Fujifilm’s Old XF 35mm f/1.4 Is a Best-Selling Prime Lens By a Huge Margin

Minna Camera, a popular camera and lens marketplace in Japan, keeps rigorous data on the best-selling equipment. The company has just shared the 30 most-sold prime lenses, and the data offers many interesting insights.

The best-selling prime lens was the Fujifilm Fujinon XF 35mm f/1.4 R, one of the very first X-mount lenses the company ever released. Fujifilm actively solicited feedback on how best to replace the XF 35mm f/1.4 R lens just a couple of months ago.

“Seeing the results of the tally, the entire editorial department was surprised. Fujifilm’s Fujinon Lens XF35mmF1.4 R is in first place,” Minna Camera writes. It is not just that the XF 35mm f/1.4 R was the most frequently sold lens on Minna Camera that surprised the team, it also had 3.5 times more transactions than the Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM in second place.

The Nikon Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8 S, Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM, and Canon EF 50mm f1.8 STM rounded out the top five. Unsurprisingly, 50mm prime lenses are common throughout the entire top 30 list. There are eight of them, and 12 if the Sony Sonnar T* FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA and 50mm-equivalent APS-C lenses count.

As Minna Camera notes, there’s another interesting part of the data. Despite third-party lenses being generally popular among photographers, only a single one made the top 30 list: the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Di III Macro VXD in 27th position.

As for which company has the most lenses on the list, it’s Sony, with a dozen lenses ranging from the ultra-wide 11mm f/1.8 for APS-C cameras to the premium FE 50mm f/1.2 G Master portrait prime.

It is also worth noting that 27 of the 30 most-transacted lenses on Minna Camera’s list are for mirrorless camera mounts. The DSLR’s days are numbered, even among used gear marketplace sales.

Although many photographers opt for zoom lenses for their versatility, prime lenses are still very popular. All else equal, prime lenses are faster and smaller than their zoom counterparts, and they can often be more affordable, especially for relatively slower f/1.8 lenses. The old claim that prime lenses have superior image quality is not as true as it once was, but primes still have plenty going for them.

Image credits: Fujifilm. Header photo created using an asset licensed via Depositphotos.com.