Back in April, I started out with the aim of using my Panasonic Lumix GF1 for the month.
But after an unfortunate accident with my sole native Micro Four Thirds (M43) lens rendered it unusable, I was left with my M42 lenses plus adapter.
The novelty soon wore off.
In short, whilst the results are fantastic, the extra bulk of the lens plus adapter, combined with setting focus and aperture manually, makes this a slightly cumbersome combo, and not something I would want to use week in week out.
So I put the GF1 away in my “sell/donate when I get around to it” box and returned to my Pentax Q.
Then, in a nearby town last week we passed a CEX shop, which sell second hand console games, phones, computers and photographic equipment.
To my surprise, a small lens in the window caught my eye, labelled 7Artisans 25mm f/1.8.
This is a lens I have had on a mental wish list for some time, but have not pursued as they’re only usually available imported from China.
It was a reasonable price, and M43 fit, so after a quick check of the essentials, I bought it.
The reason I’ve called the 7Artisans a hybrid lens in the title of this post is that whilst it’s M43 mount, it’s also manual focus, and manual aperture. And made of metal.
It feels like a smaller version of a number of vintage lenses, especially an Auto Mamiya/Sekor 55mm f/1.8 lens I had in M42 mount.
Whilst not as silky smooth as the Mamiya/Sekor, or lenses like Asahi Takumars or Minolta Rokkors, both the aperture and focus rings are well dampened and very pleasant to use. Very different to most plastic AF lenses.
Oh yes, and it doesn’t have click stops, just a continuously closing 12 aperture blades that stay very close a circle at all apertures.
Many aperture blades plus clickless aperture reminds me of the some of the preset aperture lenses I’ve used and loved in the past.
In practical terms this makes it easier to shoot at the maximum aperture the fastest shutter speed of the camera will allow.
So if I want to shoot at f/4 but the shutter speed is maxing out (it turns from white to red on the GF1’s screen), I can just close the aperture down gradually until the shutter speed returns to white.
This might be f/4.3, f/5.7, who knows. It doesn’t matter what the precise value is when shooting aperture priority, and gives more fine control over depth of field, which I can adjust purely by eye to my preference for each composition.
Mounted to the GF1 the 7Artisans makes it feel like a smallish classic rangefinder, perhaps a Konica C35.
It’s not dissimilar either to a Pentax M series SLR, like the ME Super or MG, with a small and fast 50mm lens.
Those manual focus and aperture rings give more tactile pleasure, and again bring me back closer to the experience of shooting with film cameras.
Or, put another way, this combo makes the GF1 feel less modern, less digital.
The focal length of 25mm equates to 50mm with the M43 crop ratio of 2x. Which is the normal length of lens I became used to again shooting film SLRs for years.
The close focus is 0.18m which in initial outings is more than adequate, especially at the equivalent 50mm focal length, where most 50mm SLR lenses focus down to perhaps 0.45m at best.
And the maximum aperture of f/1.8 is obviously far faster than the f/3.5 my now broken Lumix zoom could muster, and even that was only at the wider apertures. It dropped to a dismal f/5.6 at the tele end.
Having read about this 7Artisans lens before (they make other variants too I believe) I was not expecting searing digital sharpness and visual perfection.
Which suits me just fine.
With my favoured dynamic monochrome film mode on the GF1, it gives a less clinical and, well, less digital, look, with slightly lower contrast.
Again, this is reminiscent of older lenses, and something I really like.
So is this the lens that finally propels my Lumix GF1 into my absolute favourite cameras, after my previous indifference towards it?
Well, not really.
I really like this new lens, and it gives me more of the hands on experience of vintage lenses, without the extra bulk of those larger lenses, plus an adapter.
And as I’ve said before, if I had to list the shortcomings of the GF1, I’d be hard pushed to write anything.
The thin grey bars at the side of the screen on 4:3 mode are annoying (especially as the sensor is 4:3 – so why is the screen 3:2??).
But aside from that it really is a lovely camera, a genuine digital classic, that’s well built, easy to use, customisable, and delivers in abundance on the image front.
The Manual Focus (MF) zoom function comes into its own with the 7Artisans too. A press of a button magnifies part of the screen to aid focus, and I found myself using this often to ensure the focus was on the part of the frame I wanted, especially at larger apertures.
So what’s missing?
