I was writing about the $300 saving on this lens… and it's so good, I just ended up buying it myself!
How do you know a Cyber Monday deal is good? When the person writing about the deal ends up buying one for himself! That's the case here, with $300 off the Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 II lens at B&H – such a good deal on such a unique lens that I simply couldn't resist it.
Anyway, I was taking photos across London's Southbank with the lens adapted to a mirrorless camera. I knew that the RF / Z / L / E mount versions were about half the weight, so I thought I'd check it out how much lighter it was – and that's when I saw that it had been reduced to just $499. At that price, there was no question it was going in my cart!
Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 III | was $799 | now $499
Save $300 at B&H Designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras using the RF / Z / L / E mounts, this fully manual lens delivers the kind of razor-thin depth of field you've always dreamed of, perfect for portraiture and extreme-low light shooting.
Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 | was $799 | now $599
Save $200 at B&H Designed for Canon DSLRs, but adapts perfectly to EOS R cameras. This is one of the most premium-feeling lenses I've ever used – heavy, hefty, and with a focus ring that makes it so much fun to nail focus at f/0.95!
My recent shooting trip reminded me just how much I love shooting with this lens. Shooting with manual focus completely changes the way you engage with your photography; turning the focus ring until the sharpness bites is such a visceral experience – and doing so with the added challenge of a razor-thin f/0.95 depth of field, and the added reward of the same thing, makes it even more enjoyable. As does the ability to shoot while the sun goes down!
The 50mm f/0.95 DSLR lens is one of my favorite lenses ever. Obviously wide open it's not as sharp as an L-series lens, but that's absolutely perfect for portraiture where you want to flatter your subject (not bring out all the imperfections in the skin). Take a look at one of my favorite shots below to see why I dig it!
It should speak for itself that I love my experience shooting with this lens so much that I just shelled out my own cash for the mirrorless version. Whichever lens you're looking at, $499 or $599 for the ability to shoot f/0.95 images is an absolute bargain!
The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera Magazine, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine, Digital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.
