7Artisans 12mm f2.8 lens for Fuji - Review
The cheap, manual focus 12mm 2.8 lens for Fuji X mount from 7Artisans.
INTRO
7artisans make cheap manual focus lenses that are ideal if you need something to fill a gap in your lens range, need an infrequently used focal length or just want to try out something different without breaking the bank.
I got this lens to cover a job I had shooting some interior photos, while not all of the shoot was done this wide it was good for those tight spaces where the 16mm just wouldn’t have cut it and I didn’t want to fork out for the Fuji 10-24mm (my gear already covers the top end of this range) and I’m not a fan of renting lenses.
The job more than covered the cost of the lens, so an afternoon out shooting and I came away with this lens to add to my bag.
REVIEW
This lens cost me about £150, so they are REALLY, darn cheap. They have a decent lens line up and if you don’t mind a manual focus lens they can offer a decent quality lens in a very cheap package.
I tend not to fill my reviews with charts, photos of walls and waffle about physics of glass and the like, rather I’ll just say what I think and show some photos. All of these photos have been edited but it should give you an idea of how the lens performs.
Construction:
It’s a small, well made lens, mostly made of metal and will fit on any Fuji X mount camera. It feels solid in the hand, and the focus ring has a nice stiffness to it. Also the aperture ring is clickless so it’s a good option for video work. (but I’m not super stoked on that, read below)
Usage:
It’s easy to use and manual focusing this wide is easy, it can focus fairly close and works well paired with my Fuji X-H1 . Just remember to turn ‘Shoot without lens’ on in the camera settings to allow you to use it.
Image quality:
It’s a nice, contrasty lens that for the price makes really good images, I’ve done a few little crops below but for me it does what I need it to.
Cons:
The F2.8 aperture means it’s not really any good for astrophotography, manual focus is a hinderance, but being so wide it can be forgiven, the biggest problem with the lens I find is actually the clickless aperture which I sometimes adjust without meaning too, it’s not a big problem but I’d rather have clicks for the ring.
All of the below images are shot with the 7Artisans 12mm 2.8 lens on a Fuji X-H1
SUMMARY
Overall its a great lens, I use it mostly for my interior photography and sometimes for the odd landscape, if you need a decent wide angle at a fantastic price and don’t mind manual focusing then this is the lens for you.
*If you use this link to buy yourself one I’ll get a small commission and do a happy dance: > 7Artisan 12mm Fuji on Amazon
Let me know what you think below, or even better follow me on Instagram and send me a DM - @colinnichollsphotography
Cheers,