When I first started photography as a serious hobby after buying a Nikon DSLR, I shot almost exclusively in manual mode. All that changed when I got into Fujifilm mirrorless cameras. But having to pay more attention to exposure settings when shooting with the Lux Jr. has done something special: it has rekindled my love for shooting in full manual mode.

The 35mm focal length is supposed to be the sweet spot for street photography. Fujifilm has a compact 23mm f/2 (35mm full-frame equivalent) prime lens that gets rave reviews, has almost instant autofocus, and is weather resistant to boot. But what if you don’t need autofocus, or you don’t have $450 burning a hole in your pocket? Third-party manual focus primes can be a great low-cost alternative, and depending on your needs, the Zonlai 22mm f/1.8 might just fit the bill.