Lens Review: 7Artisans 35mm f/1.4. Great on digital, analog, on native M, and adapted.

I already posted an overview of a rangefinder focusing test and it was a flying success.

Every image on the roll was in focus.

Full disclosure (Cut and paste from the last post.):

Had not really planned on buying this lens. But KEH did it again. They already sell the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 brand new for about $60 (As of the writing of this post.) less than other stores. While tempting that did not do it. What happened next is that an EX grade unit showed up for even less. Almost $200 off of the B&H price? I have no defense for this. Plus I would kick myself later if I passed on it. But… the issue I had was… is it calibrated properly? Though you can adjust 7Artisans lenses so far I have not had to do so. But what if the previous owner did? Received it and it looked good, case and all.

The main question I had left for this lens was “Can it focus properly (With a rangefinder.)?”.

The answer was a definite yes.

Next up was looking at another use case. Adapted to mirrorless. Specifically adapted to Sony with AF courtesy of the OG TECHART LEA7 M to FE adapter. A newer TECHART is available but I am ok with my trusty old unit. Ran it through the same test site on the same day as the prior film post. And it did just fine. Here are some sample images.

Recently I have gained another use for this lens. I spoke of analog M mount and adapted to Sony AF digital above. More information on how I got here (In sequels to a prior post.) to come,…

…but now I also have access to digital M mount.

Again confirming that, though it is customer adjustable, this lens purchased used arrived properly calibrated. How was I so sure the camera was properly calibrated? It involves KEH but more on that is to come.

Why this 7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 lens instead of the 7Artisans 28mm f/1.4 I liked so much before?

As much as I liked that 28mm lens I found it to be a bit larger and at 28mm a bit wider than I would like for a daily lens. Add to this the fact that I use M lenses on Sony digital as well as analog M. The 35mm works well with both, but the 28mm comes with two options. One optically optimized for Sony and one for native M mount. Sensor variations between the two impacted corner sharpness as I understand things. I had picked up the Sony variant previously. Now I did not have to choose.

Since this is a lens that will often be used for film I will use the format from my “This Old Lens” analog lens posts.

Asking Price

Just undercutting the also reasonably priced TTArtisans variant this 7Artisans variant is the least expensive 35mm f/1.4 new. Zeiss makes a more expensive lens with this spec also but, like the Leica included in the linked comparison, at thousands more I do not think anyone would reasonably cross shop that lens with this one. But I find no reason to upgrade because of…

Value

Even though there are more expensive options that will be superior optically and build quality wise I also have experienced no shortcomings yet that would cause me to upgrade. That is my definition of a good value. A viable alternative at a fraction of the price.

Why I Bought It

A convergence.

• A good looking lens. What? That matters.

• Has a built in hood. I love lenses with a built in lens hood.

• As mentioned above, value.
  • KEH had this lens for a lower price than other retailers and a used copy there was marked down even further. And the EX grade lens that arrived in brand new condition with all packaging and accessories. This included a very snazzy lens case.

Image Quality

All looks good to me. Especially at this price point. I point you to the sample images above, but here is a summary.

• Flare
  • Have not witnessed much flare at all with this lens.
• Sharpness
  • Acceptably sharp wide open where the bit of softness would actually pay dividends with portraits. It is a pleasing look that is not distracting. Perfectly acceptable sharpness when stopped down just a bit.
• Colors
  • I again point you to the samples above, but I really like the way this lens renders colors.
• Bokeh
  • Very pleasing. No onion rings or other faults to be seen.

Focus (Add on category.)

Added this because I was pleased to find that this lens arrived perfectly calibrated. While a perk of 7Artisans (and TTArtisans) lenses is that they can be calibrated to match the camera. But no such adjusting was needed here.

Conclusion

No matter how you choose to use this lens you are good to go.

• Film M mount.
• Digital M mount.
• Adapted to mirrorless.
  • Full frame is a no-brainer.
  • APS-C would work out to a nearly nifty-fifty equivalent.
  • Even MFT would work as a nice 70mm portrait lens.

Do I recommend this lens?

Yes.

Without hesitation.

Happy capturing.

-ELW