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63 About this deal
The flares are big and bold. You wont find crisp orbs and lines like you do with other vintage lenses such as the Canon 35mm f/2 LTM, Minolta M-Rokkor 40mm f/2, or the modern-vintage Voigtlander Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 MC. While this lens definitely can’t match the Fuji 35 f2 or f1.4 for technical image quality, it is smaller, cheaper and faster than either of them. And it produces beautiful images with a unique look and (mostly) creamy out of focus renditions. The focus throw on the lens is short, which makes it very ideal for day-to-day use. If you want to finetune your focus during, say, a portrait session, the very fluid motion of the focus ring makes it really easy to do precise focusing even though the throw is shorter than a regular portrait lens where you often get close to 180° of rotation for really fine focus tuning.
As I wrote further up, I have gone through many 35mm lenses, but these lenses are the ones that are staying in my arsenal because they bring something unique to the table. The “fast four” | Shot on GFX50R | GF63mm f/2.8 Before we get into this I just want to remind you again that this lens will cost you about half of a solid couple of headphones! It cost me less than if I’m going grocery shopping for some friday night dinner guests! Just to get some perspective as to what can be expected! The bokeh. Let’s talk about that. That little word that will have all aspiring photographers and seasoned pros going into full drool-mode any day of the week! Is it any good with the 7artisans?
I don't expect to take great photos with this lens but that's missing the point. This is a lens that makes you want to photograph even the mundane, bringing a bit of soul to a Sony camera that is otherwise pretty much devoid of passion. My a7 III is an expensive box designed by a huge, faceless corporation (and Sony really is the hugest and most faceless), and teasing a touch of the analog into its cold, digital functionality has been a real joy. If you want the simple joy of f/1.4 on something tiny and idiosyncratic, this lens is an excellent choice. What I Liked
Wide open bokeh can be a little wild, but to be honest, it’s not as barmy as I expected it to be. Depth of field is far from as shallow as the 50mm 1.1 on the Leica, as such the out of focus rendering isn’t quite as overbearing or prominent feeling in equivalent photos. That being said, it’s certainly not the perfectly smooth and creamy bokeh some people seem to strive for. Pardon the missed focus – shot at f/1.2 f/2.8 A few more photos Here it is juxtaposed to a Leica Summicron 35 ASPH. They’re similar in size but the 7Artisans 35mm is 40g lighter, equating to an almost 20% reduction in weight. I can’t explain what it is with the 7artisans 35mm f/1.2. On the spec sheet and in technical terms it’s one of the shittiest lenses I’ve ever mounted on my X-series cameras. But in spite of that, I just absolutely love the little thing. It is such a nice creative tool, and my pictures are better because of it. Sometimes I just have to succumb to the fact that there is sooooo much more to photography than the quest for ultimate IQ. The 7artisans 35mm f/2 is not an optically perfect lens and nor should it be. Pixel peepers, if you’re looking for a lens that will give you perfect field curvature, zero barrel distortion, super-apochromatic transmission or asph-your-erical, this will likely not be the lens for you.A client lens for me is the best lens I can use which normally means sharp but pretty photos. For my Leica wedding photography I really enjoy the Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.2 lens for example. See below for that and more 35mm lens options.
The 7Artisans 35mm f/2 is a compact rangefinder-coupled Leica M-mount lens, which employs a Sonnar optical design – 7 elements in 5 groups. As such, it is unique in the M-mount lens line up – focal length, aperture and size.Assuming, however, that I won’t be protesting anytime soon, I will be looking at it sitting on my shelf thinking that if you or anyone you know are turning your nose up at this lens because it was made in China, you need to be a better person than I was and stop acting like a pig like I did. I haven’t tried this brand lens yet. I do however have and use the Voightlander 35mm f/1.2 full frame in Leica M mount. I love it! I have the Kamlan 50mm f/1.1 lens in Sony E mount. I also have the 7 Artisans 50mm f/1.1 lens in Leica M mount. This is another fine lens. My least used but fine lens in Sony E mount but in APSC coverage is the 35mm f/.095 lens. With this one you can literally see in the dark.
Artist lenses tend to be softer but have perhaps heavy vignetting or interesting fall off. I love the mentioned TTArtisan 50mm f0.95 lens for this look especially. So let me write a little bit about the TTartisan 50mm f/1.2 on it own terms, listing its strengths and weaknesses. Then I’ll leave the comparisons out of the equation for now. Build and feel In use, the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 is a odd lens, but to be fair to it I think some of this comes from the fact that it’s also a very small lens – especially for its specification. I think it’s actually slightly smaller than the 25mm 1.8 lens 7Artisans also make. As such, I’ve found it makes for a great compact carry everywhere lens. This review was edited on July 2, 2020 to note that vignetting is improved when the electronic front curtain shutter is switched off. If you are keeping score, you need to get out two scorecards. If you think you are shopping for a modern lens the score is 7Artisans 1. Me 1. This lens can’t be classified as a modern lens. If on the other hand you think you are shopping for a modern lens with retro appeal the score is 7Artisans 2. Me 0.Comparing it to a full frame lens on a full frame camera, in terms of perspective and depth of field with the same framing, the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 is equivalent to a 50mm lens (ish) field of view with a maximum aperture of around 1.8. Of course, whilst that’s a little less exciting if you’re used to shooting full frame cameras, it is a fairly unique specification when combined with the size and price of this lens. The wider aperture with slightly broader DOF than a fast lens on a full frame camera also narrows the gap in terms of the low light performance comparison with a bigger camera too. Sonnar formula
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