NEW NIKON 35mm is HERE | First Look | Fast, Light, Affordable Z 35mm f/1.4 Vids/Pics | Matt Irwin 

At first I'm surprised, slightly confused.....then I think it's absolutely brilliant by Nikon. There will be a lot of experienced photographers not obsessed with sharpness and perfection that will love the price and light-gathering. There will also be a lot of newer photographers jumping on this as their first 1.4 prime. There's certainly a market there for an imperfect 1.4 prime. For the rest of experienced looking for more perfection, well, they'll be lining up for the 1.2S regardless when it comes. Something for everyone and people will be more likely to buy and sell Nikon now.

What a surprise. Now I don't have to figure out how to scrape up $3,000! Good one, Matt. Thanks for the review.

My perspective is 26mm, 28mm, this 35mm and 40mm are in the same class for Street Photography. Cheers!

Wow, the night photos of the city looks spectacular

I genuinely couldnt believe it when i woke up and read that Nikon was releasing a 35 1.4. I'll 100% be picking it up. Thanks for the great video! Hope you have a great rest of your week

The 40mm f2 was my very first Z mount purchase, and I anticipate keeping it forever. I love it's small size, sharp images, and portability. Now that Nikon has announced this 35mm, I expect this will be my "premium" 35-40mm lens for portraits and street shooting moving forward. Thank you Matt for shedding light on this new lens. And thanks Nikon for thinking about the budget-minded consumer. Looking forward to picking this up in the near future. Cheers Matt.

Great news. If I didn’t already have the 40mm f2.0, I’d definitely pick up the 35mm 1.4. For me, light gathering and subject separation are key, though the difference is tiny. So who knows, I might end up with the 1.8 anyway. I’ll keep my powder dry for now. Thanks for your insights and valuable review. All the best, Joseph. 👍🏻

A genius move by Nikon. 👏👏👏

Thanks for the first look.

Relieved to see the metal mount. Definitely interested. Nice addition to pack along with my 26mm. I still own several Nikon manual 35mm f1.4s

At one time I carried all of the F2 8 lenses. Now, with the advancement of post processing, and with getting older and liking a light bag, I find using a single wide angle telephoto lens and a 100 to 400 mm telephoto lens is all I need. I can manage depth of field with software. The loss in sharpness is not nearly as much of a factor is proper composition. So short, I’m learning to keep life simple.

Another great lens from Nikon. Well done review Matt.

Best 35mm for Nikon Z is the Tamron 1.4 with FTZ. I tested almost all of them: Voigtländer Z APO Lanthar, Zeiss Distagon 1.4 and f2 , Nikon both the old and small f2 and the newer AF-S 1.8, Sigma F Art. Micro contrast, flare resistant, colours, Bokeh and especially stars at night and day time. You cannot beat that lens - the 35mm f1.8 Nikon S is far inferior to the Tamron. Downsides: adopted (FTZ), price and weight.

That’s a tempting lens, thanks for your review!

Really happy about that lens. Gonna buy it as soon as I can.

The trend to surprisingly good optical performance from non S class lenses did appear in the 180-600. I like the thought of light less expensive bright lenses.

Thank you for this first look. I changed to mirrorless years ago with the z6II but I'm just a small time photographer from a very small country town so i didnt have the budget for a z lens and have just been using my old F mounts. Now i have a medical condition in which i truly need to lighten my load, especially when doing long wedding shoots, but i also plan to do a lot of travelling. This lens seems like a good fit and an okay dive into purchasing my first z mount lens. Again, thank you for the great explanation. I ended up here after getting the email from Nikon about this lens and i love the way you explain things. Instantly subscribed. Thank you.

I would totally get this and hope to see more primes

This lens is ideal for the ZF.

Ok cool! I understand the reason for this lens. I also understand that this means there won’t be a 35mm f/1.2 at least for a while. This was the only thing holding me back from getting a Plena. So, I’ll be getting a 135 for now. I’m sure my 24-70mm f/2.8 will hold me over until Nikon decides if the 35 1.2 is necessary. Thanks Matt for the first look!!

I like the idea of a super 1.2 line an amazing all-out design lenses 1.8 otus level glass for weddings and landscapes and 1.4 for general photography and travel.

Hi Matt - I am thinking they will still release a 35 1.2 S - this is just an introduction to a new line of lower quality but less expensive 1.4 non S lenses. I think its just a bit of a fake-me-out that they released the 35mm first for the new 1.4 line - but time will tell... I really do think we'll still see the 35 1.2 S at some point in the next year - the whole point of Z mount is to push the tech - this 1.4 does not do that but the 1.2 S will. -PD

I think it's a great move by Nikon, competition wise. Releasing a new line of lighter and cheaper lenses for the "masses". Everybody was anticipating a 35 1.2, but the new Z-system is still under development (and has taken alot of critic along the way in the transition), and Nikon has had quite a lot to catch up with to get back into its real place among the top brands, Canon, Sony etc. Wedding pros etc who are willing to pay more and carry the extra weight already have the 85 and 50 1.2. Introducing a more travel friendly and affordable line is really smart (I'm hoping for more pancakes as well - with a lens hood). The most 'strange' about this release is the non S-line thing, but that again must be a well thought out choice to keep this middle line more affordable, which really makes sense. With the 1.8 S and 1.2 S (which is probably going to increase further), it wouldn't be smart to offer only expensive lenses if Nikon wishes to increase its market share and profits - most probably their main target. I'm happy to see the introduction of a new line of lenses. Great review, Matt.

