35mm – Alwin Kok

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.

Left: *Fuji X-M5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/125″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-M5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/125″ . ISO 800 . Classic Negative*

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.

*Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/160″ . ISO 125 . Classic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/110″ . ISO 125 . *Nostalgic* Negative*

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.

*Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . *Nostalgic* Negative*

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.

*Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . *Nostalgic* Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/850″ . ISO 125 . *Nostalgic* Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/550″ . ISO 125 . *Nostalgic* Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/1900″ . ISO 125 . *Nostalgic* Negative*

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.

*Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f4 . 1/220″ . ISO 125 . *Nostalgic* Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 2000 . *Nostalgic* Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/150″ . ISO 125 . *Nostalgic* Negative*

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.

*Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f2.8 . 1/750″ . ISO 125 . *Nostalgic* Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/750″ . ISO 125 . *Nostalgic* Negative*

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.

*Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/640″ . ISO 125 . *Nostalgic* Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . *Nostalgic* Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/210″ . ISO 125 . *Classic* Negative*

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.

*Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . *Classic* Negative*

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.

*Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/800″ . ISO 125 . *Classic* Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/350″ . ISO 125 . *Classic* Negative*

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.

*Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . *Nostalgic* Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . *Nostalgic* Negative*

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.

X-M5 with 7Artsians 35mm f1.4 and Godox Lux Junior

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.

If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

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If you like my content and you want to show some support and keep this blog alive, you can buy me a coffee here.

Reviews

TTArtisan 35mm f1.4 Tilt – Tilting My Point Of View 2

May 9, 2025May 4, 2025 Alwin Kok

It’s hard to believe it’s been almost two years since I last got my hands on a tilt lens. Back then, as I packed it away after testing, I remember thinking, ‘This might actually be the last time I see a new tilt lens come out.’ It felt like that chapter was quietly closing, and I wasn’t sure if anyone would try something new with this quirky, beautiful niche again.

Intro

A tilt lens isn’t quite the same as a tilt-shift lens, but they are definitely in the same quirky, niche family. When TTArtisan dropped the 50mm f1.4 Tilt back in 2023, it caught me by surprise—in the best way. I couldn’t help but wonder if that was just a one-off experiment or if they were quietly working on something new to follow it up. Part of me hoped it wasn’t the end of the road for creative tilt lenses.

Left: TTArtisan 35mm f1.4 Tilt
Right: TTArtisan 50mm f1.4 Tilt

Design and Build Quality

If you are familiar with its sibling, this TTArtisan 35mm f1.4 Tilt has the same design language and sturdy metal construction build quality. You will still get to see 2 extra knobs (one silver and one black) which you don’t see it on a typical lens. These two knobs are the main key roles for the tilt function.

*Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/8000″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f2.8 . 1/25000″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

The black knob is to control the tilt mechanism with a tilt angle of ± 8°. It’s where is the tilt effect comes in.

The silver knob is the rotation lock knob which allows the rotation mechanism to rotate the lens 360° with 15° rotation per step. This helps to orient to which focus plane where the tilt effect will be.

*Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f4 . 1/17000″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f5.6 . 1/1100″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

Typically how I use them is that I will adjusted the black knob first, then I used the silver knob to adjust to the my desired focus plane. All this is with the focus peaking, to visualize and easily notice where my plane of focus is.

At 341 grams, I have feel the weight on my hand. It comes with a sizable 52mm filter size which is smaller than it’s sibling.

The aperture ring is clickless which means I have look at the aperture value when I am changing. This is something I missed the most as I am quite rely on the click when change aperture value.

*Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/25000″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

Image Quality

At f1.4, image quality feels quite soft—there’s a noticeable lack of contrast and sharpness in both normal and tilt modes. In tilt mode especially, the extreme shallow depth of field makes the shots pretty much unusable, at least in my opinion.

Considering where lens design is these days, the amount of vignetting and chromatic aberration wide open feels like a bit of a throwback—and not in a good way. It’s the kind of look that might work for a specific aesthetic, but definitely not something I’d rely on for consistent results.

*Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f2.8 . 1/8000″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/160″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

That said, once you stop it down to around f2.8, things begin to turn around. The contrast improves, sharpness gets noticeably better, and the overall rendering feels more dependable. Even tilt mode starts to feel a bit more manageable at smaller apertures, though it still requires a lot of care to get the most out of it.

One thing I really did enjoy, though, was the way it renders sunstars. Compared to many other manual lenses I’ve used, the sunrays feel a bit more refined and clean right at the source of light. They do taper off and lose some of that definition toward the tail end, but overall, it’s a nice touch—especially if you’re someone who enjoys shooting into the light.

*Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f16 . 1/140″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

Focusing

*Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f5.6 . 1/1500″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

The focus throw from minimum focus distance to infinity is about 160°, which gives you plenty of room for precise focusing. I have to say, the focus ring feels great in use—it has just the right amount of resistance, making it both smooth and reassuring to operate.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/9000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

One thing to note: the front element does extend outward when focusing at the minimum distance and retracts as you move toward infinity. It’s not a huge deal, but it’s something to be aware of, especially when working up close.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/4000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f2.8 . 1/3200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Also, like many manual lenses I’ve tested, the infinity mark isn’t perfectly accurate. Whether you’re shooting normally or using tilt mode, focusing all the way to the infinity stop usually results in slightly soft or missed focus. To get a truly sharp image at infinity, you’ll need to dial it back just a bit before the marking.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

It’s MFD is 35cm which makes it similar to most 35mm APS-C lenses offered. Unfortunately or fortunately, the image quality isn’t any better or worse at wide-open. At least the characteristics remains the same.

Left: *Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/2500″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/2500″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

Price Point

It is priced at 169 USD. If you are comparing with the same “manual 35mm f1.4” category, we have the TTArtisan 35mm f1.4 at 73 USD and the Artralab 35mm f1.4 at 419 USD. On the other hand, 7Artisans just launched the autofocus 35mm f1.4 at the same 169 USD.

*Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/8000″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f4 . 1/2400″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

Is the TTArtisan 35mm f1.4 Tilt considered expensive? That really depends on the individual. If you want certain shots that only this lens can achieve, I think you will get them eventually.

Others

This lens comes with various mounts such as E-mount, Z-mount, RF-mount, M43-mount, and of course the X-mount. If you are from the Z-mount and RF-mount, this lens is awesome, given that there isn’t any similar kind of lens available in the market.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f2.8 . 1/90″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative*

Like other manual lenses, this lens can also experience a shift in white balance as you change the aperture values. However, this can be resolved in post if you are taking in raw format.

