Lens NONIKKOR-MC 35mm 1:1.4 1980s Artralab Hong Kong (mount Sony E-mount/FE-mount) shown in this review was provided by by Artra.
ONIKKOR-MC 35mm 1:1.4 1980s Artralab Hong Kong. increase.
Navigation
- In short
- Main Specifications
- Assembly
- Focusing
- Image quality
- Sample Photos
- My experience
- Price
- All Artralab lenses
- Video review
- Results
- User Comments
- Add your review or question on the lens
Note: on the official website near the front lens of the lens there are the inscriptions “NONIKKOR-MC 35mm 1: 1.4 1980s Artralab + serial number“, but in the lens from the review the inscriptions are slightly different “NONIKKOR-MC 35mm 1: 1.4 1980s Artralab Hong Kong (and without serial number).”
Note: there is a similar lens NONIKKOR-MC 1:1.4 f=3.5cm 1980s Artralab Hong Kong, but with a body design typical of Nikon Nikkor lenses from the 1960s.
In this review, I will abbreviate the NONIKKOR-MC 35mm 1:1.4 1980s Artralab Hong Kong lens as Nonikkor 35/1.4.
Note: The Nonikkor 35/1.4 lens is available in different mounts. This review shows the Nonikkor 35/1.4 version for mirrorless cameras Sony E / FE with full frame sensor. At the same time, Nonikkor 35/1.4 is also available with mounts Nikon Z, Leica l и fujifilm x.
NONIKKOR-MC 35mm 1:1.4 1980s Artralab Hong Kong
In short
Nonikkor 35/1.4 is a modern manual (manual focusing only) fast prime lens for mirrorless cameras with a full-frame sensor.
First of all, the Nonikkor 35/1.4 is interesting as a modern lens using a retro body design. The Nonikkor 35/1.4 makes reference to the Nikon Nikkor optics of the 1980s. Nonikkor 35/1.4 will look good on modern mirrorless cameras Nikon Z fc и Nikon Zf. But also on the system cameras Sony E and alliance Leica l / Panasonic L / Sigma L The lens looks just great.
Nonikkor 35/1.4 is very well built and pleasant to use. The disadvantages are strong vignetting at F/1.4 and “dirty” color rendition.
Useful:
NONIKKOR-MC 35mm 1:1.4 1980s Artralab Hong Kong
Main technical characteristics of NONIKKOR-MC 35mm 1:1.4 1980s Artralab Hong Kong:
| Review Instance Name | Near the front lens: NONIKKOR-MC 35mm 1:1.4 1980s Artralab Hong Kong
On body: Assembled in China Lens Designed in Hong Kong Mysterious inscription “343” on the aperture control ring Mount side: E:MOUNT |
| Basic properties |
|
| Front Filter Diameter | 52 mm |
| Focal length | 35 mm |
| Zoom ratio | 1 X (this is a fixed lens, it does not have a zoom) |
| Designed by | Option from review for Sony full frame mirrorless cameras.
This lens exists with mounts: |
| Number of aperture blades | 10 rounded petals |
| Tags |
|
| Diaphragm | F / 1.4 to F / 16, controlled by aperture control ring.
There are marks for F/1.4, 2, 2.8, 4 (green), 5.6, 8 (pink), 11 (yellow), 16 (blue). The ring rotates with clicks. |
| MDF | 0.35 meters, maximum magnification ratio of approximately 1: 7 (measured) |
| The weight |
|
| Optical design | 7 elements in 5 groups
The scheme is similar to the diagram Uranus 35/2 |
| Lens hood | Must be screwed into the front filter thread; marking unknown |
| Manufacturer country | Made in China. Assembled in China, Lens Designed in Hong Kong |
| Period | Since the spring of 2023 |
| Price | About $ 380 |
It's important: light transmission (aperture) Nonikkor 35/1.4 at F/1.4 aperture is in the area T / 1.8. I compared Nonikkor 35/1.4 with the lens Sigma 30mm 1: 1.4 DC DN C (Contemporary). Nonikkor 35/1.4 at F/1.4 gives an exposure approximately 1/3 lower than Sigma 30mm 1: 1.4 DC DN C (Contemporary) at the same F/1.4 value. exposure varies both in the histogram and in the measurement system exposure all else being equal. This behavior is typical for some Chinese lenses, for example, PERGEAR 35mm 1: 1.6 HD.MC (real T/2.4 at stated F/1.6).
NONIKKOR-MC 35mm 1:1.4 1980s Artralab Hong Kong
Assembly
In general, the lens is well built. Nonikkor 35/1.4 has bayonet mount metal and the lens body itself is completely made of metal. The focus ring is rubberized.
