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I really enjoy that you dont discriminate against lens companies that arent Leica. So many people have been told that if its not Leica, its trash so I really appreciate you trying all these lenses out for us
There are also the Perar range of tiny lenses of the Cooke (Novar) type. Not altogether satisfactory but they give a lightweight piece of kit. The cap feature is neat.
Matt, a couple additional options you could look into. Both are pancake LTM lenses with rangefinder coupling. The first is a Leitz Elmar, 3.5/35 which was produced in pre-war, uncoated, and post-war coated versions and the second is a Canon 3.5/35 Tessar design, Canon's attempt to improve on the Elmar. While both lenses will be more expensive than the 7Artisans, and the coated versions will not compare with modern coatings, they will open wider and are rangefinder coupled. I own an uncoated Elmar and a Canon. Every time I start feeling seduced by the 7Artisan lens I just think of what those two lenses have produced for me and walk away from the computer. Besides, in these days of mandated social distancing, you are liable to be arrested if you come as close as 0.3 meters to a model.
Good, objective review of what appears to be a fundamentally flawed lens. I think you correctly identified the weaknesses and limitations (full marks for that) and potentially saved a lot of people an otherwise wasted $200. For those who don't need 0.3m close-focus it would be better to put the money towards an older screw-mount 35/3.5 Summaron. Use it on a Barnack or M, with filters and hood if needed, RF coupled, sharp(-ish) to the corners, minimal vignetting or colour fringing and even more compact than the 7A.
The no-click distance metering is a debit for sure, but the idea and implementation of such lens is great. I wish the outside barrel would be silver and not gold (obviously not an option), but this is just personal preference. Quite some purple fringing which is quite severe on the M 240 - it might not occur on color film tough. B&W looks much better and is superb. I also love the close focus distance of 0.3 m with the TTArtisan 11/2.8 M lens (not rangefinder-coupled either which I didn't find to be an issue). Overall an innovative idea where maybe the second lens version has improvements in the discussed areas. This lens works likely best with film - curious to see you close-up shots on film using this lens.
Thanks Martin! I only shot fence posts so far so I need something more exciting to shoot the rest of the roll but yes I’ll post to Flickr once developed. Cornerfix can fix the edges I’m told FYI.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom I worked with Cornerfix when using wide M lenses on my A7R. It works well with a bit of fringing in the corners. But with this severe linear fringe on one side it might have trouble. I wonder if the lens is decentered since it's only on one side.
Matt, the Cornerfix program will remove both the edge colour and vignetting. It's quick to use in pp. Like you, I don't really care about the vignetting. The black variant is definitely the way to go :-)
Great review, thank you so much, for the total stranger in Leica M mount world your reviews a great guidance! This lens looks like it was made for photojournalism and candid streets shots imho and correct me if I'm wrong but on crop sensor it will give me close to 50mm field of view, right?
I was quite tempted to buy this lens as a fun walk about day time lens but now I'm not too sure. As you may, or may not remember I'm a new convert to the Leica M system with the purchase of the M8. As this lens is not RF coupled its probably more trouble than its worth on a camera without Live View so sadly I think I'll give this fun little lens a miss. Thanks for your review, as informative as ever. 👍
For a crop sensor I’d suggest an Avenon 28mm as a better pancake lens than the 7Artisans 35mm which is a little too large for crop factors bigger than in an M8.
Also known under the name Kobalux. Look up details in Google. Not cheap. Also some right now for sale in eBay. (For info I have a D-Lux: Leica branded Panasonic F1, and Digilux 1, Digilux 2, X1, T, CL, M8, and some Leica branded clones of early Fuji’s.) And I’m now trying out the 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 lens. Plus their 35mm f/0.95 lens. And looking at a 17mm f/0.95 lens.
Well, the only good thing about this lens for me is the price, no RF coupling, No aperture setting, but the weight "feels" like a Leica ..... Vignetting, Color cast purple on the M Digital, Ok. As for the argument that it could work on de M240 of M10, do you think that an owner of that camera would actually use this ??? Euh, No. No Way. And on top of that not sharp in the corners. But that is OK for "Character" ? Ok the argument of subjective "I like it" always works. A Jupiter 12 is coupled, at f/2.8 and aperture settings for 80 UKP..... Dead duck in the water is what I see. But always like and appreciate your efforts of course Matt !! Greetz from here ;-)
Thank you Eric! Lovely to hear from you and thanks for your well thought out comment. I 100% agree but I tried to judge the lens for what it was and in isolation. As you say most people don’t buy Leica for just ‘fun’ photos. I’ll try to catch you on FB soon. (I struggle to keep up with all the platforms!) Greets!
