I bought this lens during black friday deals this past November 2024. I previously had shot a new release from Brightin Star, their AF 50mm F1.4 so I wanted to check out a couple of their other lenses. I bought this one and another one of their 10mm fish eyes. It took so long to get this out because my backlog for lens reviews is pretty insane at the moment. Once i unpacked this little pancake i decided to get out and about here in San Diego. This is the smallest full frame lens i have ever bought and tested. I took it out with my Sony A7CII to test out in two locations: downtown San Diego (Gaslamp) and Balboa Park. These are probably the best locations to test a lens like this out because of the small form factor. I turned on silent shutter on and away I went.
Technical Specifications:
- Focal Length: 23mm
- Lens Structure: 5 tablets and 4 groups.
- Aperture: F5.6.
- Lens Construction: All-Metal construction.
- Weight: 180g .
- Filter Thread Size: 55mm.
- Year Released: Mid 2022.
Price for the Money:
- I paid $80 for this lens. Almost 6 months after purchase the price is still the same at the Brightin Star website. Check out my link below for a discount on this and any other Brightin Star products.
User Experience:
- This lens is compact, has a fixed aperture at F5.6 and it is made for Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z, and L mount. I would say this is suited for street photography and shooting people due to its pancake design. I can fit this lens and camera combination (Sony A7CII) in my hoodie’s front pocket with no issues. Shooting this lens you dont really get noticed due to its small form factor. You can get in and out of any location incognito. I did like the center sharpness of this lens however it did show somewhat poor resistance to flare. The fixed F5.6 aperture does limit its versatility in low-light conditions and depth of field control. It also lacks electronic contacts so EXIF data is not transmitted to the camera. Despite its limitation, at the price that I paid I was overall happy with the images specially the center of the images i got in my two trips. In the world of Full Frame lenses, at $80, this compact option is suitable for its portability and simplicity.
Unboxing Video:
Gaslamp Stroll:
Balboa Park Walk:
Botanical color test:
The Lens Hooche Verdict
This is a very well built lens. Its small, lightweight and perfect for travel. You are going to get some vignetting and you will spot slight green colorization in the corners. Flare resistance is also not very good as previously mentioned. For street photography, architecture and just to take on a short trip this is a good little lens for that. The price is also what attracts me to this lens. Can you get a better performing lens at this size? yes, but it will be more expensive.
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