M10 Monochrome
Shot on 75mm at F1.4
ISO160
7Artisans M 75mm F1.25 II (Leica M‑mount version):
- Lens type: Short‑telephoto prime, full‑frame coverage
- Focal length: 75 mm
- Maximum aperture: F1.25
- Minimum aperture: F16
- Optical construction: 7 elements in 6 groups, including 1 ED and 1 high‑refractive element
- Angle of view: ~33° on full frame
- Aperture blades: 12‑blade diaphragm for smooth bokeh
- Minimum focus distance: 0.8 m (rangefinder‑coupled)
- Maximum magnification: approx. 0.12×
- Focus: Manual focus, Leica M‑coupled
- Filter thread: 62 mm
- Dimensions (diameter × length): about 65–79 × 65–73 mm depending on spec source / measurement method
- Weight: roughly 510–610 g (revised II version is lighter than the original)
- Mount: Leica M / VM‑mount, full‑frame
For a fast portrait‑length M‑mount lens, the 7Artisans 75mm F1.25 II leans hard into the modern “attainable Noctilux” idea: you get an ultra‑bright aperture, high center sharpness, and very dramatic subject separation at a tiny fraction of Leica money. Wide open the rendering is bold and cinematic with strong background blur and some glow and spherical aberration at close distances, which gives portraits a romantic look rather than clinically perfect micro‑contrast. Stopping down to around F2–F2.8 tightens contrast and cleans up the aberrations while maintaining plenty of separation, and distortion and vignetting are impressively well controlled for such a compact F1.25 design. Mechanically it is solid, all‑metal, and dense with a damped focus ring and improved aperture ring over the original version, though the 0.8 m minimum focus and weight still make it a deliberate, two‑hand lens rather than something that disappears on the camera. If you’re comfortable focusing a fast tele on an M body and you want that big‑aperture 75 mm look for portraits, still life, or nocturnal city work without paying Noctilux prices, this is a very compelling, character‑leaning tool that’s been significantly refined compared to the first‑gen 7Artisans 75/1.25.
