I have spent a lot of time to point out the best prime lenses to use in recent years, as I wanted to keep my gear minimal. Not so much to save bulk or weight when taken on a journey, but more to simplify my photography. I like just one or two prime lenses. This forces me to do a little hard work and look a little harder for the compositions. For me, for me, what is photography. We should make a little effort in our craft and enjoy this process as we do.
I said in a video a few years ago that if I had to choose between 28 mm, 35 mm, or 50 mm Prime, I would choose 28 mm – and then admitted that 35 mm is probably more intelligent more intelligent. I was doing a lot of street photography, and I really love 28 mm for the road.
I have been traveling a little more than me in recent years, and I want to have the right gear together for normal travel photography – in which roads, landscapes, pictures and food fall under that umbrella. 35 mm is proving more than 28 mm useful for general use.
I now take my two lenses with me – and these are for my Nikon Z cameras – a 35 mm and a 85 mm. They cover a lot that I need them. Both are created by Wiltrox and are F/1.8. 35 mm is always on my camera and focal length I use 85-90% time.
But I was thinking recently, for 35 mm: If this is my main lens, is there anything better that I should see?
Some 35 mm option
After poke somewhat around the internet, I came to a crazy rapidly in 35 mm Prime from lava – this is an F/0.95! It is the fastest 35 mm full frame prime in the world. Do I want something that is fast? Well, most, not. But when I am in dark places like an old heritage building or bistro, or shoot at night, those additional stops of light can prove to be very helpful.
I could meet Nikon’s F/1.2 35 mmBut it is large and heavy at 1,060 grams. And is very expensive at $ 2,800. This is definitely not a travel lens. I like lava 35 mm size. It is about 755 grams, although twice is heavier than me To banish some ones dreams thoughts, etc.Whose weight is about 370 grams. Wiltrox is autofocus; Lava is manual. This does not bother me – a manual lens is fine, and they are made more firmly than modern autofocus lenses. Low to be wrong. I think there are some more autofocus options in F/1.2 to F/1.4 range, but I am bending towards a manual focus solution for the reasons mentioned. I have easily broken some new non-S series Nikon lens designed for Z-system. They are plastic and are not so durable, and the focus-by-wire system is much more fragile than the helicidal construction of an old school.
There is another manual focus option that will work well with my nicon and who provides camera with exf data: Voigtlander apo-longhar 35 mm f/2 asph II At $ 899. The lens is equipped with electronic contacts and enables communication between the lens and the housing. It is a beautiful lens, but is the slowest of the bunch on only f/2.
Some ideas
Deal-breaker for many people with 35 mm F/0.95 of lava is that it does not communicate with the camera at all. So this means that you do not get any exf data. You will not know what your camera settings were, and there is no information that you can automatically take to accommodate colorful aberrations, deformation and wigting in your editing app. But I do not care much about those things. I can adjust them manually what I should choose. When you shoot on a broad aperture with this lava, I really like you vigning. I like character. A technically correct photo is not necessarily a good photo.
Lava is not a modern, sterile lens with incredible sharpness. When shooting at broader aperture, the image softens around the edges. This lens has its own flaws, which gives it character. The background blot is cute, thanks to 15 aperture blades in part, I’m sure.
For those wishing to shoot the video, there is an easy de-click switch on the aperture.
Lava 35 mm F/0.95 has a distance measure on barrel. Not viltrox and nikon. As a zone focus is something I do a lot, it is a bonus point for lava. It is worth noting that the focus throw on the lava is an impressive 300 degree, which makes your focus easy to fix.
Manual focus tip
I set my FN1 button as a zoom in/out button on my Nikon Z6iii, so that I could check the focus. This is incredibly convenient. Most modern cameras allow you to customize a variety of buttons with this function, and even with autofocus lens, it can be easier.
Some glasses
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Sample: Lava Argus 35 mm FF F/0.95
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weight: 755 grams
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Aperture Blade: 15
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Lens structure: 14 elements / 9 groups
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Minimum focus distance: 50 cm
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Filter thread: 72 mm
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Mounts: Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon R
conclusion
I am using lava FF 35 mm F/0.95 for a month. So far, I really love it.
It is a solid lens, and it is made very well. When selecting 35 mm Prime, weight, functionality (distance marks, focus throw), durability, and you need autofocus to take into account my decision.
About weight, I take heavy cameras and lenses all the time, so I barely notice 755 grams of lens. For me only the weight of time will be an issue, multi-day, long distance backpacking. This lens will not go on one of those trips.
After looking at the options and weighed the options, I have concluded that many times when viltrox f/1.8 is more useful, it is very capable autofocus. But in my disposal my disposal manual focus and additional stop functionality of light, do I need them with laowa, make it a lens. I most likely when I know I know that I am going to shoot in very low light or if I am using zone focus. Despite its size, I like it for street photography.
This is certainly a special lens, and I can see myself using my autofocus Wiltrox 75% time. But 25% of that time when I needed it, I would be happy that I would be happy to Looh F/0.95.
Lava Argus FF 35 mm F/0.95 costs $ 649 (for Z Mount) and Available here,
