I am a published documentary photographer. (www.jeremyrata.com) and have a lifestyle and product photographic business (www.hospitalityphotographic.com). For my business I use Nikon, for my documentary work I have been using Leica for over 12 years starting off with an MP transcending to all their digital offerings up to my current camera the M10. I love them. The lenses I currently use are Leica’s 18mm Super Elmar, 28mm Summicron, and the 35mm & 50mm Summiluxes.
In 2010 I did a book on Afghanistan using an M8.2 with the Leica 28mm F2 ASPH and 50mm F1.4 ASPH lenses. It’s safe to say I love all things Leica and nothing I write here changes that.
7Artisans – Why not before?
Being a Leica user can be controversial, mainly down to the cost of their products and what you can get from them versus similar but less expensive equipment. I hear the words ‘rich mans toy’ are uttered more than any others. I am not a millionaire but choose to work hard and save for the best I can afford. Fuji comes closest to Leica for me and I’m always tempted by them, even though their 35mm cameras are ASP-C sensors. The latest Fuji GX-R for instance is a very interesting camera but it is Medium Format and appears to be quite slow.
Simply put my reason for using Leica has been down to three things; I like the simple form, the functionality and the quality, particularly that of their lenses.
I have always felt that if you buy a brand, then buy their lenses and accessories too. They are made by people with a vested interest so it makes sense to stick with them. I’ve tried out Zeiss and Voigtlander on my Leicas but not bought them as the value for money imperative has never been strong enough in relation to the results.
7Artisans have made me think about that.
The Discovery
I’d been lusting after Leica’s 50mm f0.95 and 28mm F1.4 for a while now but the performance over my current versions just didn’t quite tip me into taking out a loan to get them. I read about the 7artisans 50mm f1.1 by chance on the Leica Rumours website one day and I thought that it is just cheap enough to have some fun. The 7Artisans lenses seemed like a welcome diversion. Who doesn’t love a bit of retro softness? I didn’t need it and certainly didn’t think I’d use it much. Initially I looked on eBay and then just before I bought I read an article by 35mmc about their latest lens the 28mm f/1.4.
So I contacted Hamish and bought them. The service and price I got from Hamish was better than any eBay deal, even more so when you take into account that I’m VAT registered.
The lenses themselves are quite extraordinary. My expectations were relatively low when I ordered them, I expected them to be a bit cheap in construction and possibly not stellar performers, I figured they might be useful as an everyday user that I didn’t have to worry about if I knocked them about, so why not?
I could not have been more wrong.
7Artisans 50mm F1.1 (in silver)
Immediate impression was Wow! It is very solidly built, quite heavy and looks so much like a Leica lens that you have to really look to notice the difference. You could easily pass it off as a Leica lens if you are that way inclined.
The aperture ring has no click stops, which I actually like, but if you’ve never encountered this then it takes some getting used to. Out of the box I had to calibrate it for focus as it is somewhat off, but this is a simple and fun operation, the tools for which are included in the very neat box. Some say it’s not very sharp wide open, which depending on what you determine as sharp may be true. I found it to be absolutely fine. Tack/pin sharp? Possibly not at its widest aperture on the peripherals but as you will see from my images it is very very good (well I think so at least). Once up to f2 it’s sharp, more than sharp enough than for anyone but the sternest critic.
The bokeh is not as creamy smooth as a Noctilux or a Summilux but it’s not offensive either. I have a Canon L39 screw mount F1.2 (which I use for my Leica 111f) which is pretty offensive on the bokeh front, so it is way nicer than that lens (which by the way costs nearly double on eBay). It is susceptible to flare, which I happen to really love. So, if you don’t like flare then don’t shoot into the light. Colour rendition is superb, Chromatic aberrations are no worse than any other competitor lens, but definitely more pronounced than a Noctilux or Summilux. All curable to a certain extent in Photoshop. There is noticeable vignetting at the 1.1 &1.4 apertures but this gets less noticeable as you stop down.
