I bought the Pergear 35mm f1.6 as a first Fujifilm lens on a budget to get me into the system. To my surprise, it didn't feel like I was using a cheap third party lens! I genuinely loved the output so kept on using it and didn't bother to purchase one of the Fujifilm 35mm lenses.
Thanks for the review. Loved the photos you shared. I'm not sure how much of the photos are the lens and how much post-processing, but there is an appealing look, slightly flat creamy and mutted. Consider a video comparing a handful of the third party X mount 23-25mm and 35 mm focal length lenses. I would love to hear your thoughts on their usefulness, strengths/weakness, and how best to use them. I have and enjoy the 7Artisan 25mm f1.8 and 35mm f1.2. Neither as sharp as the corresponding Fujifilm lenses, both are manual focus and slower to shoot with. But both have their own quirkiness that I enjoy. I do agree that it is nice to have inexpensive but useful gear for less worry and more fun. Thanks again - fun and insightful video.
Thank you for pointing out the light gathering equivalence (f1.8 on pergear exposing as an f2.8mm)... This is very important and neglected in other reviews of this lens. I have this lens. I don't like the de-clicked aperture, it means I have to move my eye from the viewfinder to change exposure. All of my Fuji lenses have proper clicked apertures, so this is very noticable and changes the way shooting feels and makes it less intuitive and cumbersome.
I have had the Meike 25mm f/1.8 a couple of weeks. The same observations as you. Love this lens. Not the same as the Pergear model though, since it has a 49mm filter thread. And the Meike seems to be more equal to the Fujinons, when it comes to aperture.
Not the same as the 7Artisans, then, but what you’re describing more or less matches up with my experience with the 7Artisans. One thing I do like about the 7A is how close it focuses.
Yes id does close focus really well. Its an interesting little lens. Clarity and colour rendition really good for the price. AUD 99 delivered. Using on a Fuji with focus peaking.
Carrying a kit bag of “character” lens reminds me of Forest Gump box of chocolates. You never know what you will get. That is a new concept for still photography. I have not heard of this before. Very artsy and and clever with a budget. I will try that after I get better. Canon glass on a Rebel T3i is consistent with quality I can replicate.
Physical explanation of your observation that "it states 1.8 aperture but it is not"... I don't have this lens to actually measure dimensions but the aperture is defined quite trivially as the size of the hole through which the light enters the system. As such I suspect that this lens is indeed f1.8 fully opened. However, there is less easily describable factor of the materials and design in the optical path in particular lens that affects the total light that passes through. As this is a cheap lens, I suspect that this factor makes it dimmer than expected or when compared with the higher quality lens. However, aperture is still what it geometrically is and causes all related physical and artistic effects associated with it. This issue is more pronounced in non-camera optics such as telescopes however, when you reach certain level of cheap-it enters the picture in the camera lenses as well.
So much character I love it! This and the 7artisans 35 is a great combo of you’re lookin for some character and manual focus fun. Nice shots too man thx for the vid.
Neewer and Meike are the same, just different marketing names. I have a Meike 28mm f2.8 panckae lens for M4/3. The smaller sensor crops away the soft and vignetting corners, the rest is tack sharp, making it awesome for M4/3 cameras.
I bought one of them several months ago; being tempted by the price. The intent was to use it on my XT-10 or X-Pro1 for street photography. It's descent for the price. I haven't given it a real street test yet. I also would like the aperture ring to click. But that being said, I find mine to be very firm and less easy to shift out of place than the 56mm f1.2 I used to own (and disliked for that reason). Nice review as always. Thanks
The aperture ring on mines is actually easier to move than my 56 1.2 (which I agree, is notorious for being too loose). But that is a great example of the variance I'm talking about.
Looks like a great Chines copy of great German lenses (Not a bad knock off). Two things you didn't touch on: 1- How much of contrast is form the lens (How much your sample pictures were boosted in pp as I see a good deal of contrast. If unprocessed, it has to be great. 2- How much of CA? I can judge this, base on any of the pictures you showed. My take-home lesson: I still keep hanging to my old rangefinder adapted lenses.
