The newer Laowa Argus 28mm f 1.2 lens is slightly sharper and better corrected compared to the Argus 35mm ƒ0.95 lens i just bought.

• Laowa 28/1.2 is 550 gram, with a filter diameter of just 62mm Ø
• Laowa 35/0.95 is almost 800 gram, filter diameter is 72mm Ø

The brighter Laowa 35/0.95 is clearly bigger and heavier. Both focus down to 0.5 meter. I sometimes use a minimal extension ring, in order to get closer when needed (which actually worked well with the Laowa 28/1.2)

MTR Curves at wide open aperture

You see that the Argus 28/1.2 is a notch better at wide open aperture ƒ1.2 compared to the Argus 35/0.95 at wide open aperture ƒ0.95

However, for my type of photography; in low light, indoor restaurant and café lighting etc as well at night - plus mostly aiming at Black & White portraits of people... even the Argus 35/0.95 will be just perfect ! I have seen much "worse" MTF's charts (such as the Leica Noctilux-M 50/1 at ƒ1) - yet, created absolutely gorgeous BW portraits with it at aperture ƒ1

I am not worried.

.

Late Autumn & Winter Work horse

I often used the Argus 28/1.2 lens during winter time, because it is easy to carry around, and does splendid photography even at wide open aperture, both in black & white as well in color. Including star landscapes "on-the-fly" (or clouds at night). Or think of snow storms at night in the city.

Just wonderful having a super bright lens at your disposal !!

While when you stop the aperture down - it gets seriously sharp ! So, it was and is a fantastic combo in that regard, covering different rendering styles (wide open aperture vs stopped down). Two characters in one lens.

Brother or Sister lenses

Now, i think the Laowa 35mm f 0.95 will be like a sibling of the Argus 28mm lens. It may be slightly less well corrected compared to the more modern and a notch less bright 28mm lens... But images i have seen at https://phillipreeve.net are just gorgeous. Both lenses !

• His review of the Argus 35/0.95 lens

• Review of the Argus 28/1.2 lens

The guy also does fantastic images out of almost all lenses he tests (a huge amount). And brings out the best even from the less good lenses. Incredible guy, I say.

Kudos !

Since the Argus is optically even more complicated, and brighter with aperture 0.95 - it challenges any optical formula in real life. Yet, for being such an ultra bright lens - it is a remarkable good lens !

You wouldn't think that Venus Laowa could pull that off.

If you handle the lens carefully with it flaws - even hold your hand above the lens when there are strong light sources present - you can really get some amazing looking images, which set themselves apart from most other (and more clinical looking) 35mm wideangle lenses on the market.

They are perfect imperfect !

So, none of those two are "perfect" lenses. They exhibit unique combination between "good" and "bad". But that somehow gives the unique look in my opinion, similarly to that of a Leica Noctilux-M 50/1, which too is a combination of most unique characteristics and bad optical aspects. And yet, the images, if done really well - are unique (especially - like i said several times before, when you go Black & White photo-style).

However, the Argus lenses do actually work well, even in color - while the old Leica Noctilux-M 50/ perhaps isn't that good. Unless you stop it down to f5.6 or so. Then it becomes razor sharp, and most optical errors disappear.

Optical Chameleons

All three lenses have unique properties when used at wide open apertures. But when you stop them down, they become totally different in character - more neutral and sharp in the rendering style without that much separating themselves from other modern lenses.