Review on 📷 Fotasy 35mm f1.6 APSC Lens for M43 MFT Mirrorless Cameras, Compatible with Olympus E-PL8 OM-D E-M1 I II E-M1X E-M5 I II III E-PM2 E-PM1/Panasonic G7 G9 GF7 GF8 GH5 GM5 GX7 GX8 GX9 GX85 GX80 GX85 (3516M43) by Kristi Green

I found this lens by accident while researching anamorphic lenses for my Panasonic Lumix G7. I was looking for a lens that would give the video a different look, maybe more "cinematic". A few things I found odd (at first) were the price and the claim that it was a security camera lens. After reading other reviews on other sites and watching sample videos on YouTube, I decided to give it a try. It's not an expensive $400+ anamorphic lens, but compared to a unique lens under $30 (at the time of purchase) it's hard to beat. The lens was shipped via USPS in a small bubble lined envelope. Inside the envelope was a small white box containing the lens and an adapter for the Micro Four Thirds body. The weight surprised me. The lens is made of metal and makes a solid impression. On the front of the lens is a ring nearly half an inch tall that works like a lens hood, although flare is still visible at certain angles. I don't mind flare and this lens gives photos and videos a unique flare. The ring at the end is threaded so it can be unscrewed. The focus ring is very smooth, as is the aperture ring. The advantage of the membrane ring is that there are no clicks between the stoppers and it offers a smooth transition from one end to the other. This is a big plus for videos. One thing I've noticed with mine is that sometimes adjusting one ring affects the other, taking a bit more time to adjust the other ring. Doesn't really matter as it helps me make sure my shot looks the way I want it to. This is one of the reasons why the full five stars are not awarded. The adapter is simple. It is screwed to this lens and then fixed in the housing. This lens contains no electronic components. That means no image stabilization, no autofocus, nothing. If you have very stable hands, you can record great videos while holding the camera. I'm not as stable as I'd like, so I use a tripod and handheld stabilizer. If you set the camera to AVCHD at 24p and a shutter speed of 50, your videos will look great. Even better if you apply a 2.35:1 aspect ratio in post. As for the vignetting, I've found that it can get quite noticeable on the outer edges/regions, but only if you're using f1.7. Some will appreciate and like this look. If you want to reduce vignetting, you can increase the stops until you get the look you want. For focus, it's about 12-16 inches to infinity. Anything closer will not be focused. I really like this lens! Some say it's a toy lens. I'm not sure if some are speaking negatively about it as it's not intended for professional video and is only used for entertainment or positively for its size but decent build quality. Anyway, now I carry it in my pocket and I still haven't shot the G7. I uploaded a quick test to my YouTube channel at Life Works with Yakov. Hopefully I'll grab a few more and post them for others to see.