Pros
- Fast
- Sharp
- Beautifully built
- Nearly indistinguishable from a genuine Leica lens at first glance
- Ridiculously cheap
Cons
- Bokeh is not so smooth as to be incredible
- No lens hood (for when you don’t want flare)
- Holes in the body that will attract dirt
- Will probably need recalibration on a regular basis. (Not certain of that though, I’ve had mine since December 2018 and it’s still on point)
Some photos
All of these photos were taken with the Leica M10 and the 7artisans 50mm at f/1.1, processed in Capture one with no further edits in Photoshop
Brief thoughts on the 7Artisans 28mm f1.4 (original version)
This lens is nearly twice the price of the 50. Same impression as the 50 when you take it out of the box. Wow! It is incredibly well built. This lens aperture ring has click stops though. Like the 50 it required calibrating. It’s a heavy and long beast compared to my 28mm Summicron, so it is not a discreet lens and it intrudes into the viewfinder. At 1.4 this lens displays a weird flare ring when shot into the light which I happen to like but you could be forgiven for not liking it as it is a halo. If that concerns you then you can relax, the latest iteration has been changed to eliminate this characteristic. There is some vignetting at the widest apertures but it disappears as you stop down.
In the field it is very very good. It is not soft and it is very contrasty. Wide open it performs brilliantly, even at the peripherals it is acceptably sharp, as you stop down it gets even sharper. As a low light 28 it offers incredible value, particularly when you realise that its Leica equivalent is over £4K more. Like the 50 colour rendition is superb and chromatic aberrations are relatively well controlled. This is a seriously good lens and offers remarkable value for money.
Pros
- Fast
- Contrasty
- Sharp
- Unusual Flare characteristic when shot into the light source wide open
- Beautifully built
- Cheap
Cons
- No lens hood
- Unusual Flare characteristic when shot into the light source wide open
- Not quite as similar to its Leica equivalent
- Heavy and long.
7Artisans versus their Leica equivalents – Direct Test for Sharpness
I thought it might be an interesting exercise to take the same shot with a Leica lens and then again with a 7Artisans lens to see what they look like. Below are the results. All Images are straight out of the camera and have no adjustments in Photoshop. These are highly unscientific (in line with this entire review) but do demonstrate what an everyday user would encounter.
I neither have the time or interest to do all those detailed tests some people do as they just do not have any relevance to the way I shoot. I’m not really interested in scale charts and barrel distortion graphs. I just want to know how does it compare in reality when I’m out and about bothering people with my camera. There are no 100 percent full res Tiffs for you to look at on Flickr, just these but they do give you an idea.
The 7 Artisans are both faster lenses by 1 F-stop, so at full wide open are definitely softer than the Leicas, but at the equivalent F-stop the difference is far less pronounced. In everyday shooting I wonder how much difference a good photographer would notice.
And that in essence is my point really. If you are a photographer for whom viewing images at over 100% on a screen and prints at A2 plus is what floats your boat then the 7Artisans lenses may not be for you.
Test Images 7Artisans 28mm f1.4 v Leica Summicron 28mm F2 ASPH
Test Images 7Artisans 50mm f1.1 v Leica Summilux 50mm F1.4 ASPH
In Summation
Sharpness is a much talked about trait and I am not convinced that everyone knows what it means when you put it in context. I think people are way too obsessed with it. These lenses are sharp, not overly so, but definitely sharp enough for the vast majority of users. All the images I have posted are from the 50mm at f/1.1. Judge for yourself. If you are ‘lens wide open sharpness obsessed’ then you might not want to buy these lenses, but you’ll need to be ‘full screen, 100%’ obsessed – in which case good luck with that. When you add to that many people blame the lens for their poor rangefinder focussing skills at wide open apertures you have to be careful when listening to them. The DOF on these lenses is wafer thin at their widest aperture.
Perhaps ask yourself how are people going to view your images? When you are posting on Instagram you will not be able to detect any softness at all. So my advice is think of these lenses as pre-latest versions of their Leica equivalent and you won’t go far wrong. Also remember that extreme sharpness right now is not as cool as it was.
