Most photographers can only dream of that ethereal background separation that you can get from absurdly fast primes and larger sensors. It used to be that you have to invest in a medium format system, or get a $12,000 Leica Noctilux just to get that famed f0.95 bokeh rendition on your portraits. Mitakon Zhongyi broke this seemingly unattainable barrier to entry with the release of the first 50mm f0.95 Speedmaster lens for the Sony E-mount with a sticker price of $800 back in 2015.

Five years later, the Speedmaster line now boasts more speed demons available to almost every mount, from micro four thirds to medium format. Today, we’re going to run through some of the best Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster lenses, according to pros.

Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 50mm f0.95 III

Let’s start with my personal favorite, , the Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95. While I have v2, v3 improves its predecessors’ sharpness wide open, handles flares better, produces smoother bokeh and manages to be more compact than the second version. All versions have an all-metal barrel construction and a smooth, precise focus ring. If you’ve invested in a full-frame mirrorless system, and have been itching to replicate that super shallow depth of field, “medium format” effect in your photos, this is the one to go for. Available in Sony FE, Canon RF, and Nikon Z mounts.

Here are a few of my Speedmaster paired with my Sony A7, what you can do with f0.95 is amazing:

Sure you have to manual focus, and you might miss a few shots because of that. But let me ask you this, are you looking for a shot or the shot? Skip the spray and pray and slow down and think about your shot with this lens, and use focus peaking to help you dial in focus.

There’s a reason a lot of photographers who have access to the latest and greatest of prime lenses still go for manual focus vintage glass from time to time. We’re reaching a level of optical perfection where the images we get out of flagship lenses had become too clinical, too technically flawless, and perhaps a little boring. It’s that certain character that we get from legacy lenses that we sometimes need in our photos, and this Speedmaster delivers in that department.

Portrait photographer Manny Ortiz took this beast of a lens out on a portrait shoot and has this to say about the Speedmaster 50mm f0.95 III:

“In the middle (at f0.95), it is decently sharp. You can get a decently sharp image if you can get it in focus.

The most impressive thing about this lens is the dreaminess of the background blur; it looks like real life gaussian blur. No hard edges, that is what this lens does. It gives you edge-free backgrounds… If you’re looking for an artistic lens, get this one.”

Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 17mm f0.95

Next on this list is ZhongYi’s newest addition to the highly regarded Speedmaster lineup. The Speedmaster 17mm f0.95 is roughly equivalent to a 35mm lens, making it the perfect wide standard prime for micro four thirds shooters. It’s got the signature Mitakon solid build, nicely weighted focusing ring, and impressive image quality even at f0.95.

Of course, like most f0.95 lenses, you shouldn’t expect it to be winning lab test awards for sharpness when shot wide open. But should you need it for something more utilitarian than just an f0.95 one-trick-pony, you’ll be pleased to know that stopping it down to f2.8-4 will produce razor sharp images with consistent sharpness across the frame. If you’re looking for a 50mm m43 equivalent, consider the Speedmaster 25mm f0.95 instead which is another equally awesome choice.

This newer lens gets high praises from photojournalist, music photographer and m43 fan David Thorpe:

“Unique is an overused word, but this Mitakon merits it. It’s a lens that enables you to make pictures you couldn’t without it; it extends your photographic vocabulary.

In my reviews, in order to help with the buying decision, I take care to point out the pluses and minuses of lenses; why you might or equally might not want to buy an object. I’m making an exception here. Buy one.”

Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 35mm f0.95 II

The 35mm f0.95 is right about equivalent to a standard 50mm on APS-C sensors and is available in Fuji X, Sony E and Canon EOS-M mounts. It’s the same story here with the 35mm f0.95 as it was with the previous lens. It has a confidence-inspiring metal build and at about 460 grams, it’s got some heft into it. Likewise, the focus ring also has a nice resistance to it and a declicked aperture ring, something videographers might appreciate.

Wide open, sharpness at the center is nothing to scoff at and is definitely usable. Stopping it down to more “conservative” apertures will naturally bump sharpness and contrast while also taking care of the chromatic aberrations you’d expect to see at f0.95.

For this lens’ background obliteration capabilities, here’s what South Korea based portrait photographer Dylan Goldby has to say about the Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 35mm f0.95 II:

“This is why you really buy an f/0.95 lens; buttery sexiness in the background. The Mitakon Speedmaster does not disappoint. Backgrounds are soft and fall away extremely quickly at f/0.95. I find the out-of-focus areas to be quite pleasant, although they can be a little busy with things like backlit foliage.

…Overall, this lens does what it is advertised to do. It is an exceptionally fast lens with beautiful rendering wide open. Although not an all-rounder, that’s not what it’s made for. If you’re looking for that super narrow depth of field and a fun lens to use, this is your bet.”

Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 65mm f1.4

In medium format terms, an f1.4 lens is simply outlandish. That’s exactly what the Speedmaster 65mm f1.4 is for the Fujifilm GFX medium format cameras, and it’s currently the fastest GF lens you could get for the system. With a solid metal body coming in at about 2.3 pounds, it’s definitely not a lens for the faint of heart. But looking at the results you’re going to get out of this gem, I’d say it’s a pretty fair trade.

When it comes down to image quality, this hulk of a lens is a great performer even at f0.95. Fujifilm X-Photographer Jonas Dyhr Rask found its sweet spot to be at f5.6 where it’s consistently sharp across the frame. In his sharpness test, the Speedmaster 65mm f1.4 keeps up quite well with the GF63mm f/2.8 at f2.8. What’s even more impressive is that the Speedmaster, being the faster lens, is almost half the cost of the first party option.

In terms of the Speedmaster 65mm f1.4 bokeh rendering, Rask writes:

“You buy this lens to shoot at f/1.4 or f/2! Now, when I say this, we obviously need to talk about the bokeh. And boy is it soft and good looking! The out of focus areas are so soft and nice looking when shooting at f/1.4 with this lens that it’s not even funny. It really gives you very pleasing bokeh wide open with no harshness to the speculars.”

If you want more budget lens options that you can easily adapt to mirrorless cameras, you might be interested in our recent post where we rounded up The Best Value Legacy Lenses you can get today for cheap. But if you’ve decided to get one or two specialized, crazy fast lens for more artistic use cases, then the Speedmaster line from Mitakon Zhongyi will certainly not disappoint.