Morning Edition 2026-11-07 Price: Free, Obviously

The Daily

Fucking Stupid

A newspaper for the obvious

The Database

The Fastest

152 lenses · 74 autofocus · 52 manual · 26 focus not stated

The widest aperture on the mount is f/0.9, and it does not focus itself. The widest that does is f/1.0. That is the whole penalty: +0.3 stops. Most of what looks like a choice between speed and autofocus turns out, measured, to be a third of a stop.

By use

Ranked among lenses the guide scores 4 or better for that use. In 5 of 10 the fastest lens already autofocuses, so there is nothing to trade.

Use Field Fastest Fastest autofocus Cost
Portrait 56 f/0.9 · Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F0.9 f/1.0 · Fujifilm XF50mmF1.0 R WR +0.3 stops
Street 49 f/0.9 · Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F0.9 f/1.2 · Viltrox AF 27mm F1.2 Pro XF +0.8 stops
Sports  * 10 f/1.2 · Viltrox AF 75mm F1.2 Pro XF same lens —
Action  * 13 f/1.2 · Viltrox AF 27mm F1.2 Pro XF same lens —
Birds 9 f/2 · Fujifilm XF200mmF2 R LM OIS WR same lens —
Land. 34 f/1.2 · Viltrox AF 27mm F1.2 Pro XF same lens —
Astro 28 f/0.9 · Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F0.9 f/1.2 · Viltrox AF 27mm F1.2 Pro XF +0.8 stops
Macro 13 f/1.7 · Laowa Aksen 17.5mm F1.7 Ultra Macro 5-10X APO f/2.4 · Fujifilm XF60mmF2.4 R Macro +1.0 stop
Travel 61 f/1.2 · Viltrox AF 27mm F1.2 Pro XF same lens —
Video  * 34 f/0.9 · Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F0.9 f/1.2 · Viltrox AF 27mm F1.2 Pro XF +0.8 stops

* Sports, action and video scores are performance judgements, not specifications. They are ranked here on aperture, which is a published number, but the score that decides who enters the ranking is not.

Widest, any focus

  1. 1 f/0.9 · Voigtländer Nokton 35mm F0.9 manual · grade A+
  2. 2 f/0.95 · Laowa 33mm F0.95 Argus APO manual · grade A
  3. 3 f/0.95 · 7Artisans 35mm F0.95 manual · grade B+
  4. 4 f/0.95 · TTArtisan 50mm F0.95 manual · grade B+
  5. 5 f/1.0 · Fujifilm XF50mmF1.0 R WR autofocus · grade A+
  6. 6 f/1.2 · Samyang/Rokinon 35mm F1.2 manual · grade A-
  7. 7 f/1.2 · Samyang/Rokinon 50mm F1.2 manual · grade A-
  8. 8 f/1.2 · Viltrox AF 27mm F1.2 Pro XF autofocus · grade S
  9. 9 f/1.2 · Viltrox AF 75mm F1.2 Pro XF autofocus · grade S
  10. 10 f/1.2 · Artra Lab ARTRA LAB NOCTY-NONIKKOR 50mm F1.2 Lenses focus not stated · not yet graded

Widest that autofocuses

  1. 1 f/1.0 · Fujifilm XF50mmF1.0 R WR grade A+
  2. 2 f/1.2 · Viltrox AF 27mm F1.2 Pro XF grade S
  3. 3 f/1.2 · Viltrox AF 75mm F1.2 Pro XF grade S
  4. 4 f/1.2 · Sirui Sniper 23mm F1.2 AF grade A
  5. 5 f/1.2 · Sirui Sniper 33mm F1.2 AF grade A
  6. 6 f/1.2 · Sirui Sniper 56mm F1.2 AF grade A
  7. 7 f/1.2 · Fujifilm XF56mmF1.2 R grade A+
  8. 8 f/1.2 · Fujifilm XF56mmF1.2 R APD grade A+
  9. 9 f/1.2 · Fujifilm XF56mmF1.2 R WR grade S
  10. 10 f/1.4 · Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN grade A

What this table is not

It is not a recommendation. Widest aperture is one published number and it is not the same as best — the grades on this page disagree with the ranking often enough to prove it. A T-stop is marked where it appears, because measured transmission and a geometric ratio are close in practice and not the same quantity, and a column that quietly sorts one against the other is wrong in a way that looks tidy.

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