Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 85mm F/12 Lens for Nikon F Review

The Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2 has always had my attention due to it'south maximum aperture. I can't imagine this lens having the best image quality, nor have much practical usage with it existence transmission focus. Besides, at £650ish, the price of the lens is non considered 'cheap' in my eyes.

The maximum aperture is non something I've had much experience with as my fastest Nikon or Sony lenses are only f/1.4.

I say 'simply' like f/1.4 is slow merely because there are such lenses like the 'Canon L' Prime lenses which go up to f/1.two and even some Leica drinking glass that goes to f/0.95!

I am admittedly a 'Bokeh-Whore' and I love shooting wide open! I've ever wanted to encounter if that extra pace to f/1.2 would offering any do good at all against an f/1.4, so when I got the opportunity to get my hands on the Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 85mm f/1.2, I snatched that up real quick!

First Impressions

Upon receiving the box for the lens, I was really quite surprised!

The box was quite hefty and the packaging was actually very premium.

A solid feeling instance wrapped in leather with buckles and buttons to hold it all in identify. You do get the sense some serious consideration had been placed in the blueprint of the packaging and I definitely did appreciate this.

Although nosotros but ever really expect at the packaging upon opening the product and and then store away the box, or in some cases dispose of completely, having such a premium box would definitely be worth property onto.

Within the box, the lens was EXTREMELY snug within the interior foam and I definitely had troubles getting the lens out. It was actually pretty frustrating, just once information technology'southward out, it's out! Never put it back unless yous're selling it! lol

The lens is made of metal and has very polish rings to operate the focus and aperture. The aperture band is also clickless, which to some is a benefit, withal for me as a photographer information technology was a piddling abrasive to work with.

Information technology was annoying to work with as there are no click stops and the lens does non communicate with the camera to let me know what discontinuity I'm at. And so I wouldn't know without looking at the lens ring. In real-earth usage it may not bother me equally much as I tend to shoot wide open anyway, but during my lens testing it was definitely frustrating.

The lens has a 77mm filter thread which surprised me a little as that matches the Sony 85mm f/1.4 filter size. I did expect the Mitakon to be larger as the aperture is wider, so I can just presume this lens will vignette quite heavily at f/one.2.

Epitome Quality

Depending on how you look at it, this lens is good and bad for image quality.

F/one.2 at this price, swell! However, only comparing IQ to Price, bad…

That's simply my opinion of class…

At f/i.2, the lens has quite pregnant chromatic aberrations which practice not completely go away until f/4. The lens is also pretty soft wide open at f/1.2.

Generally speaking, lenses are softest at their widest apertures and for my personal taste, its a little too soft.

I maybe spoiled past the likes of the Sony GM and Sigma Art lenses, but here'south a comparison and then y'all can see the sharpness deviation broad open.

As you can come across from the above example, sharpness is miles autonomously and chromatic aberrations is much more obvious on the Mitakon. No profile corrections take been done to the to a higher place shots, they are both RAW.

Observations

This unscientific exam was done on a tripod and two things I noticed from the first is their focusing distance and field of view.

Both are 85mm and oddly enough, the field of view on the Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM was slightly wider. Hence, why the higher up shot the ane on the left is slightly smaller when both zoomed in 1:one.

Is this a trouble for you lot? Only you lot can answer that. For me, not really as I didn't detect the departure until comparison side-by-side.

Focusing distance however is noticeable. The Sony GM is 80cm, whereas the Mitakon is 1m. How does that translate in real-world usage?

Every bit you can see, yous can fill the frame much more with the Sony GM. This does let for more composition options.

I did detect that the aperture markings weren't aligned properly with the lens when turning.

With the band turned to the far left at f/one.2, the shutter was at 1/400sec, I stopped down to what I thought was f/1.4 and noticed no exposure shift or change in Bokeh. And so after turning the ring slightly more, I then achieved a shutter at i/320sec and I can now see a difference in the image.

Going downwardly in stops, it was quite consistent that the discontinuity markings were not aligned correctly. This could be due to a faulty unit, or it could be a testament to Mitakon's build quality in general.

Bokeh

The Bokeh between f/1.2 and f/1.iv was surprisingly noticeable. I knew there would be a difference, just I did presume it would be very subtle. However, the groundwork is much smoother at f/1.ii!

Mitakon 85mm f/ane.2 Speed Master @ F/1.two & F/1.4, ISO100, 1/400&ane/320sec

Notwithstanding, when you pit the Mitakon up confronting the Sony GM at their minimum focusing distance to meet which lens can produce the shallow depth of field and has the most pleasing Bokeh I feel the Sony GM will win this tour.

Although the Sony GM Aperture is non as wide equally the Mitakon, due to the focusing distance you tin melt abroad the background much more.

The Sony GM Bokeh Balls are generally perfectly round, whereas the Mitakon definitely has some odd shapes amongst them.

Sample Images

Sony A7RII w/ Mitakon 85mm f/1.ii Speedmaster (Retouched)

Sony A7RII westward/ Mitakon 85mm f/ane.2 Speedmaster (Retouched)

Sony A7RII west/ Mitakon 85mm f/one.two Speedmaster (Unretouched)

Sony A7RII w/ Mitakon 85mm f/i.ii Speedmaster (Unretouched)

Sony A7RII w/ Mitakon 85mm f/1.2 Speedmaster (Unretouched)

Sony A7RII w/ Mitakon 85mm f/ane.2 Speedmaster (Unretouched)

Determination

The lens sets out to be a "Speedmaster" and information technology delivers! The f/1.ii does in fact offer you more light. It's not one of those lenses which country a fast aperture but a slow T-Finish. The shallow DOF is noticeable between f/1.2 and f/one.4 at the aforementioned working altitude. So information technology does what information technology sets out to do and you lot can't fault the lens on that.

At £650 before aircraft & taxation (most likely to be £900ish at last cost), I think the lens is a bit steep for what it is. If you demand that speed yous take no other option… unless y'all shoot Catechism that is…

YouTube

As always, I exit YouTube videos for other reviewers who have reviewed this lens. If you have time, please exercise check them out 😉

Steve Huff @ www.stevehuffphoto.com

Miguel Quiles @ YouTube

lakeyneysither88.blogspot.com

Source: http://www.leophoto.co.uk/review/mitakon-zhongyi-speedmaster-85mm-f1-2-review/

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