Fujifilm XF35mmF1.4 R Review

Hello, my name is Nocchi.

Each lens manufacturer has its own highly acclaimed lenses that are known as “god lenses.

For FUJIFILM’s X mount, the XF35mm F1.4 R single focal length lens continues to be called the “divine lens. This lens has a long history, having been released at the same time as the launch of the X mount in 2012, and it is a lens that has been used and loved by many Fuji users.

In this article, we will introduce the XF 35mm F1.4 R lens with examples of photographs and explain why it is called the “divine lens.

XF35mmF1.4 R

This is the Fujifilm XF35mmF1.4 R introduced here.

As an APS-C X mount lens, the focal length is 52.5mm in full size equivalent, which is slightly narrower than the field of view seen with the naked eye, allowing for a very usable angle of view.

It is no exaggeration to say that not only is it bright with an aperture release value of f.14, but it is also characterized by a blur-like effect that melts away, creating photographs that can only be taken with this lens.

XF35mmF1.4 R Specifications

Let’s go ahead and check out the specifications of the XF35mm F1.4 R.

Despite its extremely bright f/1.4 lens, its length of 50.4 mm and weight of 187 g make it easy to carry around for casual shooting and lens changes.

It is undeniably difficult to use in harsh environments, as it is not splash-proof or dust-proof and does not have a linear motor, but it more than demonstrates its power in daytime snapshots and portraits.

Appearance of XF35mm F1.4 R

Next, let’s take a look at the appearance of the XF35mm F1.4 R.

The size of the product when placed in the palm of your hand is as shown here, and you can see that it is very compact.

This is what it looks like when you grab it. Being small and lightweight, the size of the product does not bother me at all when I have it in my bag.

Since there is no image stabilization, there is no image stabilization switch, and the lens has a simple configuration with two rings: a focusing ring and an aperture ring.

When the aperture ring is turned fully, it can be brought to the “A” state. A” is a function that allows the aperture value to be changed to AUTO automatically. When you want to use the shutter speed as priority, you can turn the aperture ring all the way down to AUTO.

Mounted on FUJIFILM X-T4

I attached it to the X-T4.

The XF35mm F1.4 R has a very good visual match with the X-T4 and a good body balance.

Although the lens does not have image stabilization, the X-T4 has a powerful image stabilization system, making it a perfect complement to each other.

The X-T4 has a classic, THE camera look, but when the XF 35mm F1.4 R is attached, the coolness doubles.

Incidentally, the lens is light and the center of gravity is on the body side. I am a front-heavy photographer, and it is easier for me to take pictures while supporting the lens with one hand, so I can’t say that I like this weight balance very much.

What I liked about the XF35mmF1.4 R

Now, let me list some of the good things about the XF 35mm F1.4 R after actually using it. After all, the best thing about the XF 35mm F1.4 R is its photographic quality, so most of my comments will be about the quality of the images rather than the good points of the lens.

Unique rendering of the focus area

The two photos above were all taken at the maximum aperture of F1.4. When taken at the maximum aperture, the focus area is characterized by thin lines and a soft atmosphere rather than a sharpness.

Because the lens is a bit old, it has a gentle touch rather than the sharpness that is common with modern lenses, which I personally like very much.

If you stop down the lens by one or two stops, the sharpness of the image changes dramatically from the wide-open setting, and it is easy to get a sense of resolution by shooting in the f/2 to f/2.8 range with a blur effect.

Soft bokeh

It also features a soft, fluffy bokeh effect. The sense of bokeh obtained with a shallow depth of field is so addictive that it makes you wonder if it is unique to this lens. It is so addictive that it makes you wonder if it is unique to this lens.

In particular, I remember the excitement I felt when I took the first picture with the blur feeling as if it was disappearing.

Beautiful ball blur

I like the fact that the soft bokeh effect and the ball bokeh effect are very well matched and do not produce crispy, harsh ball bokeh.

No need to say anything about resolution.

The resolution when pan-focusing is also perfect. The sharpness and delicacy of the image quality made it especially exciting when viewed on a large screen such as a PC.

The 35mm (full-size equivalent 52.5mm) is slightly narrower than the field of view of the naked eye, and I feel that it is also a lens that allows me to capture the moment when I am concentrating on something with the naked eye, making it easier to put my own world view into it.

Light and small in addition

It is compact, with a length of 50.4 mm and a weight of 187 g, while still possessing the brightness of F1.4.

It is too good to praise the size of the lens because of its excellent photographic quality, which personally makes me feel weak. However, thinking back on it again, the fact that it combines this photographic quality and size is what makes it a god lens.

XF35mmF1.4 R Concerns

It is said to be a divine lens, but of course there are some drawbacks or points of concern, so we will introduce them as well.

AF is hard.

First of all, the AF is painful: the AF is slow, the AF accuracy is not good, and the AF drive noise is noisy.

The slow AF and noisy driving noise is something I knew before purchasing the camera, but when I actually used it, this was slower and noisier than I expected.

I honestly wondered if it was not suitable for photographers who are used to AF. I honestly felt that it was not suitable for photographers who use manual focus. On the other hand, for those who use manual focus a lot, this lens is so much fun to shoot with that it will make you drool.

Couldn’t you have done something more about the lens hood and cap design?

I am also interested in the design of the lens hood cap.

The lens hood has a stylish and unique design with an angular look, but in fact the lens cap cannot be closed in this state.

Frankly, this is inconvenient. There is a rubber cap to cover the top of the lens hood, but it is very easy to remove and there is a high risk of losing it. (By the way, I lost mine right away.)

Incidentally, I have given up on this angled hood, and have been using the lens without it.

Sample images of XF35F1.4 R

Let’s take a look at some examples of the XF35mmF1.4 R.

This is unquestionably FUJIFILM’s divine lens.

As every FUJIFILM user has already said, this lens is FUJIFILM’s god lens. If I had to recommend one lens to a first-time FUJIFILM camera buyer, I would recommend this lens without hesitation.

There are some things that I don’t like about it, such as the AF being difficult to use and the hood, but even if you discount those things, the overwhelmingly good image quality makes it so that you don’t care about anything else. I bought a Fujifilm this year, and this lens has grabbed my heart, so please check it out.