Bradford at night – An hour at T0.95 from PThirteen DigitalMedia on Vimeo.
Richard just sent me the following message: “I ordered a SLRMagic 25mm hyperprime CINE for MFT on March 12th direct from their website. Even though it says Pre-order on the website, it was in stock in Hong Kong and shipped on the 13th, and I am getting it today! I am in California.” And as I told you before there is a rebate of $150 if you preorder it now (you will pay $650 instead of the original $799 price).
You can order the lens at http://slrmagic.com/products.php
39 Responses
I got mine on Monday. It’s a nice lens. In some ways I still prefer the Voigtlander 17.5mm since I prefer shooting wide. I know it’s a different focal length.
It’s nice wide open but at close focus the image doesn’t quite hold together as well as the 17.5mm. Other than that I find sharpness wide open very comparable. Bokeh is nice but I still prefer the 17.5mm but not by much. Maybe I’m just used to the 17.5mm after not taking it off my OM-D since purchasing it (except for now). Bokeh-wise I still prefer the old PL 4/3 25mm. The m43 Panasonic 25mm is ok. I just find it not as nice wide open so rarely use it. I don’t have any comparisons to substantiate.
I find that it is easy to focus and the build quality is very strong on the SLRmagic. aperture and focus rings are smooth and the pop out lens hood is useless but nonetheless cool feature. I would have preferred that it was internally focusing but the protrusion is minor. I am just concerned about dust / moisture since I live in Asia.
George, how do you find the sharpness at f1.4 with respect to Pana 25mm?
Hi Albert,
I have to give it a try but I find the SLRMagic very sharp at 1.4 (have not tried much on the edges) and I was not that impressed with the Panasonic at f/1.4. I would usually shoot at f/2. I think it’s worth trying a more thorough evaluation. Will have to get back to you on it.
Interesting…I find my P/L 25mm f/1.4 to be quite sharp wide open and giving really smooth Bokeh. Mine looks sharper, too me than this lens @f/1.4, based on the one set of images in the link on this page.. I considered the Nokton by Voigtlander, but it was really soft wide open..and although the lens did have a “look” to it, I thought that the $1200 price tag was way too much for what it is. I know that some LOVE that lens…and I will admit that it does have something goin on.
I see that this SLR Magic lens, once U get past the name (smirk)…has something similar to offer that the Nokton does but at a much more realistic price, especially right now with the rebate. I don’t know if it could sway me away from my P/L 25mm…(or be a sidekick for it), but I think I need some more info and use tests before I can make that decision. Not much out there to go on just yet.
@Bob B.
So I just pulled out my 25mm f/1.4 and compared to my SLRMagic.
Sharpness at f/1.4 seems to be about the same and so is the CA which is not great. I don’t remember my old 43 PL 25mm having the same problem but without apples to apples comparison I can only go by memory which was a while ago.
I did a hand-held test (using Magnification to lock focus). I noticed that I actually preferred the background oof area of the SLRMagic but I preferred the foreground 25mm oof area. I know it’s a weird distinction. I am not into “nervous” bokeh. I know many here who like the swirly bokeh and etc but that does nothing for me. Background oof was even for SLR Magic and foreground oof you could see more lines. The opposite was true for Panasonic.
One thing not mentioned yet is the black lens mount. I believe it is painted metal. So far has not been a problem but my concern is that over time things will wear and flecks might go into the sensor. Again, it is not a concern now and I like that it is black all around but part of me questions whether or not a non-painted lens mount might be better and more practical.
Using the PL25mm I remembered why I did not like using it. The AF is very bad. I get more accurate shots using MF or AF with a smaller AF area. I know that is not necessarily lens related.
The lens hood is useless? Why?
The lens hood slides into place, if it locked I think that would be better as I guess you could accidentally knock it, at least one thing with this lens you can’t lose it. You can screw on a conventional hood I’d imagine though so at least your options are open.
Hi George, thanks for the review! So you got the lens with the lens hood for $50 more? If you feel it is worthless, do you think it’s better to get the less expensive version? Hope to hear from you!
