Since I bought the Fujinon GF 30 mm f 3.5 lens for Fujifilm GFX, i have barely use any other lens on the mediumformat camera. Almost step-motherly treated the Mitakon 65mm f 1.4 lens. Therefore I took out the Mitakon in order to "get into it" again.

It is NOT an easy (fully manual) lens. It combines weird aspects such as relative sharpness combined with low contrast when used wide open at aperture ƒ1.4 for example. The focusing is VERY difficult if you really want to nail the focus. Micro sharpness isn't top not either when you stop the lens down (albeit this can be easily addressed when using sharpening software from Topaz, those fine detail will crispen up as if having use a very sharp lens).

Ambivalent feel about it

However, i do realize that my attitude towards the Mitakon 65/1.4 lens is rather ambivalent. And yes, they weight is actually a factor which i feel sucks at times. Remember, it is a 1,050g lens (!) - and i do feel that in my small backpack i have with me at work - compared to other Fujifilm lenses, that are lighter.

It was exceptionally well priced

I do have to remind myself, that I got this lens for 5300 SEK or 450 € with shipping & tax included (or perhaps they forgot that ?). In total it was truly an absolute bargain to say the least. Even lower price compared to when it was introduced years ago for $800 + tax, which is like paying 11.400 SEK.

So, I am not complaining in the price department.

When stopped down it delivers. While the micro sharpness is still a not off - it crispens up to fantastic sharpness when using a Topaz software (Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or Photo AI). This almost always works when the micro sharpness is ever so slightly soft - then turning out perfectly after using the software.

Let's have a look at the Mitakon 65mm f 1.4 lens
when stopped down

to something like ƒ4 or ƒ5.6 I believe, taking the other morning at Stockholm Gullmarsplan, showing the new tower "Stockholm One". It surely is sharp. Yes, I did use the Topaz Sharpen AI software, in order to crispen up the finest details.

What happens wide open at ƒ1.4
in the close focus range ?

Here i happen to hit the exact focus - on the flower inner regions. What we see is that it actually renders sharp at aperture ƒ1.4 but the contrast is low.

Notice that more classic lenses, usually have a lower optical performance in the close focus region where you almost always will have a drop in contrast and sharpness. Sometimes it helps to stop down this lens a notch to ƒ2 or ƒ2.2 or even ƒ2.5

It is still remarkable that this lens CAN render sharp details at ƒ1.4 (if they are in the center of the image). Details at the borders will not render sharp at ƒ1.4 aperture, though. The problem is that it is very, very difficult to manually focus the lens so that it hits the perfect zone of sharpness. After all, it is a manual lens, and you move just a few millimeters with your head and camera - and the details you had in mind to be sharp, are already outside the sharpness zone.

It makes it a tricky lens. But has an interesting background blur. Not always favorable, like in the image blow, I find the blur a bit "weird". But in portraits it does have an interesting flavor - albeit don't go too close to your subject, either.

As I said, a tricky, ambivalent lens. You may hate it, or love it. Or something in between. I personally have not yet made up my mind about it. I certainly have to use it far more often, in order to get a better grip over its weaknesses and strengths.

The new Mitakon Speedmaster 80 mm ƒ 1.6
for Fujifilm GFX cameras

They have now introduced another lens made for the larger GFX sensor cameras - and here we are talking about a 850 gram 80mm f 1.6 lens - which is equivalent to a 63 mm focal length. What surprised me is, that the new lens focuses down to 0.5 meter - while the Mitakon 65/1.4 only goes down to 0.7 meter.

The center appears to be sharper even at wide open aperture ƒ1.6 - but with a slight reduction of the contrast. The borders however appear to be worse, and don't really sharpen up until ƒ8

For the low price of $600

An interesting proposition ?

Going closer, while also being slightly longer focal length - and good center sharpness already wide open - it offers perhaps even a better package compared to the 65/1.4 lens. The lack of border sharpness may or may not be a big deal - I can't judge that. In real life, this might pretty much be of a lesser issue. I certainly can't complain about border sharpness in the Mitakon 65/1.4 lens, even if at micro level it isn't totally sharp, it is after treatment with Topaz software, very sharp. (And when you make an image smaller - which you often do with such large images coming from a medium format camera - the micro sharpness is a total non issue).

