7Artisans APS-C 18mm F6.3 Ufo (Fuji X Mount) Review

In this article, I will briefly discuss the 7Artisans APS-C 18mm II F6.3 Ufo, a small, cheap, and all-manual prime lens that’s available for all major mounts. It’s important to note that this article features the Mark II version of the lens which has a focus ring.

I absolutely love small and inconspicuous lenses, especially in combination with a smaller body. When I came across the tiny and very affordable – I paid 68€ on Amazon – 7Artisans APS-C 18mm II F6.3 “Ufo”, I wanted to try it out. As you can see above (right) the lens truly deserves the label “lens cap lens” and does not extend over the Fujifilm X-T2’s body. A fantastic camera, by the way, despite its age!

In terms of expectations, there weren’t many. It’s a very simple and fully manual prime with a fixed F6.3 and a fairly wide focal length. I bought is as a fun “toy lens” used in, for example, some street photography. Foreshadowing: It might be capable of more!

Please be aware that this is just my opinion on this lens and not a technical, in-depth review. In case you’re interested in that, I can recommend, for example, the review by Nikolaus Burgard.

My Experience With the Lens

As pointed out above, the “UFO” is a straightforward and fully manual lens that is compatible with all major mounts. It has a very simple focusing system, which its predecessor didn’t even sport. The packaging is very minimal and doesn’t even come with a cap – well, in a way, it is the cap.

User Experience and Build Quality

On first glance, the build quality is really nice. The lens is made out of metal, and the mechanism feels really good. Despite its small size, I did not have any problems using it and its focus system. It is just very easy and quick to use, and it lends itself to a quick manual shooting style.

Unfortunately, after using it for a while, my copy suddenly came apart as I tried to focus. As you can see below, the front element is screwed onto the back element, and the focus system essentially relies on you turning the front element in or out.

I was able to put it back together, but I didn’t get it perfectly aligned. So, well. There’s nothing much that can break, so I assume this came down to bad manufacturing tolerances and the pins limiting the range of motion being off. In any way, I am in contact with 7Artisans and hopefully I can get it replaced.

Image Quality

While I have mixed feelings about the build quality and longevity, the images really make me like this lens a lot. The images, given how little glas is in this lens, are decently sharp and have a very nostalgic feeling to them. There’s quite a bit of vignetting and distoration, and the images are, in a good way, imperfect. The color rendition is also all over the place, but I like it.

All images were shot using a Fujifilm X-T2. They are all straight out of the camera using the standard profile.

7Artisans 18mm F6.3 at 1/400, F6.3, ISO 1600

7Artisans 18mm F6.3 at 1/350, F6.3, ISO 1600

These two photos are meant as tests of sharpness and focus. To be honest, there is nothing much to say: The lens is able to produce decent sharpness, even with me behind the camera. As you can see in the second image, we’re also able to produce some layers in focus. That said, the fixed F6.3 limits this lens’s use cases: It’s a good weather lens!

7Artisans 18mm F6.3 at 1/640, F6.3, ISO 1600

7Artisans 18mm F6.3 at 1/105, F6.3, ISO 1600

7Artisans 18mm F6.3 at 1/1000, F6.3, ISO 1600

These three photos hopefully demonstrate what I mean by referring to nostalgia. The color rendition, blown highlights, and flaring all lead to a somewhat analogue and Lomo-esque style. To me, it’s fun to shoot in this way, not thinking about a technically perfect image.

7Artisans 18mm F6.3 at 1/500, F6.3, ISO 800

With this last image, I want to show that the lens can perform well above its weight class. Despite what I said above, it is not a lomography toy or a more or less useless lens cap lens. Within its limits, the 7Artisans 18mm F6.3 can perform as a decent 18mm, even in less-than-perfect conditions.

Comparison to the Funjinon XF 27mm F2.8

Having established that this lens can be more than a toy, I wanted to provide you with a comparison.

While there are many cheap(ish) options out there with a similar size profile, I wanted to create a comparison with a more expensive one. My choice came down to the fantastic Funjinon XF 27mm F2.8 in the older version (non R). It features a similar focal length and, as you can see at the very top of this article, a similar size. It’s bigger – and about five times more expensive – but still serves as a very small lens that does not extend too far from the body.

All of the images were shot at the same settings (especially F6.3/F6.4) and I tried to accommodate for the different focal length.

Landscape, 7Artisans 18mm F6.3

Landscape, Funjinon XF 27mm F2.8

Tree, 7Artisans 18mm F6.3

Tree, Funjinon XF 27mm F2.8

Tree 2, 7Artisans 18mm F6.3

Tree 2, Funjinon XF 27mm F2.8

Of course, these are two very different lenses, especially considering the fact that one is a F2.8 autofocus lens. However, in good lighting conditions, the 7Artisans, surprisingly, isn’t too far behind. Sure, out of camera, the Funjinon blows the 7Artisans out of the water. That said, with some editing, I believe that I could get these images quite close to each other.

I would obviously be lying if I argued that these two play in the same league. They don’t, and the Funjinon is simply a lot better. Nevertheless, if you put in the effort and find good conditions, at a fifth of the price, the 7Artisans doesn’t have to shy away.

Who and What Is This Lens For?

It’s not easy for me to answer this question as I like the lens and the images it produces. Mostly for the nostalgic and imperfect look. With that in mind, I believe that this lens is a solid option for two use cases: Either you really, really want a tiny lens and simply cannot afford anything more expensive, or you just like the idea of having a lens cap that is also able to take some quite enthralling photos.

However, if you are looking for a good – in the technical sense – and versatile 18mm, this is most definitely not it. Any modern kit lens will produce significantly “better” images, and you should save the 70€ towards a better prime.