Viltrox AF 9mm f/2.8 Air
Summary
The Viltrox AF 9mm f/2.8 Air is a strong optical performer — a ultra-wide prime (14mm equivalent) with f/2.8 maximum aperture. The lens is priced at approximately ~$500 USD. Please check the official product page for sample images, manuals, and firmware updates.
Genre Suitability
- Excellent for: Landscape, Architecture, Travel, Sport, Wildlife
- Adequate for: Nightscape, Street, Portrait
- Avoid for: Macro
Strengths
- Good overall sharpness
- Well-controlled aberrations
- Negligible distortion
- Fast linear motor autofocus
Weaknesses
- Heavy vignetting wide open (2+ stops in corners)
- Above-average residual vignetting stopped down
- Below-average flare resistance
Specifications 19/20
| Optical construction | 13 elements in 11 groups (2 aspherical, 3 ED, 3 HR) |
| Coating | HD Nano multilayer coating |
| Focal length | 9mm |
| Max aperture | f/2.8 |
| Sweet spot | f/4 |
| Aperture blades | 7 (circular) |
| Sunstar points | 14 (soft — circular blades) |
| Max magnification | 0.15x |
| Min focus distance | 130mm |
| AF motor | LM |
| OIS | No |
| Weather sealed | No |
| Aperture ring | No |
| Clickless aperture | — |
| Focus ring | Yes |
| Focus by wire | Yes |
| Distance scale | No |
| Rotating front | No |
| Tripod mount | No |
| Weight | 195g |
| Diameter | 65mm |
| Length | 58mm |
| Filter thread | 49mm |
| Year | 2024 |
Optical Quality 13/14
| Center (wide open) | 2.0 |
| Corner (wide open) | 1.0 |
| Center (stopped) | 2.0 |
| Corner (stopped) | 1.5 |
| Coma | 1.5 |
| Astigmatism | 1.5 |
| Longitudinal CA | 2.0 |
| Lateral CA | 2.0 |
| Distortion | 1.5 |
| Vignetting (wide open) | 0.0 |
| Vignetting (stopped) | 0.5 |
| Bokeh | 1.0 |
| Flare resistance | 0.5 |
Sharpness
- Excellent center sharpness wide open
- Acceptable corner sharpness wide open
- Outstanding center resolution stopped down
- Good corner-to-corner sharpness stopped down
Aberrations
- Virtually no longitudinal chromatic aberration
- Negligible lateral chromatic aberration
- Well-controlled coma
- Well-controlled astigmatism
Rendering
- Acceptable bokeh rendering
- Heavy vignetting wide open (2+ stops in corners)
- Above-average residual vignetting stopped down
- Below-average flare resistance
Distortion
- Minimal distortion
All optical scores are based on lab measurements and field tests from trusted review sources. For details on how we score lenses, see our scoring methodology.
Genre Fit
~ Nightscape Photography 3/5
Nightscape Photography prioritizes coma control, astigmatism correction, and a fast aperture for short star exposures.
- Well-controlled coma
- Well-controlled astigmatism
- Slow f/2.8 aperture
- Negligible lateral chromatic aberration
- Excellent center sharpness wide open
- Acceptable corner sharpness wide open
- Virtually no longitudinal chromatic aberration
- Heavy vignetting wide open (2+ stops in corners)
✓ Landscape Photography 4/5
Landscape Photography prioritizes corner-to-corner sharpness at stopped-down apertures and good flare resistance.
- Good corner-to-corner sharpness stopped down
- Outstanding center resolution stopped down
- Minimal distortion
- Negligible lateral chromatic aberration
- Virtually no longitudinal chromatic aberration
- Above-average residual vignetting stopped down
- Below-average flare resistance
- Well-controlled astigmatism
- Well-controlled coma
✓ Architecture Photography 4/5
Architecture Photography prioritizes geometric precision with minimal distortion and even corner sharpness.
- Good corner-to-corner sharpness stopped down
- Outstanding center resolution stopped down
- Minimal distortion
- Negligible lateral chromatic aberration
- Above-average residual vignetting stopped down
- Below-average flare resistance
~ Street Photography 3/5
Street Photography prioritizes sharp stopped-down performance and a fast enough aperture for low light.
- Outstanding center resolution stopped down
- Slow f/2.8 aperture
- Excellent center sharpness wide open
- Below-average flare resistance
- Virtually no longitudinal chromatic aberration
- Well-controlled coma
✓ Travel Photography 4.5/5
Travel Photography prioritizes balanced image quality in a lightweight package.
- Outstanding center resolution stopped down
- Lightweight at 195g
- Slow f/2.8 aperture
- Below-average flare resistance
- Virtually no longitudinal chromatic aberration
~ Portrait Photography 3/5
Portrait Photography prioritizes smooth bokeh and critical center sharpness wide open for subject isolation.
- Acceptable bokeh rendering
- Excellent center sharpness wide open
- Virtually no longitudinal chromatic aberration
- Heavy vignetting wide open (2+ stops in corners)
✓ Sport Photography 4.5/5
Sport Photography prioritizes sharp wide-open center performance to freeze action at fast shutter speeds.
- Excellent center sharpness wide open
- Slow f/2.8 aperture
- Virtually no longitudinal chromatic aberration
- Negligible lateral chromatic aberration
✓ Wildlife Photography 5/5
Wildlife Photography prioritizes center sharpness across apertures for distant subjects.
- Excellent center sharpness wide open
- Outstanding center resolution stopped down
- Slow f/2.8 aperture
- Virtually no longitudinal chromatic aberration
- Negligible lateral chromatic aberration
✗ Macro Photography 2/5
Macro Photography prioritizes stopped-down center sharpness and high magnification for close-up detail.
- Outstanding center resolution stopped down
- Low magnification (0.15x)
- Minimal distortion
- Negligible lateral chromatic aberration
- Virtually no longitudinal chromatic aberration
- Acceptable bokeh rendering