Thanks! They are different. As mentioned in the video the 7A is lower contrast, softer, lower micro contrast, more of a fun lens. The Nokton 35/1.2 can be used for client work and is excellent.
hi Matt, I learned a lot about M-mount lenses on your channel, your videos are so well done! Recently, I have been paying attention to the Voigtlander 35/1.4II lens, but the price is more than double the price difference of the first generation. I don’t know if your channel will launch a comparison of these two lenses of different years, but I am still looking forward to it. Thank you for your continued efforts.
My sample of this lens , the aperture has a nice indentation feel 😮 Funny how most of the usual optical virtues are objectively quite good. It has an aspherical element and an FLE design, so it is sharp up close wide open with passable bokeh too.
@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom its a mysterious thing, but the objective merit of a lens, doesn't correlate with how much an individual photographer "bonds" with a bottle. I've even bonded with an old zoom lens, but not much tingles for this 7A? Perhaps that's why naming and a storied mythology are so important? IMO LLL are on the right track with their mysterious perfectionist founder.
Hi Matt, I may have missed something but at the 5:05 mark when you are talking about the 7Artisan sharpness being better at 1.4 than the Voigtlander, it really seems to me by the side-by-sides that the Voigtlander is much sharper. Is my old age catching up to me?
Nice review. I own the Nokton and I love that lens. It’s a great combo on my X-Pro1. I’ve had a a few 7Arttisan lenses and they offer great bang for buck.
Love this lens, too ! Also own the Nokton 40/1.4 MC. It does have its flaws, but for that kind of lens rendering, hence -character, one does pay usally way much more. Happy new year !
I bought the TTArtisan 35mm ASPH M lens. It is so good I sold my beloved Leica non ASPH 35mm Summilux (German) I owned for over 20 years. I could not justify keep it and got $4500.00 USD for it on eBay.
Nice review as usual, Matt. Just one comment: I have (or should I say "I have two") the 7Artisans 35mm 1.4 with a Sony EF mount. I liked it as it was small (seems to be smaller as the Leica version) and quite good image quality, as you explained. BUT it was very strong mounted on the Sony and after a while I have unscrewed it by accident. Now, I have two pieces of the lens and can't assemble it again. I guess it was because the mount was too tough - so be aware about this, if you are a Sony user...
Hi Matt! Always like your videos. I want to see a detail video about the Leica M240. I know you did a comparison to the Leica cl but I want to know more about the camera.(Maybe a comparison to the M262) If you don’t mind😊 Sorry for my terrible English.
Hi Matt, just wondering if you were testing against the 35 f/1.4 Nokton I or the 35 f/1.4 Nokton II. Am currently in the market for a 35mm f/1.4 at the moment. Thanks for the video as always! ☺️
Why no more testing on film?!? I’m always endlessly curious about whether or not these lenses need to be calibrated for film and how difficult that process is.
I liked this lens but liked the TT artisan version better. TT artisans was marginally less sharp, but had much better bokeh and highlight rendition that reminded me of a 35mm Lux asph
TTA does have less microcontrast, less sharpness - and the lens hood is a showstopper, prevents nothing, means flare hereby. th-cam.com/video/XsmeRYT3Bz8/w-d-xo.html 1:1 comparsion. In terms of lens design, i like the TTA lens more, optically, it's worse than the 7A.
It's a monster compared with the Summilux (steel rim). 😳 And none of them, Voigtlander, Zeiss-ZM and this 'Artisan' thing come anywhere near the smoothness of the sweet little Summilux. Or have you found a pleasant softness in any of these?
Thanks Marc, I compared the TTA to the v1 35 1.4 and for me the TTA won (in the test shots shown) but both have pros cons. I love the Voigtlander size!
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Hi Matt, i've wrote this often before, see this Review from Erick Photo, the TTA 35/1.4 (non-APO) is a cheaper, optical design and less good quality-wise. th-cam.com/video/XsmeRYT3Bz8/w-d-xo.html This is the truth. :) Good light.