I think you might be confusing the lens hood and step up ring. The lens hood is build into the lens, it’s a ring that slides forward to become a hood.
Thanks P13! So I guess I can get a third party step up ring elsewhere?
There maybe some free step up rings still available, e-mail support@slrmagic.com and ask before you order.
The SLR Magic step-up designed for the lens is deeper and hence should be stronger than a generic one, but yet you could still buy a cheap generic one to do the same job.
Hi Ann,
I’ve got my wires crossed slightly, it turns out after some research there will be a problem using a generic step up ring as they will not allow the lens to focus to infinity, it’s the same with the 35mm, it’s detailed in the review here:
http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2013/01/28/seeing-hong-kong-in-black-white-with-slr-magic-hyperprime-35mm-t0-95-cine-lens-with-fujifilm-x-pro-1-by-wilson-chong/
You’re thinking of the step up ring which is deeper than a normal step-up ring so looks fairly solid.
SLR Magic have Tweeted that “First 100 customers get the $50 optional 49/77 Ring for use with variable ND filters for free”
The lens hood is part of the lens design and is new to this lens I suspect as I’ve not seen this idea on previous lenses (inc SLR Magic) that I’ve owned. The idea is if you’re using a matte box, the hood slides back over the lens.
Thanks P13 for the enlightenment! 🙂
With a flare more decent I wold order charge tomorrow, this lens have good look, good bokeh, is fast, but the flare…
I actually quite liked the flares. I had the Voightlander 25mm f/0.95 shortly but sold it due to excessive white hazing wide open. I actually might get the SLR Magic 25 to make good use of the rebate while it lasts as everything I have heard about it seems positive so far. For half the price of the Voight you can’t really go wrong.
I dont remember seeing flare problems in the Nokton. But SLR’s usually have.
I would like someone to do a test this lens at different apertures receiving light reflections.
This may be some useful information…
“Qualify for $150 USD rebate after buyer informs us the lens is received.”
My rebate was actually applied to my Paypal account the day the lens shipped. Shipping was impressively fast, and free too.
You can step down a little to remove flare if it’s not to your taste.
Now shipping? I have had mine for days…
25mm/0.95 comparison: http://3d-kraft.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=137&catid=40&Itemid=2
@Richard … did you payed any extra money for customs ?
I was not charged any customs fees or taxes. Most items purchased abroad are not subject to import taxes if they are for personal use, depending on what the country of origin is.
The lens got here so fast that I missed the UPS delivery, and I had to have it held for will-call. I picked it up this morning.
Also, it came with a 49/77 step up filter ring with a note that said “Complimentary Gift for first 100 pre-order customers”
Extreme bokeh blur certainly seems to be the best way to view Bradford.
🙂
I’ll have a more conventional video from Bradford going up in about a week’s time.
Just ordered the lens aswell. Let’s see how fast they deliver it and after that how it performs on an E-PM2. 🙂
The barrel distortion is horrible…
Where did you see that?
I received my copy on Monday as well. Let me say first that my experience with SLR Magic’s customer service for my order was excellent. I emailed them last month about this lens and got on their pre-order list. Late last week, Jane at SLR Magic emailed me stating that they are now accepting payments for pre-orders. I responded and was sent a PayPal invoice from Andrew. I completed payment immediately and the next day they shipped the lens. I received the lens two days later, from Hong Kong to Hawaii. They are offering a $150 instant rebate for a limited time. For their 1st 100 customers, they are including the lens-specific 49mm-77mm step-up ring (the step-up ring has a deeper thread to clear the integrated lens hood) and a cleaning cloth.
As already stated, the lens build is excellent. Everything is metal, including the lens cap. The focus and aperture rings both have a nice fluid feel. I have not used the Voightlander lenses or the PL 25mm, so I can not make a comparison there. Wide open the lens is pretty sharp considering it is at T/0.95. I do see some white hazing around the edges of objects when wide open. However, it is very minimal when compared to my Nikon 50mm f/1.2 AI-S wide open. The lens does flare, but it handles flare better than I expected. I was purchased this lens primarily to shoot video on my GH3, so I actually wish the lens flared a little bit more like some legacy lenses. I do agree that the integrated lens hood does not provide much practical use, but it does look good. You don’t need to have the optional 49-77 step-up ring to clear the lens hood. You probably could use a 49mm UV filter/49mm spacer + standard step-up ring.