I have had the 7 artisans 25mm lens for about a year now. The first couple months the screws for the mount became loose a few months after that two screws fell out and became lost, I replaced them with screws from an older lens i dont use.. now yesterday the front of the lens popped off where a filter goes and all the glass fell out but even after all that i loved the look it gave and for the money i would purchase again i will also give this a shot..
You need to use the "T" or "Toneh" number for actual light gathering performance😁 I rather like the look of these photos! Looks like they have some of that low contrast vibe you get with vintage lenses.
One you mentioned that it's more like f/2.5 - 2.8, I started thinking, why no go with the XF 27mm? Only slightly tighter focal length, less than half the weight (weighed mine at 90g), seems more compact, doesn't have horrible flaring issues that I've noticed, and is extremely cheap (at least here in Australia, $200 AUD / $130 USD doesn't seem unusual brand new)! I know you're a fan of the aperture ring, and it's still twice as expensive, but what other advantages does the Pergear have in your mind?
The XF 27mm is a brilliant lens especially for its price. I picked it up last year for AU$80 as Fuji was running a $100 cashback as well. I doubt I'll ever score a deal like that again!
@@drdoener535 I've seen it for around $200 AUD new from reputable stores and you can easily get them 2nd hand for less (probably more easily since they released the V2). But some stores still have it listed at full RRP.
5:30 I think you mean it's an f1.8 but has a higher t-stop which means it allows less light in at F1.8 Fstop is a mathematical value determined by the size of the opening and aperture (something along those lines) T-stop is the light transmission measured
Nice review, but please consider posting the images online in full resolution! Even on a simple Imgur album. Grasping the image quality on a 1080p youtube video is kind of difficult
Sweet review. I should get my copy next week. Looking forward to using it on an old beat up xpro2 as my “daily carry just in case camera” I sold off all my other Fuji lenses last year before a big trip/system change so this should be perfect value for what I need. Very excited!
Yes, ive been waiting for some one do a comparison. Also, i would like to know if its better buying a new 7artisans/pergear or a used vintage lens like a takumar or minolta.
Thanks for your videos! Maybe take a look at the Zonlai 22mm f1.8 one day. My copy is really nice and Omar Gonzales has a fine review of it. Cheers and take care all.
I think I've seen this advertised under the Cen brand here in China. They make a few little ones like this, but never heard anything good about them until now. Thanks for the heads-up.
Hey Andrew, big fan of your work. Do you know what the minimum focusing distance is on this? Also, how would you say it compares with the Neewer 25mm, or the Zonlai 22mm? Great photos as always.
Could you briefly tell me how you lit this particular video, including angles and height? I love the white on one side and the firelight look on the other!
Purchased it based on your review. The lens arrived with a fairly large shard (of metal?) inside. Focusing feels like grinding. Unacceptable, even for a lens within this price range. Quality control subpar. Returning it straight away. Lesson learned.
What's a good cheap lens for character? Been enjoying my Industar 69 28mm for it's imperfections and fancy another similarly small and wide option. Definitely want something wider for hyperfocal or zone focusing. Maybe the Fujian C mount 25mm f1.4? They seem to have always sold it for APSC as well as M43. So maybe vignetting isn't too bad. But I would be happy to shoot 1:1 for a ~$30 lens. Kind of fancy their 50mm f1.4 too for some crazy bokeh.
Use mine from time to time. Scary flaring, which often interacts nicely with the scene. A true artlens for so little money. It's fun really. But not for everday use.
Not too interested in this kind of lens personally, but love your results with it and the way you processed your images! Extra points for the Fender cap and the way it fits into your "camera cave" setup ;)
Love the vid! This work just fine with the X-pro3 right? It doesnt list it but i think thats because this lens is older then the pro3. Viltrox made me skeptical putting third party lenses on my pro3 *shrugs*
Hey, man I got a question, theres a difference between a lens 25 mm and a 28mm? I have a meike 28mm mm and I want to buy this pergear but I dont know if There is a y difference 😅
Hey Andrew... just discovered your channel and really like your content and style of presentation. I'm curious why, at 7:05, you said the primary market is photographers and not videographers. Is there a reason why a videographer on a budget would want to avoid this lens? Thanks
I agree in your classification this could fall under a “ character “ lens. Interesting review. They do have to do some explaining on the F1.8 not being an F1.8. Maybe it’s a built-in ND filter? Lol!!!!
