The Viltrox 28mm F/4.5 VCM pancake lens will launch on Indiegogo on September 26

The Viltrox 28mm F/4.5 VCM pancake lens will be launched on the crowdfunding site Indiegogo next week. The lens was first revealed last month and it has impressed industry experts with its performance.

The lens will be available as a crowdfunded project for just $99. The Viltrox 28mm F/4.5 VCM pancake lens is available for Sony E and Nikon Z.

Pros and Cons of the lens

The key feature of the upcoming lens is its compact size. The lens weighs just 60 grams and measures 15.3mm. The build quality of the lens is reportedly excellent with its all-metal construction.

Despite its diminutive size, the Viltrox 28mm F/4.5 VCM is an autofocusing lens thanks to its voice-coil motor. The lens has a minimum focusing distance of 0.32m. Reviews of the prototype indicate that the AF system is accurate in most situations.

The Viltrox 28mm F/4.5 VCM has six non-grouped elements including two ED elements, two aspherical elements, and an HD nano multilayer coating. The front lens element has a waterproof anti-fouling coating. The pancake lens reportedly has low chromatic aberration, good color rendition and contrast, and low distortion. Image quality is excellent with good corner-to-corner sharpness.

Being a pancake lens, the Viltrox 28mm F/4.5 VCM does have some downsides. One of the most noticeable weak points is the lack of a focusing ring. The lack of a focusing ring means photographers will have to rely on the autofocusing system.

The lens isn’t optically perfect as it exhibits vignetting and contrast loss in difficult lighting situations. The background blur is reportedly busy and the hexagonal “bokeh” balls are less than pleasing. There is also noticeable focus breathing when focusing.

The Viltrox 28mm F/4.5 VCM will be appealing for photographers looking for a lightweight and compact lens. The upcoming lens will be a good general-purpose daytime and outdoor lens for street, landscape, and travel photography. And with its $99 price tag, it would be a good pickup even when on a budget.