I have posted a few photos of the lens as well as a couple SOOC JPEGS. I plan to post more photos as I shoot more with it. I am going on a trip to Tokyo in a couple weeks and plan to shoot many stills and video with this lens. I will post those when I can.
If you have any questions about the lens, feel free to let me know.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ludacliff_78/sets/72157632997278386/
I received my copy on Monday as well. Let me say first that my experience with SLR Magic’s customer service for my order was excellent. I emailed them last month about this lens and got on their pre-order list. Late last week, Jane at SLR Magic emailed me stating that they are now accepting payments for pre-orders. I responded and was sent a PayPal invoice from Andrew. I completed payment immediately and the next day they shipped the lens. I received the lens two days later, from Hong Kong to Hawaii. They are offering a $150 instant rebate for a limited time. For their 1st 100 customers, they are including the lens-specific 49mm-77mm step-up ring (the step-up ring has a deeper thread to clear the integrated lens hood) and a cleaning cloth.
As already stated, the lens build is excellent. Everything is metal, including the lens cap. The focus and aperture rings both have a nice fluid feel. I have not used the Voightlander lenses or the PL 25mm, so I can not make a comparison there. Wide open the lens is pretty sharp considering it is at T/0.95. I do see some white hazing around the edges of objects when wide open. However, it is very minimal when compared to my Nikon 50mm f/1.2 AI-S wide open. The lens does flare, but it handles flare better than I expected. I was purchased this lens primarily to shoot video on my GH3, so I actually wish the lens flared a little bit more like some legacy lenses. I do agree that the integrated lens hood does not provide much practical use, but it does look good. You don’t need to have the optional 49-77 step-up ring to clear the lens hood. You probably could use a 49mm UV filter/49mm spacer + standard step-up ring.
I have posted a few photos of the lens as well as a couple SOOC JPEGS. I plan to post more photos as I shoot more with it. I am going on a trip to Tokyo in a couple weeks and plan to shoot many stills and video with this lens. I will post those when I can.
If you have any questions about the lens, feel free to let me know.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ludacliff_78/sets/72157632997278386/
I had ordered one as well. You guys listed some eBay-search over here on 43rumors, but on the 3Dkraft-site it actually said to e-mail them if you wanted a lens they didn’t have listed. So I did a little more than a week ago and they offered me the pre-order.
I was one of the first 100 as well, so I’ll get the free step-up ring: 49-77mm. It has been send out the 13th as well, I opted for EMS shipping (less likely effected by customtroubles). Shipping with either DHL or EMS is included in the 649 USD btw.
Can’t wait!
scenity,
Yes, shipping is included in the $649 price. I was happily surprised and am very impressed with SLR Magic, so much so that I just ordered the 12mm t/1.6.
Can anyone tell me (or tell me where to find)some specs, like minimum focusing distance, weight, dimensions? Would like to know how it compares with the Voigtlanders on these fronts.
minimum focusing is 0.26m
Would someone please enlighten me, is it AF or manual focus lens? Are any SLR Magic lens AF?
SLR Magic make high end manual lenses that compete with Leica. They do not make AF lenses.Leica makes AF lenses but manufactured by Panasonic a.k.a PanaLeica
Thanks for clarifying SLRmagic stuff, Matt. I’m using cctv 35mm 1.7 on a C mount with adapter which SLRmagic rebranded. And having 45mm Oly and 50mm Canon FD 1.4 I seem to be leaving the latter one at home all the time. I find flexibility and convinience of AF invaluable for what I shoot.
To follow this up, I’ve done a second night time shoot with the 25mm T0.95 at ISO 400 in controlled lighting which can be seen here (it’s a proper shoot in that it’s a music video rather than just street shots): https://vimeo.com/62111836