Left: *Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f4 . 1/1500″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f5.6 . 1/1250″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

Who is this for?

This lens can cover a handful of genres, which I will not list. The creativity of this lens is up for the photographers of interest to explore.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

Conclusion

It is a niche lens, and there are not a lot of choices in the market. In terms of versatility, this 50mm focal length (in full frame equivalent) is a better focal length and easier to adapt to those photographers who are attempting to use it in both the normal mode and the tilt mode. I am glad that TTArtisan isn’t slowing down and they are trying to explore more lens options for all kind of photographers to choose and I hope they don’t stop it here.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 1600 . Classic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f2.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Classic Negative*

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm Tilt f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Classic Negative*

This is definitely a niche lens, and there aren’t many options like it out there. That said, the 50mm focal length (full-frame equivalent) makes it one of the more versatile choices as it is a better focal length and easier to work with for photographers who want to use both the normal and tilt functions. I really appreciate that TTArtisan is continuing to push into this space, exploring creative lens designs for more choices for the photographers. I just hope they keep going and don’t stop here.

Thank you for reading.

If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:

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Reviews

TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II – They Listen

January 6, 2025January 6, 2025 Alwin Kok

In the blink of an eye, a year has gone by, and the TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 has just celebrated its first anniversary. Unexpectedly shortly after its first anniversary, TTArtisan released a new autofocus lens, without any teasers or hints beforehand. They simply announced it out of the blue. The new lens is none other than the successor to the TTArtisan 35mm f1.8, marking the second iteration of this affordable lens.

Before I continue, I’d like to thank the generous people at TTArtisan for sending me this lens for review. Please note that they had no influence over the review I’ve provided here.

Design and Build Quality

If you have the first-generation lens, you will notice how incredibly short version II has become. It is now even more compact with a height of 49mm as opposed to 65mm in version I.

Similarly to the weight, it has reduced to 177 grams (according to my kitchen weighing scale), from 199 grams. The good thing is that TTArtisan maintained the same metal-built quality for this lens. Handling is good and I cannot find any complaint about this lens.

Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/1700″ . ISO 320 . *Classic Chrome*

Left: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/28000″ . ISO 320 . *Classic Chrome*
Right: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/1100″ . ISO 160 . *Classic Chrome*

What I like about this lens is the minimalistic, simple, clean design, and it’s cute (due to the compactness of it). This also means that this lens does not come with an aperture ring. Oh yes, it is still the same 52mm filter thread size.

Image Quality

I have a positive impression of the Mark I, and its successor maintains that same level of quality. The images captured at wide-open are impressive, showing decent sharpness (not clinically sharp though) and a good contrast.

Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/350″ . ISO 320 . *Classic Chrome*

Left: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/20000″ . ISO 320 . *Classic Chrome*
Right: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/125″ . ISO 400 . *Classic Chrome*

Chromatic aberration is surprisingly well-managed (at least it’s not noticeable in my photos). While some vignetting is present, it’s not overly pronounced.

Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f16 . 1/125″ . ISO 500 . *Classic Chrome*

For sun star lovers, I think this is only one of rare lenses that I actually like its sun star result. The lines are well defined to my liking. Do note of the flares if you want to avoid, but I like how the flare creates and introduces to my images.

Focusing

With Stepper Motor (STM), the focusing speed is fast but not instantaneously snappy in most situations. This is within my expectation since this is not in the same category as the XF33mm f1.4.

In rare situations, I do encounter some focus pulling when I focus from MFD to infinity and vice versa. This can be happens on the good light condition as well. Also, focusing on MFD can be a little challenging when shooting indoor with average lighting availability around the subject. The focus will still succeed after a few tries. Apart from these phenomenons, everything is just fine.

Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/125″ . ISO 3200 . *Classic Chrome*

Left: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/25000″ . ISO 320 . *Classic Chrome*
Right: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f8 . 1/125″ . ISO 320 . *Classic Chrome*

For videographers or photographers who intended to use this lens for videography purposes, the focus breathing is seems to be significantly far between the MFD and infinity. However, this is not a deal breaker for me.

Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/1800″ . ISO 320 . *Classic Negative*

Left: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/125″ . ISO 160 . *Classic Chrome*
Right: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f8 . 1/340″ . ISO 320 . *Classic Chrome*

Update: On 17 December 2024, TTArtisan released a firmware update (FUJI-X AF 35mm F1.8 Mark II V1.0.1). While they did not mention what are the changes made, the focusing speed seems to have a good improvement over what I mentioned earlier, especially on the focus pulling.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

If you compare the MFD with other lenses with similar focal lengths, you will notice that 40cm may not be a good MFD. But I have to praise the engineers that they have reduced from 60cm to 40cm and that is a 33% decrease in MFD.

Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/1250″ . ISO 320 . *Classic Chrome*

Nonetheless, the image quality isn’t compromised much at MFD. The sharpness and contrast are slightly reduced but not affecting the overall much.

Price Point

Another pleasant surprise from TTArtisan is that the new lens is priced at just 125 USD, slightly cheaper than its predecessor, which was already a great deal at 149 USD.

Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/7500″ . ISO 320 . *Classic Negative*

Left: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/12800″ . ISO 320 . *Classic Chrome*
Right: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/750″ . ISO 320 . *Classic Chrome*

This could be the most affordable autofocus lens available for the X-mount system. For comparison, the XC 35mm f2 costs 199 USD, the Viltrox 33mm f1.4 is priced at 238 USD, the Meike 33mm f1.4 is 229 USD, and the Sirui 33mm f1.2 is 280 USD.

Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f5.6 . 1/340″ . ISO 320 . *Classic Chrome*

Left: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/12800″ . ISO 320 . *Classic Chrome*
Right: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f8 . 1/1900″ . ISO 320 . *Classic Chrome*

While I understand that for an additional 100 USD, I could get a brighter, higher-quality lens, the TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II is ideal for photographers who need to stretch their budget as far as possible.

Others

There is one phenomenon that switching on the camera with this lens is slower (at least when I compared it with the Mark I). TTArtisan is aware of this and they are looking into fixing it.