So, let’s be clear, these are not the equal of the very latest Leica lenses but they are excellent alternatives. 7Artisans will not have Leica quaking in their boots and nor should they. Leica’s quality and attention to detail are their hallmarks. But for the price these lenses are incredible value, highly usable and exceptional performers for all but the most demanding situations. I’m just delighted with them and so far. They offer a different old world style and a great addition to my kit.
The fact that I’ve just read the 7Artisans are producing a 75mm F/1.25 leaves me in joyful anticipative state. I’m just hoping I haven’t made a case for Artisans7 increasing their prices…
Jeremy Rata
www.jeremyrata.com
www.hospitalityphotographic.com
Follow me on Instagram: @jeremyrata | @benandjeremy
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srdjan eftimovski on 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 & 28mm f/1.4 Reiview – Alternatives or Imposters? – By Jeremy Rata
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
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BC on 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 & 28mm f/1.4 Reiview – Alternatives or Imposters? – By Jeremy Rata
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
I have also been tempted by the Artisans7 50 mm f 1.1 . The reviews I read were rather positive and let us face it an f 1.1 at this price, why not try it? And since I recently acquired a digital CL on ebay, this becomes an interesting portrait lens, far more approachable than the Leica 75 mm. I was impressed by the the built of the lens (metal and glass), the fact it looked (exteriorly, I am not an expert at glass design) better designed than the Voigtlanders, and by the focus-adjustment tools which I found, as you did, necessary as the lens was not properly adjusted for my Leica. I was also surprised by the design and quality of the packaging. Not as spectacular as the Leica black gift box which once open takes a lot of room, but satisfying by its practical design and sobriety. As a customer you feel you are being treated with respect and that the brand does not believe in producing cheap products delivered cheaply.
My results confirm yours though I would point out that my Artisnas7 50 mm is not really as sharp as my Summilux 50 mm (it is rather soft at f 1.1, softer than the Summilux at f 2, but once at f 4 the difference is far from critical); the corners are definitely soft at wide apertures (but to be fair, expected) and vignetting is also more present as these apertures—as you may have understood I am not one likely to systematically over-darkened the corners of my photographs in Lightroom or Photoshop, a procedure that is less required with digital photography than it was in BW and color darkroom work when we add to compensate for the potential uneven lighting of the enlarger (light source and lens). I tend to be rather meticulous about the whole content of my images and usually what is in the corners is there for a reason and I do not want to obliterate it with darkness (as seems to be the recent fashion, along with over-processed, HDR style, images). So as a result vignetting is something I do not want to have systematically added to my images.
But in the end I find myself using that lens with pleasure. It is in my camera bag and not on my desk as a trendy paper-weight. Thanking you for sharing the time of your experience with it.
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
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Terry B on 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 & 28mm f/1.4 Reiview – Alternatives or Imposters? – By Jeremy Rata
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
I found myself in total empathy. This may or may not have had something to do with your also mentioning Fuji. ????
A short while ago I had a similar inkling to try a super fast lens, simply out of curiosity, as I have absolutely no need for one! What made this possible was the price of the super-inexpensive Kamlan f1.1/50 which I purchased new at just £110, and whilst this is available in Sony E mount and I could therefore assess its overall performance on my FF Sony A7, I opted for Fuji X as I prefer Fuji's imaging.
As with your Artisans, I was very surprised at the build quality. Focusing is firm but smooth and the aperture control is not click-stopped but which I would have preferred. And, unsurprisingly, its optical quality is not going to worry Leica, Voigtlander or Artisans. But what it offers for the price is quite remarkable. It has a character all its own. Am I going to use it a lot? No, but neither have I an expensive piece of glass lying around on the off-chance I may need it.
I found your first two images wonderfully expressive. I'd imagined the facial expressions of your partner and daughter were captured just after they found out how little you'd paid for the lens. The second image of your daughter drinking what I am going to assume is tea in view of the cocked little finger. What every proper young lady should do in polite society.
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
Huss on 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 & 28mm f/1.4 Reiview – Alternatives or Imposters? – By Jeremy Rata
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
FYI I have a few Leica, Zeiss, Voigtlander lenses too, so it is not a case of wishing for something else. But the enjoyment of using a different lens that brings its own values to the table.