Hi Matt, I always hear or read, that 7arttisan is good for the money, but that’s not the point. Is this lens good enough for a Leica? I think it’s a little bit ridiculous to spend thousands of dollars for a camera and go for a cheap china lens, witch is much more important for the picture quality then the camera. For me is the best way a good balance between camera and lens. Focus the 7arttisan to infinity and stop down to f16. You will see what I’m talking about. Sunny days and 15 degrees, time to saddle up the bike. Best wishes
Sorry but you reply makes no sense to me. I spent thousands of dollars on my Leica M Type 262 (I bought it new) but I love to experiment with many types of lenses. I refer to "cheap china lens" as you call them to old post war vintage East German Meyer optic and Pentacon lenses. Lots of interesting things to image with such lenses, and enjoy their character. And yes, I have a rather large number of Leica lenses, some dating all the way back to 1930, the later will be out performed by pretty much any current Chinese lens but so what? I just love that Leica makes it possible fr me to still use such old lenses. To me it's all about the character of each lens. They are all so very different but so much fun to experiment with on my Leica M, or my old Ricoh GXR-M mount, or my Sony A6600. In short, I've invested thousands of dollars in my lenses over time but I still like to try the cheap stuff just to see what I can eek out of them.
Thanks, there are different schools of thought. Some use Leica cameras as they like the process and or the camera output. Putting perfect lenses on can get a bit boring do vintage and cheap lenses can make life more exciting. It’s fun testing to find the unexpected gems. Here for example, I would never Voigtländer to come second but it did. (There are those that buy Leica to ‘flex’ (show off) but ignore those). Agreed if you own a M11 and 1 cheap Chinese lens then you are missing the point I think but as someone else replied, once you’ve tried Leica glass it’s nice to enjoy other brands which are often almost as good or more fun as they are less perfect. I think Leica purists don’t follow this channel as I put none Leica glass on Leica bodies. It’s the image that counts for me and enjoying the process of making the image. Good to hear you’re a bike rider too. Video coming maybe next month you might like! :)
@@d30gaijin I agree and I don’t. If you have a nice collection of Leica/Voigtländer/Zeiss lenses and you are want a lens with a not perfect look, why not. I also use special lenses like meyer optik. If 35mm is your favorite lens and you don’t have the budget for a perfect lens, definitely not, this lenses are not an alternative for Leica, Voigtländer or Zeiss. For me is a hightec carbon frame with shimano sora no option, but that’s just my way
Despite odd rendering (just like pre-ASPH Lux) wide open from Nokton-M 35 1.4 II, I prefer it to any bigger lens. You know, framelines. It balances well on small Canon RP as well.
It is said the best watches are made in Germany. And so all the the cuckoo clocks are made in the Geman Black Forrest. In the analog photo labs just German photo tmers were ticking. The Prontor ( mr Deckel) and Compur ( mr Gauthier) leaf shutters were made in Bavaria and in the Black Forrest in Germany. The behind the lens leaf shutter of the swiss SINAR LF camera is made by Copal in Japan
I have a hard time being excited by 7artisans since TTartisan made way better quality lenses : construction and optics (...not always in that department). Not that they are bad lenses, but the feeling isn't there and size and weight are often too high for me.
Voigtlander is kinda in pancake realm, much better handling and form factor, I really like the fact that the lens length doesn't make camera extruding too much out
I like your videos but what I don't understand is why you alter the RAWs with your Mr.Leica profile 'sauce' and even then you do some extra editing on top. WHAT IS LEFT OF THE ORIGINAL RAW, so how can we see what comes SOOC to make our own decision . That way I can make the most shitty lenses look amazing (with my over 20 years experience of photography editing), Those 2 jpgs tell me more about the difference of those lenses than those modified RAWs.
