If you are a street photographer this lens will make you more than happy with it. It has great character and I've been using it for over a year. I've even used it for portrait work professionally and had absolutely no issues with it. I will add, however, I primarily shoot black and white and that's what I use this lens for when I'm going for a photo walk. That said, 7Artisans just released Mark II of this lens. I've love to see you review the new version Christopher and possibly compare it to the original.
_"-which are sure to remind you of that time you dropped acid in a welsh countryside hippy commune back in the 70s."_ WELL the lore behind you just got a whole lot more interesting!
The lens flare is pretty neat, artistically speaking. And it’s a cheap, very fast lens. I wouldn’t have great expectations for IQ, You get it to shoot at
When I got into photography in the early 2000s there weren't cheap aftermarket lenses like this to speak of. I had the original Canon Rebel DSLR and even junk kit lenses were 300-500 usd. To have the option of a prime this fast is just absolutely wonderful. I think it's important to shoot with a variety of lenses to find what works for you, and being able to own a fast piece of glass like this even if the quality is sub par is great. Heck, I spent 700 on a terrible fisheye lens back in 04, I would have lost my marbles to have a 35mm f/1.2 lens!
Hilariously done lol ! I have this lens. Even with all of its faults it’s one of my favorite lenses. The rendering is wild and awesome. Some of my favorite photos over the last year have been taken with this lens. All that said I also use the Nikon z system with the 50mm f1.8s lens. That lens is sharp corner to corner at all apertures and for work that requires that level of perfection it’s amazing .. but it lacks character. My point is not every lens needs to be perfect and there are design compromises that yield different results that can be quite pleasing based on taste. I’ve been a big fan of yours for a few years and you do a great job 👏. Thank you for your content I always enjoy seeing your reviews
This is one of the most insightful and entertaining reviews I have seen. Thank you for that. This lens does render some interesting images. and with the bright 1.2 aperture might be worth a try for some night street photography or some artistic creations.
Chris - this lens brought out the very best in your dry sense of humour. For that reason alone, its an exceptional lens. I hope you find many more “failed” lenses to review, to keep us all laughing. Especially during Coronavirus lockdown.
One of the best reviews I've ever seen (and heard) in my life! congratulations, Chris, not only for the lens review, but for all your tone and sparkling comments, including "that Batman symbol" and "acid droppings" in a welsh countryside hippy commune".... LOL, LOL !
Early! Edit, OMG the Ashens reference. Yes! It would be amazing to see you ape his brown sofa style when reviewing "junk" lenses, or perhaps future camera accessories. Edit 2, "dropped acid in a Welsh hippie commune back in the 70s" I see you're a man of culture as well.
I really like the kind of images you showed, even if it's not the sharpest, it should deliver interesting photos, I don't own any of those cameras, but my dad does, I'll be gifting this lens to him. Thanks!
hmm that acid reference was oddly specific! I used to have this lens. Fun for a while, and I like the Sonnar-like optical formula, but I sold it after a while.
The lure of shooting at such a wide aperture and the aesthetic of having such a small fast lens at low cost is a real pull. I wonder to what degree production variation is a factor with this lens. Had mine ten months. Chromatic fringing has never been an issue for me. Not guilty.
I think this lens would be more interessting for videographers and filmmakers, as sharpness isn't super important, and that field curvature might actually help a bit. It reminds me of an anamorphic lens.
Great review, thanks for always being honest, also when testing trash! I recently bought an old Minolta-Lens for a quarter of that price, and it outperforms easily.
