Mitakon 35mm f/0.95 - My Favorite Lens for Fuji X Cameras

[@daygon128]

I have this on my X-T3 with a matching hood and lens tab and its a joy to use. It's seriously my favorite lens ever.

[@nikolaidoynov1211]

I own this lens for nearly a year now - used it on a X-E2 and now on the X-T2. It's a "magical" lens - very sharp in the center, even wide open - may be not so sharp corner to corner compared to other lenses, but that doesn't matter. I love it because of the separation effect it delivers and the smooth transition in sharpnes when its wide open - and yes, you should buy this only when using it mainly wide open. It's also great for close distances. I wouldn't compare it to a fuji 35 1.4 or the F2 version - these are different lenses with their own characteristic image output.

[@jd2086]

Come on bro, the box is awesome too, best box I've ever seen

[@MtRevDr]

How often do you put lenses you use back into their boxes?

[@MottiWolkenbruch]

@@MtRevDr Every night, when I put them to sleep and sing them the bokeh lullaby.

[@MtRevDr]

@@MottiWolkenbruch After a good Valentine's dinner, it is time to part and say farewell to all camera bodies.

[@matthewneleigh567]

I've had the EF-M version of this lens for several months and it's easily my favorite mirrorless lens; possibly my favorite lens, period. It's not perfect, and sometimes it can be a challenge to use, but it's very possible to get not just useable, but great images with it at f/0.95.

[@jimmyha5212]

Hi Matt Day, in terms of your video editing, I'm very happy and totally appreciate the fact that you don't use too many jump cuts. A lot of youtubers chop up their speeches a lot and it always sounds unnatural. I get the sense that you prepare a lot for your reviews so that your videos can be done in as few takes as necessary. A question about the manual focus, how often/rare do you miss focus on your shots? Or does a lot of experience on your Leica M6 provide the practice needed?

[@dm976]

bought it, sold it, missed it, bought it again with an additional back up. this lens makes you wanna shoot everytime you see or touch it. btw, the manual focus is so easy, for everyone who is afraid of it, try it.

[@Freestyler913]

Is the clickless ring for aperture is not annoying for event photography when you have to be fast?

[@dm976]

@@Freestyler913 you need a lenshood to extend the place to hold it without accidentally bumping the fstop and to controll flares. I then work like in a-prio. Set a minimum ss you need, set the max iso you are willing to accept and then work your way around by just controlling your depth of field seemless. Works top for me

[@Burritosarebetterthantacos]

Focus peaking changed the game for me....I have used autofocus in over a year

[@brocktonbensch7992]

Can’t believe it was just a year ago that you shot Fuji. Can’t blame you at all for switching to all Leica but, wow that was quick. Congrats!

[@charliepark9415]

Using it on my xpro2, this is the ultimate 50mm f1.4 summilux ff equiv for the fuji system

[@triggrhaapi]

I love it on my X-T2. I actually just recently used it to shoot photos of a buddy of mine's car. Great lens for all kinds of uses.

[@JumpingWatermelons]

Yeah I have that lens and I like it a lot. For me, it's a lot of fun to shoot with and is useful for a wide variety of shooting. Wish I could buy a manual focus lens around 16-21mm with a similar build and quality

[@jordanwilliams1546]

Thanks for your review I’m debating which prime lens to get

[@MottiWolkenbruch]

Such nice pictures! As if you were in love with everything you see.

[@harkostroef]

just randomly came across this video, seriously well produced! you have an amazing voice

[@josecolon8143]

Mate you are sniper if you nail focus at 0.95 manually in street photography, heck even in portraits!!!

[@KisaGAMING]

There is focus peaking on Fuji, that's why fuji is the best for manual focus lenses

[@dakkster]

@@KisaGAMING Most mirrorless systems have focus peaking...

[@AurelGergey]

Haiz Kisa yes but not strong enough as eg within the new sonys.

[@Hightower2804TP]

@@dakkster yeah but Fuji does it best - on a Sony pretty much everything seems to be in focus which is bullshit.

[@muscleheadzzzz]

It's not technically 0.95. More like 1.4 since it's cropped.

[@aaronoverstreet1436]

Great photos with the Mitakon and a great set today Matt!

