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“I’m not even done with it yet, dude,” is what I told my good friend over the weekend who saw the Brightin Star 50mm f1.05 on my camera and immediately was drawn to it. He wanted to borrow it because of all the intrigue that it gave him. In the darkness of a bar that would require a camera to expose the scene at ISO 6400, I could see how his eyes lit up. And everyone who calls themselves a photographer and has lusted over the Nikon 58mm f0.95 Noct will perhaps be much more enamored with this lens.

Where Nikon’s Noct lens weighs 4.4 lbs, the Brightin Star 50mm f1.05 feels lighter than a box of tea shipped to my doorstep. Sure, it’s not an f0.95, but it’s close! At 39 years old, it’s taken a lot of therapy to realize that I don’t need to bear heavy burdens on my shoulders all the time like a warrior atoning for sins in some dark-Abrahamic inspired video-game universe. I don’t need to prove my strength to anyone and I’m not part of a group of photographers who wear cameras and lenses like armor. Instead, I know that there’s a time and a place for those things. And the biggest reason why I’d never bring a lens out with me is that it’s not weather-resistant. But the second biggest reason is that it’s too heavy.

And that is ultimately where my conundrum lies: I only ever want to use weather-resistant cameras and lenses. But the Brightin Star 50mm f1.05 does something very, very unique. First off, it’s one of the only lenses that I’ve ever tested with an aperture like this. It’s also natively for Nikon F mount, amongst many others. And while there are no electronic contacts, the Nikon Zf can manually record an aperture if it’s set to do so in the non-CPU lens data section. That means that when using the lens, I have to be super intentional.

A black DSLR camera with a lens sits on top of a closed book on a wooden desk.

A Nikon camera with a 50mm lens rests on a photo book atop a wooden surface.

A Nikon film camera with a 50mm lens sits on a book near a window with soft light.

A Nikon camera with a 50mm lens and Nikon-branded strap rests on a table.

A Fujifilm camera with a 50mm lens rests on a book near a window, with a camera strap beside it.

I’ll first start by looking at the scene and figuring out how much of it I want in focus. Then I’ll stop the lens down and either zone focus it away or put the camera to my eye and focus on said scene/subject. Then I’ll adjust the exposure settings — rarely have I felt I needed to go beyond ISO 1600, and I’ve always been so much more of a film-like ISO guy anyway. Then I’ll press the shutter and make a photograph. This is a very, very different way of doing things because I need to slow down and breathe — which is what I feel lots of modern photography isn’t about. Instead, it’s more about acting like a pouncing cat at each and every moment. Sometimes, however, I think it’s best to let the scenes come to us.

Luckily, with zone focusing, the Brightin Star 50mm f1.05 can do both — sort of. The focusing ring gives you these odd distances that don’t really make things very simple. It’ll go from three feet to six feet, for example. If you’re photographing on the subways here in NYC, then six feet is a well-known distance when you’re sitting across from someone. But otherwise, it can surely be annoying to not have many focusing distance markers. This is one of the reasons why I love Leica lenses so much — they’re great at helping you achieve exactly where you want to focus even if you don’t want to peer through the viewfinder.

But that’s the really wonderful thing: even when the images are out of focus, I don’t really care. They look organically so the way that photographs used to look before the Japanese camera manufacturers tried to make every photographer a robot through marketing efforts to sell their cameras. If you disagree with that statement, then you should really consider whether or not you’ve made yourself replaceable.

What you’re probably really wondering about though is the image quality. After all, that’s one of the reasons why you’d want to buy this lens, right? Well, it really depends on the camera that you’ve got. With the Nikon Zf, you can use Nikon’s Picture Control Profiles as well as the new ones that are offered. But on a camera like my buddy’s Nikon Z7 II, you can’t use all the same picture profiles at all unless you’re doing them in post-production.

What I often found is that the RAW files are really just as plain as Nikon has ever been. The magic really comes out after you’ve spent a lot of time customizing and crafting the JPEGs to look satisfactory to you. Here’s what I’m talking about.

The following images are unedited, and one with Scott Tucket’s Nikon Vintage Film picture control profile. The Black and white ones have Vincent Versace’s profile applied. For what it’s worth, I like these a lot more.

Close-up of a snake plant with a thin stem of small white flowers in soft, natural light.

Shoes arranged on a wooden shoe rack, with sunlight shining on a few pairs in the middle.

Aloe vera plant by a window with soft daylight shining through, silhouetting its spiky leaves.

A wooden stool in sunlight near a door, beside cushions and an air conditioner in a cozy room.

Two patio chairs on a snowy balcony, covered in a thick layer of snow.

Patio chairs and a grill covered in thick snow on a sunny balcony with brick and metal railing.

Bottles of whiskey and liquor arranged on glass shelves against a rustic brick wall in a bar.

A single lit candle in a glass holder with a blurred, warmly lit background.

Close-up of a paper plate with stir-fried beef, red peppers, and onions, with a fork on the side.

A jewelry display stand with earrings and bracelets in a softly lit, blurred background.

Bronze ornate statue with fierce and calm faces, decorated with intricate patterns and crowns.