Seems like a design flaw with the stubby lens and the focus ring and aperture ring are so close together that it's near impossible not to grip and stress them when you put the lens on. I bought a second hand one and the focus ring was broken (fell off from the lens), I'm starting to wonder if this happened from strain putting it on and taking it off, rather than damaged in the post
Getting this one for my m43 camera. Wanted something with a very low Fstop but also lightweight and small, for an every(other)day in bag lens, that's more interesting than my phone. Some days I currently take either the sigma 56 1.4 or the Panasonic 35-100 2.8 depending on the standard outing and shoulder bag space/weight. Lenses are always a compromise, this lens looks good for some occasions, like parties or outings with friends, where low light may be a problem, or, compared to the sigma 56mm, room to take a picture of a friend in a hallway may be less of an issue lol (That was annoying on 1 particular night). On a m4/3 corner sharpness wont be as much effected (As it will be cropped in) but also, if photographing a subject in the center of the frame, then, it's not a real issue how blurry the outside is.
Loved the review, but I also love my 7artisans 35mm 1.2. I can fit my X-T20 and this lens (detached) in my slim jeans pocket which allows me to get shots I never would have before. Mostly just candid shots of friends/family so edge to edge IQ doesn't really matter. If the corners aren't already blurred into bokeh oblivion then you're using it wrong anyway ;)
I've got to say, the extreme field curvature almost makes this lens interesting. It might open new creative opportunities - it will be a pain to work with, though.
If you purchase this to save $$, then realize you still prefer/need the proprietary model, it basically equates to that much LESS money you have to invest in FUJI glass. I once considered this lens just to have a 35 prime sooner than later- though being patient can save one from buyers remorse after the "must-have fever" has passed- so I'm glad I chose to remain focused on the Fuji XF 35 2.0 I can see this being a fun lens to use creatively for specific types of shooting or for those who already have a quality lens...or for those who can work around its limitations and deal with its characteristics without it bothering them, but for those simply determined to have a reputable, no-nonsense lens in their tool-kit I would be wary of it. Peace.
My issue with mirror less is the lenses are huge , I've a badly calibrated pancake 28mmlens and a jupiter3 1.5 50mm. This artisan looks like a good in-between lens, that allows the a7 camera to fit in pocket. The lens flare is probably going to cause me problems. Could have bought the one with hood.
7:05 Stop the review right there. That is EXACTLY what photography should be about. Get out and have fun! I loved my 7 Artisans for street/walking around/family because it just made me want to pick up and carry my Fuji around.
Correct in all counts. .... however I use this on a GX9, M43. Mainly for church internal art shots... Jesus and blurry cross, Mary and blurry altar etc.. works great and only 84ukp... Great fun!
Thank you for your review. It really matches my findings. I don't need clinical sharpness, but this lens isn't for me in any way. After the cheap, fun and good in the centre 25/1.8, I expected more from 7Artisans.
I love this lens so much , it is tiny , fast and fit to my Sony a6000. I'm shocked after your review, but I'm still want to buy it . Waiting for the review of mark II
is there a big difference between the mark i and mark ii versions? I could pick up the mark i for 100 and the mark ii for 160 dollars. What would u recommend?
Field curvature is fine, even advantageous, for people-pics at large apertures. Landscapes and buildings are generally asking for small apertures except at night, and interiour photography likes curvature also, though 35mm is pretty narrow.
Dis you review the TT artisan 35mm f1.4? It is even cheaper and I think it's much better. I got it in a cheap kit second hand with a Fuji Xt1 and I was very surprised how good it is.