[@ministrinity2830]

The Sony full frame e mount 50mm f0.95 is also a beautiful lens! I had both and the Sony one gives a depth of field look very much like a medium format setup.

Thanks Matt. I use that camera with old soviet lenses as Jupiter, very fun. This lens look nice too.

[@sam7479]

Good review. I have the Voigtlander 40mm f1.2 Nokton glued to my X Pro2. An amazing lens with great inter-tonal contrast. If you like b&w, it’s a must-try lens.

[@mattdayphoto]

Oh, man. I bet that lens is nice. Never had a Voigtlander lens I wasn’t happy with.

[@mjones410]

@@mattdayphoto I love the Voigtlander 17.5mm f0.95 on micro four thirds, it has a close focus of 14cm which is great for digitising my negatives.

[@azizulzulzaha]

I hav the same lens for my a7ii, sharpest 1.2 ever used.

[@shifteleven]

@@azizulzulzaha as long as you're a few feet away, I totally agree. I dig that 40mm - I now wish I got it in M-mount since I have a Fuji now too.

[@rahmikacmaz]

Do you use it with an adapter or are Voigtlanders available for Fuji at all?

[@AurelGergey]

this puppy transforms my fuji into a full frame monster. thanks for the review!

[@elbrooks]

Ha! I am literally sitting here waiting for the Fedex truck with my copy of this lens. Your photo examples looked fantastic, I'm excited to give this lens a try.

[@liamoshanassy9641]

Been thinking about this lens for my X-T2! Thanks for the review Matt!

[@bbj6107]

I have it on my X-T2 and love it!

[@tomislavmiletic_]

I opted for Super Takumar with Pixco speed booster Instead of this Mitakon lens. Yes it is sometimes soft wide open and yes it flares like crazy in backlight (all do I was told that SMC variant is far better in that regard) but I got the whole setup for peanuts...

[@JohannesLabusch]

It's worth mentioning that the X-T3 has pretty much brought the Fujinon 35mm 1.4 back from hibernation. The AF is really quick and reliable with the new camera. I personally don't think the difference at the wide open end between the Mitakon and the Fuji will be that important in most cases. During Fuji's frequent sales, the 35mm goes down to about 550$. If I was in the market for a 35, I'd find it pretty hard to justify this manual lens under the circumstances.

[@barrycohen311]

Just pulled the trigger on one last night. $529 no state taxes, and free shipping from B&H. I would have preferred buying a used one, but used models were selling for $450 to $600. That is just stupid. I have a black X-T2 but went for the silver. I have too many black lenses! :-)

[@shifteleven]

Loving this lens. I've added a little buddy to it though - a Black Pro Mist filter (1/4 strength). It creates a smooth roll-off into the highlights and blooms them a bit at the cost of some contrast. I then pair that up with Astia and set a manual white balance (or the close enough presets like sun or incandescent) with a tweak to +4 R and -2 B for a nice look right out of camera. I've been digging that little recipe for some family photos. Cheers dude.

[@BoyFromTheOtherSide]

Interesting! How do you find the focus peaking with the 1/4 diff filter? Any noticeable change? I'm assuming the cut in contrast might effect it...

[@dablaire89]

do you have an samples?

[@ConfidenZe]

I was looking for a lens for night/low light situations without grainy footage will this do the trick for night shots?

[@gregorycampbell1849]

Good stuff. Thanks for the video. I bought a second hand 35mm 1.4 for street on an XT3

[@Ty-Braun]

The photo at 4:55 convinced me to buy this lens (actually the 7artisans version but basically the same thing).

[@NickShaw12]

I ordered this lens on sale from B&H. Can't wait to get it on Wednesday and play with it

[@YES_YES_NO_YES]

the box is COOL

[@Hamsong]

It looks amazing, and I love the Leica M style of the barrel. Wish they made a 23mm, too

[@jasonparker4965]

at 1,4 u get super sharp results. love this lens

[@xjamesramos]

I have had one for a good year now. LOVE IT!

