Absolutely love those chinese lens manufacturers. Finally I am able to afford a f/0.95 lens! Now I wish they'd venture into more artistic lenses as well. Like, maybe a Helios44 style lens with really swirly bokeh?
I didn’t shoot any of those 35mm f/1.2 lenses yet. They’re a bit older designs and in my opinion, the lenses from these emerging Chinese suppliers have matured quite a bit from ~2016ish to ~2020 and newer. Maybe I should once review these older 35/1.2’s though because (1) they’re still sold new and (2) I realize many of you are still asking for it.
Thanks for the great review Tom!!! You already made me buy the 35/1.4 ttartisan, but I will have to skip this as the 1.4 is ok for me and already pretty challenging to focus at times😁
Hey M M ! Thanks for your feedback - very much appreciated! Very understandable - you can't have them all! I'm glad you enjoy the TT Artisan lens (as I still do for myself!).
@@tomscameras yeah, 1.4 is very, very balanced I'd say; super compact & light, sharp and fast enough in most low light situations, aaand CHEAP, just love it.
I've already got 35 f2 50 f2 and my pancake 27mm 2.8 for everyday carry... but, this 33mm f0.95 seems like something i could use on lower light scenarios? Is it good enough for night streetphoto or maybe also low light videos ?
I think this lens is very good for really low-light scenarios. I personally like the image quality very much at f/0.95. Keep in mind that focusing is critical, a manual-focus lens at f/0.95 is not always easy to master.
My sony a6400 only goes down to 1/4000 sec shutter speed. Are you saying in bright daylight I will probably need an ND filter for this bad boy using it wide open?
I checked the specifications of the A6400. It really seems that this camera doesn't have the full electronic shutter functionality. So YES you will need an ND filter if you want to shoot outdoors, in sunlight, at open aperture! I'd guess that 2-3 f/stops is all it needs.
Hi Thomas, your videos help me a lot with my purchase decision. Sorry for a longer question. I'm looking to by my first manual lens. TTartisan 35mm f1.4, 25mm f2 and this 7artisans 35mm f0.95 (used for 150€) are on my shortlist. I like compactness of 25mm, large aperture on 35mm f0.95 for low light, and 35mm f1.4 is all-around great for the price. What's your opinion which one should I get? Thank you!
Hey and many thanks for your comment. As for your question - in the end you have to judge for yourself what you value the most. You already know the specific advantages of these lenses! 🙂 Having said that ... I have two more questions for you to think about, and a suggestion: 1) which lenses do you use the most right now? If you only have the kit zoom, do you prefer using it on the wider or the tele end? Answering this question might give you a hint if you would prefer a 25mm lens or a 35mm lens in general ... 2) what are the subjects that you love to shoot? The 35mm lenses, especially the 35/0.95, are great for portraits and low light! The 25's great for street or travel. And finally, here's my suggestion: if you can't figure out what you really want even after considering the two points above, then get the TT Artisan 35/1.4. I have a video where I explain why it's such a great choice as a first manual focus lens: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Z_ZDtbZV5zc.html
@@tomscameras thank you for the answer! I will think about this while using the camera next time and review old photos. You gave me useful suggestions, thank you!
I really like ur videos Tomas. There is a minor issue, though, with the sound. I think u should put a (Deesser) filter on ur voice track. The S sounds really really thin and sharp in ur voice. I don't know if this issue has anything to do with the mic u use. It s totally easy to fix in post anyway.
Many thanks for your feedback, it's highly appreciated! I started producing RU-vid videos about one year ago and it was a steep learning curve. :) I hope sound quality is already a bit better in my newest videos, but I will definitely try the de-esser filter as well in the future.
Yes you are right! There’s also the brand new Laowa Argus 33/0.95, but again with a 500+ USD price tag. The point of 7Artisans is clearly not to make the absolutely best possible lens, but make a really good one at a very attractive price tag. Personally I like this approach a lot. And the more lens options we get, the better!
I am shooting RAW and edit in Lightroom, sometimes I use Darktable which is a free software. But I do not edit a lot. Normally I start with the „landscape“ preset and then I edit white balance, saturation and contrast. Sometimes I add a graduation filter (for example of the sky is too bright). Note that I never edit or correct CA‘s, distortion or vignetting so that you can always see the character of the lens!
Hey Norman, that's a good question. Personally I am a sucker for standard prime lenses and can't have enough of them. :) But I also am a huge fan of traveling with minimum gear! The TT Artisan 35/1.4 is a great lens. I totally love it. It's small, it's dirt cheap and capable. Its performance around f/4 and f/5.6 for landscape shots is a bit better than this 7Artisans 35/0.95. And I am just a huge, huge fan of the hard stop at infinity. You can shoot landscapes and similar things without ever worrying about your focusing. This is so, so nice! However, a f/0.95 APS-C lens is really just something special! When I'm out shooting, this 7Artisans immediately puts me more in an experimental mode compared to the TT Artisan 35/1.4. The difference in bokeh / subject separation between f/0.95 and f/1.4 is pretty striking! This can make you start looking for different subjects and try out new perspectives! You also have to be careful to not overdo it but that's part of the challenge and the fun! OK back to your question: Even though these lenses do the same thing, there CAN be place for both of them in your camera bag, because their character and their strengths are actually pretty different. In your case I'd also have a look at e.g. the TT Artisan 50/1.2 - you get huge subject separation here as well, also cause of the longer focal length! Maybe that's a great addition to your 35/1.4! Or to put a long story short: The TT Artisan 35/1.4 is a great unobtrusive high-quality everyday companion. The 7Artisans 35/0.95 definitely adds some excitement!
