Low Light test of the 7Artisans 50mm f1.2 on Fujifilm X-T30III
Introduction
This is a first for me.
„I love this Lens!“
An extreme strong statement at a beginning of review. I had to release that first to cool down and deliver a less emotional test report of the 7Artisans 50mm f1.2 under Low Light condition. The pictures I took a month ago while I was testing the NEW Fujifilm X-T30III camera, a great piece of craftsman ship from Japan equipped with the latest electronics and software from Fujifilm. The combination of this camera and 7Artisans lens is seamless. A robust Lens on a robust build camera. Such a great haptic and it feels so good in your hands as if those have been only made for that combination.
If you watch carefully the pictures I took you can see the great performance, even wide open, of well corrected glass and low noise APS-C sensor with “big pixel size” which is making additional this camera perfect for low light photography.
Did I ever mention that I am a great fan of the Christmas season? I took those pictures on one of the wonderful Christmas markets in Düsseldorf. The combination of lights, Christmas music and smell of Glühwein, Backfisch and Reibekuchen (music and smell I can´t transport with my images), is transporting a feeling of being home. With taking pictures of the people, decoration and colorful lights I tried to transport that full spectrum of feelings.
Low Light Performance
Let’s get to the main topic of this blog entry, the test of the 7Artisans 50mm f1.2 lens in low light condition. In low light shooting next to modern lens or sensor stabilization technologies that allow to shoot out of the hand even at lower shutter speeds, 1/15s and below, sharp images which helps if you use e.g. zoom lenses that have aperture openings of 2.8 or even above. The 7Artisans 50mm f1.2 does not need this battery draining technology. This lens has an opening of f1.2. You need to be experienced to focus at those wide-open lenses as the field of focal depth at f1.2 is extreme small. If you use this limited FoD well, you can generate outstanding images. Have a close look to the wide-open images I made and judge yourself. To me this lens has proven it´s strong low light capabilities with great IQ and color rendering. Even wide open is the 7Artisans 50mm f1.2 producing sharp images with an extra character.
Too me this is already now an iconic lens, a lens that should be in every camera bag.
Manual Lenses
There is one thing I do not understand. Why am I so deep into manual lenses? I have been using for many years mainly autofocus lenses on my Nikon F4, F5, F6 and D1, D2, D3 and D4 cameras. I also started to use only Fujinon AF Lenses when I changed to the Fujifilm X-PRO2 in 2019. In 2020 I got my first manual lens the 7Artisans 60mm f2.8 Macro MK I. With this lens I took many stunning macro pictures, but it was also great in light tele photography with the 90mm FF focal length. My next manual lens has been the 7Artisans 35mm f1.2 MK I. A lens that has so much character perhaps due to the big optical errors at f1.2. I enjoyed taking pictures with this lens as I experienced the manual focusing as a kind of slow down and concentration on the composition of the image. From that time on my soul has been sold to manual lens photography and this big flame is still burning in my chest. Back to 1979 when I had started my photographical journey of my life.
I see the 7Artisans 50mm f1.2 as one of the highlights in my close to 6 years long manual/digital photography. “I love this lens!”
Please let me know, did you ever try a manual lens?