Left: TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II
Right: TTArtisan 35mm f1.8

Left: TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II with petal hood
Right: TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 with square hood

Left: TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II with square hood
Right: TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 with petal hood

If you are a TTArtisan user, you should be aware that TTArtisan autofocus lenses come with a rear lens cap that includes USB-C port for future firmware upgrades. This lens is no exemption.

Who is this for?

If you’re new to photography and have chosen Fujifilm as your camera, trying out a prime lens could be a great way to start, and I think this lens is definitely worth considering. At 125 USD, there’s little reason not to give it a try. The 50mm focal length (full-frame equivalent) is highly versatile and suits a wide range of photography styles.

Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . *Classic Chrome*

Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f5 . 1/10″ . ISO 125 . *Classic Chrome*
Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f5 . 1/3″ . ISO 125 . *Classic Chrome*

For professionals looking for a compact and budget-friendly lens for everyday use, this could be a solid choice.

Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/150″ . ISO 125 . *Classic Chrome*

Left: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . *Classic Chrome*
Right: Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . *Classic Chrome*

For those already using the first-generation lens, there’s no immediate need to upgrade unless the improvements genuinely meet your needs and contribute to your photographic growth and vision. If you are a new X-M5 user, you may consider pairing up this lens as the combination of the camera and the lens gives a well-balanced weight in terms of camera handling.

Fuji X-M5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/45″ . ISO 3200 . *Classic Chrome*

Conclusion

No doubt the Viltrox 35mm f1.7 is a direct competition to TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 II with performance, specifications and price very close to each other especially image quality. Given that almost everything is comparable (Viltrox has the upper hand for MFD at 30cm), I prefer TTArtisan than Viltrox because of the metal-built body. The handling feels better with metal-built quality.

I was caught by surprised how fast TTArtisan update their lens. TTArtisan do listen to the photographers’ feedbacks about the first generation lens, they improved it and then giving us a better one. Although this lens is not a perfect by any means, it is still a worthy upgrade from it successor. Will there be Mark III next year? I don’t know but we will see.

Thank you for reading.

If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

https://www.instagram.com/alwin.portraits

If you have a Facebook account, feel free to join Fujifanboys FB group.

If you like my content and you want to show some support and keep this blog alive, you can buy me a coffee here.

Reviews

Viltrox 35mm f1.7 – Spicing Up The Budget Segment

December 19, 2024 Alwin Kok

Viltrox has been very active this year. If you’ve been keeping up with their releases, they’ve introduced several lenses, such as the Viltrox 56mm f1.7, Viltrox 28mm f4.5, Viltrox 135mm f1.8 Lab, and two others. With the announcement of the Viltrox 35mm f1.7 today, the company has now released six lenses. That’s a notable number of launches in a single year, although not all of them are X-mount lenses.

Intro

Viltrox has previously released a similar focal length, but it was brighter, heavier, and more expensive. There was a gap in the entry-level segment, which Viltrox recognized, leading to the introduction of their Air series, starting with the Viltrox 56mm f1.7.

Viltrox has been quite open about their new Air series lens, sharing updates and organizing one giveaway on social media leading up to the release. On December 18, 2024, they introduced the second lens in the Air series, the 35mm f1.7. The 50mm (full-frame equivalent) is a favorite among professionals, and this new lens complements it, designed to attract a broader audience of aspiring photographers.

Design and Build Quality

The design of this lens is identical to its sibling, Viltrox 56mm f1.7. Simple, minimalistic, and clean. That said, it does not come with an aperture ring. In my opinion, the lens design is somewhat similar to the Sigma Contemporary prime lenses, i.e. Sigma 30mm f1.4.

*Fuji X-M5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f1.7. 1/340″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

This lens has a plastic construction, but surprisingly, the build quality is quite good. It doesn’t feel cheap when held. I also found it interesting that the plastic material appears to be resistant to fingerprints.

*Fuji X-M5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f1.7. 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*

As for weight, it is just 170 grams and comes with a small 52mm filter size. It’s quite lightweight and easy to handle, and I have no problems using this lens. It does come with a petal-like lens hood, and it is made of plastic.

Image Quality

The image quality is sharp at wide-open but not as tad sharp as XF33mm f1.4, and the contrast is punchy. Vignetting is there and it may seem mild to me, but it can be obvious to some. For chromatic aberration, it isn’t obvious to my eyes. This exceeds my expectations of an entry-level. That said, I feel it is quite usable for most photographers. If you do pixel peeps, I suggest the Fujifilm prime lenses will not go wrong, especially the XF33mm f1.4.

*Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f1.7. 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-M5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f1.7. 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f1.7. 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*

I like how the rendering of the background blur is not messy and does not disturb the main focused subject.

For sun star lovers, the result of this lens is not so usable, at least in my opinion. It lacks defined lines and is kind of a bit messy. But I think this is not important as this is not what many photographers are looking for.

*Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f16. 1/340″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

This lens has a 33cm MFD, which is pretty decent for an entry-level lens. I did not see much degradation in the image quality as well, but a little lost in contrast.

*Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f1.7. 1/2500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Focusing

Like all third-party autofocus lenses, it comes with a Stepper Motor (STM) to drive the focusing system. However, the focusing speed may be a little slow if you are shooting from MFD to infinity and vice versa. It will have that split-second undecisive focusing moment before its focus is locked successfully. The good thing is that I did not experience any misfocus in my shots.

*Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f1.7. 1/1500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f1.7. 1/80″ . ISO 1600 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f5.6. 1/1600″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

When it comes to lens breathing, there is a small breathing gap between the MFD and infinity. Videographers probably need to take note about it.

The eye tracking from both X-T5 and X-M5 works fine with this lens. No major abnormal behavior is observed during my testing. However, I do have some misses where the lens decides to give me a pull-focusing when the subject is in focused.

*Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f3.6. 1/320″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f1.7. 1/7000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f1.7. 1/2700″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Price Point

At 180 USD, it is priced the same as its sibling and very competitive. For reference, XF 35mm f2 is priced at 399 USD, XC 35mm f2 is priced at 199 USD, Sirui 33mm f1.2 is priced at 280 USD, and Meike 33mm f1.4 is priced at 230 USD.

*Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f2.8. 1/30″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f1.7. 1/105″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f1.7. 1/200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Others

At this price range, it comes with a waterproof coating. Mind you, it is not weatherproof resistant. So I assume that this lens is fine when facing drizzling.

*Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f1.7. 1/80″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f2.8. 1/320″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f1.7. 1/2900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Also, the official stated it comes with an Anti-Fouling layer. While it does not give more information about this other than “Keeps your lens clean and clear,” so my another assumption is it could have some coating in the front lens element that helps to prevent some level of smudge.

*Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f1.7. 1/3200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Lastly, similar to all Viltrox lenses, it comes with a USB-C port solely for one purpose; firmware upgrades.

Who is this for?

At this price point, this lens is perfect for budget-conscious photographers who don’t want to compromise on image quality. It’s versatile enough for various genres, including portraits, street photography, documentary, landscapes, and everything in between. Additionally, it can serve as a backup lens for full-time photographers who are just starting out or for professionals seeking a lightweight gear setup during their days off or vacations.

*Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f1.7. 1/6000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f1.7. 1/5800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f1.7. 1/6000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Conclusion

Viltrox has made impressive strides, excelling not only in their Pro series, like the Viltrox 75mm f1.2 and Viltrox 27mm f1.2 but also in this segment. It seems they aim to capture a broad market and become the top third-party manufacturer.

*Fuji X-T5 . Viltrox 35mm f1.7 @ 35mm . f1.7. 1/5000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

This is a highly capable budget lens that raises the bar for competition in this category. For those seeking a solid prime lens without a hefty investment, this is definitely worth considering. While we have seen 2 of the 3 focal lengths released, I am not surprised that Viltrox will release the 23mm focal length to fill up the Trinity lens set-up.

On a separate note, I look forward to seeing the white version of this lens, along with its sibling for the X-mount.

Thank you for reading.

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Reviews

ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 – A Nod to Nostalgic Again

May 7, 2024May 6, 2024 Alwin Kok

ArtraLab isn’t stopped at just releasing their 24mm f1.7 in Septemeber 2023. Just exacting one month later, they released another new lens in October 2023; the ArtaLab NONIKKOR-MC 35mm F1.4.

Intro

This is the second lens I have tested from the company. Besides the X-mount, this lens comes with E-mount, Z-mount, and L-mount. A little interesting fact about this lens is that it is a full-frame lens. Does this mean that the optical quality of the APS-C sensor should be better than those lenses designed specifically for APS-C?

Design and Build Quality

If I am correct, this lens comes with two designs. Basically, the difference between the two is the change of the focus ring. The first one has very identical design language to their 24mm f1.7 variant, which seems like just an upsize of it. The second one (the one I am reviewing), has a bit more distinguished design language. The focus ring is more of a “blocky rectangular tile-like” shape design.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/4700″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Nonetheless, this lens is also heavily inspired by the 80’s Nikon lens design language. The 285-gram lens has the same good metal-built quality. Still has the attractive colorful aperture values that I love and it also comes with the same pleasant clicky aperture ring.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/2700″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative*

This lens comes with a 52mm filter size, which also shares the same filter size as the ArtraLab 24mm f1.7. Nice.

In case one wonders, the lens is designed in Hong Kong and assembled in China.

Image Quality

I previously shared my positive thoughts on the ArtraLab 24mm f1.7, but unfortunately, my experience was not the same this time around. Firstly, the chromatic aberration coupled with softness was quite disturbing when using the lens at a wide open. It reminded me of the image quality issues that were prevalent 4-5 years ago.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/3200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/1900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Although sharpness isn’t there at wide open, contrast isn’t that bad. The contrast is fair enough in my opinion. Image quality does improve from f2.8. For some reason, The glowing/blooming effect found in the ArtraLab 24mm f1.7 can be found with this lens but I feel it isn’t as strong as the one with 24mm. I thought it would be nice to share the same characteristic charm.

Anyway, to be fair, the optic of this lens is designed to be the same as the one found in the 80s. So I think this is why it behaves this way.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/30″ . ISO 1000 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/1100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/950″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Vignetting is there but it is not that obvious. The sun star, surprisingly, is nice and the lines are well-defined.

Sunstar is pretty surprisingly good in my opinion. The lines are well-defined but it does come with ghosting as well.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f16. 1/220″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f16. 1/150″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Focusing

The focus ring is smooth and gentle but slightly heavier to rotate with my pinky finger (I managed to do it with the ArtraLab 24mm f1.7).

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/80″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/4800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/1100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

The rotation is approximately 180° from end to end. Personally, I prefer “long travel distance” as this will allow me to have better precision in manual focusing on the subject. This also greatly improves in nailing the shots at a higher success rate.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

35cm MFD is pretty standard nowadays for this focal length. Nothing spectacular but the soft image is expected at f1.4.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/5400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f2. 1/2500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/1250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Price Point

The price point is 527 USD. Is it expensive?

Here is a small table for some price sense,

TTArtisan 35mm f1.4 – 73 USD
7artisans Photoelectric 35mm f1.2 – 139 USD
Rokinon 35mm f1.2 – 379 USD
XF35mm f1.4 R – 599 USD
Voigtlander 35mm f/2 macro – 599 USD

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/8000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/7500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/10500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

For the price point, I can top up a bit more to have the legendary XF35mm f1.4. But if you are someone who really loves the 80’s Nikon design, the price is not important.

Others

Sadly, it does not come with any lens hood like most other manual lenses. I wish ArtraLab was willing to provide a metal lens hood to compliment the lens. Giving the photographer his/her choice. Also, weather resistance is not covered as well.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f5.6. 1/640″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f4. 1/680″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Speaking of lens breathing, this lens has pretty minimum lens breathing. I believe this benefits for videographers. Oh yes, the lens protrudes a little at the MFD, which is pretty normal for most of the manual lenses I have tested.

Left: Artralab 35mm f1.4 at MFD
Right: Artlab 35mm f1.4 at infinity

Who is this for?

This lens is definitely aimed at photographers who love retrospective lenses, this one should not be missed if you are accepting in the image quality. As for Genres, it can do the usual ones, especially street, and portraits.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/1400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/210″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f2. 1/110″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Conclusion

I love the nostalgic lens design but not the image quality. Given the price point, I cannot accept to have this optical glass quality. But I am not stopping photographers who loves the 80s nostalgic charm from getting it.

*Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/2500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f1.4. 1/450″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . ArtraLab 35mm f1.4 @ 35mm . f2. 1/2400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Nonetheless, if I am to decide to have a lens from ArtraLab, the 27mm f1.7 will be my preferred one.

Left: ArtraLab 35mm f1.4
Right: ArtraLab 24mm f1.7

Thank you 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 and Capture One.
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.

