Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G Review
Nikon 35mm f/1.8G Review
- The Nikon 35mm is a fast-aperture prime, designed to give DX-format Nikon users the classic normal angle of view of a 50mm lens on a Nikon FX-format DSLR or a 35mm film camera. In other words, back in the days of 35mm film cameras most manufacturers included a 50mm lenses as the “kit lens” with your new camera because 50mm was considered the “normal” focal length (similar to what the human eye sees). Today, most DSLRs come with a low-cost zoom lens as a “kit lens” but many photographers still want a “normal” prime lens with a fast aperture. That’s where the new AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G comes in.
Auto Focus
The new Nikkor 35mm lens is driven by Nikon’s new AF-S in-lens focusing system rather than a traditional in-body screw drive focus system. This typically means focus is quieter and often faster than lenses using in-body focus motors. The new 35mm lens is indeed very quiet, but autofocus speed didn’t seem particularly faster than what we’ve seen with older Nikkor lenses on other Nikon bodies. Still, the AF-S 35mm is quite fast and makes an excellent lens in low light environments where a standard kit lens just can’t get a focus lock.
As mentioned previously, I was somewhat disappointed in the lack of a distance scale and/or depth of field scale on the side of the lens. It would have been nice if Nikon included a simple distance scale so photographers have another way to check the focus, but to be perfectly honest most people using Nikon D40, D40X, and D60 cameras don’t even know what a distance scale looks like and would never use it even if this lens had one.
Manual Focus
Focusing manually with the new Nikon 35mm lens on an AF-S camera like the D40x or D60 is much easier than with older Nikon lenses and bodies. Since the lens doesn’t use a screw drive for autofocus there is no need to disengage the autofocus clutch in order to use the manual focus ring. Simply turn the manual focus ring on the front of the lens to adjust focus. That said, there is a standard M/A and M switch on the side of the lens in case you want to disable the autofocus and just use manual focus.
The manual focus ring on the new 35mm lens isn’t as smooth as what I’ve seen on many other primes such as the Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited. In fact, the manual focus ring on the Nikon feels rough … almost like it’s being turned over a series of stripped plastic gears. The manual focus ring has a “throw” of about 100 degrees, so moving the ring from the closest focus distance to infinity takes a little more than a quarter of a rotation.
Image Quality
The sample images in this review were taken with a Nikon D40x in RAW/NEF mode and processed using ACR with no significant changes to the default settings. It’s worth noting that Nikon Capture NX2 generally produces image files with more contrast and sharpness than the default settings in Photoshop. In any case, we believe these sample images are representative of what an average Nikon camera owner can produce with this lens … even if they don’t know how to post process images.
This compact lens has a solid overall build quality (much better than most lenses in the $199 price range) and takes up less space in your camera bag than the standard 18-55mm kit lens that came with the D40, D40X, and D60. The included lens hood helps shade the front lens element and prevent flare, but given the 1.5x crop factor for DX bodies and lenses, the hood could have been twice as deep (and twice as capable of reducing flare) without hurting image quality.
- The AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G features a large maximum aperture of f/1.8 enabling effortless handheld shooting in dark settings, such as a dimly lit room. It is the first single-focal-length lens with a normal picture angle developed exclusively for Nikon’s DX format. The AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G is a compact, lightweight model that achieves the high reproduction performance unique to single-focal-length lenses at an affordable price. This lens is suitable for natural portrait and landscape shooting.
- DX-format, normal single-focal-length lens with 35mm focal length (picture angle is equivalent to a focal length of 52.5mm in FX and 35mm formats)
- Large maximum aperture of f/1.8
- Silent Wave Motor (SWM) ensures smooth, quiet AF operation
- High-performance optical system with aspherical lens delivers superior reproduction capability
- Compact, well-balanced design when attached to small SLRs
- Two focus modes available — M/A (manual-priority autofocus) and M (manual focus)
- Metal mount
- Natural blur effect thanks to seven-blade rounded diaphragm
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