seriously hate that lens though since it's literally enabling me to do "in ya face" camera but I love the look. It's like a POV lens perfection setup.
I am hoping this will be better than the Samyang 18mm f/2.8 - I love this lens but the build quality is bad, performance is inconsistent with sharpness varying in different parts of the image, distortion is quite heavy (and actually a new one I tested has far worse corner distortion than a 2 year old one I have!). I am hoping the Viltrox will have better coatings, build and much better quality control.
Personally, after an unhappy experience with Viltrox, if I was starting over with APS-C, I'd skip this one and the kit lens and just grab either the Sigma 10-18mm f2.8 or the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 depending upon personal shooting preferences.
Those are great lenses. I have the 18-50 and love it, this is a really a different sort of lens, cheaper, works on full frame, but less versatile than a zoom. I think your comment is solid advice, those zooms are really designed to be “good” kit lenses.
Interesting lens! I use Canon Canon EF-M system and already own the 22 mm. The lens can be purchased used for about $120. Would be curious about the comparisons?
great video, great review! thank you, Mark. random question: did you record this video with more de 24 fps? I feel like the movements are more intense -- is that it? best, Ingrid :)
The shutter speed is too high, it really should be 1/50, but I'm using 1/1250, it's because I'm experimenting with ISO , lighting, and some diffrent color grading right now. Once I have it all worked out, I can introduce an ND filter to get the proper shutter speed, but I don't want to use an ND yet as that's an extra variable.
I usually frown upon anything below 35mm mainly because I have dealt with the ugly distortion we get at the edge or anything that is not in the centre. But that was my experience with smartphones. Do you think a 20-30mm lens on full frame or crop sensor has lesser distortion compared to a smartphone or it would still be the same.
hi Mark, i'm a noob and have never really shot primes to amount to anything. I had one prime 85mm 1.4 on my pentax k-5, but in most situations i preferred the kit lens just because i could never get enough into the shot. the photos i did capture with the prime were nice, but i think it was just a bad choice for a first prime. ffwd a few years, i have just made the jump into the sony world with an a7cii and a 20-70 f4 g lens (definitely a step up from a kit lens). my question is, since i already have 20mm focal length covered (and i love it) would the bigger aperture on this inexpensive prime really give me anything over the f4, or would it be taking a step down in overall image quality when compared to my current lens? i'm just speaking from an image quality vs aperture. the small size is definitely appealing, but if there isn't much to be gained, then i'd rather put the $160 towards expanding capabilities toward an even shorter focal length.
Hello Mark. You mentioned it would be good used on the APSC platform. What is your advice on how to best adapt this lens for the Fuji X platform (X-H2s), to get full use of the AF as well? Thanks
I would be interested in this for my canon m200 but still cant figure out how to use the TtA 35mm i ordered during prime sale? Do you know of any camera setting to make it work with non kit lenses?
Hey i wanna do a podcast interview style with me and an another person so if I buy USB mics of 2 different brands then will there be a problem syncing the sound or the quality?? Kindly suggest
It’s actually really good, but I’m so use to covering manual focus lenses that I forgot to talk about it. Performance was like any of my Sony or Sigma lenses, no different. All the video shots are in autofocus, so you can see the performance is as you would hope.
@@markwiemels Ah, shame :( Just got the ZV-e10 and the in-body stabilisation isn't exactly amazing so i mostly rely on the OSS in the kit lens which makes up the difference, but as i'm travelling having a (budget) prime with OSS would be really handy :)
@@markwiemels Sorry I got confused. I was thinking of the Viltrox 24mm 1.8 FE, which is a bit older, and I was wondering it it will work with the new a7C II AI AF system.
The last efm lenses was released around 2021 i think. Efm as a whole has been discontinued and lens manufacturer has stopped completely making efm related products
My understanding is that it is coming for other mounts. When I shot the videos I was under the impression all 3 mount would be released now, but it looks like they have started with Sony, with more to follow.
@markwiemels Mark, your channel is criminally undertated, and we all know how rigged youtube is. Just wanted to say your production value, your presentation -cutting srraight into the meat without any bullshit or fluff or cringe is fresh air. It is obvious you hold yourself to a standard and your uncompromising attention to detail maybe lost to many but not to me. Your recommdations have helped me buy some gear very efficiently. Lastly, you are an artist who utilizes the gear you promote. Most of these youtubers throw up focus charts and regurgitate the same mantra. You have to remind yourself they are not true artists. They just peddle merchandise. Thank you again. Even though the cards are stacked against normal people on the 'outside' of the club that is mainstream, the work you have done has made a huge impact in my life and im sure thousands of others. Kindly , Marty from Chicago
Wow. What kind words, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this feedback. I’m at a bit of a low point in my RU-vid journey, which happens to everyone, I can’t tell you how much this means. Really, thank you so much.
