Some more Details on the 7Artisans 50/1.1

[nhchen]

Well the one I ordered arrived today. The seller I got it from increased the price by $100 he day after I ordered mine. Strangely the declared value on the parcel was only $99 and it was declared as a "lens mount" ?!
Surprisingly it only took DHL one day to deliver it from Singapore to Australia! It came with an extra lens carrier and also a small screwdriver for adjusting the lens and a stick on focusing tab. And this was useful since out of the box the focusing cam was loose, so I had to adjust it so it registered infinity on my leica m5.
Nathan

 

[Kent]

My copy (the one I ordered in Vienna) is here as well. I really like the lens.

Check my blog entry: https://retrocameracs.wordpress.com/2017/07/27/7artisans-bitte-wie/

It's in German, but you might get the meaning. 🙂

 

[hamish_gill]

I've just published the first update to an ongoing review - I've referenced this useful post, so thought I would share it here - https://www.35mmc.com/29/07/2017/dj-optical-7artisans-50mm-f1-1-review/

 

[ferider]

I've just published the first update to an ongoing review - I've referenced this useful post, so thought I would share it here - https://www.35mmc.com/29/07/2017/dj-optical-7artisans-50mm-f1-1-review/

Nice.

Keep the photos and experience with the lens coming, all !

 

[Chubberino]

good stuff Hamish. Always enjoy your site.

 

[raid]

There is very useful information in your write-up, Hamish. Thank you.
I am in touch with Brian, and when he told me that he was going to order a 7Artisans lens, I did the same. I ask him about once a week about some aspects of the lens (that has not yet made it to me!). Brian likes the lens very much. I also share his love for Sonnar lenses.

The exciting part to me is the fact that this lens is new. It is "modern". I can always get used Sonnar lenses, but a new lens is hard to find at such a low cost. Many postings online by owners of this lens suggest that the lens arrives to the buyer "in excellent shape". Hardly any adjustments are needed.

The J-3+ is another "new Sonnar" lens that I want to get one day.

 

[Huss]

I've just published the first update to an ongoing review - I've referenced this useful post, so thought I would share it here - https://www.35mmc.com/29/07/2017/dj-optical-7artisans-50mm-f1-1-review/

Nice review Hamish. Your images illustrate the difficulties of hitting focus wide open. The delightful one of Norah shows her hair to the right center of her head is in focus, not the center of her head or her face. The point of this is that some people may not notice this and just think the lens is not sharp.
It seems this lens would really benefit from a camera with an EVF to nail focus. The M240 and Sonys would seem to be prime suspects.

The lens is a steal at its price point. The re-issued Jupiter 3+ is $200 more. The MS Sonnetar 1.1 is about $800 more.

 

[hamish_gill]

Hi Raid,
Yes I'm a big fan of a Sonnar too - this sort of naturally gravitates one to Brian and his work eventually, I think.
If you're interested, I have a series about Sonnar lenses growing on my site - it's all very waffley and experiential, but you might find something g in there of interest.
https://www.35mmc.com/category/other-musings/lenses-other-musings/the-classic-sonnar-search/
(My site is slow today, so apologies in advance if you do take a oook)

Have you ever shot a j3+ - they're really nice! (There's a review on my site, but save another like, I'll let you dig it out 😉)

 

[hamish_gill]

Hi Huss, quite right, and that's with me focusing with a 1.4x leica mag - fortunately the natural "softness" makes the point of focus less obvious... where some people might see this as just making it a soft (bad) lens, I like the look. I much prefer missing focus with a lens like this than missing focus with a lens that's "sharp" - if that makes sense?

 

[Kent]

The 7artisans 1.1/50 is NOT a soft lens, even not wide open. If you hit the focus correctly, even at f/1.1 there is enough sharpness.

Check my blog: https://retrocameracs.wordpress.com/2017/08/04/bilder-mit-dem-7artisans/

 

[raid]

I will start very soon my own evaluation of the 50/1.1 with a borrowed M240.