I personally would - perhaps - be more interested into the native Fujifilm GF 80/1.7 lens instead (second hand around 15-19.000 SEK) But the thing is, that 80mm and 65mm are pretty close together... On the other hand, choosing an AF lens instead of a manual 80mm lens might be a better idea after all.

Mitakon Speedmaster 65 mm ƒ 1.4
stopped down to ƒ2.8 or ƒ4

Just another example of when stopping the lens down, how the border sharpness looks like at micro level. It really doesn't matter that it ain't 100% perfect, because the overall image is simply sharp. the difference is so small in real life, that it is way more important to fill the photo with interesting content !!

The photo below was taken 2 mornings ago, as I turned around the subway train at Gullmarsplan. The highway bridge was illuminated by the warm rising sun, while in the distance the shadow of that bridge was projected onto the woods of Årstaviken, while the houses already got illuminated by the warm colors of the sun.

Mitakon Speedmaster 65 mm ƒ 1.4
has a little bit the spirit of a Leica Noctilux-M 50/1 mixed with 6x7 Takumar 105mm f 2.4

Like a combo of both, because when used wide open, the older Noctilux-M 50/1 is like an enigma. Sharpness combined with softness in the center. But when stopped down it switches character totally into a sharp, more "clinical" looking lens.

The Mitakon 65/1.4 has a bit of that character, because it is soft and filled with bokeh when used wide open. But when you stop it down, that character changes completely, as the lens renders images sharp across the frame.

An Enigma lens for the Fuji GFX mediumformat cameras, so to speak. And damn heavy !

Thoughtful ?

If I call it a tricky lens - perhaps I should call it a thoughtful lens. The user needs to be in alignment with its strengths and weaknesses, in order to utilize the special character of that "tricky" lens.

What about Canon FD 85/1.2 L lens ?

Good question. Even this one i have barely used. Tonight i will take it with me in order to do more tests with that lens on the Fujifilm GFX. To see how far i can bring it, and how much or little that would make sense in real life practice.

It can be used, but also here - it depends. I am sure this works for portraits in black & White, yes. At infinity sceneries you need to stop down to at least ƒ4 i would say. Isolation can be done at ƒ1.2 - and the bokeh is actually beautiful - like in all Canon's 85mm f 1.2 lens iterations though time, giving it a special rendering.

So, if you have the lens - yeah, use it. If you don't have that lens - don't bother (The FD version has gotten so expensive that it rivals the price of the EF AF versions). So, i wouldn't buy it just to use it on the Fujifilm GFX cameras.

Below, images taken at ƒ1.2 aperture

The bokeh has a more balanced feeling compared to the bokeh of the Mitakon 65/1.4 lens. The FD 85/1.2 L has darker corners in comparison - yet are fully correctable. It is going to be interesting, to use it tomorrow early morning, on my way home from work.

Now at infinity at aperture ƒ 1.2´

The second photo below, shows 100% enlargement from the extreme lower, right corner at ƒ1.2. Of course it looks funky. You wouldn't want to shoot landscapes with a GFX camera and the FD 85/1.2 L at ƒ1.2

However, I would claim that for portraits the range of aperture ƒ1.2 to ƒ2.2 is very useful with this lens on a Fujifilm GFX camera and if you already have that lens - then try it ! It is in essence my "Mitakon 80/1.6 lens", so to speak. Another reasons less to buy the new 80/1.6 lens, because the Canon FD 85/1.2 can do that, too.

What about Fujinon GF 110mm f 2 ?

Maybe I should decide for the Fujinon GF 110/2 lens in the future ?! That however overlaps with my already existing Sigma ART 105/1.4 lens - which works really well on the Fuji GFX !! It's optics are stellar, and there are barely any darker corners to speak of.

If it wouldn't be for the fact that it is a whopping 1.6 kilo lens...

*rolling my eyes*

Again wide open: ƒ1.2 with Canon FD 85/1.2 L

It is really not bad. The lovely, more balanced bokeh definitely appealed to me. The sharpness is relative OK at micro level - and for being an old ƒ1.2 lens, I really have no problem with that. The ISO 1600 i have "cleaned" though Topaz, so that too, was not a problem. a little bit of Purple Fringing correction also has been applied

What is there not to like ?

One word of notice; the close focus distance for the Canon FD 85/1.2 L is only 0.9 meter, which is substantially further away compared to the upcoming mitakon 80mm f 1.6 lens with 0.5 meter.