Manual Lenses for Nostalgic Imagery - The roundup & More (June 2025 Issue)

With the lenses we have looked at over the past months, we have managed to hit many of the notable bases for those making great optics in this niche. Best in class - manual focus, relatively compact and bright with a lean towards vintage rendering made famous by those lenses of the late 50’s all the way to mid 70’s. Thypoch offer us a taste of the “Leica Look”, Artralab are offering a very cohesive package and a strong value proposition (more-so than ultra budget lenses, you get more bang for your buck even if they cost more), TTArtisans resurrecting long dead lenses from yesteryear, and Laowa are making unique optics to an extremely high standard. With OEM’s (not just Fujifilm) opting to have lenses made in China, Philippines etc. the quality of craftsmanship based on origin of manufacture are no longer the concern it once was (you will need to go Zeiss, Voigtlander or GFX for that Made in Japan sticker here in 2025). In this my final article of the series I will look at the lens that to me is the be all and end all, and THE reason I shoot Fujifilm in the first place. The 35mm F1.4 R (though I won’t spend the whole article on it having covered it before in issue 97). It may not be a manual lens, but it creates fantastically nostalgic images and want to see if it has been toppled off its throne as my lens of choice.

The XF 35mm F1.4 R is still my favourite X-Mount lens or in better terms, my favourite lens to use on X-Mount. Of the lenses tested, the Laowa Argus 33mm produces images that I am most besotted with, but it is a demanding lens. You have to be on your game and then some to eke out that magic. Fit and finish, the Thypoch Simera 35mm F1.4 is so far ahead of Fuji it is almost embarrassing but is still somewhat difficult to recommend as a tool. In fact, I would say the files that the Thypoch produces are overall far better to work with than the Fujinon, giving more choices in post as to the final result. However, the old 35mm just places itself at the top of the bell curve (performance, size, ease of use, price) so perfectly. It’s autofocus performance is far from effortless but in comparison to the Argus or Simera it fits a rigorous workflow and (as you would expect from a 1st party offering) fits the ecosystem better. The autofocus will either be a positive or a negative depending on the user. Manual focus does indeed offer more tactility and user control in the shooting experience, but I have worked with both for so long it’s a moot point. Although going back to manual focus lenses has been a positive experience, I am content with Singe Point, Singe Shot as much as I am pulling my own focus. More surprisingly yet, compared to the lenses I have been using for this series its rendering has almost become too “Digital” for my taste now. I can see myself using it less and less, the Thypoch 35mm in particular begs to be picked up and used and when I want to get that special F0.95 magic, no F1.4 can compete. If the Thypoch had EXIF, better minimum focus and a slightly more responsive focus throw, I could see myself having a camera with a 35mm Simera glued to it. It’s a strange complaint but I find the physical length of the Simera awkward too, I like to have my “everyday use” camera tighter to my body when worn on a strap. The same complaint can be made for the Laowa but that wouldn’t even be in consideration as an everyday carry. As things stand, If I had to choose only one, I would stick with the Fujinon. They really did get it right first time.

Artralab has the most cohesive and well-rounded range of lenses (at the time of writing at least) and are the most vintage leaning, with results virtually indistinguishable form a good clean example of lenses from that “Golden Age”. Some swing more vintage like the 35mm we looked at, evoking Fast-Fifty’s from the early 60’s and others like the 24mm giving a more palatable look. The 50mm Nocty does a good job of capturing the magic of old F1.2’s which are a divisive rendering, however most people I know personally tend to enjoy that look (though the internet disagrees). The 11mm stands alone, as what other non-fisheye wide angle is as wide and as bright? All whilst keeping the characteristics of the Nonikkor line. Perfect for dark interiors where no tripods or flash are allowed. Of all the manufacturers Artralab make most sense from a purchasing standpoint, by literally offering a vintage lens reimagined for mirrorless. Their amazing smooth and predictable focusing rings, and ability to “put money” into what counts from a user standpoint is the defining highlight. They don’t have bells or whistles but are priced perfectly for what they offer (lack of EXIF at this price point being far more forgivable) and are the only set I would recommend using the whole Nonikkor line if a project that calls for it.

