Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4: Three Cheers for Five Years

Quite possibly the most legendary of all Fujifilm lenses, the Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4 has essentially been like a best friend to me over the last five years and it deserves a post dedicated to all it has been through…so far!

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It’s hard to believe that I’ve never really pulled together a proper review of my favourite Fujifilm lens. Back in 2020, I found a great deal on a second hand Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4 lens, and pulled the trigger. It only feels like yesterday but I have used that lens almost day in day out for well over five years now. Whilst it feels like yesterday, we’ve been through the pandemic, I’m now a dad to two little girls and I’m rapidly approaching 40. This lens has been by my side through it all and I wanted to dedicate a post to it.

I don’t mind referring to this as a long-term review of the Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4 and I’ll briefly touch on whether it’s still a good buy in 2025 (erm, of course it is) but the reality is I simply want to share what I’ve been able to capture over the last five years for myself and I guess for others who might need a little inspiration. I’ll share some of my thoughts on the lens itself, over and above my first impressions article way back in 2020, and I’ll try my hardest not to lead with the cliched ‘it’s magic’ description anymore. I’ll try not to keep it too long however and just let the photos do the talking.

Oh, I know that the title is also a little cliched but it’s a nod to one of my favourite Mayday Parade songs (the acoustic version for any that know what I’m on about) so it stays and fits quite well!

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FUJIFILM 35MM F/1.4

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It’s hard to call the Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4 a vintage lens at this point but, at 13 years old already having been introduced way back in 2012, I think it’s ok to call this a classic at this point. It’s one lens that I honestly think should be in every Fujifilm photographer’s camera bag and, if you’ve met me in person, chances are you’ll have either had your photo taken by this lens, seen me use it or have had me talk at you about just why I love it so much.

The main reason as to why I love it so much is the images it produces. Simply put the photos I take with this lens, in my view, are absolutely incredible. It obviously helps with a great Fujifilm recipe like my ‘Summer Negative’ but the colours, the rendering, the bokeh, the contrast – everything combines to create beautiful imagery. If I need a breakthrough image when I’m having a tough photography day, perhaps with another lens, I’ll bring this lens out, slow down a little and look for little details. More often than not I’ll capture something that will blow me away and then I’ll suddenly get into the zone. Even if I then revert back to another lens, I often carry that inspiration and ‘flow’ through to the entire walk/day out. However, don’t get me wrong, I have many days where I get nothing special and other days I don’t even intend to get anything special just to document ordinary life.

There are downsides to the lens of course but I honestly don’t think they are so bad that I would pass this lens by. I wouldn’t necessarily use it in a professional setting where you need to rely upon its focusing ability like for a bride walking down an aisle for example but slow autofocus, being noisy, not being weather resistant does not outweigh the beautiful photos it helps create.

It is true that it doesn’t resolve the full 40MP of the newer Fujifilm sensors but the only time you’ll tell is when you realise the file size is slightly smaller than others. I’ve had no issues cropping in and, thinking about it now, there’s a feature on Lightroom (not that I’m loving the new AI inclusions) called Super Resolution that uses AI to, I think, double the pixels which really helps when it comes to prints.

35MM F/1.4 VS 33MM F/1.4

The good news for those that prefer much more modern specs with a fast aperture is that Fujifilm now offer the 33mm f/1.4. This lens brings silent and ultra fast autofocusing as well as weather resistance and is a remarkable upgrade yet I still prefer the images from the older lens. As I explain here in my Fujifilm 33mm f/1.4 review, I would add that lens too into my camera bag more for professional shoots such as family shots or for weddings as it’s far more reliable and the images, whilst sharp and clean, still have a bit of character to them.

If I had to choose between the two lenses (or even four if you count the other two Fujifilm 35mm f/2 lenses XF and XC), it really depends upon your own intentions of use. If you care more for autofocus speed, silence and want to expose it to adverse weather conditions, you might as well opt for the newer 33mm f/1.4 but my money would always be on the original 35mm f/1.4 just because, in my view, the images just have that little something extra about them despite it being a much older lens with its downsides.

PHOTOS FROM THE LAST FIVE YEARS

Anyway, enough from me now, let’s see some of my favourite images that I’ve capture over the last five years with the Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4. It’s not all of them as many family ones I just keep private but I’ve gone back through the images and handpicked a select few. Also I couldn’t include too many as you would almost certainly get overwhelmed and bored quite quickly!

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Well, there we go! Five years of use of the Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4 and it’s still going strong. It’s a lens that I basically have attached 100% of the time to my X-T5; one that I can practically guarantee will bring my great shots. I have no plans whatsoever on getting rid of this lens and I’m looking forward to seeing what it helps me capture over the next five years and beyond.

If you do have any thoughts or questions, feel free to drop me a comment below or send me an email and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

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