Lens Review: Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 G
Thoughts and Opinions:
Well to be honest, I don't love this lens as much as the other lenses I have. Not to say it isn't a good lens, it just doesn't tickle my fancy. I bought it for doing events in smaller areas where I couldn't back up more and use my 50mm. The 35mm is good for the events but after I bought it I realized thats all I wanted to use it for. Which is decent however I like having versatile lenses, which some would argue the 35mm is. However for my use, the focal length doesn't quite do it for me in other type of photos.
It is a sharp lens, very quiet focusing. It is also made for DX cameras which means it is cheaper than most lenses. I believe Nikon released this lens so that it could be more affordable for beginners because the lens construction isn't anything a semi-pro or pro photographer would drool over. The body is plastic and the focusing ring is a little wobbly.
This lens is light weight and small which is nice. I now have run out of room in my camera bag for my gear so I now have to choose what I bring with me place to place. The 35mm usually gets the cut. However I do have a new lens that kinda replaces it which is why. I have the 17-55mm so the 35mm will only get used if I don't want to lug around the 17-55mm at a event. Or if I am afraid the 17-55mm may get damaged, then I will bring the 35mm.
So there isn't anything really wrong with this lens really. The build construction could be viewed as a little poor on Nikon's part however I understand they wanted a more inexpensive lens to be available for starting out photographers. So it is a good lens for someone who is just starting into photography and wants a versatile lens however for my use and what perspectives I like, it doesn't fit for me personally. I have another cousin that is into photography and he got the 35mm f/1.8 as well. I believe He does like it and I can add a link to his Flickr Page at the end of the review.
Usage:
I got it solely for event photography when my 50mm wasn't wide enough. I took it on a winter hike as well, just to give it a shot to see what it could do. I have also used it for portraits to give it a shot there as well. I was very sharp in all the photos however the perspective wasn't doing it for me.
Pros:
- Small
- Light weight
- Sharp
- Very quiet and fast focusing
- Inexpensive
Cons:
- Plastic construction (just a little to cheap for me but it works)
And as a personal note it isn't a perspective that does it for me at 35mm.
Sample Images:
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| Portrait - 35mm |
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| Portrait - 35mm |
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| Tree, winter hike - 35mm - Unedited Flickr Set: |
Conclusions:
It is a good lens, does a nice job with photos however it isn't the right perspective I wanted. That doesn't mean it is a bad lens minus the semi-cheap construction. I hope after you read all this you don't think this is a bad lens. It isn't, but just for what I like doing and what perspective I like it didn't really do it for me. I guess there were sometimes that I did like having the 35mm perspective when I didn't want a flattening of the perspective. The top photo probably wouldn't look as good if it was taken with the 50mm. I think I may be being to hard on this lens but it didn't "wow" like my others. I was thinking about selling it when I got the 17-55mm however I did decide to keep it to see what happens. If I do end up using it more, I will rewrite this review.
It is a good lens minus the semi-cheap construction I mentioned. I have tried the 35mm out with everything I do however out side of events, I don't really use it. But that is just from my personal taste in the lens' perspective. So it could be a very good lens, or even one of my best however I just have not loved the perspective other than at an event.
Cousin's Flickr account (With the 35mm):
Second review thoughts (December 3rd, 2011):
So I have noticed that this is my most viewed post and therefore thought it would be useful if I added my recent thoughts about this lens. Just recently I build a studio in my apartment. This allows me to do a lot more photography since it cuts down on travel time and such if I want to just do a simple shoot. My 50mm f/1.4D is not wide enough to get full body shots so I started using my 35mm for portraits if I need a wider view. So from using it in a couple of shoots I am impressed with it's picture quality. I still don't like the build quality since it is a pretty cheap feeling lens with the plastic and semi lose focus ring. But it delivers the sharp photos so I guess there are no complaints there. I can't say I love the perspective it gives but it is perfect for the size of my studio. Here are some recent photos from my 35mm in the studio:
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| Portrait - 35mm f/1.8 G |
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| Portrait - 35mm f/1.8 G |
Thank you for reading my blog and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to e-mail me at tomhoustphotography@gmail.com. Also if you are interested in visiting my photography website to see my top work, please visit it here: www.tomhoustonphotography.ca,
Tom
Rating: Overall: 4/5
Full Body Portraits: 4/5
Low Light: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
Rating: Overall: 4/5
Full Body Portraits: 4/5
Low Light: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
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