It’s a lens meant for mirrorless, and will be available for Fuji X, Sony E, and Canon EOS-M.
At the moment it’s only available as pre-order, but you can find it for US$ 799.
It’s APS-C only, so the 35mm-equivalent focal length will be 52.5mm, making it a pretty nifty fifty. Other features include depth-of-field and distance scales on the lens, 6 extra-low dispersion elements to help reduce chromatic aberrations, and 9 diaphragm blades for creamier bokeh.
A sample photo from ZY Optics
Since at the time of writing the ZY Optics website is down, we could only fetch one of their sample images. The promising thing is that it looks pretty good.
The full details of what has changed in this second edition are in the press release below. But we’ll try to sum up the improvements.
First of all, it has a completely new optic design, so sorry for anyone who bought the first edition. It should have roughly 30% more image resolution from corner to corner, less CA, and just generally be sharper even when wide open.
Secondly, it’s smaller and lighter, going from 680g to 460g. It’s available on more mounts, and lastly, is built sturdier with better finishing. It doesn’t seem to be weather-sealed though (but that’s kind of asking too much).
Press release:
Shenyang China, Feb 14, 2016 – Zhongyi Optics (ZY Optics) has released an improved version of their first f/0.95 lens, Zhongyi Mitakon Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 Mark II. The mark II verison features a drastic improvement of sharpness, better control of chromatic abberations and much compact size. The new version comes with a Fuji X / Sony E / EOS-M mount and is able to cover the image circle of APS-C sized sensors.
Zhongyi Mitakon Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 Mark II is a ultra-fast prime lens which provides a 35mm-equivalent focal length of around 53mm in APS-C cameras. A maximum aperture of f/0.95 makes it extremely convenient to shoot at a low light conditions without flash. The new optical design incorporates a 11 elements in 8 groups structure, including 1pc of Extra- low disperson elements, 2 pcs of Extra-high Refractive Index elements and 3pcs of High Refractive Index elements. This structure effectively improved the image resolution by 30% compared to the previous version from corners to corners. This also controls the chromatic abberations very well and deliver excellent image sharpness even at f/0.95.
The new Speedmaster 35mm f/0.95 is light and compact. The total weight is reduced from 680g to 460g, making it an ideal companion for the compact mirrorless cameras. Manual focus design and a click-less, silent aperture ring promote smooth handling and are especially well-suited to video applications. The lens is built in metallic enclosure with additional protective process and finest finishing, which gives extra durability and aesthetic.