This new silver 35mm lens is making me want a Fujifilm X-Pro1 or Nikon Zfc –because the combination is just so darn cool!

Lifestyle image of person looking through viewfinder of Nikon Z fc with TTArtisan AF 35mm f/1.8 II on the camera .

The TTArtisan AF 35mm f/1.8 II was released at the tail end of last year, and now it’s back, with a sexy silver paint job and a rectangular lens hood to complete the retro aesthetic. Internally, it’s exactly the same as the mainline version, and if you don’t like the silver rectangular hood, it also comes with the standard, black petal hood.

While this little APS-C lens looks undoubtedly cool in its own right, I didn’t quite realize just how cool until I saw the lifestyle press imagery, where it’s mounted onto a Fujifilm X-Pro1, Fujifilm X-Pro3 and Nikon Z fc. Let’s face it, this is where this fast, compact prime is designed to shine. And with Nikon’s APS-C lens line-up still lacking, third-party options like this are always going to appeal to the crop-sensor Nikon crowd. Plus, I’m expecting the all-metal body to give this lens a more authentic retro feel.

The rectangular lens hood finishes off the retro aesthetic (Image credit: TTArtisan )

If you missed the TTArtisan AF 35mm f/1.8 II’s initial release, I’ll get into the specs. This is an auto-focus capable (driven by a stepping motor), APS-C lens available for Sony E, Fujifilm X and Nikon Z mounts. It’s built around 10 elements in seven groups, features a nine-bladed aperture diaphragm and weighs 176-193g (depending on the mount). Without a lens hood, the optic is 49mm in length for E and X mounts, and 51mm for Z mount, which is considerably shorter than the original TTArtisan AF 35mm f/1.8 Mark 1. Finally, the minimum focus distance is 0.4m and the filter thread is 52mm.

But what really caught me by surprise during the standard version’s release was its low price. And the silver variant is only $3 more expensive, not bad when you consider the extra lens hood. You can pick up the TTArtisan AF 35mm f/1.8 II from the official TTArtisan website or Amazon for $128, and while it’s not currently listed on Amazon UK, I’d expect a similar numerical value, given that the black version sells for £129.

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