7Artisans 75mm F1.25 M-Mount lens. The Need For Speed Satisfied.

[Sonnar Brian]

You got a great price on that M10. Rasha gave you sound advice.

I would have to rewrite all my code for the M10. I did download the source code for decompressing the image stored in the DNG file. That's a backup plan. I've worked with CCD's for a long time, and go back with Kodak sensors over 30 years. Having the last generation of scientific-grade CCD's being in the cameras appeals to me. They are the last of a breed.

I remember one of the experiments that my graphics package was used for: UV bleaching glass that had been radiation damaged. Used to show the improved transmission of the glass with bleaching. I bleached out the damage to my three "Hot-Glass" Summicrons using a UV lamp rather than sunlight.

 

[Takkun]

I picked up an M240 last year for (relatively) cheap, though part of me wishes I’d gone for a live view model. Earlier this year a friend went mirrorless and dumped a 5D kit on me, and I’m really finding LV useful. I’m fond of one of Voitlander’s super-wides that focuses closer than coupling and wish I could take better advantage.

As for the lens: 75 isn’t really my cup of tea but it looks like another unique addition. Some of these however-many-artisans lenses look like an interesting augmentation to standard kit, I just don’t know if I’d use them enough to warrant purchase.

 

[Takkun]

Oh I don’t know about that being always true. Lot of advancements in lens design and manufacturing these last 40 some years.
Back about mid 70’s was working at a hole-in-the-wall camera store in Chicago.
The owner/boss came out of the back with a then new Leica 50mm f1. ($700 of 1975 dollars) He had bought just one for the store to sell, after he had played with it over the weekend.
Naturally he wanted to try it out at f1 and was dinking around downtown after dark.
My gawd, the coma was just fierce. Anything in the corners (and especially overexposed lights and highlights) was just a smear at f1.
Not a surprise really, my pedestrian and cheap 50mm f1.8 Zuiko I’m sure would have been about the same wide open but of course even new was only $70 at that time.
Would not be surprised if a new manufactured Chinese 50mm f1 for Leica these days would do as well as that lens....and maybe better.

There are plenty of people that say it’s worthless to put anything less than Leica glass on a Leica, but this is proof otherwise!


This also reminds me of some of the sample images in the countless photo manuals from the 70s I own, where you’d think mirror telephotos and prismatic filters were all the rage then. Plenty of zoom shots with insane coma thrown in too.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

There are plenty of people that say it’s worthless to put anything less than Leica glass on a Leica, but this is proof otherwise!
.

We run into a couple of those- but far fewer than there were 20 years ago. I have ~20 Leica lenses, mostly classic glass from the 1930s through to the early 60s. The 1950s Summicrons are some of the best made lenses ever created for the consumer market. The first Rigid Summicron was improved over the collapsible Summicron using a computer.

The 7Artisans lenses are the modern equivalent the third-party manufacturers of the 1950s and 1960s. Komura, Schacht, Acall, Sun Optical, Arco, and others that I have that perform perfectly 60 years after manufacture. I've bought and taken apart Leica Mount lenses made by many different manufacturers.

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/268173-the-view-through-older-glass/

My favorite thread on the Leica User Forum. Most members of that forum appreciate the many manufacturers that offer lenses in Leica mount.

 

[zuiko85]

I only have one Chinese made lens, a 7Artisans 25mm f1.8 in a M4:3 mount for my EM10. It was a ebay purchase from a private sale LNIB for $50. At that price I feel it was worth it. Careful examination revealed it to be incrementally better at f4 than my 1965 25mm f4 Zuiko Pen F lens. The Pen lens is still amazing for such an old lens. Of course I already owned the Pen F for a couple of decades and my only expense for that was an adapter and a whole afternoon shimming the adapter to get the focus to stop at infinity.
I’m fighting with myself over the desire for a 50mm f1.2 TTArtisans, new for $100. I’m giving time for my head to overrule my heart with the hard question ‘will you really use it?’ .......
Still......

 

[raid]

I own many RF lenses that are not Leica or Zeiss lenses. They can be awesome lenses.
When I got into RF photography, I got several (inexpensive) Leica lenses, like the Elmar, Summar, Summarit, Summitar, Summicron. They are more costly today, I think.

 

[Takkun]

Hear, hear. Dabbled with RFs for a long time but the late-model Canon 50/1.4 and some of the ELCAN lenses were what sold me to slowly switch over.

Got 2 ZMs as my go-to, couldn't ask for anything better for general work. Wouldn't mind adding one of these Chinese super-fast 35s eventually.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Used prices on many of the classic lenses are way up in the time that RFF has been around. At one point I had Seven 50mm Summicrons, they were that cheap.

Remember $70 Canon 50/1.5, $70 Summicrons, $60 Summars, $125 Summarit F1.5, and many-many more?
Leica coming into the digital world drove prices up.

Most of the lenses I picked up 15 years ago are up by a factor of 8.

