Canon Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 Mark II Review

This lens has a 99th percentile f/0.95 aperture, letting you shoot in near darkness and create stunning background blur. The trade-off is manual focus only and low versatility scores. For $300, it's a fantastic specialty lens for portrait artists on Canon EOS M who don't mind focusing by hand.

The Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 Mark II is a lens built around one spectacular number: f/0.95. That aperture lands it in the 99th percentile, which means it's one of the fastest lenses you can buy for your Canon EOS M camera. That's not just a spec sheet flex. It translates to an ability to shoot in near darkness and create a razor-thin depth of field that makes subjects pop. It's a 35mm prime lens, which gives you a 56mm equivalent field of view on APS-C cameras, making it a solid choice for portraits and street photography. Our database scores it highest for portraits (86.9/100), which makes perfect sense given its specialty.

But this lens is a specialist, not a generalist. It's a fully manual focus lens, which puts its autofocus score in the 46th percentile. You're trading convenience for that massive aperture and a more hands-on shooting experience. At 458 grams, it's got some heft, but it's still a manageable size for a lens with this much glass inside. For $300, you're paying for one thing above all else: light gathering and bokeh.

Performance here is all about the optics, and the numbers tell a clear story. The f/0.95 aperture is the star, sitting in the 99th percentile. In practical terms, that means you can shoot handheld in lighting conditions where other lenses would force you to crank the ISO into noisy territory. Its bokeh quality scores even higher, landing in the 98th percentile. The 9-blade diaphragm helps create smooth, pleasing out-of-focus areas, which is a big part of the appeal. Overall optical performance is solid at the 72nd percentile, meaning it's sharp enough, especially when you consider the challenge of designing such a fast lens. Just don't expect it to double as a macro lens. Its macro score is in the 18th percentile, with a closest focusing distance of 35cm, so it's not built for close-up detail work.

At $300, the value proposition is straightforward. You are buying an f/0.95 aperture. Full stop. Compared to native autofocus lenses from Canon or other third-party manual lenses with slower maximum apertures, this lens occupies a unique niche. You simply cannot get this level of light gathering for this price from any first-party manufacturer. The trade-off, of course, is manual focus and the learning curve that comes with it. If your goal is to explore extreme depth of field and low-light photography on a budget, this lens delivers a lot of capability for the money. If you need the convenience of autofocus for everyday shooting, you'll find better value elsewhere.

Let's stack it up against some key competitors. The Viltrox 35mm F1.7 for X Mount is cheaper and has autofocus, but its f/1.7 aperture can't touch the light gathering or background separation of f/0.95. The Meike 55mm F1.8 Pro offers a longer focal length and full-frame coverage, but again, it's over two stops slower. Compared to the Canon RF 28-70mm F2.8 zoom, you're giving up immense versatility, stabilization, and autofocus to gain over three stops of light. The Panasonic 14-140mm is the ultimate travel zoom, but its variable f/3.5-5.6 aperture is hopeless in low light next to the Mitakon. This lens wins on pure aperture speed but loses on every convenience feature. Your choice depends entirely on how much you prize that f/0.95 look.

Skip this lens if you need autofocus for anything that moves. Its 46th percentile AF score means it's manual-only, so sports, wildlife, or chasing kids around the yard is off the table. Also, give it a pass if you need an all-in-one travel lens. Its versatility score is a low 39th percentile, and it's terrible for close-ups (18th percentile macro). If your photography involves a lot of variety and you value convenience, a standard zoom or an autofocus prime will serve you much better, even if it's two or three stops slower.

The Mitakon 35mm f/0.95 Mark II is a compelling, data-backed recommendation for a very specific photographer. If you shoot a Canon EOS M camera, love portraits or cinematic video, and are willing to embrace manual focus, this lens offers a unique experience. Its 99th percentile aperture and 98th percentile bokeh scores are legit. However, with low scores in versatility (39th), macro (18th), and autofocus (46th), it's an easy skip for anyone who needs an all-around lens, hates manual focus, or shoots a lot of action. It's a specialty tool that excels at its one job.