If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

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If you like my content and you want to show some support and keep this blog alive, you can buy me a coffee here.

Reviews

Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 – A Lens to Shine

December 6, 2023January 12, 2024 Alwin Kok

When comes to 35mm f0.95, we are not lacking of any choices in the market. To name a few: Mitakon ZhongYi 35mm f0.95, TTArtisan 35mm f0.95, 7artisans 35m f0.5 and Meike 35mm f0.95. And then, here comes the latest 35mm f0.95 competitor from Brightin Star. This was only announced in September 2023. Can it stand out from the rest?

Intro

Brigthin Star is a name that may not be familiar to everyone. In case someone ever wonders, the name “Brightin Star” is a direct translation of their Chinese brand name, 星曜. It is a strange and catchy English name but good enough to get my attention. I also tried to understand more about this company. Unfortunately, there is very little information about them. So based on my limited capability, this company started off in 2019 (at least from the news announcement they had made) and they did make several manual lenses (both full frame and APS-C) for various mounts like M-mount, E-mount, and M43 mount, etc.

Design and Build Quality

It has been a long time since I mentioned how much I like the design, the color, and the handling of the lens. Yes, this lens design pretty much resembles Leica lens design. Not a bad thing and pretty much other manufacturers did something similar as well. Nevertheless, the lens design from Brightin Star is aesthetically pleasing.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/10,000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/7000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/7500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

The 50mm (in full frame equivalent) lens is about 370 grams. You can feel how dense the lens is and how well the built quality is when you hold it in your hands. You can imagine how many glasses are there in this lens. As expected, this lens is metal-constructed.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f4. 1/1900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f8. 1/180″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

It comes with a 52mm filter-size thread. It’s a very good welcome for not burning a deep pocket for filter fans. One interesting detail here, the rear mount comes with black/grey coated. It gives a very premium feel to the overall viewing experience.

The aperture ring is great. It gives you very good clicky feedback when you rotate it. Ergonomic wise, you have no issue with changing the aperture as it has ample amount of space especially for those who have big fingers.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f8 . 1/220″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

As for the lens cap, it is a capped-on metal lens cap. Unlike other capped-on lens caps, it has a kind of cushion and you can feel it is there. It gives me a kind of satisfaction whenever I remove and put on the lens cap.

Image Quality

The image quality is phenomenal. It is probably the best f0.95 lens I have tested thus far. The result is not perfect but better than some of the counterparts I have tested. Typically, shooting at f0.95 will present you glowing and soft effect, but this lens does not behave this way. I know some photographers prefer glowing and soft effects, but I personally prefer this.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/22,000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/1400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/8000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

If you blow up the shot, you are still able to see the softness of the result. When comes to contrast and sharpness, it is also slightly better.

I have low expectations when comes to chromatic aberration and vignetting at wide open. Well, chromatic aberration seems to be present mildly in my tested shots but not that obvious. As for vignetting, it is present and considerably heavy as expected. Of course, the overall image quality improved from f2 onwards. And it looks the best at f2.8.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f16. 1/50″ . ISO 1250 . Nostalgic Negative*

The fall-off between the focused subject and the foreground/background is a pleasure to view at. Not forgetting that shooting at f0.95, the focused subject is very pop out from the others and it should be expected to have this result.

As for the sun-star result, seems to be the same as the rest of the 35mm f0.95 lens. They are okay but not a tad sharp. Do bear in mind that flares will be introduced as well but I quite like how the flares are created.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f16. 1/450″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

37cm MFD is fine. Not the shortest or as close to the one from TTArtisan (@ 35cm), but not the worst too. Nevertheless, it does not lose out too much for MFD per se.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/480″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

As for the image quality, I think this is the weak point of this lens as it provides poor contrast and sharpness. Something to take note of.

Focusing

The focus ring is relatively smooth and there is nothing much to feedback about. It comes with minimal friction and it is comfortable enough to rotate the focus ring.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/1250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/40″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative*

As for the MFD to infinity, the focus throw is approximately 100°. Also, pretty much the same as the other 35mm f0.95 lenses out there, and it also gives a fair amount of “traveling” for precise focusing.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/160″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/1000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f4 . 1/800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Similar to the rest of the manual lenses, the infinity is not directly opposite to the MFD. In order to have the true infinity, you have to rotate back a little to achieve it (somewhere the infinity symbol is).

Price Point

At 199 USD, it is priced the same as the TTArtisan and 7artisan variants and slightly cheaper than the Meike at 259 USD and even cheaper than Mitakon at 399 USD.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/180″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/2000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Others

If you have noticed, this lens does not come with f5.6. It jumps from f4 to f8, skipping two full stops worth of light. It is a strange lens design and this is my first time encountering this. But does it really affect my day-to-day usage with this lens? Probably not. If I want to bring this lens out for a shoot, what’s more important for me is the usability of the shots taken at wide-open, in this case, f0.95, rather than the missing out of f5.6.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/80″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative*

If you are the kind that is into unique details, this lens comes with a black/dark grey coated rear lens element. While it does nothing but aesthetics, at least this is something different from the other manufacturers.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/125″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/150″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Who is this for?

If you are new to manual lenses or you want to have an experience of what f0.95 is, this is one of the many manual lenses you can consider getting. With its focal length, this lens is pretty much suitable for many genres such as street, cityscape, portrait, documentary, and etc.

*Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/125″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/125″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/100″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*

As for professional photographers, I believe you know whether you will need this lens for your professional works or causal.

Conclusion

I genuinely love this lens. Despite its shortfall on the MFD and missing f5.6, it is a great f09.5 lens to own. It has been a long time that I have enjoyed shooting at wide-open. I have more shots taken at f0.95 than in any other aperture value because I feel it should be the way. Plus given its 199 USD price point, I think it is pretty worth it. It may seem biased but really, it’s not.

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/20,000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

*Left: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin Star 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95. 1/2500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
*Right: Fuji X-T5 . Brightin 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*

Thank you for reading.

If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:

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Reviews

TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 – A New Bargainous Option

November 20, 2023November 21, 2023 Alwin Kok

TTArtisan has been very quiet about what is coming next in their product lineup. I also noticed a slowdown in the number of new lenses launched by the company. Also, after the launch of the TTArtisan 27mm f2.8, there was no teaser or hint of what was coming next in the autofocus lens lineup until recently in September 2023.

