Brightin Star 35mm f/1.4 Review

The Brightin Star 35mm f/1.4 is a tiny, manual focus lens with gorgeous bokeh but soft optics. It's a fun, creative tool for portraits on a budget, but skip it if you need sharpness or autofocus. At $170, it's worth it for the right shooter.

The Brightin Star 35mm f/1.4 is a manual focus prime lens for L-mount cameras that's all about character over clinical perfection. For about $170, you get a fast f/1.4 aperture and a tiny 204g body, but you're giving up autofocus, stabilization, and weather sealing to get there.

This lens has a split personality. At f/1.4, the bokeh is creamy and ranks in the 93rd percentile, which is fantastic for portraits. But sharpness is its major weakness, landing in the bottom 6th percentile for optical performance. You'll get soft, dreamy images wide open that sharpen up a bit by f/2.8, but it's never going to be a tack-sharp landscape lens.

At $170, it's hard to complain too much. You're paying for the f/1.4 aperture and the fun, vintage rendering, not for optical excellence. If you want a sharp, modern lens, this isn't it. But if you want a tiny, fast lens for creative portraits or a cinematic look on a budget, the price is right.

Compared to the Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 Z, you lose autofocus but gain a slightly faster aperture and a much lighter build. Against a standard zoom like the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8, you're giving up versatility and sharpness for that f/1.4 look and a much smaller package. It's a niche pick next to those more practical options.

Skip this lens if you need autofocus for anything that moves, or if you demand sharp, detailed images. Landscape photographers and anyone needing a versatile, do-everything lens should look at a sharp prime or a standard zoom instead.

Buy this if you're an L-mount shooter who values a lightweight, fast prime for portraits or street photography and doesn't mind manual focus. It's a fun, creative tool for the price, not a workhorse lens.