Hi Christopher nice video. Just gonna ask a question does it suffer from focus breathing because many 7artisans lens have focus breathing problem and I wanna get this lens for video works
On my Xt100 the 7Artisans 35mm 1.2 has extreme corner color shifts towards magenta and there seems to be no way of correcting this in ACR, this makes all color images look horrible, making the lens almost unusable.. Makes me so sad, I can accept that the lens is not sharp, has heavy vinjetting and distorsion, but trying to fix that magenta tint in the corners is almost impossible.. :(
Oh friend, I have the same issue with the 7artisans 12mm f2.8. Strong pinkish vignetting I can't rid off. Check out and compare Reference Canon 22mm - ruclips.net/video/0jqBTjwdFoU/видео.html 7Artisan 12mm ruclips.net/video/IH5YqJMBCv4/видео.html
what i noticed with these cheaper chinese brand lenses is their inconsistency, my first copy of a 25mm f1.8 had finger marks and lost of dust in the lens, exchanged one and there was still a decent amount of dust but doesnt affect image quality. the focus curvature might just be due to a inconsistent copy, but since its f1.2 and its price point it might also be its drawback lol
I just wish I could fit my contax lenses on my Fuji without an adapter... now here I am hoping to find something comparable on a budget. Guess I’ll stick to my adapter for now... thanks for the review
IMHO they should definately produce version II of this lense, correcting most of the flaws that version 1 has, like Kanan did improved version II of their 50mm 1,1 lens! Since the size of the lens is so attractive with improved quality it would be sold like pancakes to their mirroless comunity! )) There is something about this lens that makes image feel alive, with some improvements it could be unbeatable considering price/size/quality matters )
„I knew it would be helpflull drawing a Batman symbol in snow at one day“ 😄
If you are a street photographer this lens will make you more than happy with it. It has great character and I've been using it for over a year. I've even used it for portrait work professionally and had absolutely no issues with it. I will add, however, I primarily shoot black and white and that's what I use this lens for when I'm going for a photo walk. That said, 7Artisans just released Mark II of this lens. I've love to see you review the new version Christopher and possibly compare it to the original.
Can we see some of your sample photos?
I bought this lens a few weeks ago, and I like it's character! Critical sharpness isn't always what the doctor ordered.
I fact mine said that it may lead me to an early grave :D
_"-which are sure to remind you of that time you dropped acid in a welsh countryside hippy commune back in the 70s."_
WELL the lore behind you just got a whole lot more interesting!
Very detailed explanation indeed. I'm sure talking about "a friend" of your's? ;-)
LOL! that part was great
I’m sure that Chris is not old enough to have done that....
Yes I'm not that old TBH!
Sounded like it was definitely a first hand experience!!
The lens flare is pretty neat, artistically speaking. And it’s a cheap, very fast lens. I wouldn’t have great expectations for IQ, You get it to shoot at
When I got into photography in the early 2000s there weren't cheap aftermarket lenses like this to speak of. I had the original Canon Rebel DSLR and even junk kit lenses were 300-500 usd. To have the option of a prime this fast is just absolutely wonderful. I think it's important to shoot with a variety of lenses to find what works for you, and being able to own a fast piece of glass like this even if the quality is sub par is great. Heck, I spent 700 on a terrible fisheye lens back in 04, I would have lost my marbles to have a 35mm f/1.2 lens!
3:16
“....image quality immediately crashes and burns” 😆
.... that's the corner sharpness Christopher refers to, or the lack thereof. Great review
*shocking*
Hilariously done lol ! I have this lens. Even with all of its faults it’s one of my favorite lenses. The rendering is wild and awesome.
Some of my favorite photos over the last year have been taken with this lens. All that said I also use the Nikon z system with the 50mm f1.8s lens. That lens is sharp corner to corner at all apertures and for work that requires that level of perfection it’s amazing .. but it lacks character. My point is not every lens needs to be perfect and there are design compromises that yield different results that can be quite pleasing based on taste. I’ve been a big fan of yours for a few years and you do a great job 👏. Thank you for your content I always enjoy seeing your reviews
The imperfections you noted push me towards actually purchasing this lens. I love the odd character. Thanks!
This is one of the most insightful and entertaining reviews I have seen. Thank you for that. This lens does render some interesting images. and with the bright 1.2 aperture might be worth a try for some night street photography or some artistic creations.
When the quality sucks at 1.2 it's bit sad to shoot open all the time
An excellent review.
-Chef Excellence
The part of back up slowly then flee really got me lol
I've been waiting for this review for an eternity. Thankyou so much
Chris - this lens brought out the very best in your dry sense of humour. For that reason alone, its an exceptional lens. I hope you find many more “failed” lenses to review, to keep us all laughing. Especially during Coronavirus lockdown.
