Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB Promises Pro-Level Performance At a Not-So-Pro Price

Apr 16, 2025

Jeremy Gray

A camera lens stands upright on a rough concrete surface near a body of water, with the background softly blurred.

Viltrox’s second LAB series lens for full-frame is here. The Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB is a full-frame, large-aperture autofocus prime lens that promises cutting-edge performance, a professional-quality design, and a relatively accessible price.

Following Viltrox’s excellent LAB 135mm f/1.8, which delivers outstanding performance and value, the AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB targets the same audience, photographers who demand flagship-level quality across the board. Unlike the 135mm f/1.8 lens, which was best suited for portraits, the AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB expands its horizons, offering photographers a fast prime lens for street photography, travel shots, nightscapes and, yes, portraits, albeit ones that will look a lot different than ones shot at 135mm.

A Sony Alpha 7R mirrorless digital camera with a large lens rests on a textured concrete surface, with a blurred outdoor background.

The lens features 15 elements arranged across 10 groups. Among these are five ED lenses, three high-refractive index lenses, and a pair of UA elements. Viltrox says its fast prime delivers excellent color reproduction and contrast, even when shot wide open. The company also claims strong control over chromatic aberrations. The lens suppresses flare and ghosting during backlit shooting thanks to high-definition multi-layer nano-coating.

Close-up of a person holding a digital camera with both hands, focusing on the camera’s lens and controls. A blurred outdoor background with buildings and greenery is visible.

As for autofocus, the AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB features Quad Viltrox HyperVCM motors, powered by Viltrox’s proprietary technology. The company says the lens focuses very quickly and accurately. Compared to traditional STM motors, Viltrox says its AF system is 150% faster and delivers micron-level positioning accuracy. In the case of the AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB, the lens can switch from its closest to farthest focusing distance in 100 milliseconds. Further, the lens supports in-camera face/eye detection and tracking technology.

In terms of minimum focusing distance, the Viltrox AF 35mm f/1.2 LAB focuses as close as 0.34 meters (1.1 feet), providing a maximum magnification of 0.17 times.

A person holds a Sony camera, aiming it at a woman with short black hair who is looking to the side. The background is blurred greenery, suggesting an outdoor setting.

The lens features a multi-functional control ring, which can be used to adjust imaging parameters like aperture and focus quickly, two customizable function buttons that can be assigned via a companion app, an AF/MF switch, an aperture de-click switch, and a customizable color display. The custom display can be configured through the Viltrox Lens App to show real-time information such as lens aperture and object distance.

A person holding a Sony Alpha 7R IV camera with a large lens, outdoors. The camera and lens have water droplets on them, suggesting rainy or wet conditions. The background is blurred.

The full-metal lens features a high-grade dust- and moisture-resistant design. It weighs approximately 920 grams (just over two pounds) and is 121.8 millimeters (4.8 inches) long. Its maximum diameter is 89.2 millimeters (3.5 inches), and the lens accepts 77mm front filters.

Sample Photos

Close-up of lush, green, feathery plants growing densely together, creating a vibrant and fresh natural texture. The image is focused on the central plants, with a blurry green background.

A multi-story apartment building with balconies crowded with hanging clothes, towels, and personal items, creating a colorful yet cluttered scene. The structure appears old and densely populated.

Clusters of small, vibrant blue flowers with green leaves are in focus in the foreground, while more blue flowers blur softly into the green background.

View looking up through a hexagonal opening in the center of a multi-story apartment building, with balconies full of laundry and a small airplane visible in the bright sky above.

Close-up of pink and white wildflowers with yellow centers in a green, blurred meadow. Some flowers are in focus, while others and their buds fade softly into the background.

A small green plant grows in a pot attached to a metal railing indoors, with blurred laundry hanging on railings in the background, suggesting an apartment or communal living space.

Two vibrant pink flowers in focus with yellow centers, set against a blurred green background dotted with more pink flowers.

Several bicycles with baskets are parked along a sidewalk. One has a green license plate with the number 23756. In the background, there is a red umbrella and old buildings. The image is slightly out of focus.

A fluffy white dog wearing a blue patterned bandana lies on a wooden floor, panting with its tongue out and leash attached, looking relaxed and happy.

A large, leafless tree stands against a cloudy sky, with its branches spread wide. In the foreground, colorful wildflowers, mostly pink and white, are out of focus, creating a soft, dreamy effect.

Close-up of green bamboo leaves with a blurred background of dense bamboo foliage, creating a lush, natural scene.

Close-up of an orange and white church facade with pointed towers, arched windows with stained glass, decorative details, and a cross on top, set against a pale sky.

A worn, concrete building interior with metal stairs, visible pipes, a wall lamp, and a grid fence in front. An old brown bench sits against the wall on the upper floor. The scene appears empty and neglected.

A black street lamp with two round bulbs stands in front of a large, ornate yellow building with arched windows and decorative white trim. The building's architectural style appears Gothic or Neo-Gothic.

A weathered stone statue draped in red cloth stands on a misty, grassy mountainside, with more similarly adorned statues fading into the foggy background.

A panoramic view of a lake surrounded by hills at dusk, with a glowing sunset on the horizon and the Milky Way galaxy clearly visible in the starry night sky above. Small islands dot the calm water.

A misty forest with tall trees covered in moss, dense foliage, and a dirt path winding through the brown, leaf-strewn forest floor. Light filters softly through the trees, creating a peaceful, serene atmosphere.

A close-up of a moss-covered log in a forest, with the background softly blurred. The vibrant green moss highlights the log’s rough texture, while the out-of-focus trees create a serene, natural setting.