7Artisans 35mm f1.4 – Budget Beauty With A Missed Opportunity

The XF35mm f1.4 holds a special place in my heart. It was one of the first three lenses ever released for the X-mount, but I didn’t get my hands on it right away. I finally picked it up when I bought my X-T3, and it’s been with me ever since.

Over time, I’ve come to see why it’s such a beloved classic in the Fujifilm community. There’s something almost magical about the way it renders images; there’s a certain characteristic that’s hard to describe but easy to feel. Sure, the autofocus is a bit noisy, and everyone talks about that, but the images it produces more than make up for it. It’s a lens that truly connects with how I see the world.

Intro

When 7Artisans unexpectedly released their own 35mm f1.4, I couldn’t help but pause and think—could this really hold its own against a lens that’s been loved by so many, including myself, for over 14 years? There was only one way to find out: I had to try it for myself.

Design and Build Quality

Size-wise, it’s pretty similar to a typical compact lens. It’s nice and lightweight too, coming in at just 228 grams. The 62mm filter size is also pretty standard, which makes finding filters and accessories a breeze.

The build is all plastic, which doesn’t exactly scream premium; it definitely feels a bit cheap in the hand. The lens hood doesn’t help either; it feels even flimsier.

One thing to note: there is no aperture ring. It’s a bit of a letdown, especially for those who like that extra bit of manual control. But considering the price, it’s a compromise that’s easy enough to overlook.

Image Quality

I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed with the image quality. I had hoped for something sharper, with better contrast. Unfortunately, when shot wide open, the results were quite the opposite.

Chromatic aberration is noticeable, and the vignetting is quite pronounced. The sharpness is on the softer side, not entirely unusable, but definitely lacking that crispness I was expecting. Contrast is also underwhelming. While some photographers might appreciate this softer, more vintage look, it’s just not my style.

Things do improve when stopping down; I found f2 to be noticeably better, and in my opinion, the lens performs best at f2.8.

The background blur at wide open isn’t particularly pleasing either. It feels a bit messy, harsh, and nervous. Unfortunately, it is not the smooth, creamy bokeh I personally enjoy.

As for the sunstars, they didn’t impress me much either. The rays are soft and undefined, lacking that clean, sharp look around light sources.

Focusing

When it comes to focusing, it’s quiet but not particularly accurate. Even in good lighting conditions, it often hunts and struggles to lock focus, sometimes requiring me to refocus on a different area before it regains proper focus. Occasionally, it completely misses focus even when the green focus lock is displayed.

Overall, this is likely one of the poorest-performing autofocus lenses from a third-party manufacturer that I have tested to date.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

It has 35cm. Surprisingly, not too bad for a budget lens. The image quality doesn’t deteriorate when shooting at MFD. 

Price Point

At $159, this is the only f1.4 lens currently available on the market. No other manufacturer, not even TTArtisan, has released a fast lens at this price point yet.

Others

It features a USB-C port, but the placement of this port is somewhat uncommon for a third-party manufacturer. It is located at the side of the lens barrel instead of the rear of the lens element. While it does come with a silicone cover for dust and water protection, the cover feels like it could be easily lost.

Who is this for?

For beginner photographers on a tight budget, this lens can be a solid introduction to prime lenses. While it’s not the top performer on the market, it offers a decent glimpse into the benefits of using a fast aperture lens. If you find yourself enjoying this focal length, you might eventually want to upgrade to a higher-quality option like the XF 33mm f1.4. That said, I would not recommend the Sirui 33mm f1.4 as an alternative.

Conclusion

I had hoped that the 7Artisans would deliver something impressive with this attractive price tag, particularly in terms of image quality, but sadly, it doesn’t quite measure up. While I don’t believe image quality can be improved through a firmware update, I do hope that 7Artisans will work on enhancing the autofocus performance in future firmware upgrades.

How does it compare to the XF 35mm f1.4? Honestly, the overall user experience and image quality fall well short of what the XF35mm f1.4 delivers. That said, the key selling point of the 7Artisans 35mm f1.4 is clearly its affordability. Something a $600 lens simply can’t compete with in terms of price point.

In the end, using the 7Artisans 35mm f1.4 served as a reminder of why the XF 35mm f1.4 remains so highly regarded among photographers. It truly stands the test of time as a classic. As for the 7Artisans 35mm f1.4, it is a missed opportunity.

Thanks for reading.

Disclaimer:
1. All the shots taken here are shot by me.
2. Most of the shots are straight out of the camera with some shots edited via In-Camera Raw Processing.
3. The opinions are based on my experience. If there is any mistake, please kindly drop me a message and I will gladly make the amendment.
4. I reserve ownership of these images, if you wish to use my images, please notify me.

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