The issue with lens quality, sensor size etc is who does big prints these days. Or any printing for that matter. Since, I guess 99% of modern photography ends up on an iPad or laptop screen almost any lens will do most of the time. The secret, still, is to do it.
I just bought this lens. My copy has problems. Starting from less severe to more severe: 1) There is some field curvature. Focus in middle, and all corners are soft at all aperture settings. Focus in corner, then center is soft. 2) My copy has very poor contrast from f/1.8 to f/2. 3) And my copy has extreme center softness (only right in the center) at f/8 to f/16. Off center, it is much sharper, so this isn't just diffraction. Conclusion: Basically, the lens is usable from only f/2.8 to f/5.6. There is no sign of damage. And the focus and aperture rings both turn butter smooth. Perhaps I have a bad copy, but I'm recommending to avoid it.
Andrew & Denae, I think my copy has a flaw or bubble in the glass at the exact center of the lens. When I shine a flashlight into the lens at a slight angle, I can see a very clear shadow dot on the aperture blades. As I move the flashlight, the shadow moves around. So at f/16, the shadow becomes the majority of the aperture and results in a very blurry spot right in the very center of the image. Anyway, I’m returning the lens for a refund.
Thanks for a very useful review. Particularly noteworthy was your comment about quality variation. On the basis of some good reviews , a while back, I bought a couple of C mount lenses which were rubbish and rather disappointing. Some you win, some you lose😂
Hi, how would you compare 25mm focal length to 23mm? I'm one of those that perceive 23 a bit too wide, so I mostly lean on the 27. Is 25 closer to 27? or just essentially similar to the 23? Thanks..
25 is close to 27, but obviously they are not the same. Since it's wider it does give you more latitude in terms of cropping, or at least that's how I view it.
Hi, have you ever tried kamlan lenses? I'm currently using the 28mm f1.4 on my fuji xt-2 and I love it so far, I'd love to see a video review of the kamlan 50mm f1.1 mkII, it would be great if you could do that! I really enjoy watching your video! Greetings from Italy 🇮🇹
I think you can try and review more cheap Chinese or vintage lenses for Fuji. Because of your cool videos, I'm already waiting for my new old x-t1 and planning to order Meike 25, it's little bit better in corners in comparison with 7artisians. Stay safe and good luck!
@@AndrewGoodCamera Well, your videos look like there is a lot of work put into them, so I guess I can see that. Too bad, but there's limited hours in a day, so...
Because of times like this, chatting in the comments. Denae never or extremely rarely logs in to chat in comments or reply to messages in email, tweets, IG, etc. It's mostly me that does that, and that got confusing. People would often assume it was Denae chatting with them and not me (Andrew) and I would always forget to sign my name. That confusion happens less often now that we reversed it.
I really appreciated your review but i have to tell you that maybe just your piece was not a 1.8 and more close to 2.5. i purchased a copy of this lens from amazon here in Italy, i did my test, and comparing it to panasonic 12-35 f2.8 (wich is a very reliable lens) it does have more then one stop of light more...my 1.8 is maybe a 1.7. maybe your copy was a bad one or maybe you did the test wrongly. Happy Christmas
Thanks for the comment. The test was pretty straightforward so I don't think I messed anything up. But the quality of glass and variance with these cheaper lenses is all over the place, so my guess is that it's inconsistent and I'm not very surprised to hear that. Happy Christmas to you as well!
