This is one of the first reviews that I find of a modern manual lens compared to old manual lenses. Great idea! It makes total sense... instead of comparing it with modern, fully automatic lenses, which are several times the price, this comparison is much more interesting. Subscribed!
Excellent review. I bought 3 of these affordable lenses recently, including a fisheye, for less than 200USD. The best fun for the buck purchase I have made. This one is also high on my wishlist. Since there are many similar 0.95 on the market now, I hope there is enough business to keep these guys going. They are like a breath of fresh air to photography. BTW, the manual focus assist (peaking and enlargement) in the Oly works very well, it makes manual focussing much easier than in the old days.
Very impressive front element. Love them when they are this big in aesthetics. Though I think I am going for their 35mm cousin though my eyes are still on this bigger one.
I like the lens. Excellent value for anyone willing to focus manually. It's about the damn time lens started to be prices as the pieces of glass&metal they are.
Certainly the manual focus primes should be much cheaper like this one. Fortunately, there are many in the f/1.8 range. Would be nice to see some f/1.4.
Thanks Rob. A very useful and down to earth review. It left me puzzled about the Olympus 45mm f1.8 once more. Your photos were not particularly sharp. Robin Wong says this lens is very sharp and has the photos to prove it. Matt Granger says it is not the sharpest lens around and with my copy I can shoot pretty sharp photos. I still wonder whether this lens is built in more than one location or that there has been an improvement over time that has not been published (my lens is 18 months old).
There will always be sample variations but I thought the 45mm did well. I was showing the unprocessed raw files. What I didn't show were the straight out of camera jpgs. As you know, jpgs are processed in-camera with noise reduction, optical corrections, sharpening, contrast, etc... Side by side, there was no difference in sharpness starting at f/2. They were both extremely sharp. At f/1.8, the 7artisans did look sharper with better contrast.
This kind of makes me want to trade in my 45 for this lens even at sacrificing auto focus. The only issue I have is, is that a plastic connection? If so, " [fart noise]. Though you did day all metal build. I've been getting into manual with my 6 and 18mm laowa's. In the right conditions ( not nature) they are enjoyable to use. This would fit the category. It's cheap enough that I guess I could start a manual collection and keep the 45mm lol. Thinking out loud
I have the Walimex 50mm 1.2 and it is a good lense. It has a very creamy bokeh. I'm still not sure if it is the same lense as the Samyang just with another label printed on it or if it is a different lense. Manual focus of course and it is quite heavy and more expensive than the 7Artisans. But if you just want a 50mm prime lense for MFT, I recommend the modern Olympus Digital 45mm F1.8. It has a perfect image quality, autofocus and it is very lightweight.
Well Mr Trek, I had never really considered a lens at this focal length since my 12-40 always pleased me, but WOW! This lens at this price? I'm thinking you just put a ding in my checking account!!! Nice video Rob!
Hi Rob, finally you got one of these after many months ;-) I have the 35mm f1.2 and it is also a great lens. Thank for the review. I was curious how you like all the 7Artisan lenses.
@@RobTrek That would be great, the lenses are great, I enjoy using the 35mm but the only problem is that you cannot say which aperture you used afterwards. But then the lenses would be 600 and not 150 Euros/$. I am thinking about getting the Olympus 9-18mm, do you have that lens?
I have the 55mm 1.4. This seems to be better but for the money they are great lenses. I have the 7.5mm F2.8 too which i love. And i want the 12mm. I just need to get used to the very shallow focus depth. But then i'm more into Landscapes. This is a different world of learning for me. And that's why i bought it. Cheers Rob, this was very informative. Especially given my go to lens is the 14-150 lol.
When comparing fringing, stopping down from f/0.95 to f/2.0 vs f/1.8 to f/2.0 I would expect the 7artisans to excel since f0.95 to f/2.0 is more stops from wide open vs the f/1.8 to f/2.0. When you get to the f/5.6 lenses this argument goes even further. It seems that the image quality falls off as you get towards the edges with the 7artisans. The portrait comparisons are really interesting. The 7artisans looks great for those.
The DOF is so shallow that I couldn't really test the edge to edge properly, but it does look like the IQ trails off slightly. As for the purple fringing, it seems most lenses faster than f/1.4 have this issue. A viewer said that the green pixel on the sensor is getting clipped and only the red and blue pixels are contributing to the color. That kind of makes sense but it's beyond my pay grade. My guess would be that with the larger front and rear elements, it's harder to correct the different wavelengths at wide open apertures - requiring it to be stopped down more than lenses with smaller glass elements. This lens only has like 7 glass elements to correct and focus the light. The Olympus pro lenses have have 14 to 25 elements.
Hi Rob, thanks for the video. I have a doubt if to buy a TTartisan 50mm or a vintage Olympus 50mm 1.4. Which one you would recommend? The price is similar
Generally lenses get a little softer towards the edges. The APS-C is a 1.5x larger sensor, so you might see that if the lens was not optimized towards the edges. For portraits and center focused objects, it shouldn't be a problem. For landscapes, you normally stop the lens down which usually negates that effect. In other words, you should be fine.
