The new manual focus Brightin Star 35mm f/1.4 is the Chinese company’s latest affordable lens for full-frame mirrorless photographers. Launching at just $159.99, the fast 35mm prime delivers high-end image quality and a robust build.
Brightin Star is well known for its fast and affordable lenses, having just released the 24mm f/1.8 autofocus lens for Sony E and Nikon Z this month and the 50mm f/0.95 II manual focus prime for all mirrorless mounts last month. The new 35mm f/1.4 is much cheaper than either of those lenses, but still makes the same promise of excellent image quality and a fast aperture.
The Brightin Star 35mm f/1.4 is ultra-lightweight and compact, weighing just 218 grams (7.7 ounces) and measuring 42 millimeters (under 1.7 inches) long. The lens features a vintage style and includes a marked focus ring, a de-clickable aperture ring, and a 49mm filter thread. Thanks to its de-clickable aperture ring, Brightin Star says the lens is well-suited to video applications, even though it is arguably best suited to photography given its overall design and feature set.
On the inside, the new 35mm prime features seven elements arranged into six groups, including a high-refraction lens and a low-dispersion element. It also has double Gaussian optics that promise “sharp, clear images from center to edge,” even when shooting wide open at f/1.4. As Brightin Star notes, the 35mm focal length delivers a fairly natural perspective and field of view, slightly wider than human vision.
As a manual focus lens, the Brightin Star 35mm f/1.4 may not be well-suited for everyone. However, many photographers enjoy the manual focus experience, and by eschewing an autofocus system, Brightin Star has been able to keep the price of its new lens down. The lens competes against manual focus primes like the Thypoch Simera 35mm f/1.4 (on sale right now for $369, down from $549), the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.4 Mark II ($160), and the Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 ($200 off for the holidays, bringing its price down to $599).
Compared to autofocus-equipped first-party 35mm primes, the Brightin Star is much easier on the wallet. The Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM, an incredible lens, is $1,598, just slightly more than Canon’s discounted RF 35mm f/1.4 L VCM. Nikon’s approach is a bit different, as the company’s fantastic 35mm f/1.2 S is its top-end 35mm prime option. The Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4 is $576.95.
Pricing and Availability
The Brightin Star 35mm f/1.4 manual focus prime lens is available now for $159.99 in Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z, and L-Mount.
Image credits: Brightin Star