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
Laurence Kesterson on 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 & 28mm f/1.4 Reiview – Alternatives or Imposters? – By Jeremy Rata
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
The 50mm f1.1 is another outstanding lens for the money. The 7Artisans lens delivers in spades for the money, however that one ended up costing me a fair bit of cash. I had the 50mm Summicron from my film days but wanted the look of the f1.1, so I bought it as soon as it was available and shot a five page magazine story with it. I use it a lot, but find the results can be unpredictable. It convinced me that what I really wanted was the consistency that a Leica lens can deliver, so I ended up buying a 50mm f1.4 Summilux asph. I still use the 50 f1.1 and don't regret the purchase at all. For me it is a specialty tool though, and one I coudln't otherwise afford.
I spent most of my career as a photojournalist and before we all transitioned to digital I relied heavily on Leica M cameras. Unfortunately, once the digital revolution came on in full swing I had to leave the Leicas behind. I've only recently returned to the Leica fold and it's been a wonderful experience and rekindled the spark that was beginning to wane. To be fair, my latest Canon DSLR cameras are technically better. Autofocus for an old man is a godsend. That and the Canons handle mixed light sources much better than my M-P 240's. However, the Leicas are like and old pair of shoes that fit me just right.
As for the Zeiss and Voigtlander lenses, I agree with you there too. No doubt they are very good optics and they are affordable. That said they are still not cheap and I generally prefer the Leica lenses even if they are more expensive. However, the 7Artisans lenses are dirt cheap and allow entry into a very exclusive club of fast lenses with very little risk if they don't suit you. The 50 f1.1 is cheap, cheap, cheap and is worth every penny and worth owning for the price (I wouldn't buy it priced any higher though). The 28mm f1.4 is incredibly cheap compared to the Leica 1.4 and is easily worth owning for twice the price. It's a terrific lens.
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
Adam Bonn on 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 & 28mm f/1.4 Reiview – Alternatives or Imposters? – By Jeremy Rata
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
Five years ago
“Hey I just spent 5K on a camera”
OMG you wasted (sic) your money on a Leica?
Now
“Hey I just spent 5K on a camera”
Cool, what did you get? The Sony A9, one of the Fuji MFs, or the Leica or a secondhand X1D?
EVERY OEM wants a lot of coin for their cameras these days...
On to the lenses.
I have the 7artisans 50. It’s a great lens for the money. The flare can be troublesome (like on my 50 cron) and the quality of the OOF areas can be less than smooth... but personally I find looking where the light source is and what’s in the background before I hit the shutter can work wonders to avoid this ;-)
7artisans focus calibration on the lens itself is nothing short of genius, and in my humble opinion way better than sending your camera and lens off to the mothership.
That said, as Jeremy says, sharpness is more about the overall look to the shot rather than pixel peeping one part of it.
A nice review Jeremy. Thanks for sharing.
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
Huss on 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 & 28mm f/1.4 Reiview – Alternatives or Imposters? – By Jeremy Rata
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
This makes all the difference in tight head shots - with the other lenses I need to crop to get the same frame fill.
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
Mark Kronquist on 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 & 28mm f/1.4 Reiview – Alternatives or Imposters? – By Jeremy Rata
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
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Brian on 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 & 28mm f/1.4 Reiview – Alternatives or Imposters? – By Jeremy Rata
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
https://cameraderie.org/threads/7artisans-50-1-1-and-zeiss-50-1-5-c-sonnar-visit-gunston-hall.39473/
The price of the 50/1.1 Nokton has dropped to about $700. It is sharper and has better edge-to-edge performance compared with the 7artisans. But again- 2x the price, and much heavier. That goes with being a Double-Gauss lens. Bigger and heavier. 7% the price of the 50/0.95 Noctilux. I bought mine 9 years ago. Great lens, as is the 35/1.2 Nokton.
https://cameraderie.org/threads/7artisans-50-1-1-nokton-50-1-1-and-jupiter-3-50-1-5-visit-gunston-hall.39476/
For anyone using the M Monochrom or M246: the 7artisans 50/1.1 is considerably sharper with a Y2 or deeper filter on it. Most Sonnars have a fair bit of CA, using the filter knocks it out. I have one optimized for the M Monochrom, one for the M9. I wish all lenses were so easy to calibrate.
