features an intriguing blend of a wide focal length, a fast aperture, and a low $550 price. Can it possibly be any good?
However, the most prominent thing on the lens is the 160 by 80 pixel RGB IPS display. This little info screen displays the focus distance, focus mode, live updating depth of field measurements, the aperture, and Fn indicators. While I’m impressed with the thought behind including the display and making it work in this lens’ price range, it’s not at the same level of usefulness that I find top screens on Canon and Nikon cameras to be.
Ending this section on a positive note, there are also 77mm threads for fitting polarizers or neutral density filters on the front. It may be a wide lens, but thankfully, the front element isn’t too bulbous to interfere. With Vignetting with the Viltrox 16mm is something that never goes away on its own. It’s strong wide open, but by f/4 is when it reaches the best it’s going to. What remains, and there is some, will need post-processing to be removed.
The minimum focus distance is 0.88 feet which I guess sounds close, but at 16mm, objects like flowers remain small in the frame. Maximum magnification is only 0.1x.