I’ve praised Yongnuo over the past few years for being innovative rather than derivative. My first exposure to Yongnuo is when they started making cheap versions of Canon optical designs (very derivative), but more recently they’ve found their footing in making their own lenses with some of their own innovations. That leaves me a little disappointed in their most recent naming convention (not the lens itself). Their new lens is the Yongnuo 35mm F1.8S DA ART, which is very derivative of Sigma’s branding using the ART moniker that debuted in 2012. Sigma’s ART series really revolutionized its brand perception in the world, not because of the name, but because of the optical quality, and I’m not a fan of Yongnuo essentially trying to borrow that brand success. Perhaps the argument will be that the ART designation (for Sigma) has been reserved for full frame lenses, while Yongnuo will use them for APS-C. Still, it doesn’t sit well with me, so I’ll have to try to separate that negative impression from the actual performance of the lens, as this is a lot of lens for $129 USD! You can find out my full thoughts by watching the video review below, by reading the text review, or just enjoy the photos in the galleries.

Thanks to Yongnuo for sending me a review sample of this lens. As always, this is a completely independent review. *The tests and most of the photos that I share as a part of my review cycle have been done with the APS-C mode (26MP) of my Sony a7RV camera. You can find the product listing page here.

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I praised Yongnuo’s series of unique wireless enabled lenses (the Commander Series) in each of these reviews.

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The new “ART” series is all about the image quality (hmmm, where have I heard that before?) Rather than focusing on features, Yongnuo will be emphasizing the optical performance of the YN 35ART that we’re reviewing today. Yongnuo has confirmed to me that the 35mm is the first in a new series for APS-C that they are releasing, all of which will bear the ART designation. The lens is definitely capable of producing sharp photos even at F1.8.

The challenge, of course, is a very saturated market. I’m reviewing this lens on Sony E-mount (it will also come to Fuji X and Nikon Z), and there are a lot of options available in and around this focal length. The most obvious competitor on price and performance will be the Viltrox AF 35mm F1.7 AIR, a very good (and very affordable) lens that I reviewed here (on X-mount, but I got in an E-mount version to use for comparison in this review.) It’s an interesting turn of events that there are now enough of the Chinese brands on the market that they are directly competing with each other. The question will be how the YN 35ART will manage to distinguish itself from the crowd.

One answer may be in build quality, as the Yongnuo has a simple but more upscale build, including a metal body and even a weather sealing gasket at the lens mount.

But it can take very nice photos for minimal investment, so it is worth looking at.

Images of the YN 35mm F1.8 ART

Photos taken with the YN 35mm F1.8 ART

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GEAR USED:

Purchase the Yonguno 56mm F1.4 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany

Purchase the Yonguno 23mm F1.4 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany

Purchase the Yongnuo 33mm F1.4 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany

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Purchase the Sony a7RV @ B&H Photo | Adorama | Amazon | Camera Canada | Sony Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany

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Purchase the Sony a6600 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Camera Canada | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay

Purchase the Sony a6400 @ B&H Photo | Amazon | Amazon Canada | Amazon UK | Amazon Germany | Ebay

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Keywords: Yongnuo, YN, 35mm, F1.8, Yongnuo 35mm F1.8, DSM, WL, F1.8, ART, Yongnuo 35mm F1.8 ART, APS-C, Review, Sony a6700, a6000, a6400, Sony a7RV, 23mm, 33mm, Wireless, Review, Hands On, Dustin Abbott, Real World, Comparison, Sharpness, Bokeh, Flare Resistance, Autofocus, Image Quality, Sample Images, Video, Photography, let the light in, weathersealing, #letthelightin, DA

DISCLAIMER: This article and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.