Thanks yes I included those JPEGs for you! The rest are just examples using the lens pulled from socials etc. I’ll try to include a few more test JPEG in future videos, not the next vid as too late so skip that.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom That would be great (unedited JPGs please SOOC ) and of different subjects, like high contrast, vibrant color, maybe bokeh wide open and a B/W. Excellent
I REALLY have an issue buying things, especially camera gear, manufactured in a country trying to destroy mine, and targets mine with nuke weapons. No thanks.
I take a lot of pictures and enjoy my photography a lot. It is my opinion that China, Russia and America are going to war, as a matter of fact we are already at war with them in many ways. If you don’t believe this then why have so many companies already been going through cyber attacks and many have been put out of business completely. So I have to ask the question why are so many Americans still buying Chinese goods and products daily? Why are so many Chinese products promoted on Facebook and other social media outlets. Why do I see all kinds of Photography gear and Lens from China promoted on TH-cam? Why do I see so many folks bragging about their new Chinese lens on all the photography forums? Obviously we are now living with generations of people who never watched the death tolls each night from Vietnam! Obviously we are living with people that haven’t a clue how many lives were lost at Pearl Harbor and World War Two. Do you have to see blood and bodies out in the street before you get it people. Wake Up! 
People seem to be more interested in Bokeh than actually shooting and creating strong images. No wonder there is so much garbage photography out there today. Seriously, when people look at your photos they don't give shit about the bokeh.
Thanks Matt, yes fast glass is an easy rabbit hole to go down. Sometimes it's good to shoot at f4 for a bit to cleanse the system! With a 50 f1 lens it takes the challenge element out of photography.
OH, I was hoping at the end you'd show the calibration process.
Perhaps on another video?
Enjoyed the presentation! Thank you Matt!
Ah sorry I thought everyone would skip it as it’s probably on TH-cam already. I’ll check and perhaps do a mini follow up video if not.
Loved the watch analogy.
Thanks!
Great video mate. Have you tried the TTartisans 35mm f1.4? Can’t decide between these two. Thanks
Thanks. I’ve not though generally I prefer TTA lenses
Thanks for the honest comparison!
Thanks!
Nice review, as always. Is 7A any match for nokton 35/1.2 asph?
Thanks! They are different. As mentioned in the video the 7A is lower contrast, softer, lower micro contrast, more of a fun lens. The Nokton 35/1.2 can be used for client work and is excellent.
hi Matt, I learned a lot about M-mount lenses on your channel, your videos are so well done! Recently, I have been paying attention to the Voigtlander 35/1.4II lens, but the price is more than double the price difference of the first generation. I don’t know if your channel will launch a comparison of these two lenses of different years, but I am still looking forward to it. Thank you for your continued efforts.
Thank you! Yes if I get the opportunity to test v2 vs v1 I will make a video for sure!
My sample of this lens , the aperture has a nice indentation feel 😮
Funny how most of the usual optical virtues are objectively quite good. It has an aspherical element and an FLE design, so it is sharp up close wide open with passable bokeh too.
For the money it's great and get there is probably sample variation between copies
@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom its a mysterious thing, but the objective merit of a lens, doesn't correlate with how much an individual photographer "bonds" with a bottle. I've even bonded with an old zoom lens, but not much tingles for this 7A?
Perhaps that's why naming and a storied mythology are so important?
IMO
LLL are on the right track with their mysterious perfectionist founder.
Hi Matt, I may have missed something but at the 5:05 mark when you are talking about the 7Artisan sharpness being better at 1.4 than the Voigtlander, it really seems to me by the side-by-sides that the Voigtlander is much sharper. Is my old age catching up to me?
Hi Pete, it might be easier to see the improved sharpness on the leaves shot. I was surprised at the Voigtlander, I thought it was better.
I think so, too.
Nice review. I own the Nokton and I love that lens. It’s a great combo on my X-Pro1. I’ve had a a few 7Arttisan lenses and they offer great bang for buck.
