7Artisans AF 135mm F1.8 MAX (L-Mount)

Reviewers agree the optics punch well above the price. The centre is excellent at f/1.8, the corners are good wide open and excellent by f/5.6, and at portrait distances it matches or beats more expensive 135s. Vignetting is lower than in any comparable 135 tested, coma and colour fringing are very well corrected, distortion is negligible, and the 12-blade aperture keeps bokeh round and smooth.

The weaknesses are mechanical and video-related. Veiling flare is easy to provoke without the hood, focus breathing is clearly visible, and AF speed is only average, with occasional hesitation, front-focus misses and no focus limiter. Testers also report a hood with no lock and an aperture ring that slips out of A easily. One reviewer had to replace a decentred first copy. Firmware updates fixed several early AF problems, and the lack of a comparable AF rival on L-Mount makes it easier to recommend there.