Chinese lens manufacturer 7Artisans has recently released a new family of fast full-frame cinema glass, the Spectrum 35, 50, and 85mm T2.0.
They feature an all-metal cinematic housing with manual focus and iris rings, offer a 270° focus throw, and are available in 4 different mount options (E/RF/L/Z). Pricing starts at $419.
At the beginning of the year, 7Artisans rolled out three super fast cinema lenses – the Vision series. These light-starving models feature a maximum aperture of T1.05, but only cover Super 35 mm/APS-C sensors, unfortunately. Hence, the company is now releasing a new set of cine lenses – the Spectrum line – which is specifically designed for full-frame mirrorless cameras.
7Artisans Spectrum: a family of 3 full-frame cinema lenses
The new 7Artisans Spectrum lineup currently consists of 3 focal lengths: 35, 50, and 85mm. All lenses share the same high light transmission of T2.0. Lens mount options include the Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z, and Leica L systems. However, the 35mm is currently not available for Canon mirrorless cameras.
All lenses feature a cinematic housing out of the box, with unified position of geared focus and iris rings across the lineup. This makes the process of switching between different focal lengths faster, since the position of lens accessories, such as follow focus motors, can stay the same.
The 7Artisans Spectrum lenses are fully manual. Their aperture ring is de-clicked and features a 10-to-12 blade design, depending on the focal length. This should result in a round, smooth background bokeh. Also, a long focus throw (310° on the 35mm, 270° on the 50 and 85mm) should facilitate focus pullers in their work.
According to the manufacturer, the optical design, which integrates ED glass, should provide images with minimal distortion, focus breathing, and chromatic aberrations. Finally, the lens barrel features an all-metal construction with an 82mm front thread to accommodate filters. The lightest and most compact lens in the series is the 35mm T2.0 for Sony E-mount, which measures 89.6×80.5mm in size and weighs 674.5g
Price and availability
The new 7Artisans Spectrum full-frame lenses are now available to purchase from B&H and come at very affordable prices. Indeed, pricing for the single lenses varies as follows:
35mm T2.0 – $419 (Sony E / Leica L / Nikon Z)
50mm T2.0 – $379 (Sony E / Canon RF / Leica L / Nikon Z)
85mm T2.0 – $459 (Sony E / Canon RF / Leica L / Nikon Z)