F-stops is an mathematical equation which relates the the size of the iris opening in relation to the focal length. What f-stops tell you is how the great the depth of field is going to be because that is physically determined by the lens design. What f-stops doesn't take into consideration is the glass the light has to travel through. Usually a zoom lens can't gather a much light at the same aputure as a prime lens because the light has to travel through more Glass. On on more expensive lenses they use better coatings which don't loose as much light as cheaper lenses. This is the reason we use T-stop for filmmaking. T-stop is a measure of how much light is hitting the censor so if you need do to a lens change from one shot to another you can be sure the exposure is the same.
Thanks for the review - I recently picked up this lens and have been using it to take food photos of food I'm making (and eating :-)) - I have the 7artisans 25 1.8 as well, and this is definitely a different piece of glass. The overall image of this lens is better and I prefer the bokeh. I have a lot of fuji glass, but this little beast is currently on my x-t2 :--) Not sure if we're allowed to link off here, but check out instagram "chezbink" if you' want to see samples - I think I started using it around the blackberry jam photo. Thanks again for the honest and informed videos!
These are hard times, my friend. I have a family to feed. I'm not going to apologise for an exchange in value. If it bothers you, feel free to unsubscribe, block me, or whatever you gotta do. And happy trails.
I was literally just looking for reviews on this lens. I refreshed youtube, and here we are lol
I've been anticipating your movements. ;)
@@AndrewGoodCamera and mine. My copy is 60 or so miles from me right now! It has been a long wait.
I bought the Pergear 35mm f1.6 as a first Fujifilm lens on a budget to get me into the system. To my surprise, it didn't feel like I was using a cheap third party lens! I genuinely loved the output so kept on using it and didn't bother to purchase one of the Fujifilm 35mm lenses.
Thanks for the review. Loved the photos you shared. I'm not sure how much of the photos are the lens and how much post-processing, but there is an appealing look, slightly flat creamy and mutted. Consider a video comparing a handful of the third party X mount 23-25mm and 35 mm focal length lenses. I would love to hear your thoughts on their usefulness, strengths/weakness, and how best to use them. I have and enjoy the 7Artisan 25mm f1.8 and 35mm f1.2. Neither as sharp as the corresponding Fujifilm lenses, both are manual focus and slower to shoot with. But both have their own quirkiness that I enjoy.
I do agree that it is nice to have inexpensive but useful gear for less worry and more fun. Thanks again - fun and insightful video.
Your "flared photo" was the best in your set.
I don't mind the top right of it. It's the bottom left that looks horrible, right where the beautiful cactus is
I just wanted to say that!
@@AndrewGoodCamera Despite that it still looks great. Just not as perfect as you probably had in mind, eh?
Thank you for pointing out the light gathering equivalence (f1.8 on pergear exposing as an f2.8mm)... This is very important and neglected in other reviews of this lens.
I have this lens. I don't like the de-clicked aperture, it means I have to move my eye from the viewfinder to change exposure. All of my Fuji lenses have proper clicked apertures, so this is very noticable and changes the way shooting feels and makes it less intuitive and cumbersome.
The comment about the tolerances of this inexpensive lenses is gold.
Nice video!
I have had the Meike 25mm f/1.8 a couple of weeks. The same observations as you. Love this lens. Not the same as the Pergear model though, since it has a 49mm filter thread. And the Meike seems to be more equal to the Fujinons, when it comes to aperture.
Yeah the Meike lenses are generally better than these.
Not the same as the 7Artisans, then, but what you’re describing more or less matches up with my experience with the 7Artisans. One thing I do like about the 7A is how close it focuses.
Yes id does close focus really well. Its an interesting little lens. Clarity and colour rendition really good for the price. AUD 99 delivered. Using on a Fuji with focus peaking.
Wow. I'd say for $70, it's a pretty great deal!
i love that you're your own sponsor here. i've had the meike version of this lens on my wishlist for over a year. now i have more to research!
I have the meike/neewer 35mm 1.7 and its great.
I have the meike 25mm 1.8 lens for the sony mount. Use it all the time. Its great.
Carrying a kit bag of “character” lens reminds me of Forest Gump box of chocolates. You never know what you will get. That is a new concept for still photography. I have not heard of this before. Very artsy and and clever with a budget. I will try that after I get better. Canon glass on a Rebel T3i is consistent with quality I can replicate.