People wait on a subway platform, next to the tracks, under fluorescent lights in an underground station.

A small ceramic lion figurine sits in a dark bowl on a table with tea accessories nearby.

A person pours tea from a white cup into a glass teapot on a table with various utensils.

A person wearing glasses and a smart watch takes a photo with a Nikon camera indoors.

A wooden shelf with metal tea canisters and handwritten labels in a cozy, warmly lit tea shop.

A person pours a drink while another holds a glass at a table with a water pitcher.

A person in glasses and a beanie stands before a poster of two women with NAH painted over it.

A woman with glasses carries boxes and bags outside a brick building, listening to music with earbuds.

Black sign with SEPHORA and graffiti reading ARREST THE RICH PIGS; a small sticker is below the text.

A wire fence with No Trespassing and Dont Litter, Clean Up After Your Dog signs in front of a brick building.

Construction workers and vehicles at a city street worksite, with a crane and buildings in the background.

City street with large potted plants, steam rising, and a sculpture; Do Not Enter signs visible.

The following images were edited using the Phoblographer’s Photojournalism presets. You’ll see that sure, there’s nice bokeh and colors. But not enough to really stand out from all the other lenses on the market.

A film camera with a roll of film on top sits on a table with letters and envelopes in the background.

Close-up of green evergreen branches with snow in the background.

Two maitake mushrooms sautéing in a nonstick pan with oil on a stovetop.

Vertical wall light glows on a beige wall above shelves with assorted bowls and jars in dim lighting.

Building reflected in a puddle with floating ice and debris on the water’s surface.

Front view of New Green Farm Market with fresh produce outside, surrounded by snow on the ground.

A red sedan parked on a snowy street in front of a brick apartment building with green railings.

City street at dusk with cars, bare trees, and buildings; distant skyline visible under a cloudy sky.

A glass of red cocktail with ice and an orange garnish sits on a dimly lit bar counter.

A person wearing large glasses looks thoughtful in a black and white close-up portrait.

A bearded man rests his head on his hand, gazing thoughtfully in a softly lit, blurred background.

People sit and chat at a table while others mingle in the background at an indoor event or gathering.

Pine tree branches in focus with a house and blue sky blurred in the background.

A man pours tea into a glass pitcher at a table; a woman stands blurred in the background.

A small tree trunk decorated with pink and white flowers stands on a snowy city street.

Three cars parked by a snow-covered sidewalk near a park with bare trees and a brick building at night.

A lit archway between two apartment buildings at night, with a truck parked and an American flag visible.

A person pours hot water from a glass teapot into a black bowl, preparing tea on a table.

Two men stand together indoors, one holding something near his mouth, surrounded by other people.

A person prepares tea at a table set with teacups, a teapot, and bowls, with others gathered around.

Two vintage cameras resting on a sunlit, wrinkled fabric surface with dramatic shadows.

A woman smiles while preparing tea at a table with teapots, cups, and a glass pitcher.

Black and white photo of people socializing and eating in a modern, art-filled room.

A person holds up a small glass pitcher with water, gesturing with their other hand.

A man in a tan jacket looks thoughtful while sitting near another person in a blue shirt and grey vest.

Tall, red-brick clock tower with pointed roof against a bright, clear sky.

I’m not saying that these images don’t look nice at all. But I surely do think that I like what comes out of the camera more than anything else.

At the same time, consider this: there’s nothing special about the Brightin Star 50mm f1.05 besides the fact that it has a very shallow depth of field ability. Otherwise, many other lenses can do the same and you probably wouldn’t be able to tell if these images were made with a Viltrox 50mm f1.4 Z or not. Indeed, when I looked back at my review, I couldn’t tell the difference even if I pixel peeped.

So while the Brightin Star 50mm f1.05 is a wonderful lens in terms of the build quality, the humanistic mental experience, and the image quality, it lacks in weather sealing and standing out from the rest of the pack on image quality.

I’m awarding the Brightin Star 50mm f1.05 4 out of 5 stars. And at the super affordable price point that it’s offered at of less than $500, it’s an easy reason to pick it up.

For the record, Brightin Star let me keep the lens. It’s important that you know this because I’m a journalist. It doesn’t at all affect how I cover it.

Brightin Star 50mm f1.05 Review: The 1 Reason it Beats the Noct

I'm not saying that these images don't look nice at all. But I surely do think that I like what comes out of the camera more than anything else. At the same time, consider this: there's nothing special about the Brightin Star 50mm f1.05 besides the fact that it has a very shallow depth of field ability. Otherwise, many other lenses can do the same and you probably wouldn't be able to tell if these images were made with a Viltrox 50mm f1.4 Z or not. Indeed, when I looked back at my review, I couldn't tell the difference even if I pixel peeped. So while the Brightin Star 50mm f1.05 is a wonderful lens in terms of the build quality, the humanistic mental experience, and the image quality, it lacks in weather sealing and standing out from the rest of the pack on image quality. I'm awarding the Brightin Star 50mm f1.05 4 out of 5 stars. And at the super affordable price point that it's offered at of less than $500, it's an easy reason to pick it up.