The following chart presents a comparison between basic parameters of the Viltrox AF 15 mm f/1.7 Air and other 15-16 mm class lenses designed for mirrorless cameras with sensors as big as APS-C/DX. I didn't put here 14 mm models because the declared field of view of the Viltrox is an equivalent of a value between 15 and 16 mm. How much it is exactly? We are going to tell you about it in the following chapters.
The tested Viltrox is here unquestionably the smallest and physically the lightest but you have to remember that the majority of lenses in this chapter is as fast as f/1.4 and only the Yongnuo is slightly slower. For its parameters the Viltrox is here a very shapely, lightweight and handy lens.
In the photo below it is positioned between two ultra wide angle models designed for mirrorless APS-C cameras. On the left you see the manual Samyang 12 mm f/2.0 NCS CS and on the right – the Sony E 11 mm f/1.8.
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The Viltrox AF 15 mm f/1.7 Air starts with a metal mount which rim features an USB-C port that allows you to join the lens to a computer and install the right software. Inside the mount you can find a black ring with embedded contacts that surround a rear element of the lens, 15 mm in diameter. This element doesn't move and is positioned practically on the same level as the contacts. From this side everything looks very well.
The proper body of the lens is covered by black plastics. It starts with an immobile ring with a white dot that makes an alignment with a camera easier, the logo of the company, a model number, a serial number, and information about the place of production, China. Then the ring increases its diameter and on the already enlargened part you find another producer's logo, and an inscription 'AF 15/1.7 XF'.
A manual focus ring, as wide as 24 mm and completely covered by rubber ribbing, is the next part of the lens. It is a focus-by-wire construction without any distance and/or DOF scale, that turns with a slight but still tolerable resistance. The range depends on the speed of your turning – when you move the ring slower you can reach a value of about 230-240 degrees, if you turn it quicker it drops to near 180 degrees. Both values are so significant that allow you very precise manual settings.
Further on, you see another immobile ring that ends with a hood mount. It can be properly aligned with the help of a white mark on the edge of the lens.
The front element of the tested Viltrox is convex, immobile, just 23 mm in diameter. It is surrounded by a part with fine ribbing that turns into a ring with the name and basic parameters of the lens. Here you also find information about the detector's size (APS-C Frame), the minimum focusing distance value (0.23m/0.75ft), filter diameter that amounts to 58 mm and also a series of abbreviations that indicate different technologies applied: STM, meaning a silent Stepping Motor, ASPH - aspherical elements inside the construction, ED - low dispersion glass elements, and IF meaning internal focusing (the lens doesn't rotate or change the focal length while focusing). All of this is surrounded by a non-rotating filter thread with a diameter of 58 mm.
When it comes to optical construction, you deal here with 12 elements positioned in 10 groups. Among them you can find as many as three ED elements, two aspherical elements, and three made of high refractive index glass (HR). As you see the producers weren't skimpy when it comes to special elements, a fact worth emphasizing especially that the price of this model is very reasonable. Inside you can also find a round aperture with nine blades that can be closed down to a value of f/16 at the maximum.
Buyers get in the box with the lens: both caps, a petal-type hood and a soft case. The case is perhaps not very solid but the fact that that it is added to the bundle should be praised. After all we're speaking about an instrument that can be bought for less than $240. Nowadays even much more expensive lenses don't have an accessory kit as rich as this one. Like in case of other Viltrox devices, you also get up to 5-year warranty.
