p.1 #1 · Battle of the Sonnar: ZM50/1.5 vs 7artisans 50/1.1
I've had the ZM50/1.5 a while back and really enjoyed it, especially due to its very small dimensions and the way it draws.
After not having the ZM for some time now, I'm now considering buying it again or giving the 7artisans 50/1.1 a try instead. Anyone has both and can comment on performance of both? Maybe some side by side photos?
p.1 #6 · Battle of the Sonnar: ZM50/1.5 vs 7artisans 50/1.1
I've had it for a little more than a week, but haven't had a chance to use it much and form an opinion about optical performance. I also don't have the ZM Sonnar to make a direct comparison. Lots of SA close up and wide open, center and mid-zone sharpness are decent and things there improve stopped down. No clicks on the aperture, if that bothers you at all.
p.1 #8 · Battle of the Sonnar: ZM50/1.5 vs 7artisans 50/1.1
I have both these lenses, and the 7Artisans is much better on film than digital using a Leica M240.
On digital it shows colour smearing/magenta in the corners as the back lens group sticks much further out past the lens mount than the Zeiss (or any other lens that I have), and is much smaller in diameter. This means that the angles hitting the sensor on the corners are much more acute than with the Zeiss, resulting in the corner issues.
Not sure how it would behave on other digital bodies with different sensor cover thicknesses etc.
It is sharp at f2 and beyond on digital, and on film (my primary medium), just great everywhere.
It also does not seem to have focus shift the way the Zeiss does. Zeiss has better coatings.
I think the 7Artisans is an insane deal for the money. I have a few Leica and Zeiss lenses and would buy the 7 again in a heartbeat. I can do comparisons next weekend, but unless you also use a digital Leica M, I'm not sure how useful it would be.
There is a cool thread here, including some links to other threads using the lens: