Brightin Star 55mm f1.8 review and test video with sample photos. The full frame manual lens that works great as a long standard lens and a portrait lens on crop body cameras. This well made little lens can be bought for under $100 and is surprisingly sharp wide open.
The version I tested had a Sony e-mount and I used it on the Sony a6400 APS-C camera to get theses results.
The Brightin Star 55mm f/1.8 is a full-frame manual lens. A very compact portrait-length prime lens that will let you take photos in a wide variety of light levels. It’s has a bright f/1.8 maximum aperture that handles working in low lighting and also enables isolating subject well. This allows for selective focus and shallow depth of field.
Brightin Star has kept the design simple by using just seven elements in five groups. This optical design is controlled with a multi-layer coating that helps to cut down on annoying flare and ghosting for enhanced contrast and color rendering in a wide range of lighting conditions. To top it off, it’s 12-blade diaphragm leads to a smooth bokeh that appears more like a vintage lens than a modern product.
All images below are unedited jpeg files strait from the camera that have been compressed down in size for the web.
There are video samples filmed with the Brightin Star 55mm f1.8 mounted on a Sony a6400 in the included video below.
You can find more info on Sony mount lenses here.
Specs for the lens:
Brightin star 55mm f/1.8 fixed Lens for Sony E Mount
Mount: Sony E-mount
Focal length: 55mm
Length: 60mm For Sony E-mount Cameras with Full Frame
Focus Type: Manual
Maximum aperture: F1.8
Minimum aperture: F16
Optical construction: 5 groups 7 elements
Angle of View: 37º
Aperture blades: 12
Focusing range: ∞-50cm
Filter size: 49mm
Lens coatings: MC multi-layer coatings
Weight: 270g
I can not stress how impressed I was with the image quality of this lens. If you want the feel of a classic vintage manual lens without the hassle of using an adapter this is a good way to go. Not having to worry about things like mold, stuck aperture blades, or oil fogging up your lens make this an easy purchase for a sub $100 lens.
You can find the Brightin Star 55mm f1.8 Lens for sale here for Sony E-Mount, Nikon Z-Mount, and also Canon RF-mount.
How does this lens compare to the Meike MK-50mm F1.7? I was going to buy it until I saw this review on the Brightin Star 55mm f/1.8. I like the idea of the longer 55mm for portraits as I want the lens to go on a Sony a6300 camera.
I had the Meike MK-50mm F1.7 for Sony for a week and returned it. The image quality was OK but the build quality was terrible. The Meike made grinding noised when I focused and the aperture blades already had some oil on them. I may have gotten a bad copy but I was not very happy with it.