7Artisans 75mm F1.4

The 7Artisans 75mm F1.4 is a full frame manual focus portrait lens, offered for Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z and Leica L mount. At 75 mm with an F1.4 aperture it is meant for portraits, outdoor snapshots and close-up subjects, and according to 7Artisans it is also portable enough for street and travel photography.

Optical design

The optical construction has 6 elements in 6 groups and includes high index glass. The aperture range is F1.4 to F16, and the diaphragm has 13 blades. 7Artisans quotes an angle of view of 31 degrees. The manufacturer points to the spatial compression and the shallow depth of field of the focal length, which suit portraits with strong background separation and low light shooting at the wide aperture.

Focusing and handling

Focusing is manual, with a closest focusing distance of 0.88 m. 7Artisans describes this as suited to half-length portraits indoors and to portrait close-ups. There is no autofocus, so focusing relies on the camera's focus aids such as peaking and magnification. The lens has a filter thread of 58 mm.

Build and size

The lens body is made of metal and the weight is about 408 g. The 6 element construction keeps the optical group simple for an F1.4 lens of this focal length.

Where it fits

Manual focus portrait lenses at similar focal lengths in the database include the Voigtländer Nokton 75mm f/1.5 for Nikon Z and Leica M, the Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Biotar 75mm f/1.5 II and the Samyang MF 85mm F1.4 Mk2. For autofocus on L mount, the Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Art is a larger option, and for Sony E the Sony FE 85mm F1.8 is a lighter autofocus lens. The 7Artisans lens competes through its combination of F1.4 aperture, metal build and availability on four mounts.

Pros and cons

Pros

• F1.4 aperture with a 13 blade diaphragm
• Full frame coverage for Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z and L mount
• Simple 6 element, 6 group construction
• Metal body at about 408 g
• 58 mm filter thread

Cons

• Manual focus only
• Closest focusing distance of 0.88 m
• No autofocus for moving subjects

Verdict

The 75mm F1.4 is a straightforward manual portrait lens for full frame mirrorless cameras. It offers a bright aperture, a smooth 13 blade diaphragm and a metal body at a moderate weight. Photographers who rely on autofocus for portraits will need a different lens, but those who focus manually will find a simple and well specified option here.