7Artisans 50mm f/1.05 £450/$486

Feel the need for speed? Lens mount s See table, page 130

Ultra-fast primes generally equate to big, heavy glass and preposterous prices. This lens from 7Artisans rewrites the rule book: it has an astonishingly fast aperture, but weighs in at just 606g and costs less than some f/1.8 lenses, which are about 1.5 f-stops slower. It’s available in a wide range of mirrorless camera mounts.

There are no built-in electronics, so aperture adjustment is via the onboard, stepless control ring.

The focus ring operates with smooth precision, and the build is generally robust.

Performance

Considering its super-fast aperture rating, the lens retains impressive sharpness wide-open, while bokeh is deliciously dreamy. Fast lenses often suffer from axial chromatic aberration at their widest apertures, but this one keeps it to a minimum.