I've had my 7Artisans for 2 years now- I needed to tighten the set screws for the focus ring once. I've had to do the same for my 50/1.5 Nokton, 50/1.1 Nokton and other lenses, did not bother me. You use a device, it needs routine maintenance. I passed on the 35/2 7Artisans as I picked up a 35/1.7 Ultron for $300, mint/used. Hard to beat. I'll probably pick up the 75/1.2 7Artisans.
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
Comment posted: 28/05/2019
Dan Castelli on 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 & 28mm f/1.4 Reiview – Alternatives or Imposters? – By Jeremy Rata
Comment posted: 29/05/2019
My minor quibble - "Honestly, it is just another camera, although a very good one..." No, Leica is not just another camera. We use them for their reputation and their quality. Their lenses have a unique signature, both with using digital & film.
I read all the lens reviews I can, partly as 'junk reading' but, like many photographers, to help be decide on a potential purchase. I've found the people who are published on this site are really trying to share their knowledge to fellow photographers. Being retired, I find this information valuable on a limited 'mad photography money' budget.
As for the Leica bashers (or the Canon/Nikon bashers) I think they would secretly desire a Leica, but for whatever reason, don't have one, and to cover their inadequacies, attack the brand & it's users. I've endured it for years. Once I was in a clothing store w/my M2 over my shoulder. A sales clerk looked at my camera and sniffed "I've got an Olympus OM-10 that's just as good as your camera." Why even make a stupid statement like that? Why set-up a lose/lose situation with a complete stranger looking to buy a polo shirt? I truly can't process this type of thinking.
BTW, I did know you can moderate the comments.
Comment posted: 29/05/2019
Victor on 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 & 28mm f/1.4 Reiview – Alternatives or Imposters? – By Jeremy Rata
Comment posted: 29/05/2019
https://www.35mmc.com/23/12/2018/5-frames-from-the-first-roll-with-leica-m4-p-7artisans-50-1-1-and-delta-100/
Despite that, however, I disagree that it is a match, or even comes close to leica, zeiss, or VC equivalents.
The reason is that while 7A is fairly sharp centrally, it gets way worse as you move further to the edges. When I got the lens, I was also impressed by central sharpness and contrast compared to my Jupiter 3 (old one), which really does make the central subject pop. And I do think its no coincidence that in all of your samples the subject is located centrally :) Once the initial impressions fade away, however, you start to notice this limitation, and in particular the fact that mid-frame and corners never actually get tack sharp and only get acceptable for landscape-like scenarios at f11 or so. I don't want to say that this fact makes the lens bad option, since you buy this fast lens to shoot it wide open or close to it, and in this case only the subject will be sharp anyway, but you need to keep it in mind all the time.
Most of the leica/zeiss/vc efforts in making lenses are devoted to make them consistent performers, however, and that's what largely defines their cost. The 7A just does not do that, despite the nice build and ok performance as super-fast lens.
If that's what you want though, you'll get a lot of glass for a small amount of money, which is always nice :)
Just don't shoot it below 1.4 unless absolutely required by light conditions, or you're deliberately looking for this funky bokeh seen in your 3rd and 8th samples. From 1.4 up the mid frame gets sharp enough and bokeh gets more sane (particularly the transition zone). Keep in mind though that for 1.4 lens the 7A is fairly big, and at these apertures you might be better off getting an old jupiter 3, or even jupiter 8 which are close in sharpness, but 2-10x cheaper and significantly smaller. Their lower contrast can be fixed if you shoot digital, and on film it can actually be advantageous depending on film and shooting conditions. I kept both, but if I'd need to keep one, I'd keep my Jupiter 3 rather than 7A (mostly because of size, performance is comparable).