[@shifteleven]

I agree with you on this lens. It's super fun to use and the X-T3 makes it easy. I love the display option you can get when the camera is in manual focus mode and you get the two views in the viewfinder - one of the fill scene and then one patch zoomed in on the focus point to help nail focus perfectly. As a follow up, how did you keep the camera up in that hero shot of the camera and lens? Lol, that thing is heavy and when I put my 📷 down in the table, it tilts down onto the heavy lens.

[@jimbean532]

Great description of a cool lens. Love the box!!!

[@julienxie1110]

First of all, great video ! Beautiful pictures, simple video. I bought this lens on November 2017 and since, my a6300 can almost a fixed lens camera. I am a huge fan of the 50mm (FF) field of view and used it for portraits, landscapes, street photography so I understand why it's your favorite lens!

[@jbnitpou9942]

Dear sir, I’m so ok with you on all points ..... this lens is a dream sometimes.

[@jordang3266]

Own this in black. Can only agree. Good review. The lens has dreamy feel to it that I love and it makes B&Ws feel right. Favourite lens hands down.

[@ju2705s]

Hi Matt, as I shoot with Fuji this lens was als my favorit and I had a lot of Fuji Lenses too. Thx J.

[@mpk33]

I'm not in the market for this lens (I only have film gear), but I enjoyed the video a lot & look forward to whatever you cover next mate! All the very best.

[@andyvan5692]

how is the focusing, as on the Leica Noctilux lenses (50 mm & 75 mm) their d.o.f. is only 1/4 inch or less!!, and as there is an M adaptor for the Fuji x series (made by Fuji themselves), can you explain why choose this lens, over the aforementioned Leica counterparts?, especially since I see a Leica in the background, and if you did a wedding with it, how was your hand afterwards, as I would imagine it would be a very tough day!

[@albertsmith9315]

Ugh... Man, prior to watching this video, I convinced myself that I don't need the f/0.95 35mm, already having the excellent Fujifilm XF 35mm f/1.4. Now I'm not sure. Very nice presentation.

[@neelchat594]

Matt, this video has some of your best photos :)

[@Rocking_J_Studio]

I enjoy shooting manual focus, even with auto focus lenses, IF the focus damping is good. If the focus ring is sloppy or requires extreme rotation to focus I'd shoot in auto focus. I mainly shoot primes since Fuji does such a nice job with that, but I also shoot with newer third party lenses as well as with my Canon FD glass.

[@just_eirik]

Would love to see how it compares to the Meike 35 1.7 or maybe the 1.4, but I dont have that one yet.

[@PhilKnall]

Great video. I could listen to you all day. My personal favorites are all manual focus, I spend most time with my Voigtländer Nokton Classic 40/1.4 and a Contax G Mount Biogon 28/1.8.

[@gephetto]

Great video, glad I came across it. I was debating between this and the Laowa. I was worried that the 7artisans wouldn’t be able to capture some of the photos you did, but I was glad to see otherwise. Saved me a few bucks too. Keep on shooting.

[@tallaganda83]

16mm 1.4 for me what a ripper👍

[@youxanyou]

Wow, Matt managed to change the poor flare control into selling point!

[@mattdayphoto]

Haha, definitely not a selling point! I know some people like that look, but I try to avoid it for about 99% of real world use.

[@youxanyou]

@@mattdayphoto I know what you mean Matt, wild flares(real or artificial) start becoming a cliche, but your shots blew me away nevertheless!

[@scottsymes]

Thanks for the review. Would love a quick video on your manual focusing technique on the Fuji. I have had a couple of the x100 series cameras and the whole focus by wire is a real odd beast coming from manual film cameras. You mention focus peaking but something more in-depth would be great. Thanks!

[@JoelWyncott]

Happy to hear about the lens from a photographer who I really like. It looks like I’ll be shooting my first wedding this May, and I’ve kind of been looking for a good excuse to pick this lens up. I too will be really interested to see what other lenses Mitakon comes out with for the X mount.

[@the92project]

Matt. Time to go over your record collection.

[@jaegerschtulmann]

Thanks for the video, btw I suggest you try the voigtlander noktons for m-mount using an adapter, (40mmf1.2 is incredible) they are tiny, sharp and contrasty wide open, great colors and super silky smooth bokeh!

[@gabrieldalcomune3044]

Man I really want this lens, it would complete my "holy trinity" of manual prime lenses.

