Review on 📸 7artisans 55mm F1.4 II V2.0 Portrait Lens: M4/3-mount Mirrorless Camera Compatibility for GM1, GM5, GX1, GX7, GX8, and More by Ali Lariosa

Name: 📸 7artisans 55mm F1.4 II V2.0 Portrait Lens: M4/3-mount Mirrorless Camera Compatibility for GM1, GM5, GX1, GX7, GX8, and More
Item: 📸 7artisans 55mm F1.4 II V2.0 Portrait Lens: M4/3-mount Mirrorless Camera Compatibility for GM1, GM5, GX1, GX7, GX8, and More
Rating: 4

October 03, 2022

Very smooth ring control but depth of field is razor thin.

Received the lens today. My first impression: The ring controls are silky smooth. I compare it to another lens I own, the SLR Magic 25mm cine lens, which has much more drag in the control ring. And of course, every vintage lens I've used has a lot more drag in the focus and aperture rings. However, this lens felt incredibly smooth the moment I took it out of the box. I put it on my Blackmagic Pocket 4K and I have to say the bokeh is beautiful. However, it is difficult to get this ultra-fine focus right. If you ever thought you couldn't get a shallow depth of field with a micro quarter-camera, then you need to mount this lens on your camera. At 110mm equivalent, that's almost too small. Almost useless. I haven't tested this on my Olympus yet, but I will soon. As far as I can tell on my Blackmagic monitor and my field monitor, the washed out background looks really creamy. I can't wait to use this more.

Pros

Ideal opening: The optical system consists of 6 elements in 5 groups. The bright maximum aperture of f/1.4 enables shallow depth of field and selective focus techniques, and is also suitable for shooting in low light conditions. The 9-blade aperture contributes to a pleasant bokeh quality.

Cons