 

[Huss]

The 7artisans 1.1/50 is NOT a soft lens, even not wide open. If you hit the focus correctly, even at f/1.1 there is enough sharpness.

Check my blog: https://retrocameracs.wordpress.com/2017/08/04/bilder-mit-dem-7artisans/

Nice link but I could not tell as the images are very small.
Can you post larger ones here?

 

[f16sunshine]

Will post this in this threads well 7Artisans 50mm f1.1 Flickr Group link here.
There are a number of images from some familiar photographers.

 

[Kent]

Nice link but I could not tell as the images are very small.
Can you post larger ones here?

I cannot post really large photo here. And for the portraits I don't have the OK.

 

[Kent]

Here is a link to my Flickr account: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lucispictor-photo/

 

[Huss]

Thanks for the link! Nice shots.

 

[xayraa33]

This man has a video on this Chinese speed lens and even touches on its do it yourself calibration adjustment.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcFWedDkXVk

 

[Huss]

I just got mine yesterday. It focuses correctly at 1.1 and min focus, but has major focus shift (focuses behind intended pof) when stopped down to 2.8/4/5.6. By several inches.
Interestingly focused at a target 10-15 feet away shows correct focus at 1.1, and stopped down. But that could be dof coming into play.
When I get a chance I could play with their focus adjustment instructions, but am not sure I want to if it focuses at 1.1. This of course is no issue if I use the EVF on my 240, but frankly that really isn't a pleasant way to shoot a Leica M. And makes it very hard to use on a film M unless you first do a lot of experimenting with a digital one to determine focus points, focus drift etc.
Which I will do..

This thing is a very fun art lens. Compared to my Nokton 1.1, the Nokton is sharp w/ no glow at 1.1, and is built to a higher standard. But it costs $900 vs $350+ new.
I paid a lot less for mine used. It seems that the original owner lost interest in a hurry.

I did attach the rubber focus tab, but I think I will toss it as it is too flexy. On Leicas they are solid and so much better to use.

 

[raid]

I had to use LiveView on the M240 to focus more accurately.

 

[pippy]

Thanks very much to the OP for the tests. Very informative.

I just got mine yesterday. It focuses correctly at 1.1 and min focus, but has major focus shift (focuses behind intended pof) when stopped down to 2.8/4/5.6. By several inches....
When I get a chance I could play with their focus adjustment instructions, but am not sure I want to if it focuses at 1.1....
...makes it very hard to use on a film M unless you first do a lot of experimenting with a digital one to determine focus points, focus drift etc.
Which I will do...

Mine arrived a few days ago and evaluating the results has been, ermm, interesting...

The set-up as it arrived seemed to be delivering pretty much spot-on focusing at f1.1 at near-minimum focusing distance. Shots taken at infinity, however, were WAY out of focus.

I spoke with / had e-mail contact with Angel from 7A and, after spending a few hours with the screwdriver and snapping a few hundred test shots, a reasonable compromise was found where the focus appears to be perfect at f1.1 for near- and mid-range subject matter and is only very slightly out (at f1.1), - shooting slightly 'long' - at infinity.

In practice this seems to be workable. When I'm using this lens for its particular character I will not, usually, be outside shooting subjects at infinity with the aperture wide open but, on the contrary, indoors shooting subject matter considerably closer to hand. In these situations, as mentioned, the focus is spot-on so all's well.

If I am going to be outside shooting subjects at infinity I am unlikely to be shooting at f1.1; and if I do need to shoot at max aperture then a fractional focus-rack backwards is enough to provide pin-sharp focus.

So far I've only been able to use it on my M8.2 as my M9-P is at Solms. I'm looking forward to seeing how it performs on the full-format body in, hopefully, the very near future.

Interestingly once I had settled on what appears to be the optimal focus set-up I compared the 7A against both my Summicron and Elmar 'standards' and the 7A fares MUCH better than I would have thought possible from f2.8 down...

Pip.