Kamlan 50mm f/1.1
Announced November 15, 2016
PixelMeter The PixelMeter is our 1–100 aggregate of reviewer scores from trusted publications and creators. Weighted by source tier — not a raw average, and not PetaPixel’s own review.
Reviewer Consensus
Good
Kamlan 50mm f/1.1 is an inexpensive, all-metal prime that offers a fun, character-filled shooting experience for budget-conscious photographers. Although it lacks technical sharpness and struggles with chromatic aberrations at wider apertures, it remains a capable tool for those prioritizing creative bokeh over clinical precision.
Weighted from 13 reviewer scores
Pros
- Sturdy all-metal build quality
- Smooth and well-damped focus ring
- Extremely affordable price point
- Fast f/1.1 aperture produces soft, creamy bokeh
- Compact and lightweight design
Cons
- Soft image quality and lack of sharpness, especially at the edges
- Significant chromatic aberrations and color fringing
- Prone to lens flare and low contrast in bright light
- Manual-only operation without electronic communication
- Stiff or poorly calibrated aperture ring
- Launch price $170 (USD)
- Focal length & aperture 50mm f/1.1
- Mount & coverage Sony E, Fujifilm X, Micro Four Thirds APS-C
- Filter thread 52mm
- Weight & size 248g (8.7 oz) · 60 x 60 mm (2.36 x 2.36 in)
What the Reviewers Say
All 13 expert reviews, weighted into the PixelMeter score.
Is this product missing a reputable review? Share a link to a review article or YouTube video for consideration.
-
Some lenses are more about the “feel” of the images rather than their technical excellence, and I think this is certainly the case here.
-
If this is what's in your price range and you're ready for a little experimenting, then I would say it's worth a punt.
-
KamLan has a simple, ambitiously specified lens for a very low price. It is well made, performs well and, within the limitations of manual focus and lagging edge quality, it is still a lens that delivers something very useful.
-
Expectations met, passed, and blown away as were my presumptions that this lens could not possibly be good at being a fast 50 for a low price.
-
At the end of the day, I'm really happy with this lens and I think it's worth every penny.
-
The Kamlan 50mm is a fun lens with decent contrast, beautiful bokeh, and nice color saturation.
-
I enjoy using it, it's a pleasure to use, but if the image quality isn't that great, so actually I would not recommend for you to get this even though this is really really an inexpensive lens.
-
So other than that, I think this lens is super worth the money because it's inexpensive, it was a lot of fun to shoot with, and I'm definitely gonna be keeping it with me and shooting a lot more with it when I have the opportunity.
-
If this looks like a lens that you will like, then for the cost it's a good option. In terms of budget portrait-oriented lenses, this is a hard one to beat.
-
For a budget lens, this is one of the best portrait lenses you can buy.
-
It's not the best image quality, it does have its flaws, but overall you can't really knock it too much for its value and its build quality.
-
Right now, as far as initial recommendation, I don't highly recommend it as a go-to lens. I think it's just cool as far as novelty-wise.
-
[...] I do recommend this lens.
