Praise be – Viltrox joins L-mount, bringing its incredible cheap lenses to Leica, Panasonic, Sigma cameras and more

• Viltrox becomes the tenth member of the L-mount alliance
• Some of its current lenses and future ones could get the L-mount treatment
• Leica, Panasonic, Sigma, Blackmagic Design and DJI all make L-mount cameras

In my book, Viltrox is the changing the lens making game – because it's latest Pro and LAB lenses deliver incredible build and optical quality, at a snip compared to proprietary equivalents.

Take its 135mm F1.8 Lab, a superb portrait lens, as I found out when I paired it with a full-frame Nikon camera. This lens is the real deal, for just a third of the price of Nikon's Plena.

Until now, Viltrox has focused its attention on lenses for Sony E-mount cameras, followed by Fujifilm X-mount and Nikon Z-mount. But today marks an exciting chapter for the Chinese lens making upstart: it has joined the L-mount alliance.

Set up by Leica, the L-mount is utilized by a number of brands, including Panasonic, Sigma, Blackmagic Design, DJI and, of course, Leica itself.

Viltrox becomes the tenth member of the L-mount alliance, and the promise of its high-quality optics being made in L-mount versions is great news for anyone shooting with an L-mount camera too, such as the Pansonic Lumix S1R II or Blackmagic Pyxis 6K.

A win-win situation

Viltrox follows Sirui as another low-cost lens maker in the L-mount alliance, but this latest news is arguably even more exciting given Viltrox's upward curve and growing reputation.

We billed its new Sony 35mm F1.2 LAB for Sony cameras as "a stunning lens with an irresistible price tag", awarding five stars out of five in our in-depth review. Likewise, its AF 16mm F1.8 is a "go-to ultra-wide prime for landscape and astrophotography".

Only this week did Viltrox also announce a new 56mm F1.2 lens for APS-C crop sensor cameras, available for Sony E and Fujifilm X-mount, which looks like a superb portrait optic.

The L-mount portfolio comprises 20 cameras and more than 120 lenses, and it's set to grow with the addition of Viltrox. As a Nikon Z-mount user, I'm already on my third Viltrox Z-mount lens, and couldn't be happier.

We don't yet know which lenses will get the L-mount treatment, but if you shoot with an L-mount camera, trust me you should watch this space to see which Viltrox lenses are released – you won't be disappointed.

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• Viltrox is changing the game for camera lenses, with its latest premium prime matching Sony’s best for half the price
• Is it time for you to try third-party Chinese lenses? I’m on my third for Sony and Nikon mirrorless cameras, and couldn’t be more impressed
• Sirui joins L-Mount Alliance to deliver its superb budget lenses for Leica, DJI, Sigma and Panasonic cameras