After selling my Contax G45 F2 lens to a younger partner, my hand has always felt incomplete without a proper prime lens. The Zeiss 55mm is great in every way, but the 1.8 aperture just doesn't cut it for me—it's too limiting. The 50mm f1.4 is simply too expensive.
I came across a wave of photos taken with this lens on social media. A friend of the photographer had captured some shots, and I was immediately drawn to the 7Artisans 50mm f1.1. It was a seven-crafter lens, and after doing a bit of research, I was shocked to find out that its aperture value is 1.1 and that it costs under 2k. For comparison, a similar spec from VOLIGTLANDER would cost almost 5k. That really caught my attention.
After checking the Taobao page, I found out that this is a Leica M bayonet lens that supports manual focus and looks pretty decent. It comes in black and silver, and we’re testing the black version.
Let’s take a look at the craftsmanship behind the 7Artisans lens. Why did they go with an M bayonet instead of an E bayonet? I think the idea was to use a powerful Leica M to E bayonet adapter ring that supports autofocus. This adapter ring is quite advanced and offers smooth auto-focus. They probably wanted to leverage that feature for better performance.
For this test, I used a Sony A7II with the Tiangong autofocus ring. I don’t own a Leica body, so this setup was a good alternative.
The box includes a paper lens body, a small yellow screwdriver for adjusting focus, and a metal lens cap. The font layout isn’t very clean, but the lens feels solid and well-made.
The lens has a matte aluminum finish, which gives it a rugged feel compared to the more refined look of Leica M lenses. However, it still feels heavy and substantial in hand.
The front of the lens features the 7Artisans logo and the filter size (55mm). The coating has a yellow-green tint, and the aperture is large, even when fully open.
Inside the lens, you can see copper components, and there are five grooves on the back, likely for compatibility with original M digital bodies. There are no electronic contacts, which is expected for a manual focus lens.
The focus ring has a textured surface for better grip, and despite the rough feel, it’s actually quite smooth to use. Since I mostly rely on autofocus, it wasn’t a big issue for me.
Overall, the lens feels solid and well-built. It weighs over 400g, and with the Tiangong AF ring attached, it’s quite a handful on the A7II.
Now, let’s talk about image quality. This lens is marketed for its large f1.1 aperture, so naturally, I tested it at that setting. At f1.1, the image appears a bit soft, but when stopped down to f1.4, the sharpness improves significantly. At f2.0, the performance is even better. However, using it at f1.1 feels like a waste since it’s not as sharp. Most users would prefer f1.4, which is more usable.
The bokeh is interesting—especially at f1.1. The out-of-focus highlights are large and round in the center, but the edges have a strange, lemon-like shape. There are also various odd light spots that appear under certain lighting conditions.
The lens has 18 aperture blades, which means the diaphragm remains circular at all apertures, a nice touch. But the lens suffers from noticeable distortion and vignetting, especially at f1.1.
Here are some sample images taken with the 7Artisans 50mm f1.1. You can see the difference in sharpness and bokeh between f1.1, f1.4, f2.0, and f4.0.
The second-line (or coma) issue is quite visible, even with a sharp focus. The manufacturer claims it’s only slightly present, but in reality, it’s quite obvious.
Despite these issues, the lens is still a good value for under 2k. It delivers excellent results at f1.4, and if needed, you can push it to f1.1 for creative purposes. I personally think it's worth the investment, although the vignetting and color artifacts might be a concern for some. Overall, it’s a solid performer for the price.
Ceramic Parts,Advanced 95 Ceramic Materials,High Strength Ceramics,Durable Ceramic Components
Yixing Guanming Special Ceramic Technology Co., Ltd , https://www.guanmingceramic.com