I'm just not sure. I have the Voigtlander 35mm f2.5. It's as small as I need it to be, and I'm really happy with its image quality. I'd be more interested in an f5.6 lens if they had used the low speed to allow the design of an exquisitely perfect image maker for (maybe) $300. Shouldn't be hard in this day and age when they can make really good lenses at f1.2. I might consider one of these if they make one for my Canon RP. All the Canon lenses for that little body are really big.
Got one too. The 5.6 is killing digital M camera users, as it will reveal the dusty sensors. Have since spent plenty of time cleaning. Dust reference images will bug you as it is impossible to get rid of all specks. Solution: go back to super fast lenses or get a weather sealed Q2 :) This is the biggest drawback I found with the wen lens, otherwise fun for experimenting.
The screen shots for Canon and Sony say full frame but they list only APSC cameras, and a price of £138,. This is confusing me. Is this an APSC only version of the lens? If it covers full frame for Emount then it is cheaper than the M mount, which is currently at £148.09 on Amazon UK. Amazon are frequently not good with their description of photographic items.
I would think it is the same optics in all of them to keep production cost down. I did notice the non-M mount ones looked cheaper on Amazon. Maybe check with the seller before buying to be safe.
Hi yes! It’s a single speed I built for fun / training and I interchange wheels with my TT bike. Sometime I mix them as here. 90mm front! Sketchy on the TT in cross winds but ok on drops 🤓
you are always on point with your reviews ! Thank you. However that lesn is by far the most ugly lens that I have ever seen. I wouldnt even put in in my pocket, maybe somebody sees it xD I would like you to do some reviews about other lenses like the 35 Summilux FLE or similar :)
@@ronaldsand3000 thanks Ronald, I think getting close easier creativity but yes for normal use RF coupled lenses make more sense for most Leica shooters. 👍🏻
✅ Find on Amazon (US) amzn.to/3v8CuVa (UK) amzn.to/3cbJ70p⭐️ Patreon: Join us today for more videos! From £1/mth - www.patreon.com/mrleicacom▶️ Watch Next: Series 2: Leica Thread Mount Lens Reviews - ua-cam.com/play/PLQrNLZpnEw8ByZcJCXoa2iM-I6oRfAq2b.html
I really enjoy that you dont discriminate against lens companies that arent Leica. So many people have been told that if its not Leica, its trash so I really appreciate you trying all these lenses out for us
Thanks Kevin, yes I’m sure the Leica shooters questioned this video but occasionally you find low cost gems 👍🏻
Matt is an artist, not a snob.
@@lawyal as am I!
@@barcostudio show me your pictures. I know him because I’ve seen his photos. They’re beautiful, purely beautiful which shows he’s fully focused.
@@lawyal check the videos on my page.
It's an intriguing little lens! The colours are vibrant and nice contrast especially in b&w. Thanks so much Matt! You've been a great help!
Thanks Lucy! A fun little lens even if not the usual Leica standard optically.
18min full of usefull information, as always. Thank you.
Thanks Jos!
Thank you so much for this nice review about this tiny lens , I love the quality of pictures 👌👌👌
No problem! Yes a fun little lens
An intriguing review of an intriguing lens, nice work Matt
Cheers Steve!
There are also the Perar range of tiny lenses of the Cooke (Novar) type. Not altogether satisfactory but they give a lightweight piece of kit. The cap feature is neat.
Thanks! Ah yes i've come across these in the past but never used one.
it looks like a perfect companion for MDa.
Yes! If you can shoot at f11 see my recent small lens video, there is a smaller option.
Matt, a couple additional options you could look into. Both are pancake LTM lenses with rangefinder coupling. The first is a Leitz Elmar, 3.5/35 which was produced in pre-war, uncoated, and post-war coated versions and the second is a Canon 3.5/35 Tessar design, Canon's attempt to improve on the Elmar. While both lenses will be more expensive than the 7Artisans, and the coated versions will not compare with modern coatings, they will open wider and are rangefinder coupled. I own an uncoated Elmar and a Canon. Every time I start feeling seduced by the 7Artisan lens I just think of what those two lenses have produced for me and walk away from the computer. Besides, in these days of mandated social distancing, you are liable to be arrested if you come as close as 0.3 meters to a model.