The weight of the Nonikkor 35/1.4 lens itself is just under 300 grams. In your hands the lens feels like a solid and pleasant thing.
The diameter of the filters is standard 52 mm.
The markings on the lens are engraved and filled with paint. The depth of field scale is made in the form of multi-colored stripes, the color of which corresponds to a certain value of the F number:
The diaphragm consists of ten blades and forms a hole in the shape of a regular decagon, while in photographs in the blur zone, fairly round discs of blur are obtained at any aperture value. The diaphragm can only be controlled manually using a special ring. The aperture ring rotates with clicks. The clicks are poorly expressed. The aperture control ring is tight. In fact, you can set any intermediate aperture value (due to the tight movement of the ring).
The design of the Nonikkor 35/1.4 is nice, and the lens itself is compact. The design is similar to the original ones Nikon Nikkor 35mm 1:2 (1981-2005), Nikon Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4 (1981-1986) and other Nikon Nikkor AI/AI-S lenses of that time. True, the color scheme of the depth of field scale does not match the original Nikon Nikkor lenses, and the Nonikkor 35/1.4 does not have “bunny ears“. Also, the design of Nonikkor 35/1.4 is a bit reminiscent of modern lenses Nikon Z Nikko SE: Nikon Nikkor Z 28mm 1: 2.8 SE и Nikon Nikkor Z 40mm 1: 2 SE.
NONIKKOR-MC 35mm 1:1.4 1980s Artralab Hong Kong
Focusing
The focus ring is rubberized. The ring rotates on 135 degrees (3/8 of a full turn). Focusing is smooth and enjoyable.
During focusing, the trunk of the lens runs forward but does not spin. During focusing, the entire lens block moves.
On the ring there is a scale with focusing distance in meters and feet and a depth of field scale. The minimum focusing distance is 35 centimeters, and the maximum magnification factor is small, approximately 1:7.
Nonikkor 35/1.4 has a slight 'Focus Breathing' effect (changing the viewing angle while focusing). When focusing towards the MDF, the viewing angle decreases.
Focus Shift (focus shift, changing focus distance due to iris)
Have a hard stop (hard infinity mechanical stop) for fast and accurate focusing in all temperature conditions
Important: focus picking with Nonikkor 35/1.4 and Sony α7 III, Sony a3500 и Sony NEX-6 works well at F / 1.4.
NONIKKOR-MC 35mm 1:1.4 1980s Artralab Hong Kong
Image quality
Nonikkor 35/1.4 is quite weak at open apertures due to field curvature and strong vignetting, while color rendition suffers due to the yellowish tint of the lenses. And here chromatic aberration Fixed well.
Sharpness
- at F/1.4 the resolution in the center of the frame is mediocre
- the situation changes significantly with aperture down to F / 2.0, where the lens shows good sharpness in the center of the frame
- there is a slight drop in sharpness towards the edges and corners of the frame (which is good; usually such lenses have a catastrophic drop in resolution at the edges of the frame)
- important: the lens has a significant field curvature
Distortion
- there is significant barreling distortion
Vignetting
- very strong vignetting F/1.4 (example)
- vignetting decreases with focus towards MDF. Most noticeable when focusing on infinity
- vignetting almost disappears at f / 8
- vignetting difficult to fix in the editor
Aberration
- you can observe a small amount of chromatic aberration (usually similar lenses have much more of them)
- spherical aberrations are well corrected
Rest
- from bright light sources you can get a lot of glare, while they can be of enormous size (Example 1, Example 2, Example 3)
- The character of the bokeh is a little nervous, with doubling of elements. Discs of blur towards the edges and corners of the image turn into lemons/cat eyes (Example 1, Example 2)
- easy to get the effect of a 10-pointed star (example)
It's important: Lenses appear slightly 'yellow'. Yellowness is clearly visible in high contrast images: 1 view, 2 view. Perhaps this is a reference to old optics, which over time can change their clearing color, become cloudy, turn yellow/green. But the original old Nikon Nikkor optics from the 1980s do not have this drawback. This yellowing is typical, for example, of some older Takumar lenses. A striking example is ASAHI OPT. Co. Super Takumar 1:2/35. In any case, for modern optics this antireflection behavior is a serious drawback. The effect in photographs is clearly visible when shooting with a fixed white balance. With a large sample of photographs, it becomes clear that the lens creates “dirty” color rendition, which is not always cured by successful installation white balance. Perhaps the lens was originally designed this way, for example, to take more black and white photographs.
Important: At the time of writing this review, there was no Nonikkor 35/1.4 profile for popular RAW converters. You can create a profile yourself or wait for its release.
