[BarneyL]

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For those still interested, you can now buy one:

Irix Lens 45mm f/1.4 Dragonfly für Pentax | eBay

[BruceBanner]

For those still interested, you can now buy one:

Irix Lens 45mm f/1.4 Dragonfly für Pentax | eBay

800 Euro? Oof... way too much. I expect its pricing to be more affordable state side and Aus side.

[sculptor666]

it's less through irix

Irix Lens 45mm f/1.4 Dragonfly for Pentax

[BruceBanner]

Still too much, I mean... that's kinda AF price territory.

[zapp]

Price range is OK and may drop at some point. Up to 500 is for „classic“ 1.4/50. A modern 1.4 should settle around 700 and below, especially lacking AF. Wait for the reviews... I am happy with DFA* 50.

[Mistral75]

Review of the Irix 45mm f/1.4 Dragonfly on Canon EOS 5DS R by John Riley for ePHOTOzine:

Irix 45mm f/1.4 Dragonfly Review | ePHOTOzine

Pros:

• Excellent to outstanding sharpness
• Low chromatic aberrations
• Low distortion
• Very well made
• Virtually no flare
• Dust and water-resistant
• Slick handling.

Cons:

• Vignetting wide open is obvious
• Manual focus won't suit everyone.

The Irix 45mm f/1.4 gives a superb performance, slick handling and a unique focal length for this lovely standard lens

When we moved from compact 35mm cameras to SLRs the standard focal length tended to increase from 45mm to 50mm, 55mm or even 58mm. The longer the focal length, the easier the lens designer's problems were, as they have to use retro focus designs that gave room for the flipping mirror. Now lens design has moved on considerably, aided by computers but also by the availability of more exotic glass.

It is a personal choice of course, but I ask would we use a 45mm lens as opposed to a 50mm one? Some may feel it is too close to 50mm, some may feel that the extra field of view is advantageous, and for each individual photographer that answer could be very different. There is a subtle difference between 45mm and 50mm and if anyone did feel that their 50mm lens was just a tad constricting, then the Irix 45mm could well be the answer. It is a lovely lens to use and gives lovely results, in fact, to be fair it gives startlingly lovely results.

[BruceBanner]

Nice. Just too expensive for MF glass, needs a couple of hundred Euro chopped off the price imo.

[Reed]

Nice. Just too expensive for MF glass, needs a couple of hundred Euro chopped off the price imo.

Same thought here... Around 399-499 EUR and its a buy for me.

[pres589]

Manual glass without an aperture ring is irritating. Give it an A position but put a ring on there for folks shooting film with cameras that don't provide for full control of the aperture in-body. Most folks with digital cameras are not going to want to bother with a lens like this anyway and at this price point I would think Irix should try to expand the possible market base as much as possible.

[sculptor666]

it works for zeiss, but hard to establish yourself that high up the order so soon! maybe it doesn't work for zeiss, i'm not privy to their financial statements, haha. on the plus side, irix regularly offers discounts. a 45 is a hard sell for me, since i love the 43 ltd so much.

[stevebrot]

Nice. Just too expensive for MF glass, needs a couple of hundred Euro chopped off the price imo.

I dunno...folk are quite willing to shell out that kind of money or more for a Zeiss Planar T*, Milvus, or Otus. OTOH...the quite nice Nokton 58/1.4 can be had for a couple hundred less.

Manual glass without an aperture ring is irritating.

Agreed, particularly since they provide one on the Cine variant 45mm.


Steve

[Mistral75]

Press release: Irix 45mm f/1.4 Now available!

PDF version:

• English: https://irixlens.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Irix-45mm-1.4-press-release-ENG.pdf
• French: https://irixlens.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Communiqu%C3%A9-de-press...n-vente-FR.pdf
• German: https://irixlens.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Pressemitteilung-Irix-45...fsstart-DE.pdf

The 45mm f/1.4 Dragonfly page on the Irix website: Irix 45mm f/1.4 Dragonfly | TH Swiss AG

Specifications:

- 11 elements, including 4 elements made of glass with high refractive index (HR glass), 1 element made of extra-low dispersion (ED) glass and 1 aspherical element, in 9 groups
- aperture: 9 rounded blades
- internal focusing
- focus ring throw: 140°
- focus lock button
- minimum focusing distance: 40cm
- electronic coupling with the camera (on-camera aperture setting; P, Sv, Tv and TAv modes available; EXIF data transmission)
- protected from dust and splashes by 4 seals
- Dragonfly finish
- filter diameter: 77mm
- maximum diameter: 87mm
- length: 104mm (Pentax K mount)
- weight: 915g (Pentax K mount)
- available in Canon EF, Nikon F and Pentax K mounts
- €715 incl. VAT (around $650).

[Mistral75]

US price: $695.

Irix 45mm f/1.4 Dragonfly

[BruceBanner]

If I didn't have an FA43 already, I'd be tempted. The way I see it;

FA43 has AF and character (AF is important for flash use also, HSS etc), however no WR.

Irix 45 is a clinical lens, perhaps not as much character but superior to the FA43 in many other areas with WR to boot. It has no AF however and thus slightly annoying from a ocf use perspective.

Pros and cons.

[JensE]

US price: $695.

Irix 45mm f/1.4 Dragonfly

In Europe it's 715€, quite a step up from the 150mm Dragonfly, which was 595€ at launch (both including taxes). They share similar build quality, optical complexity and size. The 150mm macro looks mechanically somewhat more difficult to build and comes with a foot. Let's see if they find a market at that price or if it will drop in price more quickly that it's bigger sibling.