[@tjschmal]

Hi, Gabriel Dalcomune. May i ask you, what your „holy trinity“ of manual primes is ?

[@rolltrollroll]

Two years ago I bought one for M4/3 (25mm 0.95) and even I had most of Olympus primes I used Mitakon 99% of the time. Not perfect but with character

[@jjchockey]

One thing to note. From testing against my 35mm 1.4 I found that even at 1.4-1.5 the Mitakon still has a more smooth looking bokeh compared to the XF. Sharpness is near identical at 1.2-1.4 as well. CA is this lenses biggest con. Overall definitely one of my favorite fuji lenses.

[@Jonathan-hu3lk]

Just seen a great price for a secondhand one. Wonder how it compares to the mark 2 version. Great video and awesome photos

[@zach.hanford]

What are your thoughts on this vs the 35mm f1.4 and the 56mm f1.2? As a wedding photographer, sometimes when light gets very low it becomes more reliable to manual focus anyway(especially with the 56) and manual focusing with a focus by wire system is.... less than enjoyable in my opinion. I'm looking for an indoors/dance floor/speeches/toasts lens, and was considering trying to sell my 35mm f2 for the 1.4 but might consider the Mitakon instead. For context, I usually run with the 56 and the 35mm f2 for the whole day.

[@mattdayphoto]

Zach Hanford I totally get that. Focus by wire is not really enjoyable for me either. That’s what I love about this lens, it’s truly like manually focusing any other film lens. The 56mm is gorgeous. I would like to add that one to my bag at some point, but I probably won’t add the 35mm f/1.4 because this Mitakon fills that focal length for me perfectly.

[@problemat1que]

While it's still FBW, have you tried the linear focus option on the T3?

[@leniseormsby]

Hey Matt, great review! I bought this lens when I first picked up my xpro-2 just over a year ago. It’s also my go to lens for my Fuji system - love using it!

[@msandersen]

When I got my Fuji a year ago, I wanted to experiment with s different type of shooting, so apart from the kit 18-55mm, I got the xf35/1.4 which is a truly great lens with fantastic separation and creamy bokeh, everything I wanted, except it is not weather-sealed and has a slow autofocus. One of the reasons for wanting to try mirrorless was to experiment with manual focus, which was nothing but frustration with my SLR, which unlike the old film SLRs don’t have split-screen focusing or anything else to aid manual focusing, as it gets in the way of the autofocus systems. Live View on SLRs can magnify, but has no focus peaking and is way too slow for some reason, and I like a viewfinder anyway, especially if the lens is big and heavy. I looked at the reviews of the Mitakon 50/0.95 and other similar lenses out of curiosity, but with my 35mm, I had no need for them; 35mm on crop is long enough for walkaround, and in fact, for most things a bit too long unless I want to focus in; it’s great for flower photography, pets and people headshots. While it would be fun to try out lenses like this one, I can’t justify another 35mm. I’ve played with a few vintage lenses, but they tend to be 50s, so equivalent to 75mm on Fuji, again limited for my needs. For portrait, the Jupiter-9 85mm and Tair-11a 135mm are excellent, especially with a speedbooster. While I’ve tried manual focusing in fast-moving situations, with people moving all over the place, it’s challenging and can be quite fun trying to keep up, but for a paid event, I wouldn’t dare, for fear of missing important shots. Focus Peaking is better in some situations than others, tricky if the depth of field is very shallow and the subject moving. If you have a grassy ground and shooting the whole subject, it is quick and easy, you can see the red line of focus moving back and forth on the ground. For other less contrasty up-close things, you need to punch in, which slows you way down, as you also have to make sure the focus point is in the right place.

[@manwhalejoe6962]

I personally find it easier to use lenses wider than 35mm (on Fuji) for manual focus. For example, if you have a 21mm lens from Kamlan or Meike (or vintage or voigtlander, etc), you can set distance to 9m and close down the aperture to f/11, and you are good to go! Everything is in focus. Using a 35mm or 50mm, like you said, it gets alot harder to grab focus in many situations. I personally like this method because I also am used to using zone focus on my Olympus OM1 film camera (with a 28mm or 35mm), and I found it works really well. For 35mm and above, I use fuji lenses with autofocus- it's just more enjoyable.

