Mitakon 50 mm f0.95 settings on the Sony A7

Mitakon 50 mm f0.95 settings and tips for the Sony A7

 

Mitakon 50 mm f0 95 settings and tips

Introduction

All technical tests aside, a lens should be tested for what is is designed, and after a impromptu model shoot yesterday, I was very pleased with the results. This lens does take some getting used to, so I compiled some Mitakon 50 mm f0 95 settings and tips. You can use this guide on how to get the most out of this prime, so you’ll be all set to take advantage of its unique character.

Mitakon 50 mm f0 95 settings, Tips and tricks

First, you’ll have to take some time to get used to the aperture and focus rings. They are placed very ergonomically next to each other, handy to change either aperture or focus on-the-fly with just two fingers. Focus on your subjects’ iris, if that is in focus, you’ll get good results. If you have trouble getting critical focus, try stepping down to F2 or f4, where the lens does sharpen up.

Mitakon 50 mm f0 95 settings and tips

Secondly, you’ll want to use both focus peaking and focus magnifier to make sure your focus point is set right. Set peaking level to high. When I use Zeiss lenses, usually a medium sensitivity is sufficient, but for Mitakon 50 mm f0 95 settings, I found that setting it to high is better. I set the peaking colour to red, as it is the easiest tone for me to distinguish in the viewfinder.

As this is a as this is a manual focusing only lens, It’s easiest to assign a custom button to use focus magnification. Go into your menu and change these settings:

  • -Custom Key Settings > Custom Button 1 > Focus Magnifier
  • -Focus Magnif. Time: no limit

Now, when pressing the C1 button next to the on/off dial will zoom in on any area of the image you want. As the zoom is set to no limit, you’ll have to half-press the shutter to get out of the zoom function.

Mitakon 50 mm f0 95 settings

You should keep in mind that the Mitakon 50 mm f0.95 is not an action lens, your focus point is so delicate and small that any movement will offset it and lead to an out of focus shot. I’d recommend the use of a tripod or monopod, as this eliminates the photographer’s movement, so you’ll only have to worry about your subject.

Mitakon 50 mm f0 95 settings and tips

I use the as the Mitakon f0 95 in Aperture priority mode, where the camera takes care of ISO and shutter speed. As highlights are easily blown at large apertures, make proper use of exposure compensation or use an ND filter. I’ve found it better to underexpose a bit with the exposure compensation dial after focusing. It is better to recover some shadows later in editing than the reverse; no problem for RAW images, especially since the Sony A7(r) (s) sensor is so good. Because there is less light hitting the sensor, focus also seems sharper. Set Auto ISO to a range of 50-3500 on the A7r, this will keep you far away from the noise blurring your image.

Mitakon ZY Optics f/0.95 LCP profile

Finally, I’ve made an Adobe LCP profile to correct distortion and vignetting; you can download here.

How to install an LCP profile:

Windows:
C:Documents and Settings(User Name)Application DataAdobeCameraRawLensProfiles1.0
C:Documents and SettingsAll UsersApplication DataAdobeCameraRawLensProfiles1.0
C:Users(User Name)AppDataRoamingAdobeCameraRawLensProfiles1.0
C:ProgramDataAdobeCameraRawLensProfiles1.0

Mac:

/Users/(User Name)/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/LensProfiles/1.0
/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/LensProfiles/1.0

So now you have all the tools necessary to make the most out of your new ZY Optics Mitakon 50 mm F/0.95.

 

wim arys

Wim Arys is a photographer from Belgium Europe with a passion for mirrorless cameras.

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9 Responses

  1. Jan Schoof says:

    I really appreciate the in depth reviews and tips regarding this lens and the A7R I am waiting for both to arrive at the moment and I feel like I have made a great choice particularly for the portraits I am looking forward to capturing!
    Well done and keep up the great work Wim!

    • wim arys says:

      Thanks Jan! Best to use a tripod I found for portraits, in order to keep movement of both you and model down to a minimum. A bit of patience is needed from the model too. And sometimes step down a bit to get the desired focus. But looking at your portfolio, you know exactly what you’re doing 🙂

  2. Ali says:

    Hi Wim,

    Thanks for the great little review & the useful tips 🙂 could you kindly tell me what aperture you used on the sample shots you have shown??

    Thanks

    • wim arys says:

      Hi Ali. Well as you probably know, there is no information shared between this lens and the camera. So my best guess would be in a range between F/0.95 and F/2.8 for these images.
      When shooting, I use the aperture ring in tandem with the focus ring, i.e. get the desired focus, sharpness and DOF by adjusting both. Easy to do with 2 fingers as they are right next to each other. Check out my studio sharpness test if you’re interested in how sharp the ZY Optics 50mm F/0.95 is at different apertures.

  3. John Kang says:

    Great review! Really appreciate it.
    I’m almost tempted to say the softness of the lens at wide open is a good thing, it’s buttery smooth.
    I already on the CZ 55mm for portraits, but am considering this lens for low light photography. Please do a review about the low light performance of this lens.

    • wim arys says:

      Hi John, well I actually did some Mitakon f/0.95 low light tests (click). But if you want good low light performance, you should look for great ISO performance (like A7s) more than a fast lens.

  4. andreas says:

    When i use the Focus Magnifier than the Focus peaking disappears . ( In some cases one tiny point remains ) What do i do wrong ?

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