The Viltrox AF 14mm F4 Air is a Budget Ultra-Wide Lens Worth Owning

I’ve been on something of an ultra-wide kick. It all began when I first tried the Sony 16mm F1.8 on a trip to Florida at the beginning of the year, and I was smitten with a focal length wider than 24mm. It was truly a new experience that changed the way I wanted to document the world around me. But the best ultra-wide lenses are pricey; until now. The Viltrox AF 14mm F4 Air is a budget option that promises to outperform lenses that cost more than double. Here’s how it performed.

Viltrox AF 14mm F4 Air Key Features via Viltrox

• 112.6° Field of View for Landscapes, Interiors & Group Shots.
• MOD at 0.13m for Creative Angles.
• 12/9 Optical Design with 2 Aspherical, 4 ED & 2 HR Elements.
• Advanced Multi-Layer Coating
• Eye & Face AF for Fast, Silent Autofocus.
• Minimal Focus Breathing for Smooth Video.
• Compact & Lightweight Design — Only 170g.
• 58mm Filter Thread, USB-C Firmware Upgrade Port.

Jumping right into what this lens is, the Viltrox AF 14mm F4 Air (14mm Air) is the latest offering in Viltrox’s budget autofocusing line of camera lenses, rounding out the total range from 14mm to 50mm. According to Viltrox’s specifications, the lens allows for a minimum focusing distance of about 5 inches, which will allow you to get in close on subjects for dramatic angles. One of my favorite features of this lens is the USB-C firmware upgrade port, it makes it easy to keep your lens’s firmware up to date without having to juggle memory cards and downloads. A first-world problem for sure, but a convenience that is hard to come back from.

But the biggest reason you might want to consider the 14mm Air will be its price. At only $199 USD, you’d be hard-pressed to find another lens at this focal length that is also an autofocusing lens.

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Travel, EDC, and Just Plain Fun

The Viltrox 14mm Air is intended to be a full-frame travel lens that you can easily toss in a bag and know it’s there should you need it. The focal length also lends itself well to Astrophotography, Landscapes, Architecture, and really anything that could make use of its wide-angle field of view. In that respect, this lens will do all these things and do them well. Its tiny size and lightweight construction make this lens a joy to carry around, even if you’re not sure if you’ll be using it on any given day. I’ve been using the 14mm Air as a daily walk-around lens, carrying it with me to family functions and even doing laundry – because of how convenient it is to carry and the weight reduction it gives my usual Sony kit, it became difficult to unpair it from the camera.

If you’re big on travel photography, this lens will surely be one that you’ll want to pack and have handy. While the 14mm focal length can be a little difficult to work with for street photography, it’s not impossible. In fact, the more I use it, the more comfortable I become using it to highlight either the density of a scene or emphasize how expansive a subject can be. I strongly encourage photographers of all stripes to give it a try and push themselves creatively.

Are there any Downsides?

While very good at what it does, the 14mm Air isn’t perfect. For starters, at F4 it might not be the best option in low-light situations, especially when there are similar focal length lenses with a maximum aperture of F1.8. Additionally, during my testing, I encountered an error where the lens would cause my camera to stutter and lock up. This prompted a return and replacement with Viltrox, which they handled expeditiously. Lastly, the lack of weather-sealing will be a dealbreaker for more advanced photographers – especially those who like to work in nature and the elements. Since there is no weather sealing to speak of, it is strongly advised that you do not go chasing waterfalls with this lens.

Viltrox AF 14mm F4 Air Image Quality

One of the biggest draws of this lens is the quality of the images it produces. Very few companies make optically bad lenses these days, but Viltrox is hands-down one of the best lens makers right now. In the above image, I had not noticed the plane flying overhead, and even on the 24-megapixel sensor of the Sony a7III, the lens was able to capture it with great detail.

Below are a series of sample images that have been edited in Lightroom.

Viltrox AF 14mm F4 Air Image Samples

Final Thoughts

After seriously using the Viltrox 14mm Air, I’ve found an ultra-wide lens that I could live with and want to carry around with me. While astrophotography isn’t really my thing, I’ve begun learning how to experiment and hone the craft using a lens like this. And that’s what I love about solid budget options: they give you an opportunity to try something you wouldn’t normally have access to without the fear of misusing your funds. Viltrox isn’t wrong in classifying this as a travel, landscape, or astro lens. I’ll counter this common knowledge description by simply saying that this is a lens that’s built for fun. And photographers need to get out and have more fun.

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