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It’s time to let the cat get out of the bag. If you have been following me on Twitter or Instagram, you will know that I recently ceded and bought the Fujifilm 35 mm f/1.4. With the reputation of being legendary, this is one of Fujifilm’s oldest lenses and one that originally overlooks. I opted for 23 mm f/2 instead for my trips before adding finally add the Fujifilm 35 mm f/2 to my collection. The headline to take this article is that I was wrong when buying 35 mm f/2 and should have accumulated extra cash for this lens.
Honestly, everything you have read about the Fujifilm 35 mm f/1.4 is true. It is extraordinary. I have had the lens for a couple of months and has not left my X-T2. I don’t think I can take it off.
Update – August 2023 – Guess what boys? I am still in love with Fujifilm 35 mm F/1.4. It is my favorite lens without a doubt and it almost stays permanently attached to my new Fujifilm X-T5. The newest cameras bring a new life opportunity to this lens. This will surprise you: I have been wearing continuous focus shots and stuck in F/1.4 of my little child! This lens is still crazy and, if the 35 mm focal distance is something you can work with, you will love this lens.
Focal length
To start, let’s talk about focal distance. This is a very personal choice not only for Fujifilm users, but for all the photographers who love travel and street photography. Does it shoot with a 23 mm lens or a 35 mm lens (equivalent to 35 mm and 50 mm in full picture terms)?
Before my Fujifilm trip, I had a Nikon D5000. It is not the best camera in any stretch of the imagination, but I loved the 35mm lens f/1.8 from a trip to Budapest in 2013. However, when I moved to Fujifilm, I wanted something a little wider and that is why I ended up deciding from the 23 mm travel photography for travel photography. The 23 mm lens is an SUV and was quite good for everything, but sometimes I felt something was missing. I couldn’t tell him my finger, but I felt that it could be reduced to a focal distance.
It is said that the field of vision and compression of 35 mm (50 mm) is closer to that of the human eye. It is not called a fifth and ingenious for no reason; It is good for everything. Travel, street, detailed shots, food and portraits. This is a lens that really does everything.
The Fujifilm 35 mm f/1.4 is not the first 35 mm lens that I have had (we will get to that) but now I am well and really ‘used’ for this focal distance. Meeting that offers a true connection with the environment unlike any other lens.
Fujifilm 35 mm f/1.4 vs f/2
Last year before a trip to Florida, I bought 16 mm f/1.4, as well as 35 mm f/2. I spent hours reading blog posts and watching YouTube videos about this old question; What version of the 35 mm lens buy? Each article, each video, all mentioned the ‘magic’ of the Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4 version, but this was never something that could be described precisely. I suppose it was a bit cynical about this, so the complaints about the noise and the slow approach discouraged me and I went for the f/2 version. It is cheaper, smaller, quiet, climate resistant and fast to concentrate.
You can read more about my experience with this lens here, but if you are pressed for time, I will admit that I could not get yours. He did not make me fall in love with the focal distance and the photos felt clinics. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but he did not do it for me. I am still very happy with the photos of the trip to Florida, but I found myself using the 16 mm and 23 mm lenses. The lens did not get much excursion after returning to the United Kingdom.
With my honeymoon in April 2020 (damn it, Coronavirus), I wanted to give the focal length another opportunity, especially with the return to Melbourne, where I had not shot with a 35 mm lens at all. I decided to give it another opportunity after seeing a good offer for a fujifilm used 35 mm f/1.4 and I am very happy to have taken the risk.
Trust me, I don’t know what it is, but magic is real. This lens is undoubtedly the best lens that I have had the joy of shooting. The two main inconveniences; The noise of the lens and the slow approach are not a problem for me. In fact, I laughed when I used it for the first time thinking that it is so. Was that the noise that everyone is so worried? Yes, I suppose that if you use it for video, it will not be ideal, but, for those who prefer fixed fixed, I would not think twice. In terms of slow approach, yes, it is a bit slow, but it is not an important problem for me. I have 56 mm f/1.2, which for me is much slower but still usable.
Image quality
As with all the other owners of this lens, I cannot leave in words what makes the Fujifilm lens of 35 mm f/1.4 so special. I have not yet had the opportunity to use this in any of my trips, but even around the house in blocking the images it produces are beautiful.
Images open in F/1.4 really surprised me. They are acute, possibly even more clear than 16 mm f/1.4. This is not a technical review, so it may not even be true, but it is only the aspect it emits.
The lens has given me a kind of confidence that any photo you take will be perfect. Everything is simply magical. Honestly, I can’t wait to visit new places, places that I have been before, anywhere to capture the world through this lens.
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The perfect configuration
I am still trying to settle for the perfect travel configuration that covers both the breaks of the weekend and the most adventurous trips. I think I’m almost there. For now it will be 16 mm F/1.4 in an X-T2 and the Fujifilm 35 mm F/1.4 in the other. 23 mm F/2 comes with me, although I am playing with the idea of an X100T (now I have an X100F). Finally, for the city’s breaks, I think 56 mm f/1.2 would go, while it would take 55-200 mm f/3.5-4.8 on trips with landscapes and open mountains. Tell me that does not sound perfect? Will I use it for weddings? Most likely, detailed shots, but still return to the classic combination of 23 mm and 56 mm.
Hopefully this publication will help you try to choose which version of the 35 mm lens to go or maybe press it a bit to ask for the Fujifilm 35 mm f/1.4 at this time. I apologize in advance if you did not plan to spend money today!
Here are some sample shots (all JPEG as always). If you are still curious, there are more everywhere on my website. Take time, take a look and will soon have an idea of what images they take with this beautiful lens.
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