Thanks yes the Nokton size is hard to beat for 1.4
Love this lens, too ! Also own the Nokton 40/1.4 MC. It does have its flaws, but for that kind of lens rendering, hence -character, one does pay usally way much more. Happy new year !
I bought the TTArtisan 35mm ASPH M lens. It is so good I sold my beloved Leica non ASPH 35mm Summilux (German) I owned for over 20 years. I could not justify keep it and got $4500.00 USD for it on eBay.
Wow that says something! That's a lot of cash back to put towards something else. My TTArtisan 50 video will be out next
Nice review as usual, Matt. Just one comment: I have (or should I say "I have two") the 7Artisans 35mm 1.4 with a Sony EF mount. I liked it as it was small (seems to be smaller as the Leica version) and quite good image quality, as you explained. BUT it was very strong mounted on the Sony and after a while I have unscrewed it by accident. Now, I have two pieces of the lens and can't assemble it again. I guess it was because the mount was too tough - so be aware about this, if you are a Sony user...
Eek, sorry to hear Dirk and thanks for the warning for Sony users.
How involved is the calibration process?
Ok on digital, pain for film. I might need to do another video..
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom I can imagine. Digital with its immediate feedback, film less so.
@@calvinchann1996 yes!
Thanks Matt for another excellent review.
Thanks Don!
Hello. 7ARTISANS 35MM Can this lens give the same quality as a nikon af-s 35mm f2.0 lens?
Hi sorry i've not tried that Nikkor lens. It's not like the 35 1.4 G (get the Voigtlander 35 1.2 v3 if you want modern high contrast sharp look)
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom thank
Hi Matt! Always like your videos. I want to see a detail video about the Leica M240. I know you did a comparison to the Leica cl but I want to know more about the camera.(Maybe a comparison to the M262) If you don’t mind😊 Sorry for my terrible English.
Hi I won’t cover M262 as I’ve never used one. You will see M240 new overview in future video.
I'm lazy. Do they make screw mount LTM lenses as well?
Sadly not yet
Hi Matt, just wondering if you were testing against the 35 f/1.4 Nokton I or the 35 f/1.4 Nokton II. Am currently in the market for a 35mm f/1.4 at the moment. Thanks for the video as always! ☺️
Hi, sorry I haven't. I think the v2 was optimised for digital if I remember.
Why no more testing on film?!? I’m always endlessly curious about whether or not these lenses need to be calibrated for film and how difficult that process is.
also, nice review haha 🤙🏼
Thanks, I have other 35s to use for film so I didn’t bother calibrating it. If I do so in the future I’ll make a video. More film coming soon!
@@FrankDavalos thanks!
I like the classic bokeh on the voigt
Thanks, yes it gives a vintage vibe
Thanks for the review. I don’t think I will addd another 35 mm f/1.4 lens since I already have both the Summilux ASAP and the pre-ASAP lenses.
Thanks Wilfred, yes I think you have it covered!
Another great video Matt
Thanks Rafael!
I liked this lens but liked the TT artisan version better. TT artisans was marginally less sharp, but had much better bokeh and highlight rendition that reminded me of a 35mm Lux asph
Ah great info thanks! If I get to test the TT version I will share the results.
TTA does have less microcontrast, less sharpness - and the lens hood is a showstopper, prevents nothing, means flare hereby.
th-cam.com/video/XsmeRYT3Bz8/w-d-xo.html 1:1 comparsion. In terms of lens design, i like the TTA lens more, optically, it's worse than the 7A.
It's a monster compared with the Summilux (steel rim). 😳
And none of them, Voigtlander, Zeiss-ZM and this 'Artisan' thing come anywhere near the smoothness of the sweet little Summilux.
Or have you found a pleasant softness in any of these?
I like the softness of this lens as shown in the photos. If I want more perfect I like the Voogtlander 1.2 v3. I like the focus tab on the Leica lens.
