7Artisans’ 50mm f/1.8 Prime Is an Affordable Choice for Nikon Z Cameras

Jeremy Gray

A split image showing two hands holding professional cameras. the left side features a camera with a large telephoto lens, and the right side shows a camera with a smaller lens, held by a person in a blue jacket.

Alongside its new 27mm f/2.8 lens for APS-C E-mount cameras, 7Artisans has released its affordable 50mm f/1.8 prime lens for Nikon Z mount.

First released just over a month ago for E-mount cameras, the 50mm f/1.8 was briefly the company’s only autofocus lens. In some ways, the 50mm f/1.8 signaled a shift for 7Artisans, a company that had long released only manual focus primes. However, the company’s spirit of releasing good-quality lenses at affordable prices has remained intact. The 50mm f/1.8 lens costs just $228, a relative bargain for an autofocus-equipped full-frame portrait prime.

While there are a lot of 50mm lenses for full-frame E-mount cameras, the selection is narrower on Z-mount. Nikon’s offerings include the Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S lens, priced just under $630, and the very-expensive and fast Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.2 S for $2,100.

Third-party choices include the TTArtisan 50mm f/1.4 Tilt-Shift lens ($199), the Viltrox 50mm f/1.8 ($359), Yongnuo YN 50mm f/1.8 S DF DSM ($359), TTArtisan 50mm f/2 ($69), AstrHori 50mm f/2 ($79), and Meike 50mm f/1.8 AF ($159). Of these, the Viltrox , Yongnuo, and Meike lenses feature autofocus.

The 7Artisans 50mm f/1.8 prime is significantly more affordable than the Viltrox and Yongnuo lenses, although a bit more expensive than Meike’s option.

A 7artisans 50mm f1.8 lens for cameras, shown from the front with a focus on its details and settings, featuring a black body and a large hood.

7Artisans’ lens includes 11 elements across nine groups, including two high refraction index elements, an ED low dispersion element, and two pieces of aspherical glass. The company promises high image quality and good control over chromatic aberrations.

The lens is designed primarily for portraiture, although it is also well-suited to street and still-life photography. With its bright f/1.8 aperture, it promises soft backgrounds and good low-light performance.

Since the new Z-mount version is the same as the E-mount lens released last month, photographers can look at reviews for the E-mount lens. Dustin Abbott, for example, reviewed the E-mount lens, finding that photographers would be hard-pressed to get better image quality for a similar price. Abbott also includes many sample images in his video review below and his written review.

Sample Images

7Artisans has also shared some sample images from the Z-mount version of the lens, seen below.

A young woman with long black hair, wearing a pink jacket, gazes thoughtfully to the side under a canopy of cherry blossoms.

Three colorful cocktails in stemmed glasses on a bar counter, illuminated by soft background lighting with blurred lights.

A woman in a white jacket and gray scarf stands by a street, with vibrant yellow autumn trees on one side and a blurry view of a taxi and street clock in the background.

A close-up of a vintage style, silver feuerhand lantern hanging from a metal hook outdoors, with a softly blurred background of a street scene.

A young woman sits at an outdoor table under a canopy of bright yellow autumn leaves, her elbows on the table and hands under her chin, looking thoughtful.

An elegant chinese tea set arranged on a blue and white checkered tablecloth, featuring a white teapot, several cups, and small dishes.

A woman in a red top lies on her side, gazing at a bouquet of white roses with sunlight filtering through a window, creating a warm, serene ambiance.

A woman with short dark hair, wearing a light-colored sweater and diamond earrings, stands in focus against a blurred background of colorful, graphic slot machine displays.

Pricing and Availability

The 7Artisans 50mm f/1.8 is available now for E-mount and Z-mount for $228. However, until May 25, 2024, users can save 10% using the code “10%OFF7Ar50f1.8” at Pergear, bringing the price down to just over $205.

Image credits: 7Artisans. The product images show the E-mount version of the lens, which is identical to the new Z-mount variant.

,
, , , , , ,
PetaPixel articles may include affiliate links; if you buy something through such a link, PetaPixel may earn a commission.
Discussion