Haha thanks Steve! Yes great point about those 2 lenses thanks, the Summaron also which I have and totally forgot to mention.
Good, objective review of what appears to be a fundamentally flawed lens. I think you correctly identified the weaknesses and limitations (full marks for that) and potentially saved a lot of people an otherwise wasted $200. For those who don't need 0.3m close-focus it would be better to put the money towards an older screw-mount 35/3.5 Summaron. Use it on a Barnack or M, with filters and hood if needed, RF coupled, sharp(-ish) to the corners, minimal vignetting or colour fringing and even more compact than the 7A.
Thanks! Ah I totally forgot about my Summaron! Doh! What a great suggestion. Sorry about that.
The no-click distance metering is a debit for sure, but the idea and implementation of such lens is great. I wish the outside barrel would be silver and not gold (obviously not an option), but this is just personal preference. Quite some purple fringing which is quite severe on the M 240 - it might not occur on color film tough. B&W looks much better and is superb. I also love the close focus distance of 0.3 m with the TTArtisan 11/2.8 M lens (not rangefinder-coupled either which I didn't find to be an issue). Overall an innovative idea where maybe the second lens version has improvements in the discussed areas. This lens works likely best with film - curious to see you close-up shots on film using this lens.
Thanks Martin! I only shot fence posts so far so I need something more exciting to shoot the rest of the roll but yes I’ll post to Flickr once developed. Cornerfix can fix the edges I’m told FYI.
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom I worked with Cornerfix when using wide M lenses on my A7R. It works well with a bit of fringing in the corners. But with this severe linear fringe on one side it might have trouble. I wonder if the lens is decentered since it's only on one side.
@@MB-or8js thanks for confirming. I like the imperfections but others may look to fix
Matt, the Cornerfix program will remove both the edge colour and vignetting. It's quick to use in pp. Like you, I don't really care about the vignetting.
The black variant is definitely the way to go :-)
Thanks Alexander, ah yes great tip if ripple want to fix their photos thanks!
Great review, thank you so much, for the total stranger in Leica M mount world your reviews a great guidance! This lens looks like it was made for photojournalism and candid streets shots imho and correct me if I'm wrong but on crop sensor it will give me close to 50mm field of view, right?
Hello, thanks! Yes on the Leica CL APS-C or a Fuji X it will be 50mm equivalent
I was quite tempted to buy this lens as a fun walk about day time lens but now I'm not too sure. As you may, or may not remember I'm a new convert to the Leica M system with the purchase of the M8. As this lens is not RF coupled its probably more trouble than its worth on a camera without Live View so sadly I think I'll give this fun little lens a miss. Thanks for your review, as informative as ever. 👍
Thanks Nigel, yes correct this lens is not idea for the M8/M9. Get an RF coupled lens instead.
I didn't know you couldn't focus with the rangefinder. Bummer 🥺 I love the compact size, that is why my CV 21mm f4 is one of my favorite lenses 👍🏼
Yes sorry to share that Ricardo
Check also the tiny minitar art lens from lomo, 32mm
Thanks Jero, will do!
For a crop sensor I’d suggest an Avenon 28mm as a better pancake lens than the 7Artisans 35mm which is a little too large for crop factors bigger than in an M8.
Thanks Dan, I’ve not tried that lens yet, noted
Also known under the name Kobalux. Look up details in Google. Not cheap. Also some right now for sale in eBay.
(For info I have a D-Lux: Leica branded Panasonic F1, and Digilux 1, Digilux 2, X1, T, CL, M8, and some Leica branded clones of early Fuji’s.)
And I’m now trying out the 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 lens. Plus their 35mm f/0.95 lens. And looking at a 17mm f/0.95 lens.
Well, the only good thing about this lens for me is the price, no RF coupling, No aperture setting, but the weight "feels" like a Leica ..... Vignetting, Color cast purple on the M Digital, Ok. As for the argument that it could work on de M240 of M10, do you think that an owner of that camera would actually use this ??? Euh, No. No Way. And on top of that not sharp in the corners. But that is OK for "Character" ? Ok the argument of subjective "I like it" always works. A Jupiter 12 is coupled, at f/2.8 and aperture settings for 80 UKP..... Dead duck in the water is what I see. But always like and appreciate your efforts of course Matt !! Greetz from here ;-)
Thank you Eric! Lovely to hear from you and thanks for your well thought out comment. I 100% agree but I tried to judge the lens for what it was and in isolation. As you say most people don’t buy Leica for just ‘fun’ photos. I’ll try to catch you on FB soon. (I struggle to keep up with all the platforms!) Greets!
its £170 on amazon now, jury is out for me i have the 7artisans f2 and thats tiny smaller than a canon 50mm 1,8 ltm
Thanks Dave!