@@tomscameras hey Tom, thanks for the answer. I am planning on getting the ttartisan 50mm f1.2 soon. I think it'd be a great addition in my collection. For this 7artisans 35mm f0.95 I'll probably skip for now and keep a lookout for any 2nd hand deal. Seems a bit redundant for me right now. Haha.
If you want AF - then Viltrox. Much faster / easier if you take e.g. portraits. But if you are prepared to train your manual focus skills, I think the 7Artisans is much more exciting!
Thanks for your videos Tom. Would love to know any affordable recommendations for aps-c telephoto lenses if you ever have the inclination to share (got myself a Sony).
Hey, telephoto lenses ... ok: A lot of questions :) What do you really need? Do you want low weight and are looking for a light-weight travel lens? Or do you also need fast speed because it also should be a portrait telephoto lens with great subject separation? Or do you want to try shoot wildlife? Having said all that, if you don't have ANY telephoto yet, and you don't want to break your bank account, just have a look at the basic offering from your brand! That's in your case the Sony APS-C 55-210! Please note that I never tried this lens for myself cause my Sonys were/are all A7 series thus full frame. I did, however, use similar "kit telephoto" lenses from Canon EOS, Panasonic MFT and Fuji X! So maybe you check out a few reviews and information for that lens.
Thanks! If you like manual lenses, I'm sure you'll have fun if you get it! The jacket I bought last year in a Dutch store. Their styles change a lot so maybe they do not offer that style anymore, though: www.thesting.com
It is faster and thus also more exciting to use sometimes. In terms of optical quality, I'd give the edge to the TT Artisan though, which at f/5.6 is a perfect landscape lens right into the edges of the frame, whereas the 7Artisans needs f/8. 7Artisans now also makes a 50/0.95 and a 25/0.95 (which is very big though). TT Artisan has the wide 17/1.4, I really wish they would add a 23/25mm to their lineup as well!
Ich habe mal gelernt, dass die Mechanik von Objektiven durch Temperaturschwankungen beeinflusst wird und deshalb die Entfernungseinstellung keinen mechanischen Anschlag bei genau bei unendlich haben kann. Bei meinen manuellen Objektiven kann ich in der Tat beobachten, dass ich morgens bei Kälte und mittags bei Wärme, im Bereich unendlich, verschiedene Marken einstelle, um zum gleichen Ergebnis zu kommen. I've once learned that the mechanics of lenses are influenced by temperature fluctuations and therefore the distance setting cannot have a mechanical stop precisely at infinity. With my manual lenses, I can indeed observe that I focus differently in the morning when it is cold and at noon when it is warm, in the infinite range, in order to get the same result.
Yes what you say is essentially true - BUT only really valid for telephoto lenses! That's the reason why also many classic telephotos such as the Nikkor 300/4.5 etc. did not have the hard stop at infinity. However, at 35mm or 50mm focal length, it's technically no problem to have a hard stop at infinity. Any influence on focus setting due to temperature variations is negligible in practice.
@@tomscameras Maybe I've wrote not precisely enough what I meant. A hard mechanical stop at infinity has every lens, but the symbol for infinity should not be located at the physical stop, better slightly before, to avoid problems caused by temperature. I can recognize this as well at my 35 and 50 mm lenses (FF), while focussing on objects at infinity distance. Frequently I need the 1-2 millimeter before oder behind infinity.
@@andreasd3346 Yes I precisely got what you meant ;) In my experience, the hard stop can be right at the infinity mark if it is a short or standard focal length! No problem there! All Leica M lenses are also like that with hard stop at infinity, for example! That you report to have issues there with 35mm or 50mm lenses, is actually very different to my own experience. BUT maybe then the masterplan is to have the focus ring user adjustable. I really really value the hard stop right at infinity, it is a huge help in practice! As the adjustment can be changed via the 3 small set screws, however, if someone - for any reason - should experience any problem (like you describe) that can be easily corrected as well.
@@tomscameras For me is the possibility to focus on infinity before, on or behind the symbol not a problem. It's a feature. In the cold morning I stay before, warm highnoon on and hot afternoon I focus behind slightly behind the symbol - and every picture is sharp. If you adapt lenses between different mounts, this feature is helpful too, to compensate tolerances of adapters.
@@andreasd3346 Sure. I'm shooting the 35/0.95 now all the time and there's no real issue for me as well to get sharp infinity shots. Still I'd like to stress out again how nice it is if you just don't have to worry about that setting at all. :) You see a landscape or anything else far away, you take out the camera, just "click" against the hard stop at infinity and you're ready to shoot. It saves just a few fractions of a second ... but it makes the shooting experience just that bit more easy and nice!