Physical explanation of your observation that "it states 1.8 aperture but it is not"... I don't have this lens to actually measure dimensions but the aperture is defined quite trivially as the size of the hole through which the light enters the system. As such I suspect that this lens is indeed f1.8 fully opened. However, there is less easily describable factor of the materials and design in the optical path in particular lens that affects the total light that passes through. As this is a cheap lens, I suspect that this factor makes it dimmer than expected or when compared with the higher quality lens. However, aperture is still what it geometrically is and causes all related physical and artistic effects associated with it. This issue is more pronounced in non-camera optics such as telescopes however, when you reach certain level of cheap-it enters the picture in the camera lenses as well.
It's clearly got a T stop much slower than the physical aperture, which is not uncommon for a lens with very simple coatings and high vignetting.
So much character I love it! This and the 7artisans 35 is a great combo of you’re lookin for some character and manual focus fun. Nice shots too man thx for the vid.
Someone should compare all these third-party (25mm f1.8) lenses. There's Pergear, 7artisans, Neewer, Meike,... so overwhelming.
Basti Halligalli i have a 22mm f/1.8 Zonlai that is very fun as well 🤗
Right? Went with Meike for my a5100.
Neewer and Meike are the same, just different marketing names. I have a Meike 28mm f2.8 panckae lens for M4/3. The smaller sensor crops away the soft and vignetting corners, the rest is tack sharp, making it awesome for M4/3 cameras.
I bought one of them several months ago; being tempted by the price. The intent was to use it on my XT-10 or X-Pro1 for street photography. It's descent for the price. I haven't given it a real street test yet. I also would like the aperture ring to click. But that being said, I find mine to be very firm and less easy to shift out of place than the 56mm f1.2 I used to own (and disliked for that reason).
Nice review as always. Thanks
The aperture ring on mines is actually easier to move than my 56 1.2 (which I agree, is notorious for being too loose). But that is a great example of the variance I'm talking about.
Great little lens. I agree, it is f2.5-2.8
Looks like a great Chines copy of great German lenses (Not a bad knock off).
Two things you didn't touch on:
1- How much of contrast is form the lens (How much your sample pictures were boosted in pp as I see a good deal of contrast. If unprocessed, it has to be great.
2- How much of CA? I can judge this, base on any of the pictures you showed.
My take-home lesson: I still keep hanging to my old rangefinder adapted lenses.
I have had the 7 artisans 25mm lens for about a year now. The first couple months the screws for the mount became loose a few months after that two screws fell out and became lost, I replaced them with screws from an older lens i dont use.. now yesterday the front of the lens popped off where a filter goes and all the glass fell out but even after all that i loved the look it gave and for the money i would purchase again i will also give this a shot..
You need to use the "T" or "Toneh" number for actual light gathering performance😁
I rather like the look of these photos! Looks like they have some of that low contrast vibe you get with vintage lenses.
Fuji assassins... I swear to god...
Great video pal. I love lens with character. I’m currently on a mission with vintage USSR lens 👍
One you mentioned that it's more like f/2.5 - 2.8, I started thinking, why no go with the XF 27mm? Only slightly tighter focal length, less than half the weight (weighed mine at 90g), seems more compact, doesn't have horrible flaring issues that I've noticed, and is extremely cheap (at least here in Australia, $200 AUD / $130 USD doesn't seem unusual brand new)! I know you're a fan of the aperture ring, and it's still twice as expensive, but what other advantages does the Pergear have in your mind?
The XF 27mm is a brilliant lens especially for its price. I picked it up last year for AU$80 as Fuji was running a $100 cashback as well. I doubt I'll ever score a deal like that again!
Is it really so cheap in Australia? In Germany the lowest price I could find was 280 Euros.
@@drdoener535 I've seen it for around $200 AUD new from reputable stores and you can easily get them 2nd hand for less (probably more easily since they released the V2). But some stores still have it listed at full RRP.