The TTArtisans is out of the race from the get-go from a pure usability standpoint, and I was a little unfair in throwing the lens in for comparison, but it does a good job of showing just how much you gain when these designs are reimagined for modern mirrorless (rather than taken one-for-one) and given in our mount of choice. Sure, there is nothing else quite like it anywhere remotely close to its price, but frankly it’s not enough. If you are looking for something a little more budget friendly the Meike 50mm F0.95 is an excellent choice for our system (though be warned I have experienced QC issues personally, make sure you choose your retailer wisely). The lens exhibits very “Dream Lens” like characteristics wide open similar to the famous Canon TV 50mm F0.95 but can be cleaned up to look far more modern by stopping down a touch and with a little clarity in Lightroom. It also looks great on our Fuji’s sporting that black, red and white colour scheme. I have produced some jaw dropping images with this lens, despite it not being all too versatile. Its main strength is a drastic falloff resulting in almost complete subject isolation.

What I have found, especially when shooting with the 28mm Simera in Bangkok which for all counts is a fantastic optic pretty much made for the results I am after, is that whilst the lens is the first link in the chain when it comes to creating these nostalgic driven images, beyond that it is our subject that makes them nostalgic. When out in rural Thailand, where life is lived differently or photographing the older generation, old architecture and things of that nature, lenses like these are undeniably powerful tools to draw out feeling and evoke nostalgia of days gone by or a different nostalgia, of a thing at the end of its story. Yet thrown into the chaotic mix of tourists and fashionistas there is something of a disconnect, it doesn’t feel right. The same feeling goes for when I use surgically sharp yet sterile optics with my weathered and worn subjects. In the world of cinema, optics are chosen to evoke certain emotions and are specifically chosen dependent on scenes. I think photographers have a lot to learn when it comes to that aspect, there is no blanket rule, and no one size fits all. The only definitive I can prove with my time with these lenses are that you don’t need film to make nostalgic images and that there are now high-quality, brand-new “vintage-esque” lens options available to us now, not a thing I could have confidently said but a year or two ago.

Long term testing

Most of these lenses have only released very recently so none are truly time tested. You could even say that I am one of the early adopters. Most of my images were taken between October and December 2024 during the milder months here in Thailand. Now we are midway through 2025 and feel that my experience is a fair representation of what to expect from each manufacturer, but I hope to come back later this year with another update. Both on lenses I was not able to feature fully yet are worth talking about and some longer-term thoughts. I spent far and away the most time with the Artralab 35mm F1.4, (with the Simera 28mm a distant second) evidenced by my Lightroom usage. This may be odd as I didn’t even mention it in my comparison to current favourite 35mm, yet goes to show that coupling the right lens to the right project can sometimes yield best results. The Artralab works the same as the day I received it, as does the TTArtisan, Laowa and Simera 35mm. The 28mm Simera however, developed what Thypoch believes to be an oil leak from inside the lens out to the front element. Having worked retail management in a previous life I know full well that there can never be 100% QC and issues inevitably arise no matter how tight tolerances are or how much effort is made into sourcing componentry. The team were eager to get it back to investigate, and a replacement was in my hands in just over a week. How problems are dealt with are often the real mark of assurance and I could not have asked for a better outcome. One final thing, (as of writing this) it has been announced that Thypoch are discontinuing production of the 35mm Simera for Fuji X Mount and have told me they have no current plans for more X-Mount Simera’s. Whilst this does not take away from my opinions of these lenses and stock of them still seems to be available, it is an insight into what “investing” into gear from a fledgling company could well mean. If you were hoping for a full set of X-Mount Simera’s (as I was) this is no longer an option and yet again we are left to adapt. This is a big reminder that things can change in a heartbeat. I have waited a long time for native Fuji X-Mount manual lens options, and just because they are here now does not mean they will be here forever.

Thank you to Thypoch, Artralab, Laowa and TTArtisan for providing the lenses for this series, and if you haven’t yet please check out my individual articles on each in issues 106 to 110. Most of all a big thank you to Fujilove for providing a platform for me to wax poetic.