35mm Lens

The Nikon 35mm f1.8 prime lens with autofocus is compatible with the Nikon D40, D40x, D60 and other Nikon DX Digital SLRs. This wide aperture DX NIKKOR lens has a fast maximum aperture which delivers a bright viewfinder experience and subtle background blurring with a shallow depth of field. Incorporating the NIKKOR Silent Wave Motor (SWM) for quiet accurate focus operation, the Nikon 35mm f1.8 prime is ideal for shooting landscapes or taking discreet snapshots, with a picture angle approximately that of the human eye. When used with a DX-format digital SLR camera, the picture angle is the 35mm equivalent focal length of 50mm. Featuring a rounded seven-blade diaphragm opening, the Nikon 35mm AF-S f1.8 prime lens makes out of focus elements appear more natural. The AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f1.8G has two focus modes; M/A (manual override autofocus) and M (manual focus). In addition the lens features a rubber seal to minimise moisture ingression around the mount.

The Nikon 35mm f1.8 prime lens can focus down to 0.3 metres / 0.98 ft.

Included with the lens are a 52mm snap-on front lens cap LC-53, rear lens cap LF-1, bayonet hood HB-46 and flexible lens pouch CL-0913.

It is often believed by photographers that they need to have an expensive lens to complement their expensive digital camera bodies in order to feel the full benefits of the performance that these cameras deliver. Some people may shy away from those lens that cost under $200 because the list of features is too small leading people to believe that these lens serve as significant bottlenecks of the camera’s true performance. However, Nikon has been introducing new lens for the people on a tight budget and throwing in some exciting features that make the low price questionable. Among these lenses is the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens which was announced back in Februrary ‘09.

Out of the eight wide-angle lenses currently available, the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens looks different from the rest of the pack in terms of design and construction. The budget aspect lies on its use of plastics to compose most of the design and low amount of elements with 8 in 6 groups used. The lens mount is the only metallic part of the lens while the 52mm filter threads remain plastic. The interesting thing about the overall design is that just by looking at it, it is difficult to tell what materials are used to build the lens. This means that people do not need to worry about attaching a lens that “looks cheap”. It is also easy to storage since the hood reverses onto the lens like other bayonet-mounts and it still feels pretty light because of the plastics used.

The Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens is a decent choice for photographers and travelers that prefer taking photos in low-light conditions, but general photographers should be happy with this unit as well. It is one of the newer models available so the optics are generally better and with the DX logo being present, it is easy to tell that this is optimized for the DX-format DSLRs where the picture angle can be 50mm.

Those that see sharpness as a big deal will be pleased to know that the sharpness is rather good for a lens that cost $200. It is best at f/2.8 where the center is under 1.5 units and the corners under 2 blur units. Even the chromatic aberration is handled a bit better at f/2 although it still doesn’t compare well with the ones that have the ED specification.

The autofocus operation is good as well and has the Silent Wave Motor technology to ensure that it is fast, stays accurate, and operates quietly. Color consistency is good as well because of the Super Integrated Coating and aspherical lens element to minimize coma.

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