Viltrox EPIC Anamorphic Lens Series Expanded & L-Mount AF Adapter Previewed

by Alexandra ThompsonApril 26^th, 2026

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At NAB 2026, Viltrox introduced its EPIC 1.33x full-frame anamorphic lineup with four new focal lengths: 18mm T2.8, 21mm T2.4, 29mm T2, and 40mm T2. The company also previewed an L-mount version of its NexusFocus F1 autofocus adapter, bringing its PL-to-AF concept to cameras from Panasonic, Sigma, and Blackmagic. Pricing for the new primes ranges from roughly $4,000 to $6,000 per lens, with the 40mm confirmed at $4,300 and shipping right after the show.

Viltrox first stepped into anamorphic territory in 2023 with the original EPIC 35mm, 50mm, and 75mm T2.0 1.33x primes (you can revisit our review for context), and the lineup has since grown to span 25mm through 135mm. At NAB, Nino caught up with Jianbo Zhang from Viltrox to walk through the new focal lengths and the latest state of the NexusFocus ecosystem.

Four new focal lengths join the EPIC 1.33x family

The four new EPIC primes are designed to fill gaps in an already substantial set rather than push the range outward. The 18mm T2.8 becomes the new wide anchor; the 21mm T2.4 slots in just above it, the 29mm T2 lives between the existing 25mm and 35mm, and the 40mm T2 covers the popular gap between 35mm and 50mm.

According to Jianbo, Viltrox originally wanted every focal length in the series to land at a uniform T2.0, but optical and physical-size constraints meant the two widest lenses had to come in at T2.4 and T2.8. The 29mm and 40mm both retain the full T2.0 maximum aperture of the rest of the lineup. Coverage stays consistent with the existing EPIC range: full-frame across the board, plus roughly 90% of the ARRI ALEXA 65 image area. We did not get final figures for weight, barrel dimensions, or minimum focus distance, so we will follow up once Viltrox publishes those.

Why these focal lengths

Filling the wide end has been a long-standing request from working cinematographers, who often feel anamorphic sets jump too coarsely between focal lengths. The 40mm, in particular, consistently shows up on DP wishlists in both spherical and anamorphic flavors, and Jianbo confirmed that Viltrox prioritized it for that reason. The 21mm came out of internal tests in which the team felt that 18mm alone might be too aggressive for some users, and the 18mm itself was the wide-angle stretch goal that Viltrox decided was achievable. It is currently among the widest 1.33x anamorphic primes we have seen on a full-frame sensor.

Three flare coatings to choose from

Viltrox offers each EPIC focal length in three different coating options. The blue coating delivers the familiar streak flare that has been the visual signature of the original set. The silver coating produces a more variable color response, picking up green, pink, orange, or other hues depending on the color of the light hitting the front element. The third option is a non-flare coating that suppresses streaks entirely, leaning instead into a softer, slightly rainbow-tinged vintage rendering aimed at DPs shooting interiors who want the anamorphic squeeze and bokeh without the distracting horizontal streak.

PL mount with adapter flexibility

Like the rest of the EPIC series, the new lenses ship in PL mount only and are fully manual. Jianbo confirmed Viltrox prefers to commit to PL for cinema glass and leave users to attach their preferred adapter for E, RF, L, or Z-mount mirrorless bodies, an approach consistent with how most independent productions use anamorphic glass anyway.

NexusFocus F1 expands to L-mount

The other major reveal at the booth was an L-mount version of the NexusFocus F1, the autofocus adapter we reviewed in March for Sony E-mount cameras. The system uses the host camera’s native phase-detection autofocus data, translated into FIZ motor commands, to give manual PL cinema lenses true autofocus without LiDAR or external ranging hardware.

The unit on the booth is still a prototype, but Jianbo confirmed Viltrox has officially joined the L-Mount Alliance, which gives the company direct access to the protocol data needed for the adapter to behave correctly across LUMIX, SIGMA fp, Leica SL, and Blackmagic L-mount bodies. For Blackmagic shooters in particular, the proposition is interesting: recent firmware has introduced usable autofocus on some Blackmagic cameras, but only with native AF lenses. The NexusFocus L-mount adapter would, in principle, extend autofocus support to any manual PL cine lens on those bodies.

App updates and on-phone focus pulling

The NexusFocus app continues to grow. The lens library now includes profiles for all current EPIC focal lengths from 25mm through 135mm, and Viltrox says more than 100 lens profiles are available in total, with new ones added on request. Updates remain free.

A change worth flagging for solo operators: the app can now act as a manual focus puller on its own. According to Jianbo, you no longer need to bring a separate handle unit. With just the adapter, motor, lens, camera, battery, and a phone, you can pull focus directly on the touchscreen, which is a meaningful reduction in kit weight for run-and-gun shooters using vintage or specialty PL glass.

Price and availability

Viltrox confirmed the new EPIC 40mm T2 will retail at $4,300 and ship immediately after NAB 2026. The 29mm T2 is expected to land in the $4,000 to $5,000 range, while the wider 18mm T2.8 and 21mm T2.4 will sit higher, between $5,000 and $6,000 each, reflecting the additional optical complexity at those focal lengths. Those three are slated to ship after Cine Gear in June.

The L-mount NexusFocus F1 adapter will follow a similar timeline, with Jianbo telling us he hopes to price it slightly below the existing E-mount version, though he stopped short of guaranteeing that figure. Availability is also targeted for after Cine Gear. For more information, head to Viltrox’s official website.

Which is the bigger news for you: the wider EPIC focal lengths or the L-mount NexusFocus adapter? Let us know in the comments below!