Viltrox Brings Four Air Series Primes to L-Mount, Starting at $168

Viltrox has announced four full frame autofocus primes for L-mount, the AF 14mm f/4 Air L, AF 20mm f/2.8 Air L, AF 40mm f/2.5 Air L, and AF 50mm f/2 Air L, all of which go on sale today at prices from $168 to $199. The heaviest of the four weighs 205 g.

The news is that the Air series, Viltrox's line of small, light, modestly priced primes, now covers L-mount, and it arrives as a complete 14-50mm set rather than one lens at a time. All four support native in-camera correction on L-mount bodies, and because they are part of the L-Mount Alliance ecosystem, you can update the firmware from Viltrox's desktop software or from a compatible camera using a memory card. Each one uses an STM stepping motor, a metal mount, and a water- and dust-resistant coating on the front element, and each stops down to f/16.

AF 14mm f/4 Air L

The widest of the four covers a 112.6-degree field of view, which Viltrox says is the widest in the Air series, and it does it at 172 g. The optical formula runs 12 elements in 9 groups with 4 extra-low dispersion, 2 high refractive index, and 2 aspherical elements. It focuses to 0.13 m for a maximum magnification of 0.23x, the highest of the four, and takes 58mm filters. That combination, a very wide angle with close focus, is what makes foreground-heavy compositions possible, and it is the one lens here aimed squarely at interiors, architecture, and tight spaces. The Viltrox AF 14mm f/4 Air L is the most expensive of the group, tied with the 50mm.

AF 20mm f/2.8 Air L

At 159 g, the Viltrox AF 20mm f/2.8 Air L is the lightest lens in the set and the cheapest at $168. Its 10 elements in 8 groups include 2 extra-low dispersion, 1 high refractive index, and 2 aspherical elements. Minimum focus is 0.19 m, maximum magnification is 0.17x, and it takes 52mm filters. Viltrox describes distortion as well controlled, which matters more at 20mm than at any other focal length in this lineup, since it is the one most likely to end up pointed at a building or a room.

AF 40mm f/2.5 Air L

The Viltrox AF 40mm f/2.5 Air L weighs 169 g and has the simplest optical design of the four, 10 elements in 6 groups with 1 extra-low dispersion, 3 high refractive index, and 1 aspherical element. It focuses to 0.34 m for 0.14x magnification and uses 52mm filters. At 40mm, you get a frame close to what your eye takes in, which is why this focal length keeps reappearing in walk-around primes.

AF 50mm f/2 Air L

The Viltrox AF 50mm f/2 Air L is the heaviest at 205 g and the most complex, with 13 elements in 9 groups including 3 extra-low dispersion, 4 high refractive index, and 1 aspherical element. It is also the brightest of the four at f/2, and the least close-focusing: 0.51 m minimum focus distance and 0.11x maximum magnification. Filters are 58mm, matching the 14mm.

Autofocus, Video, and Handling

All four run the same STM autofocus, which Viltrox says drives eye and face detection for stills and video. For video specifically, the company points to minimal focus breathing, so the frame should not visibly shift as focus moves between subjects. The four lenses also share a consistent external design, which Viltrox says cuts down on rebalancing when you swap lenses on a gimbal. Two filter sizes cover the set, 52mm for the 20mm and 40mm and 58mm for the 14mm and 50mm.

Specifications

• AF 14mm f/4 Air L: f/4 to f/16; 12 elements in 9 groups (4 ED, 2 HR, 2 aspherical); 0.13 m minimum focus; 0.23x maximum magnification; 58mm filter thread; 65.1 x 54.4 mm; 172 g
• AF 20mm f/2.8 Air L: f/2.8 to f/16; 10 elements in 8 groups (2 ED, 1 HR, 2 aspherical); 0.19 m minimum focus; 0.17x maximum magnification; 52mm filter thread; 64 x 52.3 mm; 159 g
• AF 40mm f/2.5 Air L: f/2.5 to f/16; 10 elements in 6 groups (1 ED, 3 HR, 1 aspherical); 0.34 m minimum focus; 0.14x maximum magnification; 52mm filter thread; 64 x 52.5 mm; 169 g
• AF 50mm f/2 Air L: f/2 to f/16; 13 elements in 9 groups (3 ED, 4 HR, 1 aspherical); 0.51 m minimum focus; 0.11x maximum magnification; 58mm filter thread; 65.1 x 54.4 mm; 205 g
• Shared: L-mount; STM stepping motor; metal mount; water- and dust-resistant front element coating; native in-camera correction; firmware updates from Viltrox's desktop software or from a compatible camera

Who These Are For

If you shoot a small L-mount body and the reason you bought it was size, this set is built for you, and the four together weigh about as much as one fast standard zoom. The apertures tell you where the limits are. At f/2.5 and f/2.8, the 40mm and 20mm will give you some subject separation at close range and not much at a distance, and the 14mm at f/4 is a landscape, interiors, and vlogging lens rather than an astrophotography one. The 50mm at f/2 is the only one that will meaningfully blur a background at portrait distances, and its 0.51 m minimum focus keeps it away from detail and product work. If you need a fast aperture for low light or want to fill the frame with a small subject, none of these replace a larger prime or a macro.

All four go on sale today. The AF 20mm f/2.8 Air L is $168, the AF 40mm f/2.5 Air L is $176, and the AF 14mm f/4 Air L and AF 50mm f/2 Air L are $199 each. European pricing runs 189 to 229 euros and 165 to 190 pounds.

Images by Viltrox.