Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 Mark II Review

The Mitakon 35mm f/0.95 is a manual focus specialist for Canon RF APS-C. Its super-fast aperture is incredible for low light and shallow depth of field. Build quality is great for the price. Just know you're giving up autofocus and any weather protection. At $300, it's a unique and fun tool worth buying if you know what you're getting into.

The Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 Mark II is a manual focus prime lens for Canon RF APS-C cameras. It's a one-trick pony, and that trick is letting in a ridiculous amount of light. You're buying this for the f/0.95 aperture and the unique look it creates, period.

It's a compact, all-metal lens that feels solid in the hand. Just don't expect any modern conveniences like autofocus or weather sealing. This is a pure, old-school creative tool.

The headline is the f/0.95 aperture. It lets you shoot in near-darkness and creates an extremely shallow depth of field. Our data puts its aperture performance in the 9th percentile, which sounds bad until you realize that's because it's one of the fastest lenses you can buy. The trade-off is that it's a manual focus lens, and our scoring reflects that with a 45th percentile for AF (which is zero). Sharpness is decent wide open and improves when stopped down, but this lens is about character, not clinical perfection. The 9-blade diaphragm gives you nice bokeh, though our bokeh score is a surprisingly low 11th percentile, suggesting the quality isn't as smooth as some competitors.

At around $300, it's a steal for the aperture you get. You're paying for optical glass and metal construction, not electronics. If you want an autofocus lens that's equally fast, you'll spend three to four times as much. The value is entirely in that f/0.95 hole.

Stacked against the competition, it's a niche play. The Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 is cheaper and has autofocus, but it's two full stops slower. The Meike 55mm f/1.8 Pro is also autofocus and built for full-frame, but again, slower. If you want a 'normal' autofocus prime for your RF APS-C camera, Canon's own RF 35mm f/1.8 IS STM is a better all-rounder with stabilization. The Mitakon only wins if your top priority is maximum light gathering and you're cool with manual focus.

If you need reliable, fast autofocus for chasing kids, pets, or sports, skip this immediately. Also, if you shoot in rain or dust often, the lack of any weather sealing is a deal-breaker. Look at the Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 IS STM instead.

Buy this if you're a hobbyist or creative shooter who loves manual focus and wants to experiment with extreme depth of field and low-light capabilities without breaking the bank. It's perfect for street, atmospheric portraits, or just having fun. If you shoot video and focus manually, it's also a great cinematic option.