7Artisans 25mm 1.8: first contact hands on review

Oct 1

7Artisans 25mm 1.8 is my choice for street photography

It’s not the obvious “pro” setup, but that’s exactly the point. I wanted something small, discreet, and fully manual: a lens that forces me to slow down just enough while still keeping me fast and fluid on the street. Something that gets me closer to the film experience.

On the a6000, the 25mm gives me about a 37.5mm equivalent, which sits in that sweet spot between wide and standard. It’s close enough to how the eye sees, but with just a bit more context: perfect for being inside the scene rather than standing back from it.

I like the character this lens brings. It’s not clinically sharp, it’s not “perfect,” but that imperfection feels right for the streets. It gives me a rawness that works well with the kind of images I want to make. And since it’s manual focus, I can set it hyperfocal and just work instinctively, without letting autofocus distract me or miss the shot.

The combo is light, unassuming, and lets me blend in. That matters more than carrying the biggest or most expensive gear. For me, street photography is about presence, timing, and honesty: and this little setup gives me exactly that. By looking at that lens now mounted on the Sony a6000, gives a look that seems more vintage and so cool.

Pros

Compact & discreet: the combo looks almost like a toy camera, which helps me disappear in the street.
Focal length sweet spot: on APS-C it’s about 37.5mm, close to human vision, natural for storytelling without distortion.
Full manual control: focusing and aperture by hand keeps me in charge, no hunting or missed AF moments.
Hyperfocal dream: at f/8–f/11 I can zone focus and shoot fast without worrying.
Character: not clinically sharp, it gives images a bit of grit and personality: which I actually want in my street work.
Affordable: for what it gives, the price is ridiculously good.

Cons

Manual focus only: not everyone likes it, and sometimes you can miss split-second shots if you’re not ready.
No electronic communication: the camera won’t record aperture data in EXIF.
Edge sharpness wide open: at f/1.8 it’s soft, especially at the corners, so it’s not great if you need technical sharpness.
Flare & contrast: it can struggle with direct light sources, not the best coating.
Build quirks: focus ring is a bit stiff for some.
Learning curve: if you’re used to autofocus, it takes time to get fully comfortable with it on the street.

The photos made yesterday

I went in the Jamaica market and then in Downtown, with my wife for other reasons that are not photography. So not completely concentrated on that. I just exagerated too much with hypefocal and not worked that much in zone focusing. In any case I achieved to make some good photos. The focal lenght is just perfect to me and what I am looking for to achieve with my photography. I don’t want a super reactive lens, I just need something that puts me in condition to work with layers and creating some cool composition. I can see already all the potential to work with a combo like this.

I am surprised because I achieve to nail more photos in focus with this manual lens respect to the other 3 AF lenses I have for my Sony a6000.