Some new lens makers have really saturated the market with their product since arriving on the scene, but Swiss/Korean lensmaker Irix has been far more selective in their releases, with the Irix 45mm F1.4 Dragonfly being only the fourth lens they’ve released since their first release in 2016. The Irix 45mm is their first lens in the “standard/normal” space, with their first two lenses being very wide angle: a 15mm F2.4 (my review here) and an even wider 11mm F4 lens. They then added a very nice 150mm F2.8 Macro lens (my review here), a lens which I like even better on my Canon EOS R5, as it gives better manual focus aids along with stabilization (something sorely needed with a longer focal length like that). I’ve found that Irix lenses offer a very nice value for money, with a great build quality, good mechanical performance, and a nice optical performance as well.

I’m a fan of the 45mm focal length. I’ve owned two 45mm lenses (Tamron SP 45mm F1.8 and the Samyang AF 45mm F1.8) and have been partial to them both. The focal length is slightly wider than 50mm but can do all of the 50mm things quite well while also being slightly more flexible for other subjects. I have a lot of fun out shooting with such a focal length, and the Irix 45mm proved no different.

The Irix quirk is that they produce manual focus only lenses but tend to sell them (at least in the stills versions) only for DSLR mounts, which tend to be much less forgiving of manual focus. I don’t actually own any DSLRs anymore, so I’m performing this test on my Canon EOS R5 via adapter. It seems to me that Irix would be better suited developing future lenses for Canon RF, Sony FE, and Nikon Z mounts than the current mix of Canon EF, Nikon F, and Pentax K mounts…though Irix does have a slightly different version of this lens designed for the medium format Fuji GFX system coming soon.

So is there a market for a manual-focus-only 45mm option for DSLR mounts in 2021? I honestly don’t know, but the idea of a nice quality, F1.4 lens under $700 USD is always worth investigating, particularly when it adapts easily to mirrorless bodies due to having an electromagnetic aperture iris and full electronic communication. The shooting experience is much like using a Zeiss lens in a similar situation; something I’ve never considered a hardship. You can check out my review if you want more info, or just look at photos here in the gallery.

Thanks to Irix for sending me a loaner copy of the lens for review. This (as always) is a completely independent review.

Photos of the Irix 45mm F1.4 Dragonfly

Photos Taken with the Irix 45mm F1.4 Dragonfly

Gear Used:

Purchase an IRIX 45mm F1.4 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay

Purchase a Canon EOS R5 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay

Purchase a Canon EOS R6 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay

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Peak Design Slide Lite: Peak Design Store | B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK
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BenQ SW271 4K Photo Editing Monitor – B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon.ca | Amazon UK
Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud 1-Year Subscription
Exposure Software X6 (Use Code “dustinabbott” to get 10% anything and everything)
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