In this overview, I'm taking a look at the 7Artisans 50mm f/1.8 lens for the Nikon Z system. Is it worth considering over the official Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8s lens? I also compare it with the Nikon Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 kit lens at 50mm.
Check out the full video on YouTube:
7Artisans sent me this lens to try out based on my collaboration terms. They had no say in the content produced and were not allowed to preview it.
Build Quality & Handling
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| 7Artisans and Nikon lens side-by-side. |
The 7Artisans 50mm f/1.8 is similar in size to Nikon's 50mm f/1.8s, although it's slightly taller and a bit thinner. Both lenses feature a manual/auto focus switch, but I found that the one on the 7Artisans lens requires less travel and is easier to push, which isn't ideal. You might accidentally switch modes while handling the lens. Something I found myself doing a couple of times on my photowalk.
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| The AF/MF switch and aperture adjustment ring. |
The manual focus ring on the 7Artisans lens takes a bit more effort to adjust than I'd like. It feels stiffer compared to Nikon 1st party lenses I've used. Not a huge deal, but it's something to be aware of if you do a lot of manual focusing. The same tightness goes for the aperture adjustment ring on the lens.
One of the unique features is the click-less aperture ring, which offers direct adjustment of the aperture through the lens. Since it's an electronic dial and not mechanically linked to the aperture, all it does tell the camera to change the aperture based on what steps the camera is set to, which is usually 1/3rd stops. If you prefer to adjust the aperture through your camera, you can always switch the lens to 'A' mode.
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| The official Nikon lens had a gasket around the mount. The 7Artisans lens doesn't have that feature. |
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| The Nikon 24-50mm lens is all plastic and composites, even the mount. |
In terms of materials, the 7Artisans lens has a metal mount, giving it a solid feel, though it lacks a weather-sealing gasket around the mount like Nikon's 50mm f/1.8s. If you often shoot in less-than-ideal conditions, this might be a feature to consider.
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| Both lenses have a 62mm filter thread, which is an easy to find size. |
Both lenses use a 62mm filter thread, which is a pretty standard size, so finding filters shouldn't be an issue. Each lens also comes with its own lens hood, with Nikon's being slightly larger, evening out the size difference between the two lenses when they are used.
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| The USB-C connection integrated into the mount. |
Another interesting feature of the 7Artisans lens is the USB-C port integrated into the mount. This allows you to update the lens' firmware, which could be useful down the line if they release any updates.
Optical Performance
I took the 7Artisans lens out for a photowalk at a local Japanese styled garden, covering a variety of situations and aperture ranges. Here's what I found during my time with the lens. I also did tests indoors with the three lenses.
Sharpness and Detail
At f/1.8, the lens delivers a good amount of detail, though I did notice color fringing, especially in high-contrast areas. For example, when shooting buildings with strong sunlight, I saw a bit of blue and magenta fringing around the edges. The good news is that this fringing improves as you stop down. By the time you hit f/2.8, it's much less noticeable, and at f/5.6 or f/8, it's pretty much gone. For everyday shooting, especially if you're not zooming in to 100%, it shouldn't be a major issue. It is also situational and will depend on lighting conditions.
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| Color fringing is clearly visible here at f/1.8 aperture. |
The sharpness is generally impressive for a lens in this price range. Zooming in on images at 100%, I saw plenty of detail, especially when focusing in the center of the frame. Even wide open at f/1.8, the level of detail is solid, though it's slightly softer on the sides compared to the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8s lens.
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| The 7Artisans lens has a nice amount of detail. In this case at f/2.8. |
Bokeh & Background Quality
At f/1.8, the 7Artisans lens creates pleasant, smooth bokeh. The difference between this and the Nikon lens is minimal, but the 7Artisans lens might be slightly less harsh with the background point source lights.
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| Interesting sunstars at f/1/16 (diffraction spikes). |
At smaller apertures, I noticed that the 7Artisans lens produces sunstars with a double-line effect, which is a bit unique. Whether or not you like this look is subjective, but I thought it added an interesting aesthetic when shooting against bright light sources.
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| An example of the background at f/1.8. |
When shooting wide open, the background blur is soft and smooth. In comparison to the Nikon 24-50mm kit lens at 50mm, the difference is substantial. The kit lens, with its maximum aperture of f/6.3, simply can't compete in terms of creating shallow depth of field or rendering attractive background blur. The 7Artisans and Nikon 50mm f/1.8s prime lenses are much better suited for portrait work, with the 7Artisans delivering a similar result in terms of bokeh quality.
Side-by-Side Lens Comparisons
In my tests, I compared the 7Artisans 50mm f/1.8, Nikon 50mm f/1.8S, and Nikon's kit lens at 50mm.
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| It's difficult to notice much of a difference in the center of the frame between the two prime lenses (f/1.8). |
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| The 7Artisans lens doesn't quite match the Nikon Z 50mm lens on the sides at f/1.8. |
Vignetting was slightly more noticeable on the 7Artisans lens at wide apertures. At f/1.8, the corners were darker compared to the Nikon 50mm. Stopping down reduces this effect, and by f/5.6, it's barely noticeable.
Portrait Performance
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| The two prime lenses at f/1.8 |
While 50mm might not be the go-to focal length for portraits compared to a focal length like 85mm, it works well enough. I took a few self-portraits with the 7Artisans and Nikon lenses to compare their performance.
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| The Nikon 50mm lens missing focus slightly. |
At f/1.8, the 7Artisans lens nailed focus on the eye in more shots than the Nikon 50mm lens, which tended to focus slightly off. Whether this was due to my camera setup, using a Nikon Z5, or just a coincidence, I'm not sure, but it was something I noticed in multiple images. The Nikon was running firmware v2.00 and afterward I found out there is a more recent one available. Though, nothing in the firmware update notes suggested any changes to autofocus.
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| Very similar performance at f/2.8 between the prime lenses. |
When shooting at f/2.8, the focus accuracy between the two lenses was nearly identical, and the difference in sharpness was negligible. Both lenses produced sharp, detailed portraits with attractive background blur.
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| The three lenses in aperture priority at f/6.3. |
Including the kit lens in these tests at f/6.3, the differences were less noticeable unless I zoomed in to unrealistic levels. If you're planning to use the kit lens for portraits, you'll get decent results, but the prime lenses offer more versatility due to the aperture range and generally better optical quality.
Final Thoughts
So, how does the 7Artisans 50mm f/1.8 stack up against Nikon's official 50mm f/1.8s? For the price, the 7Artisans lens seems like an interesting option. Optically, it has similarities to the Nikon prime lens, with some differences in sharpness, vignetting, and chromatic aberration especially at the edges of the frame. Build quality is solid, and while it lacks weather sealing, it has features like the USB-C port for firmware updates.
If you're upgrading from a Nikon kit lens, both the 7Artisans and Nikon 50mm primes will give you a benefit in maximum aperture and in image quality.
Ultimately, the choice between the 7Artisans 50mm f/1.8 and Nikon 50mm f/1.8s comes down to what you prioritize. If you need weather sealing and ultimate edge-to-edge sharpness, Nikon's lens may be worth the extra cost. But if you're on a budget and looking for a lens that delivers nice performance, then the 7Artisans 50mm f/1.8 is worth considering.