I can’t quite put my finger on it.
My best guess would be I just don’t connect physically or emotionally with the camera like I do with my favourites.
Perhaps it’s just because after shooting with significantly smaller AF cameras lately the GF1 feels a bit of a brick, the handling not really working, with too little to grip at the front.
It’s not exactly light either.
The GF1 body is around 360g, the lens 140g, so half a kilo overall.
Which is less than most DLSRs, but then most DSLRs have a curvaceous rubberised grip to close your fingers around and provide superb handling.
The GF1’s little sibling the Lumix LX3 with its 24-60mm zoom is around half the weight, at only 260g.
And the magnificent little Pentax Q is even less, at 245g with its 47/1.9 01 prime lens, and still only 315g with the 28-83mm 02 zoom lens.
Holding and using the GF1 compared with the LX3 or Q is a very different experience, and the former feels more than twice the weight.
Perhaps a viewfinder would help, as it does feel more like a classic rangefinder.
An option is to explore a smaller and lighter M43 body, like the Lumix GM1.
But even that with the 7Artisans would be over 400g. And I don’t want to splash out £150 or more for a camera I might not like much anyway (a number of reviews praise the size and performance but question the handling and lack of grip – you know what an issue this is for me!)
Another possibility is an Olympus M43 body, of which there are many, and their fans speak highly of them. But again, it’s extra layout for a final combo that might still not become a favourite.
And we all know I don’t need any more cameras.
In summary, the 7Artisans lens has plenty going for it, and seems the perfect hybrid of M43 size combined with old school manual focus and aperture, and a none too shabby f/1.8 maximum aperture.
I can’t really fault it.
And it cost less than half what my broken and flimsy as a yogurt pot Lumix 12-32mm did used.
The images it makes with the GF1 really are lovely, and give me much more control over (and greater, with f/1.8 at 50mm) depth of field.
But I can’t see me grabbing the Lumix GF1 time and time again and getting excited about using it in the way I do with my Pentax Q, Lumix LX3 or Ricoh GRD III.
Maybe I’m just too demanding. Maybe I’m just too far gone into the world of digital compacts.
All photographs in this post were made with the Lumix GF1 plus 7Artisans 25/1.8mm lens.
Have you come across the 7Artisans lenses? What have been your impressions and experiences?
Please let us know in the comments below (and don’t forget to tick the “Notify me of new comments via email” box to follow the conversation).
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35hunter 
I bought a 7 Artisans 25mm for my Fujifilm X-Pro1 and for the money the lens is very good. Think I paid £47, new from Ebay.
It’s fun going back to a manual lens and the focus peaking certainly helps getting accurate focus.
For the money and fun factor I would recommend this lens.
Hi Phil, thanks for your thoughts. I paid about the same for mine, used but like new.
The manual zoom in feature on my GF1 helps greatly with focus, i think some kind of aid is almost a requirement for a manual lens on a mirrorless camera.
That is really an inexpensive lens Dan, you are right. I had not heard of these lenses. Funny, I was just using my GF-1 yesterday. I’m taking a trip in a few weeks and am trying to decide which camera to bring, and this and the LX-7 are the smallest cameras I own. I like mine but don’t love the 17mm Olympus lens I have for it, and the “Body cap” lens is fun, but unsharp at any setting, so it looks like the LX-7 it is. I’ve never really bonded with it either, but have been fiddling with the many settings and it’s growing on me. Your pictures look very good, that’s amazing at that price point.
Jon, they’re around £50 over here, but generally you have to have them imported from China, so seeing one for the same money on a shelf in front me made it a no-brainer to buy.
However, though this is cheap for a new lens, and something like the 12-32mm Lumix zoom is over double that, used, I still don’t see it as super cheap.
I guess having bought dozens of vintage SLR lenses for £20 or less has changed my expectations.
Lenses like a Minolta Rokkor 50/1.7, Pentax-M 50/1.7 or Asahi Takumar 55/1.8 blow the 7Artisans away in performance and are all obviously higher quality and smoother to use.
But then you have the extra bulk of an adapter, the extra weight of the lens itself etc.
With Micro Four Thirds, it feels like it’s all about finding the compromise you’re willing to live with. Which I haven’t quite found yet!
The GF1 has grown on me, and on paper it is a fabulous camera. I just cannot bond with it though, and I can name a dozen digital cameras I enjoy using more.
