7artisans 25mm f/0.95 to f/16 Lens For Sony (E Mount)

There is not a competing 25mm f/0.95 lens designed for APSC cameras on the market. This lens, although rather soft wide open, delivers amazing character and extremely creamy bokeh. The backgrounds you can get out of this thing are unheard of, especially considering the focal length. And as with all 7Artisans lenses, the build quality is second to none.

I like big bokeh, I cannot lie ? a Nikon Z-centric review

What does a 25mm, f/0.95, manual focus, APS-C, Nikon Z-mount, ?dumb? lens do for under $400? DOUBLE the weight of a Z50, but ooooo the bokeh, bokeh, bokeh. Of course you?re gonna get bokehliciousness with this ludicrous-speed lens, and my biggest issue with my purchase is 7artisans marketing it as a ?light and compact? lens, because it?s anything but light and compact. It?s not the reason why I bought it, but I was shocked when the package was delivered. I thought that maybe there?s a gimble counterbalance or a sandbag weight in the box ? nope, just a hunk of metal and glass.So I had to find how this compares to my diminutive Z50, which with a battery, SD card AND the DX 16-50mm lens weighs 581 grams. The 7artisans lens, by itself, weighs in at 614 grams, that?s 1 ... MoreWhat does a 25mm, f/0.95, manual focus, APS-C, Nikon Z-mount, ?dumb? lens do for under $400? DOUBLE the weight of a Z50, but ooooo the bokeh, bokeh, bokeh. Of course you?re gonna get bokehliciousness with this ludicrous-speed lens, and my biggest issue with my purchase is 7artisans marketing it as a ?light and compact? lens, because it?s anything but light and compact. It?s not the reason why I bought it, but I was shocked when the package was delivered. I thought that maybe there?s a gimble counterbalance or a sandbag weight in the box ? nope, just a hunk of metal and glass.So I had to find how this compares to my diminutive Z50, which with a battery, SD card AND the DX 16-50mm lens weighs 581 grams. The 7artisans lens, by itself, weighs in at 614 grams, that?s 1 1/3 pounds for those of us still tied to the imperial system (I thought the Empire was bad ? Sith, Stormtroopers and the like). Size-wise, it?s almost as tall as a compacted DX 50-200mm lens. This is NOT the lens I want to carry around all day for street photography, and I?m sure as hell not throwing it my backpack for a mountain hike, but if I want to go rucking ?If I dropped this lens and broke it, would I get another? Probably not. I bought it directly from 7artisans during my Black Friday (week) orgy of online shopping, so returning it isn?t as easy as buying from Adorama.But, for the price, and when I have really still subjects that are in my studio or within a short walk, and I want to serve up some dreamy, creamy bokeh, with a DOF more shallow than a backyard kiddie pool, it?s worth keeping in my photographic arsenal.Oh, one very important item, if (like me) you?ve never had a faster lens than f/1.8, you absolutely will need a ND filter if shooting outside wide-open, even in cloudy weather. Both the Z50 and Zfc shutter speeds max out at 1/4000, and with this lens cranked wide open, the photos will still be blown out without a ND filter.PROS+ Stupid-fast lens.+ Have I mentioned the bokeh?+ Low price.+ Hefty hunk of metal and glass that?s useful for rucking.+ 52mm filter size, which for me, is the same filter size as 2/3 of my lenses, so I got that going for me.CONS- Heavy: weighs more than a pound, which is more than double the weight of a Z50 with a DX 16-50mm lens.- Big: almost as tall as a compacted DX 50-200mm lens.- Dumb: no CPU contacts, so no aperture info in the viewfinders, no in-camera aperture control and no EXIF info.- No aperture click stops. In the short time I?ve used this lens, I?ve inadvertently changed the aperture while focusing. The slightest bump can change the aperture setting. I might use some electrical tape to keep it in place.NITPICKS~ Metal lens cap will not stay attached if there?s a filter on the lens.~ No external lens mounting mark. There?s a small red dot on the rear (mating end) of the lens, which is more helpful than no mark at all, but come-on, man ?BONUS* Good reason/excuse to get a slew of 52mm ND filters* Tell your photographer friends ??Yeah, I got zero-point-nine-five here ???Your bokeh powers are weak, old man.??My bokeh is stronger than your bokeh.?