 

[Takkun]

I think a lot of it, too, is the rise in higher-spec and full-frame mirrorless. I started acquiring a few lenses around 2010; I think I got my Canon for maybe $125, if that. Xpro-1 comes out 2012, A7 in 2013, and suddenly seemingly every blog is talking about vintage and/or Voigtlander lenses, and prices through the roof. Even those Jupiters.

 

[james.liam]

In all fairness, a fast 75 focused on a 0.68x or 0.72x RF isn't easy. Had a 75 Summicron APO for a few years and even after having the lens adjusted, was still frustrated with obtaining consistent results, especially up to 5 metres.

 

[raid]

I think that my 75 1.4 can be focused well without Live View. It works very well on my M10.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

In all fairness, a fast 75 focused on a 0.68x or 0.72x RF isn't easy. Had a 75 Summicron APO for a few years and even after having the lens adjusted, was still frustrated with obtaining consistent results, especially up to 5 metres.

I use 1.25x magnifiers on the M9 and M Monochrom. I have a Chinese magnifier and the Leica magnifier. The Chinese - just as good, and cost me $50.

All of these pictures are with the M9. The Skaters are moving fairly quickly, especially in the racing events. I've used the Canon 85/1.5 for visits to the skating rink as well. About the same hit-rate. Still objects: no problem at all. I've also tried DSLR's, the AF just cannot operate when the main lights are out and the lighting is by the Disco Ball. The shutter speed required for the M9 at ISO2500 even at F1.25 is around 1/30th~1/90th second, much of the softness is due to motion blur.



This is at 1/60th, F1.25, ISO2500. It is fairly dark.

 

[Bill Blackwell]

I'd be interested to see how this 7A 75 f/1.25 performs against the CV 75 f/1.5 - only about half-a-stop difference. The CV is roughly twice the price, but still cheap compared to any Leica alternative.

 

[james.liam]

I admire your enthusiasm but in the end, you get what you pay for. Happy New Year! Cheers, OtL

Isn't that the truth!

I think that my 75 1.4 can be focused well without Live View. It works very well on my M10.

I also have the 75 Summilux now and have not encountered the same issue with the M10 RF. Perhaps the longer focus throw allows for better precision. Wonder too what those with the VM 1,5/75 have to say.

 

[ray*j*gun]

I just recently bought a Chinese lens for my E mount Sony. Its a Meike 35mm 1,4 manual focus lens. I decided to give the Chinese glass a try based primarily on the price and some informal reviews I read about it. Well the thing blew me away for the price it is sharp, well built and has nice bokey. I mean for $89.00 I just cant believe how it performs. My only gripe is it has clickless aperture settings, which I think is a concession to video. I for one will be taking the VChinese lenses more seriously in the future.

Also Brian, thank you for the how-to on shimming my Voigtlander 1,1 50mm. I'll have to get some copper tape and give it a try.

 

[nzeeman]

i tried lot of chinese ones and i must say i really love ttartisan 35/1.4 but its apsc lens... would love to see it tested by brian at some point-it can be found for under 60eur - and on my fuji its better than my uktron 35/1.7 ltm...

 

[Sonnar Brian]

This thread on the 75/2 APO-Summicron is one to watch, apparently the choice of material that Leica chose for suppressing reflections shows problems on this particular lens. Problems with the lens out of the box, manufactured in 2019. That lens cost 10x what the 7Artisans cost me. The 7Artisans lens uses metal baffling, just checked- no flaking.

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/316572-brand-new-apo-75mm-with-visible-cracks/#comments

I've converted some SLR lenses to RF coupled M-Mount, and had to experiment with suppressing reflections off the back of the lens. One "I chose Poorly" and after a few years I was cleaning debris off the sensor of my M8. Reducing reflections in some optical paths is non-trivial, especially when you start dealing in the Infrared. Better to use a baffle-plate than just a non-reflecting paint or material.

On the APS-C lenses: I don't have a camera to use them. Otherwise- at those prices, would pick some up to try out. For now, I'm sticking with the 75/1.25 and 50/1.1. I tend to shoot more with the 50s and short telephoto lenses. I have the LTM 35/1.7 Ultron and the 35/1.2 Nokton v1 as my only modern wide-angle lenses. I have ~60-fifties in Leica mount.

 

[Kent]

I do own the 1.1/50 as well as the 1.25/75 by 7artisans. And both ones are really good lenses. The 75 performs even better than the already great 50.
(I also have the TTArtisan 1.4/35 and this is also an amazing lens.)

Yes, either lens needs to be focussed correctly - of course.
But why would anybody write a negative review about such a lens just because he is not able to focus precisely?

These lenses are really, really good and if we consider the price we get them for, they are excellent!

 

[Sonnar Brian]

7Artisans 75/1.25, Wide-Open, 1/60th, on the M9. ISO 2500,

 

[Sonnar Brian]

1/60th, F1.25. She is moving really fast. I use a 1.25x magnifier, and pan with the subject. These two shots are close-in.