{"id":78200,"date":"2025-10-15T06:48:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T05:48:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=78200"},"modified":"2026-04-25T02:11:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T01:11:05","slug":"review-7artisans-af-35mm-f-1-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-7artisans-af-35mm-f-1-8\/","title":{"rendered":"REVIEW: 7Artisans AF 35mm f\/1.8"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Introduction<\/span><\/h2>\n

The 7Artisans AF 35mm f\/1.8 full-frame lens for E-mount was released on September 4th, and now the company has added L- and Z-mount versions. It follows their earlier 24mm f\/1.8 full-frame lens, which was well received by photographers. At a launch price of $299, this new 35mm sits on the budget-friendly side of the lineup, and if it performs as well as its 24mm sibling, it should offer great value for money. Let\u2019s check it out!<\/p>\n

\"camera-icon2\"I tested this lens on a 46 Mp<\/a> Nikon Z7ii<\/a> (Sample images were taken with a Nikon Zf<\/a>)
\n\"\"You can see this review as\u00a0a\u00a0YouTube\u00a0video\u00a0here<\/a>!
\n\"\"Sample images in high resolution here<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sample Images<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Nikon Zf | 7ARTISANS AF 35mm F\/1.8 | f\/4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Nikon Zf | 7ARTISANS AF 35mm F\/1.8 | f\/1.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Nikon Zf | 7ARTISANS AF 35mm F\/1.8 | f\/4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Nikon Zf | 7ARTISANS AF 35mm F\/1.8 | f\/4.5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Nikon Zf | 7ARTISANS AF 35mm F\/1.8 | f\/8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Nikon Zf | 7ARTISANS AF 35mm F\/1.8 | f\/1.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

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Nikon Zf | 7ARTISANS AF 35mm F\/1.8 | f\/1.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Nikon Zf | 7ARTISANS AF 35mm F\/1.8 | f\/1.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Nikon Zf | 7ARTISANS AF 35mm F\/1.8 | f\/1.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Nikon Zf | 7ARTISANS AF 35mm F\/1.8 | f\/1.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most of the sample images in this review and many more can be found in higher resolution here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Specifications<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Focal Length<\/td>\n35mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Angle of View<\/td>\n64\u00b0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
# of Aperture Blades<\/td>\n11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Max Aperture<\/td>\nf\/1.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Min Aperture<\/td>\nf\/16<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Min Focus Distance<\/td>\n40\u00a0cm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Filter Size<\/td>\n62 mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lens Mount<\/td>\nE<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weight<\/td>\n426\u00a0g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Size (D x L)<\/td>\n\u00f8: 72 x L: 94\u00a0mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Elements\/Group<\/td>\n11 Elements in 8 Groups<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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Lens construction | 7Artisans AF 35mm f\/1.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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7ARTISANS AF 35mm F\/1.8 | Nikon Z7ii<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Buy new:<\/strong> 7Artisans Store<\/a>, B&H<\/a>, Amazon (anywhere)<\/a> for $299 (Affiliate links)
\nUsing my link at the 7Artisans Store gives you a 15% discount<\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Disclosure<\/span><\/h2>\n

7Artisans kindly provided this lens for test and review purposes.<\/p>\n

Handling and Build Quality<\/span><\/h2>\n

This is an all-metal and glass lens, and you can tell by its weight that it\u2019s built entirely from solid materials. It is built around a metal mount with electronic contacts and a USB-C port for firmware updates. There\u2019s also a rubber gasket under the mount for some level of weather sealing.<\/p>\n

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7ARTISANS AF 35mm F\/1.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On the left side, closest to the camera body, you\u2019ll find a function button and an AF\/MF switch. Next is the declicked aperture ring, which doesn\u2019t offer a way to enable click stops, but it\u2019s marked in 1\/3-stop increments. Interestingly, a digital \u201cclick\u201d is built into the aperture control\u2014so even though the ring itself is smooth, you\u2019ll hear a faint click and see a jump in brightness in the viewfinder or rear display as you pass each 1\/3 stop. Also, while the ring turns smoothly, you can hear a faint metal-to-metal friction sound when you turn it. \u00a0There\u2019s also an \u201cA\u201d position on the aperture ring, allowing the camera to control the aperture automatically.<\/p>\n

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7ARTISANS AF 35mm F\/1.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Next comes the large, metallic manual focus ring, which turns smoothly and can be assigned to control manual focus, aperture, exposure compensation, or ISO sensitivity\u2014or disabled altogether. It uses a focus-by-wire system, but on Nikon cameras it can be set to mimic a mechanical, linear focus response, with adjustable focus throws ranging from 90\u00b0 to 360\u00b0 in 30\u00b0 increments, plus extended options for 540\u00b0 and 720\u00b0.<\/p>\n

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7ARTISANS AF 35mm F\/1.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The lens features internal focusing, so the front element doesn\u2019t rotate when you turn the focus ring. Autofocus is driven by an STM motor, providing precise performance at a decent speed. However, when shifting from close to distant subjects, or vice versa, the AF\u00a0 hesitates slightly and makes a couple of back-and-forth adjustments before locking focus.<\/p>\n

In addition to the standard front and rear caps, the lens comes with a sturdy plastic lens hood in the box.<\/p>\n

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7ARTISANS AF 35mm F\/1.8 and its lens hood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Optical Features<\/span><\/h2>\n
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MTF Curves | 7Artisans AF 35mm f\/1.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sharpness (Infinity)<\/span><\/h3>\n

For the infinity sharpness test, we look at three areas of the image, centre, mid-frame, and corner, see highlighted areas in the image below!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Infinily Sharpness Points of Inspection<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Infinity sharpness chart | 7ARTISANS AF 35mm F\/1.8 | Nikon Z7ii<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Centre sharpness is very solid right from wide open. It\u2019s already very good at f\/1.8 and becomes excellent from f\/2.8 onwards. Mid-frame and corner sharpness are good wide open and improve as you stop down. They reach very good levels around f\/5.6 and come close to excellent at f\/8, though they never quite match the centre. Sharpness remains consistent up to f\/11, after which it softens slightly due to diffraction, becoming more noticeable at f\/16.<\/p>\n

Sharpness (Portrait)<\/span><\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s look at the points of interest for portraits at the portrait distance: the very centre, the centre\u2019s inner periphery\u00a0 (1\/3 rule intersection), and the centre\u2019s outer periphery (1\/4th intersection).<\/span><\/p>\n

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Portrait Sharpness Points of Interest<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n