5:30 I think you mean it's an f1.8 but has a higher t-stop which means it allows less light in at F1.8
Fstop is a mathematical value determined by the size of the opening and aperture (something along those lines)
T-stop is the light transmission measured
Nice review, but please consider posting the images online in full resolution! Even on a simple Imgur album. Grasping the image quality on a 1080p youtube video is kind of difficult
Nikon 10-20mm vs 7Artisans 7.5mm which one should I choose for TH-cam videos
Sweet review. I should get my copy next week. Looking forward to using it on an old beat up xpro2 as my “daily carry just in case camera” I sold off all my other Fuji lenses last year before a big trip/system change so this should be perfect value for what I need. Very excited!
Do a compare of all these cheap lenses - 7artisans, Pergear, Neewer, Meike
Yes, ive been waiting for some one do a comparison. Also, i would like to know if its better buying a new 7artisans/pergear or a used vintage lens like a takumar or minolta.
hey Andrew. thank you so much for your amazing videos. you are the reason i am going to fuji. youre amazing.
Thanks for your videos! Maybe take a look at the Zonlai 22mm f1.8 one day. My copy is really nice and Omar Gonzales has a fine review of it. Cheers and take care all.
Can't find any Zonlai on the market, everything sold out.
I think I've seen this advertised under the Cen brand here in China. They make a few little ones like this, but never heard anything good about them until now. Thanks for the heads-up.
I am planning on buying 25mm f1．8, 35mm f1．8 &50mm f1．8 but lowkey want the xf 18-55mm f2．8 - f4
This and the 35 are actually really good
Hi! In terms of style "consistency", would you say this Pergear 25 mm F1.8 can be well paired with the Pergear 35 mm F1.2?
Hey Andrew, big fan of your work. Do you know what the minimum focusing distance is on this? Also, how would you say it compares with the Neewer 25mm, or the Zonlai 22mm? Great photos as always.
Could you briefly tell me how you lit this particular video, including angles and height? I love the white on one side and the firelight look on the other!
I bought this Lens last Month, for
Purchased it based on your review. The lens arrived with a fairly large shard (of metal?) inside. Focusing feels like grinding. Unacceptable, even for a lens within this price range. Quality control subpar. Returning it straight away. Lesson learned.
Hey, I thought I was clear that it's anybody's guess what you'll actually get.
Andrew & Denae Yes, you were very clear. Still disappointed though. QC sucks these days.
What's a good cheap lens for character? Been enjoying my Industar 69 28mm for it's imperfections and fancy another similarly small and wide option. Definitely want something wider for hyperfocal or zone focusing. Maybe the Fujian C mount 25mm f1.4? They seem to have always sold it for APSC as well as M43. So maybe vignetting isn't too bad. But I would be happy to shoot 1:1 for a ~$30 lens. Kind of fancy their 50mm f1.4 too for some crazy bokeh.
Use mine from time to time. Scary flaring, which often interacts nicely with the scene. A true artlens for so little money. It's fun really. But not for everday use.
Great review! Very helpful!
Not too interested in this kind of lens personally, but love your results with it and the way you processed your images! Extra points for the Fender cap and the way it fits into your "camera cave" setup ;)
Thanks, my friend!
Love the vid! This work just fine with the X-pro3 right? It doesnt list it but i think thats because this lens is older then the pro3. Viltrox made me skeptical putting third party lenses on my pro3 *shrugs*
Hey, man I got a question, theres a difference between a lens 25 mm and a 28mm? I have a meike 28mm mm and I want to buy this pergear but I dont know if There is a y difference 😅
Hey Andrew... just discovered your channel and really like your content and style of presentation. I'm curious why, at 7:05, you said the primary market is photographers and not videographers. Is there a reason why a videographer on a budget would want to avoid this lens? Thanks
I agree in your classification this could fall under a “ character “ lens. Interesting review. They do have to do some explaining on the F1.8 not being an F1.8. Maybe it’s a built-in ND filter? Lol!!!!
Dof wise is it 1.8 or closer to 2.8? The light loss I can live with. I have the Pregear 28 2.8 pancake, lets me "pocket" my xe.