One of the best reviews I've ever seen (and heard) in my life! congratulations, Chris, not only for the lens review, but for all your tone and sparkling comments, including "that Batman symbol" and "acid droppings" in a welsh countryside hippy commune".... LOL, LOL !
Early! Edit, OMG the Ashens reference. Yes! It would be amazing to see you ape his brown sofa style when reviewing "junk" lenses, or perhaps future camera accessories. Edit 2, "dropped acid in a Welsh hippie commune back in the 70s" I see you're a man of culture as well.
Great review, I've had this lens for a while and sold it for Mitakon 35/0.95. I still miss it sometimes, such a cool little lens despite its quirks!
What a great review as always, Christopher. That sharpness test was shocking.
Your reviews are so entertaining Chris, another job well done pal. God bless.
At last! Been waiting for this for months thank you!
My favorite Christopher Frost review by a mile 😂
I really like the kind of images you showed, even if it's not the sharpest, it should deliver interesting photos, I don't own any of those cameras, but my dad does, I'll be gifting this lens to him. Thanks!
hmm that acid reference was oddly specific! I used to have this lens. Fun for a while, and I like the Sonnar-like optical formula, but I sold it after a while.
Brilliant and honest. Thank you! Love the humor. You are the best!
What is difference betwen Mark I and Mark II? Prices is almost same. Is mark II better?
The lure of shooting at such a wide aperture and the aesthetic of having such a small fast lens at low cost is a real pull. I wonder to what degree production variation is a factor with this lens. Had mine ten months. Chromatic fringing has never been an issue for me. Not guilty.
I would deduct one artisan for such ludicrous performance
Indeed - this lens only gets one out of seven artisans for optical performance!
Could be worth five out of seven for build quality though :-)
I would take all 7.
love the way you make your vids! Keep creating!
By far the funniest lens review I came across in a long time ... well done.
Makes a reference to Ashens, while he releases a video just after this.
Great review i really like using this lens on my X-Pro1 gives the photos a very special touch especially with the flares
Yet another fantastic review that has saved me lots of money. Thanks!
"That time you dropped acid in a Welsh countryside hippie commune back in the '70s."
Ah, so it wasn't just me, then.
I think this lens would be more interessting for videographers and filmmakers, as sharpness isn't super important, and that field curvature might actually help a bit. It reminds me of an anamorphic lens.
Chris please review the Kamlan 21mm 1.8. It's a very interesting lens but no info anywhere.
Great review, thanks for always being honest, also when testing trash! I recently bought an old Minolta-Lens for a quarter of that price, and it outperforms easily.
Always love and trust your reviews.
please do a review on 7artisans 35mm f/1.2 MARK ii NEW VERSION?
Seems like a design flaw with the stubby lens and the focus ring and aperture ring are so close together that it's near impossible not to grip and stress them when you put the lens on. I bought a second hand one and the focus ring was broken (fell off from the lens), I'm starting to wonder if this happened from strain putting it on and taking it off, rather than damaged in the post
Hell yeah! I was expecting this review 😁 thanks ❤️
There is a mark II of this lens. Any notable differences?
The only photography channel I'm subscribed to.
Getting this one for my m43 camera. Wanted something with a very low Fstop but also lightweight and small, for an every(other)day in bag lens, that's more interesting than my phone. Some days I currently take either the sigma 56 1.4 or the Panasonic 35-100 2.8 depending on the standard outing and shoulder bag space/weight. Lenses are always a compromise, this lens looks good for some occasions, like parties or outings with friends, where low light may be a problem, or, compared to the sigma 56mm, room to take a picture of a friend in a hallway may be less of an issue lol (That was annoying on 1 particular night). On a m4/3 corner sharpness wont be as much effected (As it will be cropped in) but also, if photographing a subject in the center of the frame, then, it's not a real issue how blurry the outside is.