Good comparison, thanks.
Thanks Avery!
Hi Matt, i have this lens since >1 year, and often said, it's better then the TTArtisan 35mm F1.4, which it truely is.
Thanks Marc, I compared the TTA to the v1 35 1.4 and for me the TTA won (in the test shots shown) but both have pros cons. I love the Voigtlander size!
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Hi Matt, i've wrote this often before, see this Review from Erick Photo, the TTA 35/1.4 (non-APO) is a cheaper, optical design and less good quality-wise.
th-cam.com/video/XsmeRYT3Bz8/w-d-xo.html
This is the truth. :)
Good light.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom Yes the voigtländer is great, size wise, less so optically.
Hi Matt,
I always hear or read, that 7arttisan is good for the money, but that’s not the point. Is this lens good enough for a Leica? I think it’s a little bit ridiculous to spend thousands of dollars for a camera and go for a cheap china lens, witch is much more important for the picture quality then the camera. For me is the best way a good balance between camera and lens. Focus the 7arttisan to infinity and stop down to f16. You will see what I’m talking about.
Sunny days and 15 degrees, time to saddle up the bike. Best wishes
Sorry but you reply makes no sense to me. I spent thousands of dollars on my Leica M Type 262 (I bought it new) but I love to experiment with many types of lenses. I refer to "cheap china lens" as you call them to old post war vintage East German Meyer optic and Pentacon lenses. Lots of interesting things to image with such lenses, and enjoy their character. And yes, I have a rather large number of Leica lenses, some dating all the way back to 1930, the later will be out performed by pretty much any current Chinese lens but so what? I just love that Leica makes it possible fr me to still use such old lenses. To me it's all about the character of each lens. They are all so very different but so much fun to experiment with on my Leica M, or my old Ricoh GXR-M mount, or my Sony A6600. In short, I've invested thousands of dollars in my lenses over time but I still like to try the cheap stuff just to see what I can eek out of them.
@@d30gaijin thanks Don! Agreed
Thanks, there are different schools of thought. Some use Leica cameras as they like the process and or the camera output. Putting perfect lenses on can get a bit boring do vintage and cheap lenses can make life more exciting. It’s fun testing to find the unexpected gems. Here for example, I would never Voigtländer to come second but it did. (There are those that buy Leica to ‘flex’ (show off) but ignore those). Agreed if you own a M11 and 1 cheap Chinese lens then you are missing the point I think but as someone else replied, once you’ve tried Leica glass it’s nice to enjoy other brands which are often almost as good or more fun as they are less perfect. I think Leica purists don’t follow this channel as I put none Leica glass on Leica bodies. It’s the image that counts for me and enjoying the process of making the image. Good to hear you’re a bike rider too. Video coming maybe next month you might like! :)
@@d30gaijin I agree and I don’t. If you have a nice collection of Leica/Voigtländer/Zeiss lenses and you are want a lens with a not perfect look, why not. I also use special lenses like meyer optik.
If 35mm is your favorite lens and you don’t have the budget for a perfect lens, definitely not, this lenses are not an alternative for Leica, Voigtländer or Zeiss.
For me is a hightec carbon frame with shimano sora no option, but that’s just my way
Excellent review Matt! Thank you. To be honest, I'm not interested in this lens. The 28mm is very compelling.
Yes. I have their 28mm 1.4 and I love the IQ. It's heavy, though.
Despite odd rendering (just like pre-ASPH Lux) wide open from Nokton-M 35 1.4 II, I prefer it to any bigger lens. You know, framelines. It balances well on small Canon RP as well.
Thanks Kostya! I still need to try the v2 35 1.4
It is said the best watches are made in Germany.
And so all the the cuckoo clocks are made in the Geman Black Forrest.
In the analog photo labs just German photo tmers were ticking.
The Prontor ( mr Deckel) and Compur ( mr Gauthier) leaf shutters
were made in Bavaria and in the Black Forrest in Germany.