Gorgeous samples. is it a film simulation in camera you are using ?
Thanks! See my Kodachrome simulation video for that
What would you suggest for "character lens"?
Didn't expect that
Hi Andrew, is this the same as the 7Artisans? I have the 7Artisans and like it a lot for the same reasons.
From what I was able to decipher, they are different.
Does your 7Artisans 25mm lens have any occasional distortions? My copy is pretty good and the distortions can be straighten out in post-processing.
@@da009999 I have had no issues with mine.
Do you have any experience with the bit wider, zonlai 22mm f1.8?
it looks good enough for youtube!
Hello! How is its quality and bokeh on full body portraits?
The issue with lens quality, sensor size etc is who does big prints these days. Or any printing for that matter. Since, I guess 99% of modern photography ends up on an iPad or laptop screen almost any lens will do most of the time. The secret, still, is to do it.
Great video.
Make a review of 7artisans 35mm 1.2 please.
Amazing lens, just buy it.
Both the Meike and the 7Artisans are 7 elements and Pergear says their is 5. So it has to be a different optical formula.
Have you tried the old manual Porst x-mount lenses?
Holy gooseberry guacamole, those look like some fun trails ;)
:)
amazing photos
Many thanks
is this better than the 7artisans 25mm 1.8
Great video review 👍 , have you tried the pergear 35mm f1.6 ? , I'm really curious about that lens
Not yet.
@@AndrewGoodCamera soon maybe? 😁
I just bought this lens. My copy has problems. Starting from less severe to more severe: 1) There is some field curvature. Focus in middle, and all corners are soft at all aperture settings. Focus in corner, then center is soft. 2) My copy has very poor contrast from f/1.8 to f/2. 3) And my copy has extreme center softness (only right in the center) at f/8 to f/16. Off center, it is much sharper, so this isn't just diffraction. Conclusion: Basically, the lens is usable from only f/2.8 to f/5.6. There is no sign of damage. And the focus and aperture rings both turn butter smooth. Perhaps I have a bad copy, but I'm recommending to avoid it.
The name of the game with Viltrox and many other Chinese brands is inconsistency.
Andrew & Denae, I think my copy has a flaw or bubble in the glass at the exact center of the lens. When I shine a flashlight into the lens at a slight angle, I can see a very clear shadow dot on the aperture blades. As I move the flashlight, the shadow moves around. So at f/16, the shadow becomes the majority of the aperture and results in a very blurry spot right in the very center of the image. Anyway, I’m returning the lens for a refund.
Thanks for a very useful review. Particularly noteworthy was your comment about quality variation. On the basis of some good reviews , a while back, I bought a couple of C mount lenses which were rubbish and rather disappointing. Some you win, some you lose😂
What about distortion?
Hi, how would you compare 25mm focal length to 23mm? I'm one of those that perceive 23 a bit too wide, so I mostly lean on the 27. Is 25 closer to 27? or just essentially similar to the 23? Thanks..
25 is close to 27, but obviously they are not the same. Since it's wider it does give you more latitude in terms of cropping, or at least that's how I view it.
i'm learning lens coatings atm, is it single coating or multi coating
Hey, I’m wondering if the zone focus scale is accurate? I’m getting it just for using zone focus. Thank you!
Even if it were accurate with my lens, I wouldn't generally say that it will ALWAYS be accurate with all cheap lenses like these because of variance.
@@AndrewGoodCamera Thank you!
Hi, have you ever tried kamlan lenses?
I'm currently using the 28mm f1.4 on my fuji xt-2 and I love it so far, I'd love to see a video review of the kamlan 50mm f1.1 mkII, it would be great if you could do that!
I really enjoy watching your video!
Greetings from Italy 🇮🇹
I haven't, sorry
I really love your colours, I'm new on the channel, do you shoot jpg and use a specific profile on your fuji or edit in post raws ?
More to come on this soon....
I think you can try and review more cheap Chinese or vintage lenses for Fuji.