So my dilemma is do I keep the 7Artisans and try another M43 camera, or just sell the lens and GF1 and move on… I want to love M43, but can’t yet.
Same here, I haven’t given up yet. Funny, the topic of Olympus bodies came up on a FB group today because they are so inexpensive now. One fellow had two bodies fail in as many weeks, which reflects the experience of friends of mine. One wedding photographer I know had so many broken cameras he switched to Sony. My repair tech won’t touch them, but will repair Panasonic which must mean something.
Interesting Jon, I haven’t looked much into the Olympus cameras. Doesn’t sound like they’re too reliable.
I own this lens also for M43, but I use it on my EM10 mk2. I don’t really require a pocketable camera by any means but the lens and camera combination make up for what looks as a shrunk down SLR, so almost innocent looking and the experience definitely feels pretty film like, although with the great advantage that is focus peaking and video, etc. Definitely worth picking up for the prices they go for. A great advantage of mirrorless is also the electronic shutter speeds, I’ve shot with this lens wide open in broad daylight and the results are very characteristic.
Thanks for your thoughts Diego.
My Pentax Q goes up to 1/8000s which is very handy shooting in brighter sunlight at large apertures. When I go back to a camera with 1/1000s or even 1/2000s I keep maxing out!
Thanks for the comments on the EM10. Somewhat beyond my budget currently. (The GF1 cost me about £50!)
Never had a 7Artisans lens but I tried some other cheap chinese ones over the time. The MEIKE lenses feel great for a bargain price, even new. The results are not perfect of course but we don’t want that anyways, do we?
The clickless aperture ring you like bothered me though. Too easy to jog out of the wanted position, and you just can’t count the clicks from one setting to the next so you have to peek at the lens barrel to see where you’re at.
Anyways, lenses don’t have to be expensive to be very good and give results I love.
Great photos by the way!
Frank, good to see you. Yes I cannot fault the 7Artisans, and indeed its “faults” are what give the images character. I wouldn’t want to change anything about it. I now just need a camera I love to use it on!
The aperture ring is fairly well dampened on the 7Artisans, and the only time it moved was when I put it in a bag. Out shooting it stayed where I left it. Maybe the lenses you’ve tried had less resistance on the aperture ring.
Thanks re the photos!
Yes, the Meike lenses Gad quite loose aperture rings. And unevenly spaced aperture settings…. not my cup of tea
Hello Dan. If I were to start shooting digital, then a combination like this is something I could see me using. Your images here do have a very vintage aesthetic to them. I especially like the barbed wire shot. I went over to your Flickr to view it full size — very nice!
Thanks P. Like I said, it is very reminiscent in shape and form to a 35mm rangefinder set up. And as such demands slower and more deliberate photography.
Thanks re the images. I used to always like the image here on 35hunter to Flickr, but don’t anymore. Maybe I should again. Glad you clicked through and enjoy the larger version.
It’s usually not difficult to find images on your Flickr stream, but I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to you linking to them directly from your blog posts!
Thank P, I may have to reinstate this practice!
photos are just your usual close ups, they are very basic, i would like to see your creativity to push a little forward
Sometimes I like to push my photography and try new things, like the One Room, Fifty Photographs challenges for example.
Most of the time though, I just want to grab a camera, get away from everything and make close up photographs of things I find beautiful. I’m not looking for constant challenge or new approaches. This was one of those times.
[…] still the only digital camera I have that I can use my remaining few M42 film lenses with, and the 7Artisans 25/1.8 lens I recently discovered seems as good a combo with the GF1 as […]
I love the reviews – thank you – they strike a great balance between the “fanboys” and the “hate at first sight” detractors.
+++
So here’s my suggestion – since you like old lenses but struggle a bit with the Lumix GF1 can I suggest that your “cheap camera” eyes look at the second generation Lumix G’s: The 12MP sensor Lumix G2 is now a decade old and sells for around £40-60 GBP / $50-70 USD on auction sites. It has about the best controls of any of the M4/3 cameras and adds what is missing to the GF1 – the viewfinder! This makes focussing manual lenses dramatically easier, and if you have “click-stop” lenses, you will soon get to use them without taking your eyes off the eyepiece. I have two G2s and never paid more than £80/$100 for a body with the excellent Af 14-42mm kit lens.