*Left: TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 with lens hood*
Right: *TTArtisan 35mm f1.8* *without lens hood*

Intro

This is TTArtisan’s second autofocus lens for the Fuji X-mount and it is released almost a year after the launch of the TTArtisan 27mm f2.8. The 27mm lens from the manufacturer was a big hit back then. Everywhere was literally out of stock and the manufacturer is trying to fulfill the backlog orders for weeks or even months. 35mm is a very focal length and I am excited to see how popular this lens can be.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/150″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f4 . 1/900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/450″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Before I proceed further, I would like to thank TTArtisan for sending this lens over to me. I appreciate and thankful for their support. Having said that, the review is truly my own opinions and TTArtisan has no influence to it.

Design and Build Quality

From the lens appearance, it is minimalistic and clean. This also means the lens does not come with an aperture ring like the TTArtisan 27mm f2.8, just a smooth rotation focus ring.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/600″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

It’s lightweight, at 199 grams. In case someone wonders, it weighs 224 grams with the lens hood and 238 grams inclusive of the rear “lens cap”. The metal-built quality is very similar to other TTArtisan manual lenses that I have tested thus far. I have to say it is a pretty decent-built lens. It comes with a metal rear mount and the overall handling of the lens is good too.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/2200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/150″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

One of the most exciting things, in my personal view, is the lens hood. This 50mm (in full frame equivalent) lens comes with a decent built square lens hood and the design of the lens hood is just simply beautiful. The hood complements the overall lens look and feel so well, I have had the hood permanently mounted onto the lens since then.

The filter size is pretty small, at 52mm only. Oh, by the way, it does not come with weather resistance.

Image Quality

Speaking of the image quality, I have to say it’s a huge improvement over my past experiences with the other TTArtisan lenses. Although it is not clinically sharp or corner-to-corner tad sharp, it is so much usable at wide-open. If you read some of my past opinions with the TTArtisan lenses, you will notice that I always find the usable aperture is usually 1-2 stops from the base aperture value. I am happy to use this lens at wide-open.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f8 . 1/280″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/5000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Vignetting is there at f1.8 and it seems to be a bit heavier than other lenses but it is not much of my concern as we can either post-process it or step down to f2.8 onwards for improvement.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/850″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f7.1 . 1/250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f5.6 . 1/250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Chromatic aberration is surprisingly well-controlled here. At least it is not prominent in my shots.

The fall-off is fine but not the smoothest nor spectacular. The background blur is also just fine.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f16 . 1/200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f16 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative*

Focusing

With the help of the Stepper Motor (STM), the focus is pretty fast in most situations. The focusing speed is pretty good between MFD and infinity. Having said that, it is not as snappy as the XF33mm f1.4. To be fair, they are in different categories and focus groups.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f2.8 . 1/5800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f5.6 . 1/600″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/1500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

During low light situations and under harsh sunlight environments, I do experience focus pulling or being unable to focus correctly. But it recovers after I point to another subject and then to the one I want. I hope there will be future firmware upgrades to address this issue.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/2000″ . ISO 125 . Classic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*

In my opinion, focusing breathing is pretty far. I’m not sure if it impacts photographers but this likely impacts videographers.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

The MFD is 60cm and, this is probably the biggest drawback for this lens. I think I have been spoiled by the MFD offered by other lenses and it set up my expectations for what a 35mm lens’ MFD should be.

So I asked the engineers from the TTArtisan and try to understand what was the decision behind this. And this is the answer from them:

“Considering that the 35 lens is mainly for humanistic photography and portrait photography and there will be less close-up shooting, and also considering the focusing speed and lens size, the minimum focusing distance has been compromised.”

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/150″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/340″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Having said that, MFD at 60cm is totally fine for day-to-day casual street shots and even portrait shots. It only hinders me when I want to take a close-up food shot or a close-up shot of a small subject.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/2500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negativ*e

Price Point

I am informed by TTArtisan that the price will be 149 USD. That’s the same price at the TTArtisan 27mm f2.8! This is really a good price point.

Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/80″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/450″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

For comparison, the closest autofocus lens that I can think of is the XC 35mm f2. It is priced at 199 USD. While I am unsure if it has fully stopped production, I think if you can spend that extra 50 USD, then XC 35mm should be a better deal (but without the lens hood). After all, it is an XF 35mm f2 optic in a plastic body. On the other hand, 50 USD can get you some filters and accessories, or just save that 50 USD.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/8000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negativ*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/2900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/7500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

All in all, I have to say it depends on the individual photographer’s needs and wants.

Others

Speaking of firmware upgrades, this lens shares the same docking rear lens cap as the TTArtisan 27mm f2.8. It acts as both the lens cap and there is a USB-C port for future firmware updates. Similar to my suggestion on the 27mm, I will suggest photographer keep this unique rear lens cover at home.

LFuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/600″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f5.6 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f16 . 1/320″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Who is this for?

There are many 35mm lenses in the market and we are not lacking in it. But because it comes at a very attractive price, I think it is very competitive in the 35mm continent.

In my opinion, this lens is suitable for those who do not have this focal length or are new to photography, you can take this opportunity and give it a try. Besides the X-mount, it comes with the Sony E-mount and Nikon Z-mount too.

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/3000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/250″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/250″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative*

In terms of genres, it’s a good street, portrait, cityscape, and landscape. Product shot is possible too but depending on the kind of product shot you are shooting, the limited MFD might be affecting you.

Also, this is probably another good gift option for any photographer friend that you want to give.

Conclusion

Although a little compromise on the MFD in return of the lens size and focusing speed, I was pretty satisfied with the overall performance such as the image quality and the focusing speed.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/1800″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Left: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/2900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*
Right: *Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f1.8 . 1/750″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Also, TTArtisan launched the lens at the price of 149 USD. It is not easy to maintain the same starting selling price as the TTArtisan 27mm lens with the recent inflation around the world. Nonetheless, this lens is set to give young or budget photographers another option to choose from besides manual lenses but I will recommend everyone to give a try with this lens.

*Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f1.8 @ 35mm . f4 . 1/1100″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative*

Now, TTArtisan also teases about another upcoming portrait lens, 56mm f1.8. Will it priced the same at 149 USD? I think if everything about this lens is great, could pricing it at 200 USD or 250 USD be a big hit? We shall wait for the good news to come.

Thank you for reading.

If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:

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If you like my content and you want to show some support and keep this blog alive, you can buy me a coffee here.