There is a mark II version of this lens. I hope you can also review and compare it to the first version
Samyang 21mm f1.4 for fuji plzz review that...also you are doing amezing....👍👍👍👍
Or 35mm 1.2 too, please :)
Hi Chris, I would like to see and hear what you think about the meike 28mm f2.8 for aps-c. Maybe on your Fuji :)
Is that a Zorki 4K in the background! I remember in the 70s they were about £15.
Loved the review, but I also love my 7artisans 35mm 1.2. I can fit my X-T20 and this lens (detached) in my slim jeans pocket which allows me to get shots I never would have before. Mostly just candid shots of friends/family so edge to edge IQ doesn't really matter. If the corners aren't already blurred into bokeh oblivion then you're using it wrong anyway ;)
Excellent video 😊!
Hey Chris, would you ever consider reviewing some M43 lenses? I think a lot of people would appreciate your in-depth review format! Best wishes
Second
Third
I think Chris did the Helios 44-2 review. There is however so much vintage glass out there...
@@michaelm1 Heya Michael. I'm referring to modern micro four thirds glass. I probably should have said Mft for clarity
@@cl0udbusting Oh, okay... sorry about that.
I love your reviews! thanks for your work! :-)
Chris, please review the cosina voigtlander for Fuji version. I'd like to know whether the 6-7x price tag is 6-7x better than this lens
Clever and very fair review.
simple but entertaining review. thanks.
I've got to say, the extreme field curvature almost makes this lens interesting. It might open new creative opportunities - it will be a pain to work with, though.
If you purchase this to save $$, then realize you still prefer/need the proprietary model, it basically equates to that much LESS money you have to invest in FUJI glass. I once considered this lens just to have a 35 prime sooner than later- though being patient can save one from buyers remorse after the "must-have fever" has passed- so I'm glad I chose to remain focused on the Fuji XF 35 2.0
I can see this being a fun lens to use creatively for specific types of shooting or for those who already have a quality lens...or for those who can work around its limitations and deal with its characteristics without it bothering them, but for those simply determined to have a reputable, no-nonsense lens in their tool-kit I would be wary of it.
Peace.
My issue with mirror less is the lenses are huge , I've a badly calibrated pancake 28mmlens and a jupiter3 1.5 50mm. This artisan looks like a good in-between lens, that allows the a7 camera to fit in pocket.
The lens flare is probably going to cause me problems.
Could have bought the one with hood.
i wish you could do more reviews about vintage lenses of all kind, like canon ssc, takumar, jennar biotar or nikon
btw, really like your work
love the ashens shoutout!
7:05 Stop the review right there. That is EXACTLY what photography should be about. Get out and have fun! I loved my 7 Artisans for street/walking around/family because it just made me want to pick up and carry my Fuji around.
That's what I'm saying in this review. For anyone who wants a fun lens, this is great. For anyone who wants image quality...look elsewhere.
This lens is a Blast at F2 beautiful bokeh and decent contrast, very sharp. I sold my aps-c system only thing i regret is this very lens.
Correct in all counts. .... however I use this on a GX9, M43. Mainly for church internal art shots... Jesus and blurry cross, Mary and blurry altar etc.. works great and only 84ukp... Great fun!
1:19 ashens ref is a welcome surprise
Forgive my inexperience with manual focus lenses--but would you ultimately be focusing with focus peaking? Cheers--and thank you for the content!
Which is the lens you reviewed as the best?
I'm curious about this lense but I'm afraid that the focus could be difficult to do it. Could you help me with your feedbacK?
Excuse the question. The additional steps from 35mm f.1.2 to f.095 are very noticeable. is it worth the extra 100USD?
Very entertaining review!
Thank you for your review. It really matches my findings. I don't need clinical sharpness, but this lens isn't for me in any way. After the cheap, fun and good in the centre 25/1.8, I expected more from 7Artisans.
I love this lens so much , it is tiny , fast and fit to my Sony a6000. I'm shocked after your review, but I'm still want to buy it .
Waiting for the review of mark II
I had it and loved it, but eventually replaced it with the fuji 35mm 1.4 for the AF.
Hey Christopher, are you going to review the mark ii version?