Interesting comparison, Rob! I have to say, though, that I am bit surprised about how comparably bad the 45 1.8 fares in your test. I used to own that lens and I was always impressed by the sharpness even wide open - especially in close range. Maybe not so much at longer distance. Could it be that your very lens is somewhat faulty/defocused/sth else wrong in the (test) setup for this lens?
I think my lens is fine. With some minor processing, it's quite sharp. When I compared the jpgs rather than raw, the differences in sharpness were negligible.
@@RobTrek I received my Meike 50/.095 today. Tested it on my Sony A6100. I realize there can be a lot of variation from one lens to another with inexpensive Chinese glass. I am very happy to report that for once I received a lens that is rather stellar wide open (f/0.95). Detail in center frame is exceptional. Stopped down to f/4 it borders on incredible. So different from the TT Artisan and 7 Artisans fast lenses I have received before (they were more like looking through a kaleidoscope). Cheers
This is one of the first reviews that I find of a modern manual lens compared to old manual lenses. Great idea! It makes total sense... instead of comparing it with modern, fully automatic lenses, which are several times the price, this comparison is much more interesting. Subscribed!
Thank you!
Thanks Rob for another comprehensive review. I thought that I had all the lenses I needed/wanted until now! Roll on Christmas.
I didn't think I'd like this lens but it's actually a lot of fun.
Excellent review. I bought 3 of these affordable lenses recently, including a fisheye, for less than 200USD. The best fun for the buck purchase I have made. This one is also high on my wishlist. Since there are many similar 0.95 on the market now, I hope there is enough business to keep these guys going. They are like a breath of fresh air to photography. BTW, the manual focus assist (peaking and enlargement) in the Oly works very well, it makes manual focussing much easier than in the old days.
Thanks. Yes, the peaking works well. I found using the magnify is slower but more reliable.
Does everyone use focus peaking? I have set the DOF preview button to focus peaking & have chosen red, which I have found generally the most useful.
@@robertcudlipp3426 I also use red, and I turn on the Image Brightness Adj function so that it is easy to see
Very impressive front element. Love them when they are this big in aesthetics. Though I think I am going for their 35mm cousin though my eyes are still on this bigger one.
The 50mm is a bit tight sometimes. I prefer 35mm and lower myself.
Very well articulated review. Thank you!
Thank you!
I like the lens. Excellent value for anyone willing to focus manually. It's about the damn time lens started to be prices as the pieces of glass&metal they are.
Certainly the manual focus primes should be much cheaper like this one. Fortunately, there are many in the f/1.8 range. Would be nice to see some f/1.4.
Great detailed review Rob! Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks Rob. A very useful and down to earth review. It left me puzzled about the Olympus 45mm f1.8 once more. Your photos were not particularly sharp. Robin Wong says this lens is very sharp and has the photos to prove it. Matt Granger says it is not the sharpest lens around and with my copy I can shoot pretty sharp photos. I still wonder whether this lens is built in more than one location or that there has been an improvement over time that has not been published (my lens is 18 months old).
There will always be sample variations but I thought the 45mm did well. I was showing the unprocessed raw files. What I didn't show were the straight out of camera jpgs. As you know, jpgs are processed in-camera with noise reduction, optical corrections, sharpening, contrast, etc... Side by side, there was no difference in sharpness starting at f/2. They were both extremely sharp. At f/1.8, the 7artisans did look sharper with better contrast.
Thanks Rob, the excellent .... very helpful in making choices
Thank you!
This kind of makes me want to trade in my 45 for this lens even at sacrificing auto focus. The only issue I have is, is that a plastic connection? If so, " [fart noise]. Though you did day all metal build. I've been getting into manual with my 6 and 18mm laowa's. In the right conditions ( not nature) they are enjoyable to use. This would fit the category. It's cheap enough that I guess I could start a manual collection and keep the 45mm lol. Thinking out loud
I ended up getting rid of this 50mm lens. I'm content with the 45mm. To me, small size and AF is a fair compromise vs the f0.95.
I have the Walimex 50mm 1.2 and it is a good lense. It has a very creamy bokeh. I'm still not sure if it is the same lense as the Samyang just with another label printed on it or if it is a different lense.
Manual focus of course and it is quite heavy and more expensive than the 7Artisans.
But if you just want a 50mm prime lense for MFT, I recommend the modern Olympus Digital 45mm F1.8. It has a perfect image quality, autofocus and it is very lightweight.
I agree. The 45mm f1.8 is pretty awesome. It's also easy enough to adapt the OM 50mm f/1.8 for $35 and get great results.
Well Mr Trek, I had never really considered a lens at this focal length since my 12-40 always pleased me, but WOW! This lens at this price? I'm thinking you just put a ding in my checking account!!! Nice video Rob!
