Fujifilm 35mm f2 Review
The 35mm f2 was one of my first Fuji prime lenses back in 2019. This is the very lens that cemented my love for this focal length and so many of my favourite photos were taken on it.
In this blog I would like to share my thoughts on this lens having owned and used it since 2019. That’s actually a little misleading because I sold it in 2021 after purchasing the 33mm f1.4 however repurchased it in 2023 as I just missed the form factor especially for lighter trips.
Why 35mm?
35mm equates to just over 50mm in full frame terms and it’s my go to street photography lens. I find that this focal length keeps me far enough from my subjects to not be in their space yet close enough to get all the action. If you love shooting subjects while maintaining some distance, the 35mm is for you. If I’m ever unsure what prime to use, I grab the 35.
f2 or f1.4?
This is a common question and one I’m always debating too to this day. In short if 50% or more of your photography is done at night, then the f1.4 does have an advantage. If you simply love shooting wide open and having the most background blur, then there isn’t much to debate here. However for 95% of people, the f2 version of this lens is superior. Not only is it more affordable, but it’s way smaller too. Of course the 1.4 lenses do produce sharper results, however unless you’re pixel peeping or shooting commercial campaigns, the extra detail won’t really matter.
Build & Ergonomics
The build is high quality all metal with solid weather sealing. I’ve used this lens in total downpours, in freezing conditions, dirty conditions and in hot humid weather without any issues. I’ve never had it fail on me nor cause any unexpected behaviours. The body does scratch quite easily and over time will show wear marks however nothing too bad. I’m afraid I can’t show you in this blog because my current copy of this lens is new. As for ergonomics, this lens feels at home on the Fuji XT5. Having tried this lens with other bodies, none feel as comfortable as the XT5. The XH2 also feels good with this lens with that bigger grip. The focus and aperture dials are solid with no play.
Image Quality
The 35mm f2 is on the softer side and if you compare it to the new f1.4 lenses, there will be a noticeable difference especially at f2. Once you stop down past f4, the lenses do even out a little. With that said, this lens is far from soft or bad and unless you’re always pixel peeping or shooting everything at f2, you will be more than happy with the results. Personally the deciding factor of choosing this lens over my f1.4 isn’t image quality, but low light performance, size, camera choice and whether I will shoot video or not. One final word on image quality… if you look at an image and the first thing you comment on is that the edge sharpness is a little soft, then perhaps the image isn’t that interesting in the first place. To summarise, the image quality is good.
Autofocus
The autofocus on this lens will get a different review depending on what you are using the lens for. When it comes to photography, the autofocus is very good. Unless you’re shooting F1 or anything that requires super fast focusing, this system is good enough for 95% of cases. When it comes to video, it’s not as smooth as some of the more expensive lenses that use the linear motor systems. With that said if you’re using some of the newer cameras with the latest AF systems, then they do get better performance from this lens compared to something older.
Summary
To summarise this is an amazing little lens and the one I recommend to almost everyone. If you don’t need the best low light performance, the sharpest image for commercial work or the absolute best AF system for video, sports or wildlife then the 35mm f2 is the best choice. There are other competitors especially in the third party world, but I haven’t found anything I would rather have yet.
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