'I can't think of a better pancake lens for Nikon and Sony cameras': I used Viltroxs new 26mm f/2.8 full-frame lens every day for a month at half the price of Nikon's version, it's unbeatable value

Date:
Sun, 16 Aug 2026 16:00:00 +0000

Description:
For its size, quality and price, I can't think of a better pancake lens for Nikon and Sony cameras than the new Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO

FULL STORY ======================================================================Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO: one-minute review If you're searching for a high-quality
and compact lens for your Sony or Nikon mirrorless camera, then the excellent value Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO is well worth considering.

Compared to Nikon and Sony's own alternatives, the Viltrox 26mm f/2.8 strikes a balance of premium design, compact size and reasonable pricing most compellingly of all. For $299 / 279 (approximately AU$500), you get a wide-angle prime with bright f/2.8 aperture, rugged metal body that measures just 25.8mm in length, rubber-sealed mount, twin dials and a fabulous
magnetic lens cap design. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

Not only is the Viltrox lens around half the price of the Nikon alternative, but it packs more features, while Sony's closest alternative is a physically larger and pricier 24mm F2.8.

Viltrox's lens isn't perfect, mind you; optically it's not the sharpest lens I've used and the maximum f/2.8 aperture setting is prone to flare, which reduces contrast. Autofocus can be a little fussy too.

Those drawbacks aside, the Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO is another high-quality hit from the established Chinese lens manufacturer that deserves to live on your Sony or Nikon camera. A decent fit with the Nikon Z6 II, and even more
so smaller full-frame bodies such as the Sony A7C (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 (Black) at Amazon for 275.84 Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO: price and availability Available in Sony E and Nikon Z-mount versions It
costs $299 / 279 (around AU$500), with a 10% discount at launch A magnetic lens cap and filter is supplied The Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO full-frame lens launched for Sony E-mount and Nikon Z mount mirrorless cameras. It can also
be used with either's APS-C cameras, with which it has an effective 39mm
focal length. The lens costs $299 / 279 (not directly available in
Australia), but I regularly see 10-15% discounts on the Viltrox site and at Amazon . At the time of writing, there's 10% off the 26mm lens. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Viltrox has another autofocus pancake lens, the 28mm f/4.5 , which is just
one third of the price. However, that lens is much more basic, and for a fair comparison on value, consider Nikon's own 26mm f/2.8 pancake lens, which has
a slightly simpler design yet is almost double the price.

Sony's choices are much more varied there are low-cost (and lower quality) options such as the 20mm F2.8, while premium options such as the 24mm F2.8
are pricier and physically much larger. TTArtisan sells a AF 27mm f/2.8 pancake lens that costs around $130 / 110 less, but I've not tested that
lens.

So while the 26mm F2.8 EVO is hardly cheap for a Viltrox lens, it is still excellent value considering its quality and the available alternatives. I think it's an excellent quality to size and price ratio. For other primes, check out my best Sony lenses and best Nikon lenses guides. Today's best Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8 deals 275.84 View 279 View 279 View Show more We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO: specs Swipe to scroll horizontally Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO specs

Type:

Wide-angle prime

Mount:

Sony E, Nikon Z

Sensor:

Full-frame

Focal length:

26mm (or 39mm effective on Sony and Nikon APS-C cameras)

Aperture:

f/2.8 to f/16

Minimum focus:

0.2m, 0.2x magnification

Filter size:

43mm

Dimensions:

69.4mm x 25.8mm

Weight:

From 6oz / 170g (bare lens) Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO: design Just 25.8mm in length and 6oz / 170g Metal components, rubber-sealed mount Clever magnetic lens hood Image 1 of 5 (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim
Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Image 1 of 5 View Original Image 2 of 5 View Original Image 3 of 5 View Original Image 4 of 5 View Original Image 5 of 5 View Original Lightweight, rugged and convenient, the Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO
fits the bill for everyday photography.

It's clearly made from premium materials, with a metal barrel and rear mount with rubber seal to keep out moisture and dust.

And despite its compact dimensions, the lens fits an impressive number of controls, squeezing in focus and aperture control rings. Unsurprisingly, each ring is very narrow, and getting a secure grip on the focus ring is a little fiddly, but I certainly prefer having those shrunk-down controls rather than none at all.

The aperture ring is clicked with no option to de-click it for video use. Again, I'm not surprised about this given how small the lens is there really is no spare space to fit this control.

Like all recent Viltrox lenses, the 26mm pancake features a USB-C port in its rear mount, through which firmware updates can be installed. Image 1 of 7 No lens hood attached (Image credit: Tim Coleman) With the lens hood, which
takes 43mm threaded filters (Image credit: Tim Coleman) And with the magnetic lens cap attached (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Profile of the lens without
hood or cap attached (Image credit: Tim Coleman) And here both are attached (Image credit: Tim Coleman) The magnetic cap snaps securely into place, and
is much more convenient than a pinch lock. (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Image 1 of 7 View Original Image 2 of 7 View Original Image 3 of 7 View Original Image 4 of 7 View Original Image 5 of 7 View Original Image 6 of 7 View Original Image 7 of 7 View Original The simple optical construction comprises eight elements in six groups, and includes two aspherical elements. The front lens element is tiny. In fact, the 43mm filter thread isn't even built into the lens itself, but the supplied lens hood.

Said dual-purpose lens hood is suitably compact, but I found it didn't
provide the sort of protection against lens flare that I would hope for (more on this in the performance section).

The lens hood has a neat trick up its sleeve mind you it's magnetic. The supplied lens cap snaps onto the lens hood magnetically, doing away with the traditional pinch lock lens cap design. The hood screws onto the lens, but
you can bypass the hood because the front of the lens is also magnetic.