It's cosmetically similar to the Leica 50mm 0.95 that sells for $12,000. Maybe they'll send me one to compare. LOL
Interesting that the 7artisans did so well. I wonder how many times you had to do that selfie test- that's super hard where as the 45mm took one shot.
The selfie test wasn't too hard. Usually nailed in in 1 or 2 shots.
Hi Rob, finally you got one of these after many months ;-) I have the 35mm f1.2 and it is also a great lens. Thank for the review. I was curious how you like all the 7Artisan lenses.
I may be getting more lenses in. Seems like every time I do a review, companies reach out to offer me something.
@@RobTrek That would be great, the lenses are great, I enjoy using the 35mm but the only problem is that you cannot say which aperture you used afterwards. But then the lenses would be 600 and not 150 Euros/$. I am thinking about getting the Olympus 9-18mm, do you have that lens?
@@Katira-KR7 No, I don't have the 9-18. I have the 7-14, so just can't justify it. Heard it's a great lens though.
I have the 55mm 1.4.
This seems to be better but for the money they are great lenses.
I have the 7.5mm F2.8 too which i love.
And i want the 12mm.
I just need to get used to the very shallow focus depth.
But then i'm more into Landscapes.
This is a different world of learning for me.
And that's why i bought it.
Cheers Rob, this was very informative.
Especially given my go to lens is the 14-150 lol.
Do you mean the Sigma 56 1.4? That looks like a great lens.
When comparing fringing, stopping down from f/0.95 to f/2.0 vs f/1.8 to f/2.0 I would expect the 7artisans to excel since f0.95 to f/2.0 is more stops from wide open vs the f/1.8 to f/2.0. When you get to the f/5.6 lenses this argument goes even further. It seems that the image quality falls off as you get towards the edges with the 7artisans. The portrait comparisons are really interesting. The 7artisans looks great for those.
The DOF is so shallow that I couldn't really test the edge to edge properly, but it does look like the IQ trails off slightly. As for the purple fringing, it seems most lenses faster than f/1.4 have this issue. A viewer said that the green pixel on the sensor is getting clipped and only the red and blue pixels are contributing to the color. That kind of makes sense but it's beyond my pay grade. My guess would be that with the larger front and rear elements, it's harder to correct the different wavelengths at wide open apertures - requiring it to be stopped down more than lenses with smaller glass elements. This lens only has like 7 glass elements to correct and focus the light. The Olympus pro lenses have have 14 to 25 elements.
Good review Rob :)
Thanks, Randy!
Hi Rob, thanks for the video. I have a doubt if to buy a TTartisan 50mm or a vintage Olympus 50mm 1.4.
Which one you would recommend? The price is similar
For a similar price, I'd get the TTartisan. This way you get a new lens and won't have to worry about scratches, fungus, haze, etc..
@@RobTrek Thank you for your response Rob!
I actually just ordered one for my Fuji-X camera. It’s APS-C then. Do you think, the quality is different then ?
Generally lenses get a little softer towards the edges. The APS-C is a 1.5x larger sensor, so you might see that if the lens was not optimized towards the edges. For portraits and center focused objects, it shouldn't be a problem. For landscapes, you normally stop the lens down which usually negates that effect. In other words, you should be fine.
Thanks for great content.Acutually I am looking for a portrait lens for my EM5 III, how it compares TTArtisan 50mmf 1.2?
Sorry, I don't have f1.2 to compare.
Interesting comparison, Rob!
I have to say, though, that I am bit surprised about how comparably bad the 45 1.8 fares in your test. I used to own that lens and I was always impressed by the sharpness even wide open - especially in close range. Maybe not so much at longer distance. Could it be that your very lens is somewhat faulty/defocused/sth else wrong in the (test) setup for this lens?
I think my lens is fine. With some minor processing, it's quite sharp. When I compared the jpgs rather than raw, the differences in sharpness were negligible.
Could we use this lens in lumix G9
Yes!
All I want is that reasonably sharp, cheap 25mm f/0.95 for MFT.
This one is $349. Don't know if it's any good but the amazon reviews are good. amzn.to/3B83WVP
waste of a review of a fast f/.095 lens on a micro four thirds... and yes I own several Oly micro four thirds cameras.
Thanks for the feedback.
@@RobTrek Tell me who put that bullet hole in Peggy's kitchen wall?
@@RobTrek I received my Meike 50/.095 today. Tested it on my Sony A6100. I realize there can be a lot of variation from one lens to another with inexpensive Chinese glass. I am very happy to report that for once I received a lens that is rather stellar wide open (f/0.95). Detail in center frame is exceptional. Stopped down to f/4 it borders on incredible. So different from the TT Artisan and 7 Artisans fast lenses I have received before (they were more like looking through a kaleidoscope). Cheers
@@d30gaijin The neighbor?