Irix 11mm f/4 Blackstone review

The ultrawide Irix 11mm f/4 Blackstone lens for Canon, Nikon and Pentax DSLRs delivers superb image quality at a reasonable price

Irix 11mm f/4 Blackstone
(Image: © Future)

Digital Camera World Verdict

The Irix 11mm f/4 Blackstone is a well made and competitively priced ultrawide lens for full-frame Canon, Nikon and Pentax DSLRs. Image quality and handling are very good, but if our test sample lens is anything to go by, you may have to make some exposure corrections to compensate for the lens's imprecise aperture diaphragm control.

Pros

  • +

    Excellent exterior build

  • +

    Well priced

  • +

    Great centre-frame sharpness

Cons

  • -

    Fringing and distortion can be noticeable

  • -

    Doesn't always maintain consistent exposure accuracy

  • -

    Manual focus only

Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test.

Designed in Switzerland and built in South Korea, the Irix 11mm f/4 Blackstone is available in three mount options to fit full-frame Canon, Nikon or Pentax DSLRs, enabling an expansive 126-degree field of view on the diagonal.

The Irix 11mm f/4 is available in two editions. The Blackstone tested here is the premium edition with a metal barrel, while the Firefly variant incorporates exactly the same optics in a plastic shell that’s nearly 100g lighter, and has a lighter price tag, too. The Blackstone edition also distinguishes itself from its cheaper Firefly sibling by sporting engraved fluorescent markings on the lens barrel.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 

His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 

In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.