Manual Lenses for Nostalgic Imagery - Artralab Nonikkor 35mm F1.4 (March 2025 Issue)

For a long time Fujifilm stood relatively unopposed in its niche, making small but capable APSC cameras with a tactile feel, full analogue controls with a nod towards Rangefinders (with the X-Pro) and SLR's (with the X-T). Despite this, no one seemed to have stepped up to fill the gap that is vintage styled, manual focus lenses. Of course, all X-Mount lenses worth their salt came with an aperture ring, and in the early days Fujifilm experimented with clutch focus, we were still left with electronic focus motors. Here in 2025 Fujifilm has cut a large piece of the cake for itself in market share and the Nikon ZFC and ZF have brought to attention a want for manual focus primes. This is where Artralab's story bridges this gap. In response to a want for lenses that call back to the "golden age" of photography Artralab have created a range of lenses they playfully named Nonikkor, for modern mirrorless cameras. Whilst I think they may be fairly known in Nikon circles, I think what is lesser known is that they have also brought these to Fujifilm's X-Mount. For those that may balk at homage Nikon lenses on Fujifilm, understand that Nikon in the film days produced their Nikkor lenses for more than just their own F mount but for Zenza Bronica, Plaubel Makina and possibly more I am unaware of. It is also worth noting that Nikkor lenses of the period were considered cream of the crop and good examples can cost a pretty penny on the used market.

As such it begs the question, if these old Nikon lenses are so good then why would you buy an Artralab and not just adapt a Nikkor? Well, this is where I can add to the conversation. I love vintage lenses, and I love film photography, but they aren't practical in 2025. Certainly not for someone traveling often, with supporting infrastructure being very limited. As I touched on above, good copies of these lenses aren't cheap nor are they abundant. Most of all, Fujifilm has a glaring issue when adapting older lenses, our APSC sensor. Whilst good, bright aperture 50mm+ lenses are not hard to find, just widening that field of view to 35mm will make your search a lot harder (and more expensive). Today I will be looking at Artralab's Nonikkor 35mm F1.4 and how it performs on APSC and its overall fit for our Fujifilm ecosystem. First of all, it's readily available, I have the 60's version with a scalloped metal focus ring providing it a full metal construction, from chrome plated brass mount to the 52mm filter thread. This lens is built on par with the Nikkor’s of old and for a more recent comparisons easily comparable to the Voigtlander 15mm I used to own, but not quite to the level of modern Leica or Zeiss. This might come as a shock when I tell you the price, at around $300usd this undercuts the competition by a large margin yet provides a noticeable step up in quality form your budget oriented TTartisan or 7artisan offerings. So, what are the drawbacks? There are no electronic contacts so this is one you will have to add to your mount adapter setting, and even then, you will not get any aperture information. The camera will still meter the scene, but your metadata will be lacking. The other drawback is that it doesn't come with a lens hood and as you will see as the article goes on, this is much recommended. The lens has a nice short focus throw from 0.35m to past infinity. I find a short focus throw a positive in my own work. The biggest reason I see for buying a native X- mount lens over adapting is the size. The lens itself is hardly any bigger than the adapter you would need to fit a Nikon F (or similar) lens to your Fuiifilm. On the X-Pro3 and X-T5 I have, Artralab’s lenses look like they belong. All these aspects I will dig deeper into as we get further into this review.

By now you know me, I'm not going to give you brick walls and test charts. What I care about is how these lenses are in use and what we can produce with them. The first thing, before even mounting a lens on a camera… does this inspire me? Perhaps a shallow thought but one that is certainly real. The reason we love our Fuji’s are because they are beautiful, inspiring designs that make us want to use them. In this aspect the Artralab certainly delivers, with a beautiful build and such nostalgic looks coupled with that tantalising F1.4 aperture. Before we have even taken a single image it brings nostalgia, especially for me here in Thailand. It makes me think to the photographers of the 70's with their Nikon F's capturing a strange and wonderful new world of temples and tradition. I am spoiled when it comes to lenses, and us X photographers in general have some of the best native glass on the market. With lenses like the Red Badge 16-55mm and original Fujinon 35mm F1.4 in constant rotation for me, my visual aesthetic has relied more and more on myself as a photographer and less and less on equipment. Now whilst certainly not a bad thing, I have missed experimenting with what different results certain optics can produce.

When talking about vintage and vintage style lenses, what we look for is character. It's all about the differences in how a lens renders (or draws) an image. This Artralab for instance I would describe as Creamy, Dreamy and the bokeh is surprisingly Swirly. If you are new to vintage style lenses like this, these may seem strange words to describe a lens. This lens renders beautifully soft images wide open but fails to control stray light well. This lens doesn't really render harsh granular details, giving it a very smooth tonality curve. Not at all a negative aspect. There is sufficient contrast and sharpness wide open (especially when used with a hood) helped by that F1.4 aperture to really give your subject that "pop". Stop this lens down to 2.8 and it renders a sharp centre image, where you expect it to be sharp. In fact, at F2.8 the image is very reminiscent in character to the Fuiinon 35mm F1.4 wide open, and was where I often shot this lens, mainly so I didn't miss critical focus. The only downside of using a lens like this is that it exhibits a non-uniform focus plane due to what is called field curvature. Meaning, it is very difficult to ensure perfect focus on your subject as you start to place them further from the centre. (If you notice the farmer, the eyes are ever so out of critical focus, due to my chosen composition being nearer to the outer edge). Coupled with the swirly bokeh and natural vignette, you really want to be composing for that central frame. Anything else is just swimming against the current, it's the price we pay for that unique rendering.

I think photographers often look at a lens purchase in a very blanket manner, whereas cinematographers often choose lenses for specific projects or even specific moods. Photographing rural Thailand I wanted to show depth and age to my images, coupled with the fact that much of Southeast Asia was once documented with Nifty-Fifty Nikkors, the Nonikkor lineup is an ideal choice for my work, and in particular the 35mm F1.4. Sometimes it’s about coupling the right lens to the right project and leaning into what makes them special. In this aspect photographers can do well to learn from cinematographers. I am of the opinion that the lens is the biggest part in creating an image and whilst you can emulate looks in post production, to me it makes most sense to get as much in camera as possible.

I once said that the original trio of Fujifilm lenses were as close to film as a modern photographer would want, and it is a statement I stand by. However, if you are looking to leave modernity behind then you could make a far worse first step than the Artralab 35mm Nonikkor F1.4. It delivers the classic filmic look and feel with the benefits of size and ease of use that comes with being X-Mount, at a price point that makes sense for those debating if the vintage look is something they want to experiment with. You can easily be disappointed by buying used vintage lenses if you don’t know what you are looking for. Artralab gives you all the good points but most of all, in that APSC friendly 35mm focal length.

Thank you to Artralab for providing the lens for this project, and if anyone is interested in learning more about the specifications or wanting to purchase your own copy then you can head over to their website - artralab.hk