7Artisans Vision 50mm T1.05 review: I tried these cheap cinema lenses and was blown away by how they performed

It’s very easy to find yourself desiring the biggest and best, and we all know that good glass can be prohibitively expensive. But does that have to be the case? I’ve often wondered whether more wallet-friendly lenses can produce results that I can be proud of. It’s an odd thing that certain cheap vintage lenses become particularly sought after, in some ways for their flaws and the personality they can bring, and it’s become quite common to see filmmakers from all levels using old glass.

These old lenses are most commonly not optically perfect, so why not look at the budget end lenses to see what’s on offer? 7Artisans has a reputation for producing lenses that provide a great balance between cost and quality, and they would have you look to their Vision Cine lenses as a way to buy even a three-lens set, suitable for super35 cameras, for less than you would pay for a single lens from a more upmarket manufacturer.

I’ve owned, rented, and used many lenses over the years, at all price points, so I was eager to get my hands on this 50mm T1.05 to see how it might fit into my work. No preconceptions about the image or usability, other than build quality, as I had great experiences with some of their stills lenses for my Fuji.

7Artisans Vision 50mm: Specifications

7Artisans Vision 50mm: Price

$430 / £430 / AU$459 is very reasonable and you’d be hard pushed to find something from other brands that match this, making it a worthy contender for your short list. Especially considering the specs and overall build. On top of that, you get a twelve-month warranty, giving a little peace of mind.

Laowa Proteus: Design & Handling

The lens ships nicely packaged and with a twist-on rear cap and a push-on front cap. A small niggle but I do wish the front caps were labelled with the focal length. Some manufacturers do this, others don’t, but it makes things neater and easier when storing. Of course, a bit of tape or a label is simple enough, but still.

Build quality is really very good. The body and mount are full metal construction, and the finish is a nice satin black. Although there are options for lens mounts, they don’t appear to be user changeable, so you’ll need to pick between L, M43, EOS RF, Fuji X, and E mount. At first, I thought it was strange to see an X mount cine lens, but when you consider this is a super 35 and APSC lens, it makes sense. Cameras like the XHS2 or XT5 would suit this well. In fact, I’m tempted to grab an X mount version for my Fuji cameras.

The aperture ring is declicked and feels, along with the focus ring, buttery smooth, with just the right amount of resistance. Labels and markings are printed rather than etched or engraved, which is a shame, but at this price point, 7Artisans can be forgiven for that. After much use, there is no sign of any wear. It’s also nice to see focus measurements in both metric and imperial.

My L mount version is a perfect fit to the camera body with no play in the connection at all, something that can’t be said for all lenses, even at three times the price. I’m really impressed by the overall build here, but it’s not completely perfect. I would say that for some users, the gearing for the iris and focus could be a touch too close. At just under 2cm, you might find it a tight fit if you wish to use two motors for control. My Tilta motors work just fine, but others may have deeper motor barrels. That said, the gearing is smooth, and the 270-degree focus throw makes it easy to hit critical focus using a motorised or hand-operated follow focus.

Like many cine lenses, there are no electronics, no automatic iris, autofocus, etc, but if you’re looking at cine lenses, this is doubtful a problem.

7Artisans Vision 50mm: Performance

Let’s start by talking about crop factors. This is going to vary from camera to camera, based on your sensor size and how your sensor manages different formats, as some will downsample the entire image, while many crop into a portion of the sensor. For me, shooting on a Pyxis that crop factor is a touch over 1.5x, making this effectively a 75mm lens.

Even though this lens is constructed of metal, its fairly small proportions mean it isn’t too weighty and balances nicely. Even on a more mirrorless style camera, it feels good, but I’ve been testing mostly on my Pyxis, in super35 mode, and it makes for a great partnership, with one exception. When using the EVF, the mounting portion sits a little too far forward for the Nucleus motor to match the gearing. This is entirely dependent on the rig you have, so check how much clearance you need. I got around this by using a baseplate with rods, which adds a bit of bulk. When not using the EVF, it isn’t an issue at all, and I mostly prefer to use a top-mounted monitor anyway.

Focus throw is 270 degrees, great for using motors but not so much for simple handheld and stripped back. The action is buttery smooth, however, which is really nice. The same applies to the Iris, with its range of T1.05 to 16. This is fast glass.

A large aperture doesn’t always mean a good image, though. Often, lenses need to be closed down a little to get the best results. That is true here, and T2 is where the sweet spot starts, which is still good. Wider than that is still usable and helpful for certain situations, but it is a little soft.

It’s worth remembering this isn’t full frame. Advertised as APS-C, this covers Super 35 with absolutely no vignetting and almost no corner softness. Impressive, but not all sensors work the same. If you run a body without pixel binning, you may find some serious vignetting here, but if your sensor is cropped in Super35 mode, you’re golden.

Focus breathing is one of those things that is really important to some, while others don’t see it as a problem, and others don’t even notice it. As filmmakers, it tends to register higher on the list of priorities. Unfortunately, the 50mm vision does display some. Not crazy amounts, but it is definitely there. I personally don’t mind a little; however, for some, it may be unacceptable, but at this price, I can forgive it.

The same applies to artefacts and aberrations. As mentioned in the intro, some people go mad for what they call ‘personality’ in a lens, while others crave as clinical a picture as possible. I can see the benefits of both, and while not a cherished vintage lens, the Vision has a little bit of personality. There’s some definite fringing in detailed, high contrast areas. Bokeh is interesting with this lens. It has a slight swirl to it, which makes the lens feel more lived in. It’s hard to describe, but it isn’t clean and clinical, but has a kind of charm that I really like. I wouldn’t want to use it to shoot a modern commercial, but for narrative, documentary, or profile pieces, I think it could be a winner. That goes hand in hand with the small size, too, making for a neat, easily portable setup.

Check out these test shots to see what I mean. The foliage against the bright sky especially demonstrates what I mean. Shot at T1.05, you can see the possible depth of field, bokeh, and general look, which is nice, but also the purple fringing, which can get strong at times. Overall, though, I'd say the image looks great.

Vision test 001 - YouTube

Watch On

Results are pleasing in different conditions, too. Contrast stays strong in most situations, only really diminishing when shooting straight into the light, but that’s to be expected.

I really like how even the image is across the frame. There’s no vignetting and almost no drop off in softness. You can see a small amount when shooting repeating patterns, but never at any significant or distracting level.

So, this lens isn’t the cleanest, most clinical. Nor is it the most laden with personality, but it has a certain charm which I appreciate, and, paired with the form factor and price, it’s one that I can see myself using a lot.

7Artisans Vision 50mm: Verdict

I’ve been really impressed by this lens. It’s easy to handle, doesn’t break the bank and the image is very pleasing. I like it so much that I’ve ordered another in the range, so keep your eyes peeled, as I may review that to see if there’s good consistency across the range. If you want to add a reasonably priced cine lens to your kit, then this might be the one you’re looking for.

Alternatives

Sirui's Nightwalker lenses offer similar performance, although not as fast.

DZO's vespid range is a bit pricier but does cover full frame sensors and they are very well thought of.