Reviews

Meike 35mm f0.95 – Another f0.95 Contender

April 15, 2023April 15, 2023 Alwin Kok

I can’t deny that 35mm (50mm in full-frame equivalent) is one of the favorite focal lengths among most photographers. And I see why the manufacturers are releasing this focal length at a higher priority and more frequently (with various aperture values) than any other focal length. Having said that, we, photographers, have so many options to choose from when it comes to this focal length.

As far as I know, 4 manufacturers are producing 35mm f0.95 to date. Namely TTArtisan, 7Artisans, Mitakon (Zhongyi), and of course, the main character of this post: Meike.

Intro

This is my first time working with Meike and I appreciate Meike for sending me this lens for review. Having said that, this review is not biased but rather based on my true opinion.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/10,500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/5400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/1900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

I did a short research on the company. The Hong Kong-based manufacturer was established in 2007 and they are specialized in many videography and photography tools and equipment. They have many cine lenses and still lenses (both auto and manual lenses) in their business portfolio. In order words, they are very experienced in this field.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/1600″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

This lens was announced back in October 2022 and comes with massive 6 camera mounts: Sony E, Fujifilm X, Canon EF-M, Nikon Z, Canon RF, and Micro Four Thirds.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/80″ . ISO 1000 . Nostalgic Negative

Design and Build Quality

From the look of this lens, it has a very distinctive design. The manual focus ring has that unique pattern that not only helps the photographer to “identify” the which ring he/she is rotating. This design is inspired by Voigtlander lenses and some of the older Nikon manual lenses.

(Update 15 April 2023: Special thanks to a friend who pointed out that the Voigtlander and some of the Nikon lenses manual focus ring has the same design.)

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/7500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/80″ . ISO 1600 . Nostalgic Negative

Speaking of the focus ring, I shall share my experience with both the manual and aperture rings together. Both have a different texture but they are very comfortable and grippy to hold. Rotating them is a pleasure. They have a good balance of friction and you do not need to apply too much force to rotate.

At 380 grams, it is not as heavy as it seems to be. The weight of the lens is very well distributed and balanced. Also, it has a relatively small filter size. Only 52mm. For context, XF35mm f1.4 and XF18mm f2 are the same filter size.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/2200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/6000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Oh yes, this lens comes with a metal build body with a cap-on lens cap, which I feel is a quicker removal option than the screw-in lens cap. But a little pity is that the lens cap is made of plastic. Something I am not expecting from a high-quality built lens.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/8500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/18000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Image Quality

Maybe it is me, but it is a challenge to nail the shot well in wide-open with moving/motion subjects. At f0.95, the image quality has a certain level of softness, lacking some contrast, sharpness, and a very shallow depth of field. It also has some glowing effect on it which sometimes make me think I have taken an off-focused shot.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2.8 . 1/900″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/8000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

I also do observe pretty obvious chromatic aberration and vignetting at f0.95. I think that’s acceptable or rather within my expectations for manual lenses with a large aperture. As for overall image quality, I find it is okay and actually much more usable than I thought. If you are picky or pixel-peeper, you will probably not be in favor of the results.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/2500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative

Nonetheless, I can also see better image quality improvement from f2 onwards. But that is not the main purpose of having an f0.95 lens if you want to stop it down to f2 right?

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/80″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative

For sunny star result, it gives a much contrast and sharp star result as compared to some of the manual lenses. And also, it introduces some flares as well if facing directly toward the light source.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f16 . 1/240″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Focusing

For most of my other manual lens tests, I always observed that the result is always off-focus when I shoot at the infinity mark. I have to rotate the focus ring somewhere before the infinity mark to get the right infinity shot.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/250″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/250″ . ISO 160 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/250″ . ISO 250 . Nostalgic Negative

This is also the case for the Meike lens. In order to shoot at actual infinity, rotate to where the printed infinity symbol printed is and not where it’s labeled position.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/640″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/80″ . ISO 2500 . Nostalgic Negative

From MFD to infinity, the focus throw is approximately 90°. Like most manual lenses, this gives a good amount of “distance” for precise focusing. I do have not much of a comment for this department.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/110″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

0.39m is its MFD. Not the shortest MFD for its focal length but the image quality from this lens is pretty good. The MFD is very similar to the Ronkinon 35mm f1.2 but a few centimeters further than the average 0.35m from other lens manufacturers have for their lenses.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/1500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/4400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/220″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/170″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Price Point

For reference, the Mitakon 35mm f0.95 is selling at 399 USD. TTArtisan and 7artisan are priced at 199 USD and 229 USD respectively.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/1400″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/420″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Compared with other f0.95 of the same focal length, this lens is priced at 259 USD. Do you think it is expensive? I think Meike priced it just right among the competitors and I think it is still a fair price to have that f0.95 aperture value.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/80″ . ISO 1600 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/10,000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Other

Something interesting to note: it may be due to my camera or its settings. There is an obvious white balance change whenever I changed from other aperture values to f0.95. It does not have a real impact on me since I can change it under In-Camera Raw Processing.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f8 . 1/500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/25,000″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Side by side

I have the TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 with me to compare with this lens. As you can see, they have very different designs, sizes, and approaches. So, which one do you prefer?

Who is this for?

As a manual focus lens, it is targeted a very specific group of photographers who understand the pro and cons of owning this unique lens and knowing what they can achieve from this lens. Having said that, this is a focal length that is very suitable for many genres. And also, it is one of the focal lengths for new photographers to get adapt to easily, especially for first-timer prime lens photographers.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/80″ . ISO 400 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/3500″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/500″ . ISO 500 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Nostalgic Negative

As for professional photographers, unless you know what you want to do with this lens, then you can consider getting one.

Conclusion

There are many manual lenses out in the market and we are spoilt for choice. But if you are planning to get into the brightest and fastest manual lens in the market with a fair decent price. Given that the shots taken wide-open are pretty usable, I think this is one of the lenses for your consideration.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/240″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/300″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

This is my first time testing out this lens from Meike and it leaves me quite a positive impression. Although it shares quite a lot of similarities with other manual lenses in the market, it does stand out quite a bit from them too. Especially on the lens design and image quality at wide open.

Fuji X-T5 . Meike 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/480″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Not forgetting that they have launched the first autofocus lens (85mm f1.8) for the Fujifilm community. I am excited to see more products released from them!