[@JoseOchoita]

I'm really interested in this lens. Love my 35mm f/2 but it would be interesting to use this lens for portraits, especially at that price! Just to add to something, I'm unaware if you know this but Mitakon also released a 65mm f/1.4 for the GFX system. That in a digital medium format camera must be very interesting. Great photos as always, Matt.

[@ministrinity2830]

The gfx 65mm 1.4 might be a very similar look to the 50mm 0.95 on the Sony full frame.

[@BLAZEPSI]

I miss the B&H deal for thia lens yeaterday. $419... Hopefully it comes back..

[@mattdayphoto]

Keep an eye out! That's a good price but it tends to go on sale pretty regularly.

[@ccoppola82]

It’s back on sale at B&H today.

[@btrdangerdan2010]

I wonder Matt how you can compare the Mitakon lens against the other f0.95 legend, the Canon LTM 50mm f/0.95 originally made for the Canon 7 rangefinder.

[@simsonison]

hi there ;) this lens sounds really good ;) I do have a xpro1. is this a good fit for the pro 1.. I would use this as my main combination. I do now that this lens, as every other lenses has some downsides, but is its picture quality wit the xpro1 good enough, when you have a lenshood etc? I also shoot landscape and nature shots sometimes. if I stop down a bit, is it optically also good then? thankyou very much

[@DonnieGQX]

I am waiting for them to make a 25mm f/0.95 that will be my go to lens on the Fuji system. I already have a speedbooster that gives me access to a 50mm lens so the 25 would be much better.

[@hidekigomi]

Great vid, Matt. This is the second lens I purchased after the kit. I didn't know how to use a manual focus lens, forced myself to learn it with this!

[@mattdayphoto]

Hideki Brian Gomi Awesome to hear that! Getting comfortable with manual focus is worth the time and practice, in my opinion.

[@hand-heldblender8107]

I plan to buy this lens. I have only X-T1 but it is only a minor thing.

[@asbjrnlind9514]

Interesting...I have a X-Pro 3....does it fit there? without adaptor?

[@jasonparker4965]

caught it on amazon for 280 Dollars. best price/result ratio ever :D

[@kubowich]

Matt, how does this lens compare with Leica 50 asph ? Apart from flare control...

[@ChristopherVisser]

Dat haircut/beard combo. 🔥

[@AugustDoP]

I really digged the photos in this one! I might be getting my own Xt-3 soon :)

[@EddieInzauto]

How would you compare the rendering of this lens versus the XF56mm? Obviously they will require different distances for the same composition, and different levels of background compression as a result of that distance, but do you find them similar in feeling (of the results - not the handling).

[@problemat1que]

6:14 is actually an awesome shot! Any tips on nailing focus, do you rattle off some continuous shots or shoot single?

[@larrynguyen85]

Hi Matt, Awesome video! Super informative and love the examples. Was wondering since it's a manual focus, how does this lens perform with kids? I've got a toddler at home. Thank you!:)

[@salarycat]

Love this lens. Do you have any of the Fuji 35s also? If so, could you say how much you use them vs this lens?

[@gearytagawa4680]

I got one used on eBay. I love it!

[@10Outta10Baby]

Matt you're the man

[@TimothymakeupsDitzler]

That buckle though!

[@MykalHall]

Was that you in a few of Matt's shots?

[@TimothymakeupsDitzler]

Mykal Hall yep! Haha

[@MykalHall]

@@TimothymakeupsDitzler I thought I heard you mention on Analog Talk you met up with Matt and I had checked your socials. My mind then plucked you out of the line up. Keep up the good work on the podcast mate.

[@wichiewichie]

Awesome lens!!... until the focus ring came loose and it never worked the same again. :/ Does someone knows how to fix it or where to send it to get it fixed and calibrated?

[@mattdayphoto]

Luis Rivera Oh, man. That’s no good. Where did you buy the lens? It might be worth calling the retailer to see if they can aid you in the repair process.

[@wichiewichie]

I believe I bought it at B&H. Yeah, I should ask them about it. Thanks!