Because of your cool videos, I'm already waiting for my new old x-t1 and planning to order Meike 25, it's little bit better in corners in comparison with 7artisians.
Stay safe and good luck!
I enjoy reviewing cheap lenses, for sure. My only struggle with wanting to do them more often is how inconsistent they are.
What happened to your voice bro? It sounds a bit higher than usual. Great review!
How about your courses on Blu-ray? I'm more an "analog" guy and just want to buy stuff without memberships/monthly payments etc.
Unfortunately no. I have barely enough time to make the content I want to make to spend any more with establishing a process for shipping. Sorry
@@AndrewGoodCamera Well, your videos look like there is a lot of work put into them, so I guess I can see that. Too bad, but there's limited hours in a day, so...
@@AndrewGoodCamera Why/when did you change the names around btw.? Been wondering for weeks now.
Because of times like this, chatting in the comments. Denae never or extremely rarely logs in to chat in comments or reply to messages in email, tweets, IG, etc. It's mostly me that does that, and that got confusing. People would often assume it was Denae chatting with them and not me (Andrew) and I would always forget to sign my name. That confusion happens less often now that we reversed it.
What bag do you use when mountain biking?
This guy: geni.us/BiG0fm
@@AndrewGoodCamera thank you.
Is it basically the same lens as the 7 Artisans version?
No, I believe they are different.
rockstar 27mm F2.8
Thank you China!
how to avoid flaring : Dont shoot into the light
I really appreciated your review but i have to tell you that maybe just your piece was not a 1.8 and more close to 2.5. i purchased a copy of this lens from amazon here in Italy, i did my test, and comparing it to panasonic 12-35 f2.8 (wich is a very reliable lens) it does have more then one stop of light more...my 1.8 is maybe a 1.7. maybe your copy was a bad one or maybe you did the test wrongly. Happy Christmas
Thanks for the comment. The test was pretty straightforward so I don't think I messed anything up. But the quality of glass and variance with these cheaper lenses is all over the place, so my guess is that it's inconsistent and I'm not very surprised to hear that. Happy Christmas to you as well!
Gotta admit I've never heard of this lens
nice lens for this money
I wonder why they advertise it as an 1.8 when it apparently it isn't.
Gonna go with money
@Noah Cumrine Yeah, there is no accountability here for manufacturers, so I'm sure they are not the only one taking advantage.
F-stops is an mathematical equation which relates the the size of the iris opening in relation to the focal length. What f-stops tell you is how the great the depth of field is going to be because that is physically determined by the lens design. What f-stops doesn't take into consideration is the glass the light has to travel through. Usually a zoom lens can't gather a much light at the same aputure as a prime lens because the light has to travel through more Glass. On on more expensive lenses they use better coatings which don't loose as much light as cheaper lenses. This is the reason we use T-stop for filmmaking. T-stop is a measure of how much light is hitting the censor so if you need do to a lens change from one shot to another you can be sure the exposure is the same.
My 7artisans 25 mm 1.8 have better bokeh. You should try it some time :D
Thanks for the review - I recently picked up this lens and have been using it to take food photos of food I'm making (and eating :-)) - I have the 7artisans 25 1.8 as well, and this is definitely a different piece of glass. The overall image of this lens is better and I prefer the bokeh. I have a lot of fuji glass, but this little beast is currently on my x-t2 :--) Not sure if we're allowed to link off here, but check out instagram "chezbink" if you' want to see samples - I think I started using it around the blackberry jam photo. Thanks again for the honest and informed videos!
I have an electron microscope and I've searched for 3 years now for some sign of the virus.
"specific". ;)
?
I wonder how small one could make a 25mm f2.8... Probably pankcake?
Is Pergear.com safe ? ‼️ (anyone?)
Spit over the original fuji lens you’ll have the same result
Your saliva would eventually degrade the lens coating, so, while I agree that the result may be similar, at what cost? ;)
You lost me on the promo intro.
These are hard times, my friend. I have a family to feed. I'm not going to apologise for an exchange in value. If it bothers you, feel free to unsubscribe, block me, or whatever you gotta do. And happy trails.