A decade in photography seems to signal the point at which an item is declared a classic (and the prices rise) or “obsolete” when the prices fall and creative bargains can be had.
For some reason the colour from the Sony 12MP sensor in the Lumix G2 is better than later generations of M4/3 – perhaps above 12PM the photosites just get too small. 12MP gives you excellent 12×10 prints or HD TV screen images to share – more MP only encourages us to shoot in a lazy way and promise ourselves that we will “crop it later in software”.
Creative Camera photography is when you use lens perspective and aperture and speed settings to isolate elements of your composition from the background and surroundings – it is the reverse of smartphone and APP photography – where the creative element is in the editing. I prefer to be a photographer rather than an editor. So —- With your new/old style 7-artisans 25mm F1.8, the combination with a lumix G2 gives you the experience of the Pentax K1000 – the classic “student’s camera” of the 1970s-1990s era. Set it to Aperture Priority, add a 50mm F1.8 and you have a classic large aperture portrait lens. If this doesn’t kick-start a creative burst then I will be disappointed ! Never forget to add a “telephotoo” lens hood – using old 35mm lenses means that the crop factor leaves a rim of lens unused – free to create unwanted internal reflections from off axis light sources that kills resolution, contrast and colour. I use those 3-position fold-out rubber ones on M4/3 lenses.
Try this set up out and then pass it onto a young relative starting out in photography and whtch the effect – it is the best way to show novices that there is more to creative camerawork than an APP-filter – just as the K1000 did all those years ago.
As a bonus – the mobile screen on the Lumix G2 means that you can shoot in vertical orientation with the screen flipped up at a right angle in the manner of a Rolliflex. The shutter button even falls under the right thumb – just as with a TLR. This relaxes many subjects and gives a very different perspective on the modern portrait and takes you back to the images of greats such as Avedon, Beaton, and Vivian Meier. Even better, the G2 even lets you set the image to a 3×3 square format to increase the discipline. Dial up the excellent Lumix “monochrome” setting and get ready to shoot JPEGs “straight out of camera” by getting it all right first time.
Paul, welcome and thank you for your interesting and informative comments!
You’ve got me looking at the G2 already! M4/3 on paper seems so right for me, I don’t care about big sensors (I love my Lumix LX3, Ricoh GRD III and Pentax Q, all with smaller sensors than M4/3, let alone APS-C), the cameras are generally small and neat, and of course there’s that vast scope for adapting old lenses (which I also love and already have).
The GF1 is a lovely camera and I adore it in some ways, at least by logical brain does, and the Dynamic B/W mode is fantastic.I just haven’t quite ever embraced it as I thought I would. I haven’t really touched it since this post, which is shockingly over a year ago now.
I would like to try a G2, but in the meantime the small Pentax bodies (K100D, K-m, Samsung GX-1S) I’m enjoying so much, I don’t need to look any further.
Just a follow up if any of you are tempted by the bargain prices of the Lumix G1 today (2020)….with many G1 bodies on sale at way <£50.
Look VERY carefuly at the camera and advert photos for telltale signs – as the Lumix G1 has a frequent fault iin that the rubberrised coating goes sticky and feels revolting to touch. Fingermarks stay forever and fingernails leave crescent imprints. Old Nikons did this too. No amount of cleaning or talcum poweder makes it any better – the only fix is to rub it all off.
But so far – the G2's and G3's seem to have come away unscathed by this.
Lastly – since I know Dan has a £20 / SD card and CCD sensor bias – just take a moment to see why small sensors and high MP counts do not match: the issue is Diffraction Limited Effective Resolutions – see a great article in this at https://www.pointsinfocus.com/tools/diffraction-limited-effective-resolutions/.
This explains why small sensor compact cameras haven't really altered their image quality in years — OK they shoot 6 frames a second and can track 20 faces – but at Base ISO, with careful composition and a mini tripod, you get such fabulous photos still from an old 6mp CCD as you do from a new 24mp model…and why nearly every model costing from £100 to £500 new fails as you push them faster and harder…………
Best wishes to you all – Paul C
Thanks Paul, yes, I’ve read this kind of thing in a number of articles in the last few years, that 6-8MP was about the optimum for digital, and since then most of the bigger numbers have been to try to sell more cameras and keep people in the “upgrade parade”.