[@ministrinity2830]

Luis Rivera if yours is like my somy 50mm 0.95. Just gotta tighten the screws on the focusing ring a little and it’s all good.

[@andreasschroder7880]

Hey Matt, I'm currently on the search for a 35mm manual lens for my Fuji X-Mount bodies. I'm torn between the Mitakon and the Voigtländer Nokton classic 35mm 1.4 M.C. VM. While the Voigtländer is available here in Germany the Mitakon needs intercontinental shipping - so I can't just try it out. Would you give me your thoughts? Thank you very much in advance!

[@thinkbear]

What did you end up doing Andreas? I’m weighing the same decision, and also not ruling out saving up some more for the Voigtlander 1.2.

[@Maochan81]

I was using AF only, then i tried this lens and since then the AF lenses are only catching dust. Can't bring myself to mount any other lens :) The rendering is so gorgeous.

[@cheeseblog]

Nice photos!

[@michaelb9940]

THE BOX is the best thing I've seen. This dude just had to ruin the vibe. lol

[@cam.5951]

Thanks Matt appreciate the inspiration from all your videos

[@mattdayphoto]

oH Hmm I appreciate the support!

[@wejuya]

Gonna wait for fuji 33mm F1.0. First in 2020... see how that beast performs and feels.. then will decide which to get

[@renda4806]

There's rumors that they are canceling 33/f1 and developing a 50/f1 instead www.google.com/amp/s/m.dpreview.com/news/8197749374/fujifilm-developing-50mm-f1-0-instead-of-planned-33mm-f1-0.amp

[@segzeeman7356]

The lens looks great. But, I don’t get why you would mount this on the xt3? Isn’t the xt3 all about its fast af?

[@DIRECTSOUNDVINYL]

Nice lens ! looks like an old M42 lens.

[@EpitomePax]

Question to anyone else who has this lens: is it normal for the lenses focusing ring to be stiff when near infinity and then get pleasantly looser when near minimum focusing distance? or should it be smooth throughout? I just received the lens today and am hoping i didn't get a bad focusing ring. Thanks!!

[@Freestyler913]

Do you manage to have good accuracy wide open in your wedding or event shooting?

[@terrywbreedlove]

Even with focus peaking and magnification I still have trouble focusing these digital cameras. Yet with my Nikon F3hp and my Hasselblad 503 it is so quick and easy. It will never happen of course but wouldn’t it be sweet if we could buy a proper focusing screen for our digital cameras.

[@garyking4032]

I did buy one for my 5Dii back in the day, but definitely looking into getting a 5" monitor

[@franckleclerc8692]

I Had this lens but I sold it cause as for me, it wasn't enough good , it becomes good from 2, and very good from 2.8-4. Too bad with wide aperture. I bought the Samyang 35 f/1.2, it is good on wide aperture, better than Mitakon.

[@deepeshpm]

how can we identify mark1 and mark 2

[@luisdanielrivera1336]

Wao una boda con una lente manual no es nada fácil

[@thedondeluxe6941]

Wow, those shots look amazing! Reminds me of my Voigtlander 50mm f1.1, although I haven't tried that on a digital body yet. Must do that soon :-)

[@spyratekodaks7494]

Matt, please make a video about your camera collection !! I don't care how many of them are !! I just I want to see what cameras are the most important to you!!!!

[@mattdayphoto]

spyrate kondax It’s definitely a small collection, but okay! I will make that happen.

[@wobbowobboDX]

Hey Matt, I hope you can give me perspective. I have this lens on my xt20 and love it.. something still keeps has me looking into a Leica M.. probably with a 35mm. I love the tones and micro contrast (pop) on my mitakon... Are images and "process" of shooting on a Leica worth the $$$? thanks in advance and glad to see you're doing well

[@danielmartinez2129]

No

[@edwink0]

What picture profile do you use for the shots of you talking? Thanks.

[@-DreniM-]

Honest review GREAT Matt!

[@mattdayphoto]

DreniM Thank you!

[@tinaverstraeten2173]

This is my favorite lens, has anyone here ever used it for astrophotography?

[@MikeMayerPhotograph]

It‘s the Noctilux for the Fuji X-System. I love this lens 😊!