Viltrox 25mm f/1.7 Review
A Compact and Affordable Prime for Fujifilm
Viltrox 27mm F1.7 Air on my Fujifilm X-M1 Camera
Viltrox has been making waves in the Fujifilm community with their impressive line-up of third-party lenses, and the new Viltrox AF 25mm f/1.7 is no exception. I’ve had the chance to test it over the past few days on a trip to Spain, and I wanted to share my real-world experience with this lens.
If you’re looking for a compact, budget-friendly prime lens with a fast aperture, this one might be worth considering.
Viltrox’s Air Series: Affordable, Lightweight, and Practical
Viltrox has split their lenses into two main categories: the Pro series and the Air series.
Their Pro lenses are built for professionals—fast apertures, premium builds, and higher price tags.
On the other hand, the Air series is designed to be more accessible—lightweight, affordable, and still offering solid optical performance.
The 25mm f/1.7 falls into the Air line-up, and at £165 ($176), it’s positioned as a budget-friendly alternative to Fujifilm’s own prime lenses.
Despite its lower price, it still delivers great image quality and usability, making it a tempting option for those looking to expand their kit without spending a fortune.
First Impressions & Build Quality
The 25mm focal length on APS-C gives you roughly a 37.5mm equivalent field of view in full-frame terms. It sits in an interesting spot between the more common 23mm (35mm equivalent) and 27mm (40mm equivalent) options in Fuji’s line-up.
This makes it a versatile choice—wide enough for street and documentary work, but still tight enough for environmental portraits.
Thanks to its construction, this lens is very lightweight physically. It doesn’t feel premium like a Fujifilm XF lens or Viltrox’s own Pro lenses, but it also doesn’t feel fragile.
The metal lens mount adds some reassurance, and it balances well on cameras like the Fujifilm X-S20 and X-M5.
One thing to note is that there’s no aperture ring—a departure from what many Fuji shooters are used to.
You’ll have to control the aperture through the camera’s command dial. It’s a small adjustment, but it’s worth considering, and it could be a deal-breaker for some.
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Autofocus & Handling
The autofocus on this lens is fast and quiet, thanks to its STM motor. During my time in Spain, I used it for just general walkaround shooting, and it worked well.
It’s not quite as snappy as Fujifilm’s top-tier XF lenses, but for everyday use, it performed consistently well.
For video, the autofocus transitions were smooth and silent, making it a solid option for vloggers and content creators looking for a budget-friendly prime lens with decent AF performance.
As mentioned, if you are a vlogger - this lens paired with the new Fujifilm X-M5 could be a perfect choice and you can get both for a budget of around £1,000.
Image Quality: Sharpness, Bokeh & Low-Light Performance
For a lens at this price point, the image quality is impressive. The centre sharpness is excellent wide open at f/1.7, while the edges soften slightly, but nothing extreme. Colours and contrast look great straight out of the camera, and the overall rendering is punchy and pleasing.
NOTE: The images I am showing here are edited with My Film Edition 3 Lightroom Presets.
There is some vignetting at f/1.7, but nothing too distracting, and stopping down to f/2.8 cleans it up significantly. Chromatic aberration is well controlled, and distortion isn’t noticeable in normal shooting conditions.
Low-Light & Bokeh Performance
With an f/1.7 aperture, this lens is great in low-light situations. I found it easy to get clean, usable shots without having to push the ISO too high.
The bokeh is smooth, but not as creamy as an f/1.2 lens, which is to be expected.
However, for environmental portraits and subject isolation, it provides a pleasing depth of field that enhances the subject-background separation without feeling too abrupt or artificial.
Who Is This Lens For?
If you’re a Fujifilm shooter looking for an affordable, lightweight prime, this lens is a fantastic choice. It’s particularly great for:
Beginners and hobbyists looking for their first fast prime.
Travel and street photographers who want something light and discreet.
Vloggers and content creators looking for an inexpensive but capable lens.
Anyone on a budget who wants a sharp, fast lens without spending Fuji XF money.
It pairs beautifully with compact Fujifilm cameras like the X-S20, X-M5, or X-T30, keeping the overall setup lightweight and easy to handle.
Final Thoughts: A Budget-Friendly Gem
Viltrox has once again delivered an excellent value-for-money lens. The AF 25mm f/1.7 provides great image quality, fast autofocus, and excellent portability, all at a fraction of the price of similar Fuji lenses.
While it lacks premium build materials and an aperture ring, those are minor compromises considering the price point.
Would I use this lens for professional work? Probably not—I have my pro-grade lenses for that. But for fun, travel, and everyday photography, I’d absolutely recommend it.
If you’re looking to add a fast, lightweight prime to your kit without breaking the bank, this is a lens worth considering.
You can get the new Viltrox 25mm F1.7 Air E/Z/XF APS -C now directly from Viltrox
Meet Me at The Photography Show!
One last thing—if you’re in London for The Photography Show at ExCeL in March, I’ll be speaking at a few sessions:
Monday, March 10th at 10:15am – ‘Streamline Your Editing & Workflow with Lightroom’ (Editing & Post Production Suite).
Monday, March 10th at 12:40pm – ‘14 Years & Counting’ (Fujifilm stage).
Tuesday, March 11th at 10:20am – A repeat of ‘14 Years & Counting’ on the Fujifilm stand.
Monday, March 10th at 2:30pm – A talk at the Viltrox stand, discussing my work and how I use Viltrox lenses.
If you’re attending, come say hi! It would be great to meet some of you in person.