Jeremy Rata on 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 & 28mm f/1.4 Reiview – Alternatives or Imposters? – By Jeremy Rata
Comment posted: 30/05/2019
Whilst I don’t fully agree I think it possibly comes down to what you want from your lens. My point is based around cost v performance- value really, I don’t think I’m claiming that the lens is better than its Leica equivalent but that for the money the end result is very good. It’s a horse for a course and a very affordable one if you have reasonable expectations.
If I had posted those pictures but shot some of them on a Leica lens I don’t think the overall end difference would have been as stark as the cost to buy. (bokeh on the wide daylight excepting ones possibly).
Interestingly I did post the last image focussed on the subject io the right side and it’s very acceptable. Also all the tests are deliberately focussed to the left hand side of the frame for exactly the reason you say as composition rule of thirds often dictates that. I still do not think the 7Artisans provides unacceptable performance.
In essence I think that whilst a full bench test of this lens would probably support your observations in reality I just shoot pictures but when it comes to Landscape I agree I would not think to use this lens, for on the go reportage/documentary stuff i find that it’s the subject at the centre of the image that everyone looks at not the peripherals and it is in this arena that I find the 7Artisans 50mm to be a really fun and impressive lens.
I’ve never used the Jupiter 3 or 8 but they are 1 and 2 stops slower would be my only observation and given every shot I posted is shot wide open at F1.1 I appreciated the extra light capability.
Thanks for posting, I found it very relevant.
Comment posted: 30/05/2019
eric on 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 & 28mm f/1.4 Reiview – Alternatives or Imposters? – By Jeremy Rata
Comment posted: 30/05/2019
You can also find some nice Leica copies for 3 times cheaper, really nice, just one difference : made in China !
For me these lenses are not more than that !
Comment posted: 30/05/2019
Brian on 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 & 28mm f/1.4 Reiview – Alternatives or Imposters? – By Jeremy Rata
Comment posted: 30/05/2019
The 7Artisans 50/1.1, like most Sonnar formula lenses, has a high degree of field curvature. There is not a plane of focus, it's more like a jello mold. The sharpest focus at the edges closer to the camera. Some of the pictures in this thread show this:
https://cameraderie.org/threads/7artisans-50mm-f1-1-m-mount-lens.47849/
Just for comparison, a Nikkor 55/1.2 Ai.
All shots wide-open. The Nikkor also shows some field curvature, but not as much as the 7Artisans. The Nikkor also has a reputation for soft corners in lens tests- also attributable to field curvature. As with any lens, shoot for its strengths, not weaknesses. Don't use these for brick walls.
Comment posted: 30/05/2019
Jon H on 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 & 28mm f/1.4 Reiview – Alternatives or Imposters? – By Jeremy Rata
Comment posted: 01/06/2019
John Earnshaw on 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 & 28mm f/1.4 Reiview – Alternatives or Imposters? – By Jeremy Rata
Comment posted: 04/07/2019
Thanks for the well written review; now how do I justify the need for the 7Arisans 28 which I really would like?
Josh on 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 & 28mm f/1.4 Reiview – Alternatives or Imposters? – By Jeremy Rata
Comment posted: 06/11/2019
I'm new in the rangefindersworld so I'm sorry if some questions might be stupid or the answers are obvious.
Comment posted: 06/11/2019
wes on 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 & 28mm f/1.4 Reiview – Alternatives or Imposters? – By Jeremy Rata
Comment posted: 14/06/2021
Will explain, since I shoot M monochrom, i need smooth lenses, sharpness is not all that counts,
I now tried the CV50mm f1.2, and TTartisan 50mm F1.4. those are much better corrected lenses in many aspects, but with a serious lack of caracter , just tecnical good and sharp.
After looking into my 7A 50mm archive, I found that the 7A lens does that caracter part very well, beside its flaws.
Alternatives would be the canon LTM 50mm f1.2 or in another prize (and weight) category the Canon Dream lens 50mm f0.95
I mainly use the 7Artisan full open with a ND filter because of its (range finder) focus shift, if you use a digital finder this is no issue.
I bought my 50mm f1.1 right wen it came out.So a second 7artisan is on its on the way once more, to stay..