Which is smaller, the Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R or the 7Artisans 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II?

The XF 35mm F1.4 R is the smaller, lighter lens at 187g and 50.4 mm long, versus 218g for the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II.

Which is faster, the Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R or the 7Artisans 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II?

The 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II is the faster lens at f/1.2, against f/1.4 for the XF 35mm F1.4 R — brighter in low light and able to throw the background further out of focus.

Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R vs 7Artisans 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II: full comparison

Q: What's the difference between the Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R and the 7Artisans 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II?

The XF 35mm F1.4 R leads on a lighter 187g body, autofocus at all, where the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II is manual focus only. The 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II leads on a brighter f/1.2 maximum aperture, a 10-blade diaphragm.

The XF 35mm F1.4 R and 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II trade blows evenly — the right pick comes down to focal length and what you shoot.

Read the full XF 35mm F1.4 R review →Read the full 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II review →

The short version

The Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R and 7Artisans 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II are both 35mm X-mount primes covering the same field of view, which Fujifilm rounds to 53mm-equivalent and 7Artisans to 52.5mm.

On the spec sheet the XF 35mm F1.4 R pulls ahead with a lighter 187g body and autofocus at all, where the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II is manual focus only.

The 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II answers with a brighter f/1.2 maximum aperture and a 10-blade diaphragm.

So which one? If a lighter 187g body matters most, the XF 35mm F1.4 R is the pick. If a brighter f/1.2 maximum aperture is closer to what you need, the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II is the smarter buy. Same view either way — this comes down to the trade-offs above.

Where the XF 35mm F1.4 R wins

+a lighter 187g body
+autofocus at all, where the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II is manual focus only

Where the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II wins

+a brighter f/1.2 maximum aperture
+a 10-blade diaphragm

Who should buy the XF 35mm F1.4 R or 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II?

Buy the XF 35mm F1.4 R if…

Pick the XF 35mm F1.4 R if a lighter 187g body and autofocus at all, where the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II is manual focus only matter to you. Photographers who want character over measurements at a 53 mm-equivalent view, and who shoot subjects that hold still long enough for 2012 autofocus. Read the full XF 35mm F1.4 R review for the details.

Buy the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II if…

Pick the 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II if a brighter f/1.2 maximum aperture and a 10-blade diaphragm matter to you. Photographers who want a fast lens with a distinctive look for very little money, and who already shoot manual focus by choice. Read the full 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II review for the details.

XF 35mm F1.4 R vs 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II: pros and cons

Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R	7Artisans 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II
Rendering the later f/2 primes do not match — warm, soft-edged, short falloff. 187g and 50.4 mm; small enough to live on an X-E body permanently. 0.28 m macro mode at 0.17× covers food and detail work. Clicked aperture ring, metal barrel, 52 mm filters shared with the XF 18mm F2 R. Cheap used, because Fujifilm has sold them for over a decade.	f/1.2 for around the price of a filter, in an all-metal barrel. Strong wide-open character: halation around highlights, swirling corners. 0.28 m minimum focus, closer than the original version managed. Ten rounded blades keep the stopped-down rendering tidier than the price suggests.
DC-motor autofocus hunts audibly in low light and low contrast. Aperture blades are audible; both noises reach in-camera video audio. No weather sealing and no stabilization. Soft corners and longitudinal colour fringing wide open until about f/2.8.	No electronic contacts: no EXIF, no aperture recorded, no IBIS, no auto magnification. f/1.2 and f/1.4 are effects, not working apertures — sharp from about f/4. Heavy longitudinal colour fringing on high-contrast edges wide open. Sample variation is the standing complaint about the category; no sealing, no real warranty support. 7Artisans publishes neither a launch date nor barrel dimensions, and retail listings disagree on both.

Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R

7Artisans 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II

Rendering the later f/2 primes do not match — warm, soft-edged, short falloff.
187g and 50.4 mm; small enough to live on an X-E body permanently.
0.28 m macro mode at 0.17× covers food and detail work.
Clicked aperture ring, metal barrel, 52 mm filters shared with the XF 18mm F2 R.
Cheap used, because Fujifilm has sold them for over a decade.

f/1.2 for around the price of a filter, in an all-metal barrel.
Strong wide-open character: halation around highlights, swirling corners.
0.28 m minimum focus, closer than the original version managed.
Ten rounded blades keep the stopped-down rendering tidier than the price suggests.

DC-motor autofocus hunts audibly in low light and low contrast.
Aperture blades are audible; both noises reach in-camera video audio.
No weather sealing and no stabilization.
Soft corners and longitudinal colour fringing wide open until about f/2.8.

No electronic contacts: no EXIF, no aperture recorded, no IBIS, no auto magnification.
f/1.2 and f/1.4 are effects, not working apertures — sharp from about f/4.
Heavy longitudinal colour fringing on high-contrast edges wide open.
Sample variation is the standing complaint about the category; no sealing, no real warranty support.
7Artisans publishes neither a launch date nor barrel dimensions, and retail listings disagree on both.

Pros and cons mirror the in-house XF 35mm F1.4 R review and 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II review.

XF 35mm F1.4 R vs 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II: full specs

Spec	XF 35mm F1.4 R 35 mm · f/1.4 · 187g	7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II 35 mm · f/1.2 · 218g
Optical
Focal length	35 mm	35 mm
35mm equivalent	53 mm	52.5 mm
Maximum aperture	f/1.4	f/1.2
Minimum aperture	f/16	f/22
Optical construction	8 elements in 6 groups	6 elements in 5 groups
Special elements	1 aspherical element	—
Aperture blades	7	10
Focus & Stabilization
Min. focus distance	0.28 m	0.28 m
Max. magnification	0.17×	—
Autofocus motor	DC motor	Manual focus only
Optical stabilization	No	No
Physical
Filter thread	52 mm	46 mm
Diameter × length	65 × 50.4 mm	—
Weight	187g	218g
Weather sealing	No	No
Min. operating temp	—	—
General
Announced	2012-01-09	Not published

Highlighted cells are best in class between these two. Specs sourced from the manufacturers' public product pages.

In-depth reviews

For the full long-form review of each lens, see the Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R review and the 7Artisans 7Artisans 35mm f/1.2 II review. Each carries the full spec breakdown, pros and cons, and where the lens sits in the X-mount lineup.