The ending was the funniest 🤭 😂 😆
is there a big difference between the mark i and mark ii versions? I could pick up the mark i for 100 and the mark ii for 160 dollars. What would u recommend?
Hi Chris, please could you do a review of 7artisans 12mm f2.8. Thanks.
Field curvature is fine, even advantageous, for people-pics at large apertures. Landscapes and buildings are generally asking for small apertures except at night, and interiour photography likes curvature also, though 35mm is pretty narrow.
Dis you review the TT artisan 35mm f1.4? It is even cheaper and I think it's much better. I got it in a cheap kit second hand with a Fuji Xt1 and I was very surprised how good it is.
can you please do Yongnuo 35mm f1.4 for canon or the samyang 85mm f1.4
Please compare following lenses
1 Meike 35/1.4
2 Neewer 35/1.2
3 7 artisan 35/1.2
Thanks for the fun yet fair review. This lens isn't for me, but I can see how other photographers might enjoy its quirks.
Hi Christopher nice video. Just gonna ask a question does it suffer from focus breathing because many 7artisans lens have focus breathing problem and I wanna get this lens for video works
I can't remember, I'm sorry! I imagine it probably does
Great review, Thank you.
On my Xt100 the 7Artisans 35mm 1.2 has extreme corner color shifts towards magenta and there seems to be no way of correcting this in ACR, this makes all color images look horrible, making the lens almost unusable.. Makes me so sad, I can accept that the lens is not sharp, has heavy vinjetting and distorsion, but trying to fix that magenta tint in the corners is almost impossible.. :(
Oh friend, I have the same issue with the 7artisans 12mm f2.8.
Strong pinkish vignetting I can't rid off. Check out and compare
Reference Canon 22mm - ruclips.net/video/0jqBTjwdFoU/видео.html
7Artisan 12mm ruclips.net/video/IH5YqJMBCv4/видео.html
what i noticed with these cheaper chinese brand lenses is their inconsistency, my first copy of a 25mm f1.8 had finger marks and lost of dust in the lens, exchanged one and there was still a decent amount of dust but doesnt affect image quality. the focus curvature might just be due to a inconsistent copy, but since its f1.2 and its price point it might also be its drawback lol
I just wish I could fit my contax lenses on my Fuji without an adapter... now here I am hoping to find something comparable on a budget. Guess I’ll stick to my adapter for now... thanks for the review
Is the camera able to show what areas are in focus?
Can you review the 7artisans 7,5mm F2.8?
Could you do the ttartisans 35mm 1.4?
This lens has a new mk2 ，would u please make a comparison?
I'd love to see the 7.5mm from 7artisans for fuji!!
I wish you reviewed the full frame version :(
The 1.4 I mean
@@kaitodesu The 1.4 didn't seem too bad when I tested one in Bangkok last week on a Sony A9
What about focus pull
please review the new meike 35mm f1.4
Hey! Are you planning to review any ttartisan lenses? I heard they are pretty good
how are you liking the fuji system? im thinking of switching from m43 to xt30 or maybe some future xt40 and want to still keep it compact
I'm actually not a huge fan. Take a look at the special video on my channel about t
Hi Chris, any chance of reviewing the Samyang/TTArtisans 21mm lenses?
Maybe one day
An imperfect little character - I must try it out.
I would love to see some vintage lens tests. Many of them would out perform this lens.
I think most, and they´re all FF ;)
The DOF scales would be more accurate as well for zone focus. I’ve heard these Chinese lenses aren’t accurate.
I prefer the MEIKE 35mm f1.4 tho,sharper and better bokeh,maybe you could give it a test
IMHO they should definately produce version II of this lense, correcting most of the flaws that version 1 has, like Kanan did improved version II of their 50mm 1,1 lens! Since the size of the lens is so attractive with improved quality it would be sold like pancakes to their mirroless comunity! )) There is something about this lens that makes image feel alive, with some improvements it could be unbeatable considering price/size/quality matters )