NONIKKOR-MC 35mm 1:1.4 1980s Artralab Hong Kong
Examples of photos on Full Frame (Sony a7m3)
Camera used sony a7 III (24 MP Full Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS sensor). All photos in this review are shown without processing, according to the principles ZEROJPEG. The standard snapshot management method is unchanged (0,0,0).
Original photos c sony a7 III in JPEG/RAW format ('.ARW' with compression) you can view / download this link (100+ files, Google Drive gallery).
Sample APS-C photos (Sony NEX-6)
Sample photos on Sony NEX-6 (16MP Sony Exmor APS-C HD CMOS sensor), specially for this review, prepared Natalia (Instagram). All photos in this review are shown without processing, according to the principles ZEROJPEG.
Original JPEG ('.jpg) images can be download / watch this link (40+ files, GOOGLE DRIVE). The same photo shoot can be viewed from the other side through the prism sony a7 III и MEIKE 85mm 1:1.8 Auto Focus Lens FF STM.
NONIKKOR-MC 35mm 1:1.4 1980s Artralab Hong Kong
My experience
Nonikkor 35/1.4 was released even before the release of a full-frame camera with a retro body design Nikon Zf. At the time of the announcement of Nonikkor 35/1.4, there was only a cropped camera with a retro body design Nikon Z fc. Apparently the Artralab company knew something in advance.
It was difficult for me to understand the highlight of Nonikkor 35/1.4; the optical design of the lens is similar to the old one Uranus 35/2.
I can only recommend Nonikkor 35/1.4 to camera owners Nikon Zf и Nikon Z fc, on which he can emphasize the user’s commitment to the old design of photographic equipment. But it is worth paying tribute to the courage of the Artralab company, which immediately, right in the name, declares that this is 'NOT NIKKOR' ('NONIKKOR').
By the way, there are practically no such manual alternatives to the 35/1.4 class for full frame with a Nikon Z mount.
NONIKKOR-MC 35mm 1:1.4 1980s Artralab Hong Kong
Price
Nonikkor 35/1.4 is in the area 380 dollars.
NONIKKOR-MC 35mm 1:1.4 1980s Artralab Hong Kong
Video review
Appearance
Results
Nonikkor 35/1.4 is an interesting lens, but it has very strong drawbacks. It can serve as a standard manual lens for every day for owners of full-frame or cropped mirrorless cameras. First of all, Nonikkor 35/1.4 will look good on cameras with a retro design Nikon Zf и Nikon Z fc.
10 main advantages
- Unique design that references Nikon Nikkor optics from the 1980s
- compact dimensions (for example, the original Sony FE 35mm 1.4 / 35 GM much larger)
- common thread for 52 mm filters
- good build quality: the lens body is completely made of metal, including a metal mount
- smooth focusing ring
- hard stop (hard infinity mechanical stop)
- ten aperture blades that always give a fairly rounded opening
- good sharpness in the center of the frame after f / 2 and excellent on more covered apertures
- There are options for popular mirrorless mounts Sony E, Nikon Z, Leica l, fujifilm x
- peculiar drawing
10 main disadvantages
- high price
- aperture is at the T/1.8 level (lower than higher quality lenses with a maximum relative aperture of 1:1.4, which should give light transmission at the T/1.5-T/1.6 level)
- clearing gives a yellowish tint
- a strange decision to release a similar lens with mounts Sony E, fujifilm x и Leica l (while making a reference to Nikon Nikkor optics)
- front and back covers without logo/name (do not inspire confidence in the manufacturer)
- The clicks of the aperture ring are poorly expressed, the aperture control ring is quite tight
- no CPU pins to form the correct EXIF
- there is no lens profile for popular RAW converters, the lens is not 'hardwired' into modern cameras
- in back or side light, you can easily get a large number of artifacts
- mediocre resolution at F/1.4, strong vignetting at F/1.4, significant field curvature
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The optical design of the lens is fundamentally reminiscent of the Uranus type lenses of the 1940s, but the principle of lens correction in this case is completely different. In this 35 1.4, an acceptable level of correction of field aberrations within the focal surface has been achieved, but the focal surface itself is strongly curved, similar to KO type devices. Additionally, astigmatism correction is not very good either. Therefore, this lens is an open aperture lens. It would be difficult to use it as a generalist, since with aperture it would not be possible to obtain sharpness across the entire field.
As for bokeh, this lens is corrected in a modern way, with a minimum of visible spherical aberration when open. The lens design has nothing in common with vintage optics and is generally boring. With such an optical design, a more interesting result could be achieved.