Sadly, I didn't have a chance yet to try out the Viltrox. I'm also very curious to try the upcoming Sigma 30/1.4. I know that lens from MFT already, and there it is just a marvel.
Hey Tom, thanks for the great vids. I have ordered the 50mm 0.95 from 7artisans but there is something about those triangular bokeh balls that doesn’t feel so nice. You have them both so tell me please (or anyone in here 😉) Does the 35mm have them too? If not I might echange it for the 35mm since i already own other 50ish mm lenses. Thanks on advance!
Hey! Yes, the 35/0.95 also tends to have that triangular-shaped bokeh towards the borders and corners. With both the 50/0.95 and 35/0.95, it depends also on the subject distance - when the subject is close, and the bokeh balls big, they look a bit more like cat eyes towards the borders. When you're a bit further away from your subject and thus the bokeh balls get smaller, they also get more triangular at the borders. Overall, I do prefer the 35/0.95 over the 50/0.95.
Greetings from mumbai, 🇮🇳 Im considering buying used fuji XE-3 with 35mm & 50mm duo from 7artisan (OR let me know if your familiar with any other & better lens brand in same price bracket) Im hobbiest photographer & mostly do travel photography which includes.. 30% landscape, 30% cityscape, 25% street, 10% lifestyle, & 5% portraiture I mainly focus on sharpness & colours in my images. Here's my query, Considering my requirements mentioned above.., 1) When it comes to choosing 35mm, shall i opt for f1.4 or f1.2 or f0.95..? 2) When it comes to choosing 50mm, shall i opt for f1.8 or f1.2 or f0.95..? Thank you😊
Hi! I think the first and most important question is if you want manual focus or autofocus lenses. I really love shooting manual focus, but of course sometimes you’re much slower! So especially in street photography that can be a problem maybe! Maybe you would like to combine e.g. an autofocus 35mm with a manual focus 50mm. If you go that way, the 50 could still be a f/0.95 … so you get that maximum shallow depth of field. I would rather combine a 35/1.4 with a 50/0.95 than the other way around. I would also consider a wide angle lens such as the TT Artisan 17/1.4 as the third lens for your setup! Hope this helps a bit! 😀
@@tomscameras thank you for reverting back sir😊... & Yes... I was very clear about my purchasing decision about choosing manual lens duo over autofocus one mainly for 2 reasons, 1) i might have to robbed the bank to acquire fuji's brand new 35mm f1.4😂😂😂 2) i once got an opportunity to get my hands on 80's era film camera from leica , been fan of manual photography since then.. Autofocus lenses do have their advantages but i dont mind spending more time while capturing moments... Its quite an experience 😊 & perhaps, Im someone who like to use his camera as tool for capturing moments... Not as tool which can be used as machine gun😂😂😂
nice clip thank you. I still don't know if I would like this lens.... I would have liked more personal opinions, if I may say so. Sure, everyone is different, but I would like to know if you are super keen, neutral, indifferent, negative... etc. How is it compared to XF35 f/1.4 ? I couldn't get a feel for the size.... anyway thanks again
Since I got this lens, I am using my TT Artisan 35/1.4 much less, even though I like two things much more on the TT Artisan: The hard stop when focusing to infinity (very helpful in practice!!) and that the aperture has click stops! But the f/0.95 aperture is just a lot of fun and provides some extra possibilities that you just don't have at f/1.4. I had the Fujinon 35/1.4 (but at the time, I didn't do RU-vid videos) and really liked it. Its a great lens and one of the best Fujinon lenses. People dislike the slower AF (compared to newer Fujinon glass) but I totally didn't mind. It was precise and plenty fast for my needs. Hey, I'm now shooting manual focus lenses only. So, in the end: If you have the budget, and you want/need AF, then take the Fujinon 35/1.4. If you don't need AF but want maximum aperture for low light shots or for more background blur, then go for this 7Artisans 35/0.95. Oh, regarding size: This 7Artisans 35 is a little bit longer than the Fujinon. But the main difference is that it is much more heavy than the Fujinon. The weight is almost as the Fujinon 56/1.2.
@@tomscameras wow, thank you so much for your reply. I have a lot of lenses, including both XF35 and Touit 32... but I am so cuious and excited by non fly-by-wire manual focus. You see when I focus on a spot, let's say someone walks into frame... well camera is in focus, so no wait to prime autofocus, and bang... I nail the shot faster and more reliable than AF
The manual focus ring of all the 7Artisan and TT Artisan lenses feels very good in use and yes it is much nicer than on an AF lens. With f/0.95 depth of field is of course razor sharp thin and this will slow down focusing because you have to be accurate. However at f/5.6 or f/8 that is less an issue. Overall I’d also think about a wide-angle lens with manual focus because there you can easily zone-focus due to the added depth-of-field and you’re then VERY fast, just point and shoot in an instant. Like the TT Artisan 17/1.4 …