35 1.4 vs 33 1.4

The 35 came and it seems just perfect. Took a few quick shots of my kid and I’m super impressed. It just feels right.



thanks for all the great feedback!!!

Interestingly I have just bought the 35 1.4 over the 33 1.4. It’s the second time I’ve bought it too. I loved the character of it when shot wide open and it’s then super sharp stopped down for landscape etc.

The new lens is technically better wide open and sharper in the corners when shooting at wider apertures, but is does now have the same look to it, it’s modern and more clinical.



If you’re looking for technical perfection I think yeah the 33 is worth the extra but if not the 35 is beautiful and has a lovely look to it. But I wouldn’t buy it new. Just picked up a mint condition boxed one for 389 vs 500 in the uk

Bob Jonesburyson said:

I had the 35mm f/1.4 for years, loved it. Bought a 33mm f/1.4 ($705 open box), took a bunch of photos alternating between the two on my X-T3.

At f/1.4, the 33mm is on a totally different level, it’s hugely sharper. The 35mm is a hazy soft thing with lots of CA compared to the 33mm wide open at f/1.4. If you stop the 35mm down to f/2.8, it’s roughly as sharp as the 33mm is at f/1.4. This is why the 33mm is twice as big.

If you often want to shoot at f/1.4, the 33mm absolutely crushes the 35mm. Stop down to f/4+ and the difference is minor.

Focus on the 35mm is noisy and not super fast. It’s great for single focus, less great for continuous focus. The 33mm is insanely fast and silent, it’s on a totally different level at continuous focus.

Character wise, I find the 33mm to have really nice bokeh and color. Similar vibe to the 35mm, just way sharper wide open.

I sold the 35mm. Wonderful little lens, many good memories, but I often shoot at f/1.4 so it was a very easy choice to go with the 33mm.

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Wow, now that is an interesting opinion. Thx for sharing Your honest thoughts!

No offence, but I do noticed that here - in dpreview forum - is almost forbidden to write something bad about XF 35/1.4. I guess this lens has special place in users hearts, so writing things which are putting XF 35/1.4 in bad light is like hurting someone's feelings

Myself I choose XF 33/1.4 over XF 35/1.4 and I'm just blast from its IQ, build quality, and how relatively compact it is for a lens with so many top notch technology inside

I’m torn to be honest.
I’ve had the 35mm F1.4 and now proudly own the 33mm. I love the rendering of the 35, it was a small and light lens. The slower AF never bothered me much because I would take pictures mainly of my kids.

the one thing living in Florida (too darn sunny and hot for my liking) that really bothered me about the 35mm was the chromatic aberration. Purple fringing central because of sun / contrasty images. Every time I tried doing a portrait shot wide open of my kids face you could see purple fringing on hair and over the skin green fringing. I could never get it just right to avoid it and it was super obvious looked like a soft halo.

the 33mm is a champ at minimizing it almost getting rid of it. It is heavier, more expensive but for my personal taste worth every penny.

micro contrast is also great. I love doing close ups of my kids face and when you zoom in 1:1 ration you can literally count the eye lashes super sharp too. I could never get that same result from the 35mm

I sold off the 35mm and traded in like 10 different lenses to my local camera shop and stacked up enough cash to dish out and purchase the 33mm / 18mm / 90mm and the last lens I picked up was a Sigma 56mm which is flat out a marvel of a lens (For me, subjective I know)

I also got X100V which is my all around throw into my back pack everyday camera!

Highergr0und said:

The 35 came and it seems just perfect. Took a few quick shots of my kid and I’m super impressed. It just feels right.

thanks for all the great feedback!!!

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I think you'll be very happy with the 35/1.4. The IQ is great on the AF is pretty snappy, if not a bit loud, on X-T3 generation cameras.