Julian Baird 23/02/2024 Julian Baird 23/02/2024

Real World Review of Viltrox Pro AF 27mm for Nikon Z

In this video I head out into the REAL WORLD to capture landscape photographs and shoot video with the new Viltrox PRO AF 27mm f/1.2 for Nikon Z mount. Can you really get a pro lens for a budget price?

A Pro Lens for a Budget Price

Is it possible to get a pro spec lens for a budget price? It’s an interesting question and it’s also a question fraught with problems. Both the “pro” and “budget” terms are highly subjective. Ask two different photographers what features they expect in a professional lens, and you’ll get two different answers. The term “budget” has even more scope for varying definitions!

However, in this case, I believe using those terms is justified. Ignoring the fact that the lens does have the word “pro” in the product name, it does have many (but not all) the professional grade features I personally look for in a lens. And given the price, it’s hard to argue it doesn’t fit into the budget category.

While defining terms is useful, the thing that’s really important is how the lens performs and for me the only way to do that is to put it to use in the real world. And that’s exactly what I’ve done in my video review of the Viltrox Pro AF 27mm. I head out to Dartmoor to capture some landscape photographs and I also use the lens to film large parts of the review to test its video capabilities.

The goal of my video isn’t to necessarily convince you to buy this lens. I just want to share my personal experience of using this lens which will hopefully give you enough information to make your own personal purchasing decision.

Even if you aren’t considering buying this lens, I hope you enjoy the video anyway! So, enjoy!

Buy the Viltrox Pro AF 27 Lens

If you’d like to purchase this lens you can do so directly from Viltrox (affiliate link).

Viltrox Pro AF 27mm Gallery

Landscape Photographs

**Beardown Tors #1, Dartmoor, Devon** - Nikon Z fc, Viltrox Pro AF 27mm f/1.2 at f/13, 1/13 sec at ISO 100.

**Beardown Tors #2, Dartmoor, Devon** - Nikon Z fc, Viltrox Pro AF 27mm f/1.2 at f/11, 1/30 sec at ISO 100.

**Beardown Tors #3, Dartmoor, Devon** - Nikon Z fc, Viltrox Pro AF 27mm f/1.2 at f/11, 0.5 sec at ISO 100.

People and Dogs

Nikon Z8, Viltrox Pro AF 27mm f/1.2 at f/2.2, 1/250 sec at ISO 2000.

Nikon Z8, Viltrox Pro AF 27mm f/1.2 at f/1.2, 1/250 sec at ISO 640.

Nikon Z8, Viltrox Pro AF 27mm f/1.2 at f/1.2, 1/500 sec at ISO 250.

Julian Baird 01/12/2022 Julian Baird 01/12/2022

On Location Review of the Kingjoy C83 Carbon Fibre Tripod

All tripods are the same right? Not exactly. While they all have three legs, some are better than others. When it comes to landscape photography you need something that is lightweight, stable and easy to use. In this video I review the Kingjoy SolidRock C83 Carbon Fibre Tripod out to Dartmoor to see if it can fit my needs as an outdoor photographer!

The New King of Tripods?

It’s very easy to assume that all tripods are the same. They all have three legs, and they support your camera. However, if you are a landscape photographer a tripod is an essential item and your tripod needs to be lightweight, stable, and easy to use.

I’ve had the same two tripods for years and it’s only recently that I’ve been looking about for something new. Why two tripods I hear you ask? One for stills photography, and the other for video. And yes, I need to do both at the same time otherwise I couldn’t make my YouTube videos. The reason I’m looking for something new is that as my cameras and lenses change, so do my requirements for tripods.

For my current setup of cameras and lenses I needed something robust, stable, and well built, but not at Gitzo level prices. I had heard some good reports about Kingjoy tripods but it’s not a brand I immediately think of when considering a new tripod. But when they reached out to me and asked if I wanted a loan of their C83 carbon fibre tripod I said yes. I’ve got nothing to lose and I might find myself pleasantly surprised.

With my loan C83 in hand, I head off to Dartmoor for some landscape photography to see if this is a tripod that I would buy.

If you’d like to buy a Kingjoy SolidRock C83 Carbon Fibre Tripod, you do so direct from Kingjoy UK here - https://kingjoyuk.com/products/kingjoy-solidrock-c83-carbon-fibre-tripod?sca_ref=2948686.NWDrPIWIBg

*** Use the code kjbaird5 and you'll get a 5% discount ***

Landscape Photographs of Beardown Tors

A landscape photograph of a rainbow over Dartmoor. — **Beardown Tors Sunset #5, Dartmoor, Devon** - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 16mm, f/13, 1/25 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL.

A landscape photograph of Beardown Tors on Dartmoor at sunset. — **Beardown Tors Sunset #1, Dartmoor, Devon** - Nikon Z7, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S at 21mm, f/13, 1/8 sec at ISO 64, Kase Filters CPL.

Julian Baird 09/06/2021 Julian Baird 09/06/2021

Landscape Photography with the K&F Concept SA255C1 Carbon Fibre Tripod

Don’t be me, get a decent tripod! I wish I’d got the @kfconceptglobal SA255C1 carbon fibre tripod sooner and I might have saved myself from an expensive camera repair bill. In my latest video, I head to Beardown Tors on Dartmoor National Park to capture landscape photographs and to share my thoughts on my new lightweight tripod.

Some Accidents Are More Preventable Than Others

I’d known for a while that I needed to replace one of my tripods. It had served me well for many years, but it was a little too lightweight for what I wanted to use it for, and it had a broken foot. My continued use of this tripod was an accident waiting to happen.

Sure enough, I left the replacement of that tripod a little too long and I had an inevitable accident. Some careless placement of the tripod legs and a gust of wind was all that was needed to send my ZV-1 crashing to the ground. Cameras smashing on rocks never results in a cheap repair bill.

While the ZV-1 was being repaired by Sony I decided that it was past the time to get a replacement tripod. Fortunately for me, K&F Concept had just released a new carbon fibre tripod and they wanted me to try it out (with no strings attached).

Though I’m a little ashamed I let such a preventable accident happen, I thought by sharing my experience I might be able to prevent someone else from having an expensive accident. In the video below I head to Beardown Tors on Dartmoor for a spot of landscape photography and tell you all about my new K&F Concept SA255C1 Carbon Fibre Tripod.

If you'd like to pick up one of these tripods, the kind folks at K&F Concept have shared the following discounts with me:

Website - K&F carbon tripod: https://bit.ly/3fVcaHl Coupon code: KF10UK (10% discount, valid until 31/12/2021）
Amazon - K&F carbon tripod: https://amzn.to/3wSD5dU Coupon code: KFCUK007 (10% discount, valid until 30/06/2021）

Beardown Tors Landscape Photographs

Here are the landscape photographs of Beardown Tors on Dartmoor that you saw me capture in the video.