I was very surprised that the lens turns yellow when exposed to light. The fact is that its lens coating is multi-layered, red-green - it should not affect color rendition in that way. The observed yellowness can only be due to the color of the glass itself, which appears due to the admixture of iron in it. Previously, I hated Zenithar 50/1.2s for the use of “yellow” TF10 glass in it and the rather low light transmission because of this, but now the Chinese are selling yellow 400 for 35 bucks. There is also AstrHori/Rockstar with their 35 1.8 with yellowing lenses and one-/two-layer strong violet coating a la the USSR. In general, the Chinese, it turns out, use glass welded from dirty reagents for their products. After capturing the market, anything is possible.
Looking at the name in the header and at the photo of the lens, I initially thought that this was some kind of old craft from Hong Kong of non-factory origin :)
For this money you can find better options. Who is it intended for? It’s not clear to me, apparently the marketing is designed for the name itself. That this is not Nikkor, and what about the design. Let's wait and see as they say
With such a setup, or rather the absence, of light in the studio (why a studio?), even a Sony 35 1.4 GM would produce the same UG... Purely IMHO.
But I don’t agree. I looked at the same pictures via the link on 85 1.8 in the same light - this is heaven and earth! In reality, the lens makes a huge difference
The picture is very reminiscent of Pergear and Andoer 35 1.4, but they are noticeably cheaper.
They are cropped
No, I'm talking about full-frame versions.
https://radojuva.com/2022/11/pergear-ff-35mm-f1-4-multi-coated/
https://radojuva.com/2021/03/andoer-35-1-4-hd-mc-full-frame-canon-rf-nikon-z-sony-e/
So yes, I was sure that they only have cropped ones. Thank you! It may be that their optics are the same. Here on this picture it is also clear that the lenses have “darkened” to the light
Ahahaah, they also have a 7/5 scheme and the lenses are similar in appearance. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Chinese repackaged hundred-buck old lenses into four-hundred-buck ones) Well, as one friend said here, “the worse, the better.”
I only shot with this lens in the studio. I guess in order to decide whether to take any lens into my collection, I need to shoot with it on the street. The focusing ring on this lens moves easily. The lens gives a nice picture. For a darkish studio, its aperture was enough for me.
Mandatory Ken Rockwell reference: https://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/35f14ais.htm
The thing is that the original Nikkors of the 80s are also generally compromise glasses. Especially in the open and a couple of stops nearby.
And they have a quite comparable price tag, depending on their state of preservation.
It would be interesting to put “improvisation on a theme” and “unique original” side by side, especially with measurements of everything, as Rodion does.
35/1.4 ai costs about 2 times more (in good condition)
It depends where to get it. In the states - yes. But there are Japanese flea markets/auctions.
h_t_t_p_s://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/closedsearch/closedsearch/nikon 35 1.4 ai/0/
At first impression there was hope that this was a rehouse of the ancient loose Nikkors, a la Helios VLFV. But it seems that only the design has been licked. With all the characteristic flaws in the spirit of a vignette in the open.
I believe that the Nikkor 35 1.4 retrofocus SLR will be corrected in the classical way and, which probably provides better or comparable quality when closed, but loses in sharpness when open. Previously, optics were considered to have a compromise on an open aperture and achieve high quality with f5.6-f8, but now they consider cringe 🤡🤡🤡
Nikkor 35/1.4 in open sharpness is exactly inferior to 7artisans 35/1.4 WEN
And it loses in such a way that it looks like software in the bad sense of the word.
But that Chinese guy has a 10/9 circuit and a slightly higher price tag + the adapter for a UPC with a helicoid is also not free.
https://radojuva.com/2020/10/7artisans-35mm-1-4-leica-m/
We found something to compare, of course. Mammoth shit under a mirror with a large segment and a brand new aspherical lens under the BZK on materials that Nikon could only dream of in those years. Did Nikkor even have any chances in such a comparison?
how can it be rehoused if it is a mirrorless option?
On first impression. =)
Then you start to take a closer look, estimate the dimensions, remember where the Nikkor’s rear lens sits...
So, of course, the optical design is different.
https://imaging.nikon.com/imaging/information/story/0027/img/img1.jpg
At its price, the most adequate competitors are the Voigtlander Nokton 35/1.4 or 40/1.4 or even 35/1.2 of the first versions.
Something tells me that this choice will not be in favor of the Chinese.
Well, such lenses quickly fall in price on the secondary market. For example, a year ago I managed to buy Risepray RF 35/1.2 full frame dollars for 110...
Risepray 35/1.2 FF at F/1.2 what T/ gives?
Considering that this is SLRMagic - most likely not much different from the face value.
There was no way to check, unfortunately.