If you like my works, please follow me on either one of the 2 Instagram accounts:

https://www.instagram.com/alwinkok_

https://www.instagram.com/alwin.portraits

If you have a Facebook account, feel free to join Fujifanboys FB group.

If you like my content and you want to show some support and keep this blog alive, you can buy me a coffee here.

Reviews

TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 – The Second Fastest Lens

November 25, 2022 Alwin Kok

TTArtisan has just announced yet another fast, bright lens. The TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 is the second lens after TTArtisan 50mm f0.95. If you are a fan of TTArtisan or somehow followed them closely, you will notice that they are slowly expanding and differentiating their product line-up. While they focus on compactness and portability lenses like the TTArtisan 25mm f2, they have another product line-up that goes “all-in” by creating the fastest, brightest lens they can. Can this lens do as good as its sibling? Let’s find out.

Before I continue with my sharing, I thank TTArtisan for sending this lens to me. To the readers passing by this blog post, you can rest assured that I give my honest opinions on this lens, similar to the rest of the TTArtisan products that I have shared.

Intro

This is TTArtisan’s second 35mm (or 50mm in full-frame equivalent focal length) lens for the APS-C sensor. This focal length is also one of my favorite focal lengths, especially for street shots and simple portraits, and I believe there are many photographers who love this focal length too.

Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/200″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/80″ . ISO 200 . Nostalgic Negative

Design & Build Quality

TTArtisan does a good job of distinguishing its lens design and this design element maintains the same as the TTArtisan 50mm f0.95. The zebra-like design, however, has received mixed opinions among photographers and some discussions are made among the groups.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/90″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

The aperture ring is as good as the rest of the TTArtisans lens lineup. It gives a very comfortable clicky experience when you rotate the aperture ring. I do enjoy changing apertures because of that even when I am just holding my camera in my hand.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 800 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/3500″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome

TTArtisan provides screw-in lens cap like most of their lenses. But I do miss the cap-on lens cap found in TTArtisan 23mm f1.4.

Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f8 . 1/120″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/350″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

When I have this lens, there is no information about its specification and also its weight. So I use my wife’s kitchen weighing scale to weigh. It is 243 grams (258 grams with the lens cap). It is 168 grams lighter than the sibling so it is not the heaviest manual lens.

When you hold this lens, the first thing you will feel is the weight. Secondly, you can also feel how well the full metal and glass built quality are.

Image Quality

The depth of field of f0.95 is really very shallow and thus gives me an issue nailing the shots. When I manage to hit a focused shot, this lens can give a kind of soft and glowing character which gives us a kind of dreamy feel to the photos.

Left: Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/1100″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/1800″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome

Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome

On the other hand, chromatic aberration and vignetting are observable, especially at wide open. This is an expected result (at least to me) but it can fix in post-processing.

In my test, nonetheless, shooting at f2 meets my minimum acceptance of a good level of sharpness and contrast. Again, this is my personal preference and yours might be different from me.

Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/20″ . ISO 3200 . Nostalgic Negative

Focusing

The manual focusing ring still gives a very smooth rotating experience with small gentle friction. Honestly speaking, I love it.

Left: Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 1600 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/58″ . ISO 3200 . Classic Chrome

Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/125″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome

The focus throw is approximately 180° which gives an ample amount of “distance” for more precise and easier focus. This really helps a lot, particularly for photographers who are not getting used to manual focus.

Minimum Focus Distance (MFD)

Similar to most 35mm lenses out in the market, the MFD is 35 cm. In my opinion, nothing to complain about the MFD. Shooting at this MFD allows better subject-background separation but if you shoot wide open, you will get to see heavier dreamy soft shots than any other focus distance.

Left: Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/9000″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/3500″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome

Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 640 . Classic Chrome

Price Point

Given that it is one of the fastest lenses in the market, at 199 USD, I think the lens is well-priced and also slightly cheaper than its sibling. Moreover, the price is highly competitive as compared to its competitors.

Left: Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/110″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/140″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome

Left: Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 1000 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2. 1/80″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome

Who is this for?

This lens is a lens you can consider if you are a dreamy and soft photo lover and you know what you want to achieve with this lens. It is also lighter than its sibling, making it a better option if someone wants that fast and bright lens.

Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/1700″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome

Left: Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f0.95 . 1/1600″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f1.4 . 1/1500″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome

If you are a first-timer with manual lenses and you are unsure if you want to invest in them or are ready for the world of manual focusing lenses, then I think you can consider many other TTArtisan lenses that are an even lighter and more affordable option.

Left: Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/4700″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/1800″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome

if you are like me who prefers the results taken at f2, shouldn’t it make sense for me to choose the other f2 lenses instead of this one? Yes, you can consider that but photographers always say that it is always to have such a lens on standby with you. Because you never know when you will need it.

Conclusion

Both siblings share a lot of common things like image quality, built quality, and the character of the lens. Everything I expect from this lens is within my expectation, which is a good thing. If choosing between the 2 siblings, I will prefer to get this lens over the other, all because of the weight and versatility.

Left: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/34″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative
Right: Fuji X-T5 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/85″ . ISO 125 . Nostalgic Negative

Left: Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/250″ . ISO 320 . Classic Chrome
Right: Fuji X-T3 . TTArtisan 35mm f0.95 @ 35mm . f2 . 1/80″ . ISO 160 . Classic Chrome

TTArtisan shows no sign of stopping here and I am sure these benefits photographers like us as we have more lens options to choose from. My guess is that they are probably going to launch the 3rd lens for this category and I hope that 23mm will be the one. I am excited and looking forward to what TTArtisan has up its sleeve in the year 2023.

Thank you for reading.

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Reviews

Staycation with XF23mm f1.4 WR

December 20, 2021January 2, 2022 Alwin Kok

It’s the time of the year where people spend their holidays overseas. Although there are countries open up with the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL), we decide to have a short staycation in one of the hotels in the heart of the Singapore shopping belt.

All thanks to Mr. Keitaro So, Divisional Head of Fujifilm Asia Pacific, for providing the loan for X-S10 and XF23mm f1.4 WR, I have the opportunity to test out the lens during my stay.

I will be providing a review when I return the loaned units. But for now, I will just share what I have taken with this lens.

Disclaimer:
1. All the shots taken here are shot by me.
2. Some of the shots are slightly edited in Lightroom Classic to my preferences. Otherwise, the shots are straight out of the camera.
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.