A Review of the Viltrox TCL-X100VI, a 50mm Equivalent Tele-conversion Lens

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There is absolutely nothing novel in what I’m about to write: I love my 50mm lens. It’s what was on the Nikon FM2 (my first analog camera) I bought at a thrift shop years ago when I began my film photography adventures, and it’s the one lens I learned to see through during those initial years. I own both wider and longer lenses and while I enjoy shooting them, the focal length I undoubtedly reach for most consistently is that “nifty fifty”. Truthfully, it lives on my Nikon F3.

I could easily (and contentedly) continue to wax poetic about the 50mm focal length, about how it’s been the trusted workhorse for so many renowned photographers and filmmakers alike, but, as the title above explains, I am here for another reason.

Just prior to the New Year, Viltrox released two conversion lenses for the Fujifilm X100 series, the WCL-X100VI which broadens for a 28mm equivalent, and the TCL-X100VI which extends for a 50mm equivalent. I recently had the opportunity to test the 50mm equivalent on the X100V and X100T, and in case you don’t feel like finishing this article to find out how I felt about the hardware, I’ll spoil the ending for you: I liked it. (You should finish the article, though.)

Design & Performance

Aesthetics matter, and Viltrox knows it. The TCL-X100VI tele-conversion lens is beautiful to both handle and look at. Its construction is sleek. Its silhouette is elegant. Its action and performance are effortless. Everything about it communicates intentional design and quality craftsmanship immediately upon its reveal from the box. And that is precisely what you receive.

The build backs the beauty. Once you peel your eyes away from how slick the lens’ matte-black finish appears (it also comes in silver), your attention will be arrested by its sense of density. Weighing in at 8.1oz, or approximately 230g, it houses five elements in four groups, containing one more element than Fujifilm’s own teleconverter, which must account for the minimal 2oz difference in weight. In your hands, the TCL-X100VI lens feels substantial and rugged, though not at the expense of being cumbersome.

All this unites in the lens’ utility, as the attention Viltrox paid to its form was also dedicated to its function. Mounting the TCL-X100VI tele-converter is as easy as removing your camera’s vanity ring and threading on the lens. Images are sharp, with focus unaffected even at your widest aperture, and a built-in chip communicates directly with your X100 series camera affording automatic image optimization and correction of any distortion or vignetting. This simply means once it’s on your camera, all you have to do is fire off exposures and be delighted in doing so.

You will be, I promise.

An Admission

I feel obligated to disclose something personal for those that have made it this far. You deserve some transparency. (Don’t we all these days?) First, I do not consider myself sleazy for photography gear. I truly never have. I never got caught up in buying brand new bodies, lenses, accessories, etc. I’m a cheap date, and I content myself with the few items I own.

Second, I very rarely photograph with a digital camera. I’m one of the unfortunate fools who found an analog camera and spent far too much money shooting and developing rolls only to find that I did not know how to expose. Thankfully though, I’m stubborn and I corrected my mistakes quickly and became addicted to the analog process. To cut my belly further for you, even the two Fujifilm X100 series bodies were generously loaned from friends in order to write this review. I don’t even own a body I can let this TCL-X100VI 50mm tele-converter live on.

I know, it’s all lies.

I say all this because if I were another digital gear snob in the overwhelmingly infinite sea of them, would my thoughts and this review really matter that much? I truthfully don’t see why they would. I wholeheartedly prefer shooting analog, and for that very reason I should make for a particularly difficult sell on a digital photography product, which makes my experience and takeaway a more persuasive conclusion and a more convincing review for other prospective buyers.

Pros

• Aesthetics. The lens' silhouette is understated and elegant, a sleek-looking addition to your camera.
• Performance. Incredibly easy to work with, allowing for generation of sharp images even at the widest aperture.
• Intelligence. Its built-in chip communicates directly with your camera, affording automatic adjustment for image optimization, distortion and vignetting correction.
• Personalization. Viltrox offers two color ways, allowing you to match (or to contradict, should you choose) your Fujifilm X100 series body.
• Economy. A $160 price tag compared to Fujifilm's $400 speaks for itself.

Cons

• Weight. The lens is 2oz heavier than Fujifilm's own.

Verdict

Shooting this Viltrox TCL-X100VI lens on the Fujifilm X100 bodies was nothing less than a pleasure, so much so I started looking up X100V prices on the couch earlier and wished I hadn’t. Nothing good comes cheap, you say. To which I reply, Wrong. Have you seen how much these Viltrox conversion lenses are? Fujifilm’s own conversion lenses are more than twice the cost, making the quality that these deliver insanely attractive.

As much as I adore shooting film, every now and then there are days I’m lazy, when I don’t feel like carrying around my 35mm body, a handful of rolls and my meter, and on those days there are always moments I wish I brought my camera along. This inevitably results in me kicking myself and crying for the rest of the day over not just bringing my gear, then remembering those days painfully for weeks, months, even years. But after shooting this specific combination though, I have realized all that heartache and shedding of tears is avoidable.

So, if you are smarter than me, which you likely are, since you already invested in the Fujifilm X100 series; if you are without any conversion lenses, but cannot bring yourself to pay $400 for another proprietary accessory; if you simply love shooting a 50mm and desperately want to convert that Fuji body’s native 35mm lens to a 39.6 degree horizontal field of view, it really seems quite simple—Viltrox made this TCL-X100VI 50mm tele-converter for you. You’re welcome.