Viltrox’s $99 AF 28mm f/4.5 L-Mount Lens Looks Made for the S9 and BF

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A hand holds a thin camera lens adapter vertically against a blurred, warm-toned background.

Viltrox has announced that its super-slim, ultra-lightweight AF 28mm f/4.5 Chip lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras is coming to L-Mount.

Viltrox debuted the AF 28mm f/4.5 lens back in October 2024 for Sony E-mount, and then brought it to Nikon Z mount just over six months later. Although a full-frame lens, it is also available natively for Fujifilm X-mount, delivering a 42mm equivalent focal length on X Series cameras.

Each time the lens has arrived on a new mount, it has come with its same aggressive $99 (£90, €109) price tag. That remains true on L-Mount as well. It has also remained distinctly tiny and lightweight across all compatible cameras. That’s true here, too, of course. The Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Chip L weighs just 60 grams (2.1 ounces) and is just 13.2 millimeters (0.5 inches) long. A cost of its ultra-compact design is that the lens does not accept screw-in filters.

4.5 VCM ASPH ED" against a blurred yellow background.

There are other tradeoffs Viltrox has made in pursuit of a pancake design. The lens has a fixed aperture, meaning it can only be used at f/4.5 — no slowing down here. The VCM-equipped autofocus lens also cannot be manually focused, which is highly unusual and does take some potentially meaningful control away from the photographer. The lens can focus as close as 0.32 meters (just over a foot), so it’s not a macro lens.

A person holds a green Lumix digital camera with both hands, preparing to take a photo. The camera is centered in the image, and the person wears a light-colored, striped shirt.

The ultra-thin lens has an integrated slide lever to control a built-in lens cap, which is a convenient feature.

Optically, the lens somehow squeezes six elements inside, arranged across six separate groups. It has two ED elements and a pair of aspherical elements. To the shock of no one, these elements are accordingly small. While most lenses aim for a circular aperture, Viltrox is all-in on distinctive starbursts and has opted for a polygonal aperture instead.

The Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 lens has been an interesting companion to many cameras since its arrival on E-mount in 2024. It was a compelling, affordable choice for a lightweight travel lens on the a7C series, for example. On Nikon, it seems well-suited to something like the Zf. Now on L-Mount, the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Chip has perhaps found its best partners to date, the Panasonic Lumix S9 and the Sigma BF, a pair of very compact, full-frame L-Mount cameras.

A person with manicured nails and bracelets holds a green Lumix camera with both hands, preparing to take a photo. Soft natural light enters from the side.

A hand holds a modern, slim digital camera with a large lens and textured grip against a soft, blurred background.

When Panasonic unveiled the Lumix S9 in May 2024, it also announced the Lumix 26mm f/8, a $200 fixed-aperture, manual-focus pancake lens. The promise was a lightweight, compact companion to the S9. The Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Chip L makes all the same promises, but at half the price, with autofocus and a faster aperture. Oh, and it’s smaller, too. The Lumix 26mm f/8 earned its spot on PetaPixel‘s Best and Worst Cameras and Lenses of 2024 list of shame.

While the Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 Chip L is not destined to set any image-quality records, the trade-offs are a lot more palatable at $99 and with autofocus.

Sample Photos

A cluster of vibrant yellow and red blanket flowers (Gaillardia) blooming in a sunlit garden, surrounded by green leaves and brown mulch.

Looking up from the ground floor of a multi-story building with a polygon-shaped opening, balconies lined with railings, and colorful clothes hanging from the upper floors against a bright sky.

Sunlight shines through the lush green leaves and branches of tall trees, creating a bright, vibrant canopy viewed from below, with a glimpse of a building on the left side.

A person stands in the courtyard of a multi-story apartment building, looking up at balconies lined with laundry hanging to dry under a bright blue sky.

Bright yellow and orange outdoor stairs with geometric railings leading up between modern buildings, with blue sky and windows visible above.

A young woman with brown hair sits outdoors on grass, wearing a light-colored dress with puff sleeves. Stone buildings and green trees surround her, and sunlight filters through the scene. She looks thoughtfully into the distance.

A collection of colorful bottle caps arranged in rows on a pale green, vintage metal surface, some with logos and text, creating a vibrant and eclectic display.

A woman wearing a large straw hat smiles while resting her arms on a wooden table with three lemons in sunlight, creating dappled light patterns on her face.

A fish tank inside an old television houses several goldfish, a submarine ornament, and gravel, with quirky figurines and a red potted plant on top, all illuminated by warm yellow light.

A young woman in a light dress sits on grass, leaning against a tree in sunlight, holding an open book and looking upward thoughtfully. Lush green leaves and sun rays fill the background.

A window with striped curtains and a flower box with red flowers is set in an orange wall. Another window and a white vent or panel are visible at the top and bottom right corners, respectively.

A modern orange building with small windows stands in front of two tall, glass skyscrapers under a cloudy sky, creating a sharp contrast between colors and architectural styles.