Honestly, I've spent years playing with these ultra-fast primes, and while the Mitakon is fun, I'm curious about your specific workflow for those events. Are we talking about dark receptions where people are moving around a lot, or more static stuff? Nailing focus at f/0.95 is basically a sport in itself, and even with focus peaking, it can be a nightmare if the subject is twitching. I remember shooting a wedding once with a similar manual beast and half my shots were just slightly off because the bride breathed at the wrong time. It was stressful, though the shots I did land looked like magic. If you find the manual focus too frustrating, you should probably just look into some of the newer autofocus glass from Sigma. You really can't go wrong with their stuff lately, they've been hitting it out of the park with their lens tech. Everything feels solid and the glass is just clean.

I've been using the Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 III on my Sony a7III for several months now, mostly for portrait sessions and low light event photography. Here are my thoughts:

Sharpness: Wide open at f/0.95, the lens is surprisingly sharp in the center, but expect some softness towards the edges of the frame. Stopped down to f/1.4 or f/2, the sharpness improves considerably across the frame. For portraits, the slight softness at f/0.95 can actually be quite flattering for skin tones.

Optical Issues: Some purple fringing is visible in high contrast areas when shooting at f/0.95, but it's fairly well-controlled and can be easily corrected in post. I haven't noticed any major distortion, and vignetting is present wide open but disappears by f/2.8.

Manual Focus: The focus ring is smooth and well-damped, with a long focus throw that allows for precise focusing. The lens also has a clickless aperture ring for smooth aperture adjustments during video. Nailing focus at f/0.95 takes some practice, but the focus peaking and magnification on the a7III make it easier.

Build Quality: The all-metal construction feels solid and premium. The lens is hefty but balances well on the a7III body. The included lens hood is also metal and attaches securely. Overall, the build inspires confidence.

Compared to Sony Zeiss 50mm f/1.4: The Speedmaster has a faster aperture and is fully manual, while the Sony Zeiss has autofocus and is lighter. In terms of pure image quality, the Sony Zeiss is sharper across the frame and has less fringing. However, the Speedmaster's f/0.95 aperture allows for more subject separation and low light capability. The rendering is also subjectively different, with the Speedmaster having a slightly more "vintage" look.

Overall, I'm very happy with the Mitakon Zhongyi Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 III. It's not a perfect lens, but it has a unique look and is capable of impressive results when used within its strengths. For portraits and event work, the fast aperture and smooth rendering are very useful. Just be prepared to work around the quirks of shooting at f/0.95 and focusing manually.