This lens is made by Fuzhou Feihua Optoelectronic Technology (F&H), the company
behind the Fujian branded 25mm F/1.4 and 35mm F/1.7 lenses. They make a large
selection of cctv lenses including two 50mm F/1.4 lenses that are of interest to
users of mirrorless cameras. One of the lenses is visually very similar to the
35mm and the other which I am reviewing here is of a different design and has
been likened to a flashlight or a trumpet thanks to it's very large front
element.
Build quality and finish:
It's pretty well put together considering the price, it's all metal which is a
good start and while the finish isn't perfect there's only so much you can
expect from such a cheap lens and it certainly feels more solid than some of the
plastic kit lenses the big companies bundle with cameras these days! The lens
will fit an C-mount to NEX adapter fine and gives moderate vignetting on an APS-C
sensor. On micro four thirds the image circle covers the sensor but the rear of
the lens is slightly too large to screw fully into an adapter and the lens will
require modification. On some lenses the entire rear of the lens needs attention
but with this lens it's just the focus ring which should simplify matters, I
haven't attempted to modify the lens yet but the focus ring appears to be held
in place with some small screws so it may even detach entirely in which case it
could either be left off or certainly trimmed much more easily.
Image Quality:
The lens is similar to the F&H 35mm in a lot of ways, it has the same small
circle of focus in the central portion of the frame giving way to much
swirliness around the edges. With the 35mm lens I found it was extreme field
curvature causing this and that the lens could be focused with some degree of
sharpness towards the edges but never at the same time as the centre. With this
lens I find the edges are soft even if you attempt to focus specifically at the
edge so you could say it was somewhat inferior in this aspect.
The lens has very nice bokeh and highlights are rendered in a more neutral
fashion than with the 35mm which tended to have rings around circular
highlights, a quality I found appealing but I can understand that some will
prefer the smoother look this lens provides. The lens is very prone to flare and
loss of contrast when the sun is in or near the frame so a hood might be
something to consider if this bothers you. The colours from this lens are very
vivid and well saturated but the contrast can be somewhat weak at times
especially when flare rears it's head.
Overall the images this lens delivers are very imperfect but very fun, the more
I use lenses like this the more I realise that they are tools that have much
creative potential, you can achieve a look to images with theses lenses that you
just cannot match with more expensive conventional optics so a direct comparison
is not only unfair but also inappropriate, there are relatively mundane objects
that you can make interesting with a lens like this, in fact I find that I look
at everything differently when I use this lens and other similar lenses because
I know that subjects that would often look plain if captured with a normal lens
suddenly look interesting or have something to offer that they didn't before.
You see the world differently through these kind of lenses and that is a good
thing, don't look at them as a cheap alternative to conventional glass but as
something different and fun but not necessarily less worthy of being on the
front of your camera!
Conclusion?:
Compared to a conventional photographic lens this lens is very poor or even
pathetic but that would be missing the point and this lens can do things no
expensive conventional lens can do. The images it makes are different and fun
and distinctive and that helps to fuel creativity and for that reason I think
it's a great buy! Never approach these lenses as a rival to a conventional lens
but instead see them as something entirely different that can live alongside
your conventional glass and not compete with it!
