Can you go faster for less? Pergear's latest nifty fifty looks like a bargain
Full-frame Canon, Nikon Sony and L-mount shooters could be in for a treat
Pergear has launched a new fast standard prime for Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF and L-mount cameras.
The Pergear 50mm f/1.4 is a full-frame, manual focus lens with a larger than average maximum aperture for a low-cost 'nifty fifty' optic. As such, Pergear claims the lens enables distinct subject separation, as "out‑of‑focus regions dissolve into lush, creamy softness", helped by the well-rounded 12-blade aperture diaphragm. The f/1.4 aperture also makes the lens very useful in low light environments.
The lens uses a 6-element optical design arranged in 6 groups and includes a multi‑layer, anti‑reflective coating. This is said to effectively suppress flare and ghosting, while improving contrast and colour saturation.
Despite its budget price tag, the lens features an all-metal barrel with a tactile diamond-knurled focus ring for improved grip and focussing precision. Weight has been kept to a reasonable 255g, partly thanks to the compact 66mm lens diameter and 43.5mm barrel length. The lens has a minimum focussing distance of 0.6m, takes 52mm filters, and is fully manual, on account of there being no electronic contacts for lens-body communication.
However, with a retail price of $129 (£96, currency conversion), the Pergear 50mm f/1.4 still seems like incredible value for money.
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Ben is the Imaging Labs manager, responsible for all the testing on Digital Camera World and across the entire photography portfolio at Future. Whether he's in the lab testing the sharpness of new lenses, the resolution of the latest image sensors, the zoom range of monster bridge cameras or even the latest camera phones, Ben is our go-to guy for technical insight. He's also the team's man-at-arms when it comes to camera bags, filters, memory cards, and all manner of camera accessories – his lab is a bit like the Batcave of photography! With years of experience trialling and testing kit, he's a human encyclopedia of benchmarks when it comes to recommending the best buys.
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