DISCLAIMER: Brightin Star sent me this lens free of charge to keep, however they did not get to see this review before posting & they did not have any input into this review. 

I've been wanting this lens for months. Reviews suggested it's one of the best f0.95 lenses in its price range, and having grown to prefer the 50mm full frame equivalent for portraits, it seemed ideal for extreme background blur.

I immediately fell in love with the build quality. It's all metal and glass, with precise focus & aperture rings. Mounted on my Fujifilm X-T5, I spent much of June and July shooting with it.

The image quality turned out to be... A gigantic mixed bag. It has the most pleasing bokeh of any lens I've used and isolates subjects beautifully. It's also surprisingly sharp in the center at f0.95 (if you nail focus!), while the huge aperture is fantastic in low light.

As to the negatives, two words: CHROMATIC ABERRATIONS. At f0.95, purple and green fringing on contrasting edges can be VERY strong, and even Lightroom struggles to remove it. It's easily my biggest issue with the lens. Stopping down or shooting B&W solves it, but I don't always want to do that.

Contrast is also low wide open, vignetting is manageable and flaring can be either annoying or used creatively. It also renders noticeably warmer colors than my other lenses — whether that's a pro or con is up to you.

So, do I even like this lens? I LOVE it! Despite its flaws, I can't emphasize enough how much FUN I have using it. The bokeh is addictive and you can get stunning results. Forgive its imperfections, and you'll get the perfect lens for exceptional photos. 

Not so much a review, rather some quick thoughts on the Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 lens (read post description)