This is The Digital Story Podcast #934, Feb. 13, 2024. Today's theme is "The Temptation of Cheap Third Party Lenses." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue


It's hard to resist the siren call of super-affordable Chinese-made optics. For the price of a polarizer, we can fill gaps in our lens library that we might not otherwise be able to afford. But even at a modest price, do these accessories provide the quality we need for our work? The answer is "yes," and "no." Find out why on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show.



Digital Photography Podcast 934






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The Temptation of Cheap Third Party Lenses





There are lenses that we use all of the time - 24mm, 40mm, 85mm - and lenses that we use every now and then. For our everyday work, I recommend sticking with optics that we know we can depend on, usually manfactured by the camera brand they are being mounted on.



But what about those lenses we only use some of the time? Should we pay a premium for those as well?



I was looking for a super-wide for the Nikon Zf. I wanted an optic that could cover more ground than my current 24mm. The Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm S with a maximum aperture of f/1.8 has an overall rating of 4.9 and costs $1,046. It is 4.27" long and weighs just over a pound. It uses a 77mm front filter.



The Viltrox 20mm Z has a maximum aperture of f/2.8, no star ratings yet on Amazon, and costs $158. It is 2.7" long, weighs 6.1 ounces, and uses a 52mm front filter.



Lens construction differences between the two optics are different, but not as much as you might think. The Viltrox has 10 elements in 8 groups with 7 aperture blades. The Nikon has 14 elements in 11 groups with 9 aperture blades. Both optics have quiet AF and manual focus, and nano multilayer coating on the elements. And both work well on the Nikon Zf.



We know that the Nikon 20mm performs well. But what about the Viltrox? I did a little testing with it mounted on the Nikon Zf. Here's what I found.



Autofocusing was quiet and smooth. Feels a tad slower than the Nikon, but very much in the acceptable range.

Sharpness was very good across the entire frame at f/5.6 and above. At f/2.8 and f/4 sharpness was good, but not as crisp in the corners.

Strong vignetting apparent at f/2.8. The effect diminished at f/4 and above.

Close-up performance (7.5") is quite good.

Lens flare and CA were well controlled.



So, right out of the camera, the Viltrox doesn't compete well against the Nikon. It's a stop slower, doesn't focus as fast, and doesn't perform its best wide open.



But I worked the files a bit in Capture One Pro. Here's what I did.



In Lens Correction, I selected the Nikon AF 20mm f/2.8 D profile. In that same panel, I increased sharpness and compensated for Light Falloff. In the Base Characteristics panel, I used the Nikon Zf Neutral profile. I then processed the image normally including a little devignetting. The finished RAW file looked very good.



The bottom line here is if you're willing to spend a little time in post-processing massaging the RAW files, you can get good results from the Viltrox 20mm f/2.8. And if you only need a super wide on occasion, then the extra time might be worth it.



However, if you want premium image quality and handling, then the Nikon Z is the superior way to go.



The Viltrox 20mm f/2.8 is available in both Nikon Z and Sony E mounts for $158.


Fujifilm and Skylum are Hosting 50 Free Photo Walks Across the U.S.

You can read the entire article at Petapixel.com.


Skylum, the company behind the Luminar Neo editing platform, and Fujifilm have partnered to host 50 free photo walks across the United States, giving photographers a chance to not only see their local cities in a new light but also try out new Fujifilm gear.

The two companies say that this "experimental" new program was developed