Lens review

Nikon Nikkor AF-S DX 35 mm f/1.8G

11. Summary

• small and lightweight with a metal bayonet,
• fantastic image quality at the center of the frame,
• good image quality at the edge of the frame after stopping down to at least f/2.0,
• moderate astigmatism,
• very good performance against bright light,
• silent and accurate autofocus,
• good quality/price ratio

• poor image quality at the edge of the frame around maximum aperture,
• distortion could be lower,
• clear chromatic aberration,
• noticeable coma,
• considerable vignetting

Looking at the list of pros and cons we can see that the latter are quite a number. Does it mean that Nikkor 1.8/35 DX is a hardly successful product? Definitely not. Most of all we need to remember that it’s a really cheap instrument addressed to amateur photographers. In the amount of money we have to pay, it gives us a lot. The sharpness at the center of the frame is especially impressive, compared to cult, but slightly darker Zeiss Distagon 2/35. In addition, you have to remember that the Nikon tested here has often been compared to full-frame lenses, it’s no wonder that at the edge of a DX sensor they had a little advantage. Potential competitors of the lens tested here, like for example Sigma 1.4/30 and Nikkor 2/35, have their faults too.

 It seems then, that Nikkor 1.8/35 DX can be safely recommended for all owners of amateur Nikon DSLRs. Even the biggest layman will appreciate the sharpness of this “glass”, and above that will have a reason to learn to work with a fixed focal length lens.

Sample shots:

Camera: Nikon D200 Parameters: 35 mm, f/8.0, exp. 1/200 sek., ISO 100 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 4.0 MB	Camera: Nikon D200 Parameters: 35 mm, f/5.6, exp. 1/200 sek., ISO 100 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 3.6 MB	Camera: Nikon D200 Parameters: 35 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/200 sek., ISO 100 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 4.0 MB
Camera: Nikon D200 Parameters: 35 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/200 sek., ISO 100 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 4.1 MB	Camera: Nikon D200 Parameters: 35 mm, f/1.8, exp. 1/640 sek., ISO 200 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 4.1 MB	Camera: Nikon D200 Parameters: 35 mm, f/2.2, exp. 1/350 sek., ISO 200 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 4.1 MB
Camera: Nikon D200 Parameters: 35 mm, f/1.8, exp. 1/800 sek., ISO 200 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 3.6 MB	Camera: Nikon D200 Parameters: 35 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/320 sek., ISO 200 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 3.7 MB	Camera: Nikon D200 Parameters: 35 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/640 sek., ISO 200 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 3.5 MB
Camera: Nikon D200 Parameters: 35 mm, f/1.8, exp. 1/1250 sek., ISO 100 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 3.6 MB	Camera: Nikon D200 Parameters: 35 mm, f/2.0, exp. 1/1000 sek., ISO 100 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 3.7 MB	Camera: Nikon D200 Parameters: 35 mm, f/2.8, exp. 1/500 sek., ISO 100 File: JPG, 3872x2592 pix, 3.5 MB