Viltrox's neat magnetic system is a revelation, and I hope other lens manufacturers follow suit. It might not be suitable for all lens types mind you, say those with floating lens elements which use electromagnetism, such
as Viltrox's own 85mm F1.4 Pro .

Close focusing goes down to 0.2m, which delivers a maximum 0.2x
magnification. This is no close up lens, therefore, but I've certainly tested plenty of lenses with a lesser maximum magnification factor. (Image credit: Tim Coleman) At launch, the 26mm lens is available in Sony E and Nikon
Z-mount versions. There's no word yet on L-mount or X-mount versions (nor Canon RF, as per usual).

To truly appreciate the benefit of its compact dimensions and lightweight 6oz / 170g design, cameras such as the Sony A7C series and the Nikon Z f series are a good bet. And as a full-frame lens, you can also use it with APS-C cameras with a 1.5x crop factor, such as the Sony A6700 and Nikon Z50 II. It could be a fabulous option with the Lumix S9 or Sigma BF too, should an L-mount version land. Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO: Performance Bright maximum f/2.8, but risk of strong lens flare at this setting Detail is impressively sharp for such a small lens Autofocus is decent, but I've used snappier
lenses Image 1 of 8 Lens flare at f/2.8. Shooting towards the Sun without manually shielding the lens risks lens flare at any aperture setting, but especially so at f/2.8. I like the effect here, but it is strong. (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Another example at f/2.8 (Image credit: Tim Coleman) And here you can still see flare in the same scene at f/5.6 but it's less pronounced (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Strong vignetting at f/2.8 (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Even at f/8 there's still some vignetting (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Here's the lens at f/2.8 again (Image credit: Tim Coleman) And
at f/11 (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Where the sun is out of the frame, detail is crisp in this scene shot at f/5.6 (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Image 1 of 8 View Original Image 2 of 8 View Original Image 3 of 8 View Original Image 4
of 8 View Original Image 5 of 8 View Original Image 6 of 8 View Original
Image 7 of 8 View Original Image 8 of 8 View Original Viltrox's smaller 28mm F4.5 lens wins for compact size and price, but for image quality, the 26mm F2.8 EVO is a step up.

True, it's not the sharpest lens I've ever used, but optical quality impresses, especially given how small and lightweight the lens is.

I regularly used the lens' maximum f/2.8 aperture setting, with which it's possible to get shallow depth of field and pleasant enough bokeh. There's no discernible drop in sharpness at this setting from the peak f/5.6 to f/8 settings, either.

However, lens flare is prominent at f/2.8 when shooting towards the sun and strong light sources, which massively reduces contrast. In some scenarios I rather liked the effect it was at times characterful and dreamy. At other times, I wished the distortion was better controlled. Image 1 of 9 (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Image 1 of 9 View Original Image 2 of 9 View Original Image 3 of 9 View Original Image 4 of 9 View Original Image 5 of 9 View Original Image 6 of 9 View Original Image 7 of 9 View Original Image 8 of 9 View Original Image 9 of 9 View Original Vignetting (darker corners) is also visible at f/2.8, though nothing too dramatic, and remains even up to f/8.
The worst of these lens distortions would be less noticeable when pairing the lens with an APS-C camera where the outer portion of the image is cropped
out. Otherwise, using f/4 to f/11 aperture settings delivered impressively sharp images, generally free from severe lens distortion.

I tested the lens exclusively with a Nikon Z6 II camera. Not the latest mirrorless camera by any means (that'll be the Z6 III), but one with snappy autofocus and subject detection modes. Even still, I found myself fighting focus hunting more than usual when using the Viltrox lens, compared to a lens like, say, my Nikon 24-70mm F2.8 S .

I'll try the Viltrox 26mm lens with another camera when I get the chance, but so far I'm not fully impressed with its autofocus performance. Image 1 of 5 (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Image 1 of 5 View Original Image 2 of 5 View Original Image 3 of 5 View Original Image 4
of 5 View Original Image 5 of 5 View Original Should I buy the Viltrox AF
26mm F2.8 EVO? (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Buy it if...

You want a small lens for your small mirrorless Sony or Nikon camera Viltrox's 26mm lens is a decent size match for mirrorless cameras like the Sony A7C, A6700, Nikon Z f, Z6 III and Z50 II.

You'd like a small lens to live on your camera With its compact metal body, rubber seal mount and wide-angle perspective, the 26mm lens is always-on lens Don't buy it if...

You're likely going to use the aperture wide open most of the time The 26mm lens' image quality drops when the aperture is wide open at f/2.8.

You want super sharp detail Detail is pretty good, but if you want a particularly sharp lens, you'll need to spend more on a larger, premium alternative. How I tested the Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Viltrox sent me the Z-mount version of the 26mm lens I paired it
with my own full-frame Nikon Z6 II I regularly used the lens for a month, across a wide range of scenarios I used the Z-mount version of the Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO lens with my own Nikon Z6 II full-frame mirrorless camera regularly over the course of one month. My main focus was real world use over technical studio-based tests, though I typically use lenses in scenarios that test their technical capabilities.

For example, I took the same photo in a sequence to see how quality compares using each of the lens' full aperture settings, starting at f/2.8 through to f/16. I checked for bokeh, lens distortion and sharpness at each setting,
too.

I was particularly keen to check quality of the maximum f/2.8 aperture, and how the lens copes in strong daylight, especially with such a small lens hood supplied. I photographed landscapes, portraits and documentary-style moments. First reviewed August 2026 Viltrox AF 26mm f/2.8: Price Comparison 275.84
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