Great video! Have you checked out the CAPLENS 18mm f/8.0 by Funleader? Seems like a similar, quirky (yet affordable, at least by Leica terms) lens!
Thanks Alexander! Not i've not heard of them, I will check it thanks!
I'm just not sure. I have the Voigtlander 35mm f2.5. It's as small as I need it to be, and I'm really happy with its image quality.
I'd be more interested in an f5.6 lens if they had used the low speed to allow the design of an exquisitely perfect image maker for (maybe) $300. Shouldn't be hard in this day and age when they can make really good lenses at f1.2.
I might consider one of these if they make one for my Canon RP. All the Canon lenses for that little body are really big.
Thanks Scott. There is one for the Canon mirrorless if that’s the same thing?
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom That's for Canon M, which I think is apsc, and a different mount.
Though I could be wrong.
@@scottparis6355 ah thanks, sorry I’m not up to speed on Canon
Got one too. The 5.6 is killing digital M camera users, as it will reveal the dusty sensors. Have since spent plenty of time cleaning.
Dust reference images will bug you as it is impossible to get rid of all specks.
Solution: go back to super fast lenses or get a weather sealed Q2 :) This is the biggest drawback I found with the wen lens, otherwise fun for experimenting.
Thanks Carl! I'm happy it is not just me with the dust! :) Good to hear you have one too!
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom, jumped on it as soon as it was out. It is fun, as the restrictions it entails will spur creativity. :)
@@carl-magnushogerkorp498 that was certainly true for me! Nicely said :)
Wow I forgot what green grass looked like. We’re still in winters clutches
Thanks! Ha I think it is the first mown grass i've seen this year. It was 6 degrees C but felt colder in shorts on a bike!
The screen shots for Canon and Sony say full frame but they list only APSC cameras, and a price of £138,. This is confusing me. Is this an APSC only version of the lens? If it covers full frame for Emount then it is cheaper than the M mount, which is currently at £148.09 on Amazon UK. Amazon are frequently not good with their description of photographic items.
I would think it is the same optics in all of them to keep production cost down. I did notice the non-M mount ones looked cheaper on Amazon. Maybe check with the seller before buying to be safe.
Hey Matt have you tried the 7Artisans 35mm F2 for M mount yet.. Lots of chatter on the tube on this lens but did not notice any opinions from you.
Hi Roger, not yet. I tend to buy older lenses so i've not really considered them.. If I ever get to test one I will be sure so share my thoughts.
Is your front bike wheel deeper dish than your back wheel. Those wheels must be fun times on a windy day. Pedal Hard!
Hi yes! It’s a single speed I built for fun / training and I interchange wheels with my TT bike. Sometime I mix them as here. 90mm front! Sketchy on the TT in cross winds but ok on drops 🤓
How easy is it to close the lens and get black frames?
I didn't try. It's easier to leave it open if worried.
does this fit on M3?
All M lenses fit all M cameras but M3 has no 35mm frame
you are always on point with your reviews ! Thank you. However that lesn is by far the most ugly lens that I have ever seen. I wouldnt even put in in my pocket, maybe somebody sees it xD I would like you to do some reviews about other lenses like the 35 Summilux FLE or similar :)
Thanks Martin, I thought the black one looked OK. If Leica send me the 35 i'd love to test it. Hopefully in the future!
Apart from its flat profile and nice case, there’s absolutely nothing going for this lens
I like the 0.3m close focus the best
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom fair enough if you have a big case for such close focus
If you don’t there isn’t much going for this very ugly duckling
@@ronaldsand3000 thanks Ronald, I think getting close easier creativity but yes for normal use RF coupled lenses make more sense for most Leica shooters. 👍🏻
Nice body cap 😆
Hah thanks! I think the black one looks pretty neat! :)
@@MattOsborne-MrLeicaCom if they can make one that is coupled with 28mm focal length, they will sell like pancakes.
@@toulcaz31 haha nice .. and true too!