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Forget Sony, Fujifilm, and Nikon – this brand makes the best affordable lenses, and they're 20% off for Black Friday

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Viltrox has rightly built up an excellent reputation as a high-quality alternative

Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 lens attached to a Nikon Zf camera, over a gray background alongside Black Friday deals text overlay
(Image credit: Viltrox)
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Viltrox has rightly built up an excellent reputation as a high-quality and affordable third-party alternative to proprietary lenses for Sony, Fujifilm, and Nikon cameras. And I should know – I've personally bought three, including the pro-grade AF 135mm f/1.8 LAB for my Nikon mirrorless camera.

These lenses are even better value now since there's a site-wide 20% off for Black Friday on Sony E, Fujifilm X, and Nikon Z mount lenses. You won't find a better price-to-performance. The quality of the Chinese-made 135mm f/1.8 lens is incredible, especially when you consider how much less it costs than Nikon's own Plena – it's around one third of the price. Or how about the 35mm F1.2 LAB, which scored a top five stars in our review?

Today's best Viltrox lens deals (US)

Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5
Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5: was $99 now $79.20 at BHPhoto
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Lens mount: Sony E, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z
Format: Full-frame
Likely the next Viltrox lens I'll buy, the tiny 28mm F4.5 pancake is practically the size and weight of a lens cap and yes, as it's name suggests, it even features autofocus. With 20% off at B&H Photo, there's really not much to lose on this deal.

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Viltrox 50mm f/2 Air
Viltrox 50mm f/2 Air: was $199 now $159.20 at BHPhoto
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Lens mount: Sony E, Nikon Z
Format: Full-frame
At just 205g, this full-frame nifty fifty is an excellent autofocus portrait lens especially for beginners and enthusiasts. That bright maximum f/2 aperture delivers smooth bokeh, while detail is pretty sharp too. Check out my 50mm f/2 Air review to find out more. Available for Sony E and Nikon Z mount.

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Viltrox AF 85mm F1.4 Pro
Viltrox AF 85mm F1.4 Pro: was $598 now $478.40 at BHPhoto
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Lens mount: Sony E
Format: Full-frame
I haven't finished my review of the full-frame Pro f/1.4 lens, but I can already attest to the quality of this professional portrait lens, which rivals the performance of much pricier proprietary versions. It comes with a lens hood and a soft storage case. Available for Sony E mount.

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Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8
Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 : was £899 now £719.20 at BHPhoto
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Lens mount: Sony E, Nikon Z
Format: Full-frame
A stellar telephoto prime lens, the AF 135mm F1.8 delivers pro-quality images – detail is pin sharp, bokeh dreamily smooth. Nikon and Sony's own equivalents are way, way pricier. This is one of two 'LAB' lenses, the other being the 35mm F1.2, which sit above the Pro series as Viltrox's top quality lenses.

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Today's best Viltrox lens deals (UK)

Viltrox 50mm f/2 Air
Viltrox 50mm f/2 Air: was £190 now £152 at Amazon
Read moreRead less

Lens mount: Sony E, Nikon Z
Format: Full-frame
Just 205g, this true nifty fifty is an excellent autofocus portrait lens for beginners and enthusiasts, especially with that bright maximum f/2 aperture. Check out my 50mm f/2 Air review to find out more.

View Deal
Viltrox AF 85mm F1.4 Pro
Viltrox AF 85mm F1.4 Pro: was £569 now £455.20 at Amazon
Read moreRead less

Lens mount: Sony E, Nikon Z
Format: Full-frame
My review isn't live yet, but it's coming soon, and I can already attest to the quality of this professional portrait lens, which can rival the performance of much pricier proprietary versions. As you can see, it comes with a lens hood and a soft storage case.

View Deal
Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5
Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5: was £90 now £72 at Amazon
Read moreRead less

Lens mount: Sony E, Fujifilm X, Nikon Z
Format: Full-frame
Likely the next Viltrox lens I'll buy, the tiny 28mm F4.5 pancake is practically the size and weight of a lens cap, and yes, as its name suggests, it even features autofocus. With 20% off, there's really not much to lose on this deal.

View Deal
Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8
Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 : was £829 now £663.20 at Amazon
Read moreRead less

Lens mount: Sony E, Nikon Z
Format: Full-frame
A top telephoto prime lens, the AF 135mm F1.8 delivers professional optical quality – detail is pin sharp, bokeh dreamily smooth. Nikon and Sony equivalents are way pricier. It's one of two 'LAB' lenses, the other being the 35mm F1.2, which sit above the Pro series as Viltrox's top quality lenses.

View Deal

Should I buy Viltrox lenses?

Viltrox has proven that it's another reason to trust third-party lenses. Like Sigma and Tamron before it, Viltrox's recent lenses have blown me away, delivering unbeatable value considering the optical quality they possess.

Sony users get the widest choice – there are more E-mount versions in Viltrox's range than others. However, there are an increasing number of Fujifilm X and Nikon Z mount versions being released, while Viltrox recently announced it has joined the L mount alliance, meaning its lenses should be made for Panasonic and Leica cameras too. Canon RF mount continues to miss out.

So far, Viltrox has focused on making high-quality prime lenses, from wide-angle all the way up to 135mm. There are no zoom lenses or super telephoto lenses yet, so Viltrox isn't for everyone. However, if you're after an affordable and high-quality wide to short telephoto prime, I highly recommend them based on my own hands-on experience with 5-10 different lenses – TechRadar reviews back this up. You won't be disappointed.

Here are the reviews we've conducted so far:

Viltrox 135mm F1.8 Lab lens for Nikon Z-mount, in the hand, attached to a Nikon Z6 II

That's me, handling the excellent Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB lens. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

Shop more of today's best Black Friday sales in the US

Shop more of today's best Black Friday sales in the UK

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Timothy Coleman
Timothy Coleman
Cameras editor

Tim is the Cameras editor at TechRadar. He has enjoyed more than 15 years in the photo video industry with most of those in the world of tech journalism. During his time as Deputy Technical Editor with Amateur Photographer, as a freelancer and consequently editor at Tech Radar, Tim has developed a deeply technical knowledge and practical experience with cameras, educating others through news, reviews and features. He’s also worked in video production for Studio 44 with clients including Canon, and volunteers his spare time to consult a non-profit, diverse stories team based in Nairobi. Tim is curious, a keen creative, avid footballer and runner, and moderate flat white drinker who has lived in Kenya and believes we have much to enjoy and learn from each other. 


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