Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB Lens for Sony FE Open Box

Key Features

• Bright f/1.2 aperture slightly wide prime lens
• 15-element, 10-group optical design with 5 ED, 3 high-index and 2 UA elements
• Nano multilayer coating for enhanced clarity and contrast
• Front element features water- and dirt-repellent coating
• Electronic aperture control
• Internal focusing design keeps lens length constant
• Quad HyperVCM AF motor with in-house Viltrox technology
• Durable brass-plated lens mount
• 77mm front filter thread
• Dust and moisture resistant construction

Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB Lens for Sony FE Summary Open Box

The Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB is a fast full-frame slightly wide prime lens with a high-performance optical design and advanced autofocus system for Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras. The bright f/1.2 aperture is ideal for low-light shooting, subject separation, and for achieving soft background blur when shooting both stills and video.

It features an internal focus mechanism, which is driven by a Viltrox-developed HyperVCM motor, ensuring accurate and near-silent autofocus performance, suitable for hybrid stills and video creators.

The optical formula includes 15 elements in 10 groups, with ED, high refractive index, and ultra-aspherical glass to render minimal aberration and high contrast throughout the aperture range. With a minimum focus distance of just 34cm and 11 aperture blades, the lens delivers a smooth, natural bokeh and good levels of sharpness even when shooting wide open.

Viltrox has included a weather sealed housing with a brass-plated mount, electronic aperture control, and weather resistance for use in adverse conditions. A nano-multilayer coating further enhances image clarity and reduces ghosting when shooting backlit subjects, while the internal focusing system means the barrel doesn’t extend, improving balance for creators who intend to use the lens on a gimbal stabiliser.

This Sony E mount lens follows the success of the Viltrox AF 135mm F/1.8 LAB Lens for Sony FE, which earned a reputation for offering fast autofocus and impressive image quality at a competitive price. Where the 135mm lens excels for headshots and classic portraits, the 35mm is extremely popular for street photography, environmental portraits and documentary-style subjects.

Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB Lens for Sony FE in more detail

LAB series lenses by Viltrox are designed to deliver flagship-level image quality with fast autofocus and excellent low-light capabilities. The AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB features an 11-blade diaphragm and a wide f/1.2 maximum aperture, producing smooth defocus areas and rounded bokeh for a pleasing background blur.

Custom function buttons can be programmed to streamline your workflow, allowing quick access to commonly used features such as toggling between APS-C and full-frame modes, adjusting ISO, or changing the AF area. The lens also includes an integrated lens data LCD, which provides instant readouts for object distance, aperture, and other key settings.

Build quality matches the high optical performance, with a metal lens mount featuring a rubber seal for added protection. This offers a degree of weather resistance when working in damp or dusty environments.

Optical design

The Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB lens features a complex optical design comprising 15 elements in 10 groups, including four Extra-low Dispersion (ED) elements and two high refractive index lenses. This combination minimises chromatic aberration, controls spherical aberrations, and delivers sharp, clean results from the centre of the frame to the edges, even when shooting at the wide f/1.2 aperture.

The ED elements suppress colour fringing, particularly in high-contrast scenes and around the edges of subjects, helping to maintain natural colours and edge clarity. High refractive index glass helps to reduce the physical size of the lens while effectively correcting spherical aberrations, which can cause softness or distortion, especially in fast lenses like this.

Together, these elements ensure that the lens produces high-resolution images with excellent contrast and clarity across the entire frame. At wide apertures, it is capable of delivering a shallow depth of field with smooth, pleasing transitions between in-focus and out-of-focus areas. When stopped down, this model offers sharp detail and consistent performance across a variety of photographic scenes, from portraits and weddings to environmental and documentary work.