The behind the lens leaf shutter of the swiss SINAR
LF camera is made by Copal in Japan
Thanks Jaco! Nicely put
7Artisan continues to improve quality.
Thanks yes a Patreon tells me this is not as well built as many of their others.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom I still feel the Voigthlander lens is better
Thanks!
Thank you, Matt, as your videos help me make quick and easy purchase decisions.
Thanks, happy to help!
Thanks for the super thanks Leonard, sorry I just see it!
I have a hard time being excited by 7artisans since TTartisan made way better quality lenses : construction and optics (...not always in that department). Not that they are bad lenses, but the feeling isn't there and size and weight are often too high for me.
I’m new to Chinese lenses but so far I agree with you build wise.
Voigtlander is kinda in pancake realm, much better handling and form factor, I really like the fact that the lens length doesn't make camera extruding too much out
Yes 100% - I prefer the Voigtlander too
I like your videos but what I don't understand is why you alter the RAWs with your Mr.Leica profile 'sauce' and even then you do some extra editing on top.
WHAT IS LEFT OF THE ORIGINAL RAW, so how can we see what comes SOOC to make our own decision .
That way I can make the most shitty lenses look amazing (with my over 20 years experience of photography editing),
Those 2 jpgs tell me more about the difference of those lenses than those modified RAWs.
Thanks yes I included those JPEGs for you! The rest are just examples using the lens pulled from socials etc. I’ll try to include a few more test JPEG in future videos, not the next vid as too late so skip that.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom That would be great (unedited JPGs please SOOC ) and of different subjects, like high contrast, vibrant color, maybe bokeh wide open and a B/W.
Excellent
@@RS-Amsterdam it’s normally limited to where I am and weather conditions but I’ll see what I find
Voiglander is Japanese work, but only more than double the cost of 7artisan if 7 can beat Voiglander. Then click is not important.
True sorry for saying German. Some of the TTA and 7A lenses offer amazing value, no question.
Voigtlander is the name we know, 7Artisan sounds kinda silly, don't you think. Always go by the name! :):)
Haha Cosina took the old brand name that’s all. :)
I REALLY have an issue buying things, especially camera gear, manufactured in a country trying to destroy mine, and targets mine with nuke weapons. No thanks.
Thanks William, yes I can completely understand.
What country do live in your poor soul,
I am glad that someone else has spoken up about this. I totally agree. 🤝
Agreed, this is why I avoid things made in the USA. They are a danger to the world and also support genocide.
Yeah, first!
Thanks
3rd
Thanks
I take a lot of pictures and enjoy my photography a lot.
It is my opinion that China, Russia and America are going to war, as a matter of fact we are already at war with them in many ways.
If you don’t believe this then why have so many companies already been going through cyber attacks and many have been put out of business completely.
So I have to ask the question why are so many Americans still buying Chinese goods and products daily?
Why are so many Chinese products promoted on Facebook and other social media outlets.
Why do I see all kinds of Photography gear and Lens from China promoted on TH-cam?
Why do I see so many folks bragging about their new Chinese lens on all the photography forums?
Obviously we are now living with generations of people who never watched the death tolls each night from Vietnam!
Obviously we are living with people that haven’t a clue how many lives were lost at Pearl Harbor and World War Two.
Do you have to see blood and bodies out in the street before you get it people.
Wake Up!

Thanks Russell, I use all lenses from all countries and just focus on the photos.
According to you ...the whole world should be anti american, since u guys have been terrorising people since over 70 years...
People seem to be more interested in Bokeh than actually shooting and creating strong images. No wonder there is so much garbage photography out there today. Seriously, when people look at your photos they don't give shit about the bokeh.
Thanks Matt, yes fast glass is an easy rabbit hole to go down. Sometimes it's good to shoot at f4 for a bit to cleanse the system! With a 50 f1 lens it takes the challenge element out of photography.