Yeah, I don't get it... it's another 26mm f2.8 (that should have been a 2.0 lens.) Like Matt said, I guess if you are new to Nikon Z... but for those of us who are already invested, we wait on for the 1.2 now even longer. (Too much segmentation... in my opinion.). But, to Matt, thank you for the video! Appreciate your work and thoughts.

This would be glued to my ZF with a 105 macro in tow for a "I can do anything" light-ish travel kit.

Maybe Nikon made this lens for character like a lot of F Mount lenses. Sharp in the Center and Blurry Toward the Sides. That is why I am buying lot of these AF-S, AI, etc. because they have aperture ring plus manual focusing and I can use adapters to place these GEMS on different Camera Systems. Cheers!

Already ordered. What I'd like is some imperfection, specifically for portraiture etc. Have a plena and love its perfection ... this will be a different tool when looking for different outcomes. If it works out and they release a matching 50 and 85, will probably add those as well.

Sounds like a Wonderful Lens !!

I could see an SE version of this for the ZF

Choices Choices... its one way to deal with competitors, just have a broad eco-system. Thanks again for the great summary Matt.

Excellent review Matt. I’m shooting with a Z8 and 100-400mm VR S (plus 1.4 tele when needed) for wildlife, mainly birds. I’m looking for an affordable wide angle prime, preferably S quality for close video and landscape shooting. Would this lens fit the bill…any other suggestions ?

Thank you Nikon for a 1.4 lens! First Z lens I bought was the 35 1.8 That's a great wee S lens so no need to hand over more of my retirement savings to Nikon for a jump to the 1.4 :) I would not have been able to resist the 1.2 such is the performance of the other 1.2 lenses. Thanks as always for your videos.

Thanks Matt. F 1.4 seems enticing but a drawback might be the lack of coatings on the lens. Aberration, flare/ghosting may be obvious in situations. Even the F-mount lenses have nano coating.

I like the look of it, but an SE version with a switch to make the programable ring clickable for aperture would be ideal for the Zf. Will see how the full reviews stack up against the 40mm I already have. Then there’s the upcoming Viltrox offerings to contemplate. 🤔 Choice is a good thing!

Only question for you to pass onto Nikon Matt... where the {insert expletive} is the SE version of the 35 f/1.4?

A comparison with the sigma DG DN would be great

Dear Matt, you're feeding my Gear Aquisition Syndrome/OCD. I've got all of the Z mount S level 1.8 primes except the 24 and the 135. I'm only USD$3400 away from completing that group. :) But my most used lens the last couple of months has been the 50mm f/2.8 MC, as I gather new wildflowers to identify in Wyoming's spring and early summer.

Great,have the sigma art but I am curious about this and may buy.

Bring it on.

Was thinking about getting the 1.8S before. Will probably go for this now. I've been mainly shooting film for the past 2 years and have fallen in love with the inperfection. Digital has just gotten too perfect, it has no character. It's great for some things, but it doesn't make me feel anything. I think a less perfect lens along with the other things I've been testing in my digital photos might help me use my Z7 II more often.

For a future comparison have you tried the Artralab 35mm f1.4 Nonikkor Z mount?

I hope and assume that that means the 35 mm 1.2 s is still in the pipeline

I would love a 28mm 1.4 Z series lens for car shows and street photography!

I’m wondering if this would be a good portrait lens. I was thinking about getting the 40/2 but I think I might get this one!

Internet people are strange. If Nikon would release a 35 mm f/1.2 lens then i guarantee they say "it's too big, too heavy and too expensive - won't buy. Nikon should do f/1.4 lenses instead..."

Bring on the 50 that is what I want, maybe next week?

Would love to see a 16mm f/2.0 or f1.4 come out. As Nikon doesn’t have a dedicated wide angle. But first I need to win my battle with cancer again before I think about a new lens. The Viltrox 16mm is on that list besides the 20mm

So it's not an "S" class lens. The problem with the "f/number" is that it does not inform how much light will be transmitted. We need the "T-value" for that. Check DxO Mark. Search for 1.4G lenses and see that their T-value is 1.5, at least for some of them. Then search for 1.2L lenses and see how these also are 1.5. Equally fast. Does the 1.2L have shallower Depth of Field (DoF)? Only if its Circle of Confusion (CoC) parameter in the DoF formula is smaller. In a ceteris paribus CoC we can only get a smaller CoC from a sharper lens (the other 5 contributions in CoC are external to the lens and presumed ceteris paribus). In the case of the 1.2L lenses we see a markedly lower sharpness, so there has to be a larger CoC there than in the case of the tack sharp 1.4G lenses. Bottom line, not only are they equally fast effectively, but at fully opened they may have similar deep DoF. You bought the 1.2L for its softness - of course, that's implied in the lack of sharpness. Also, in classical lens designs (classical because all elements have a fixed arrangement), both the declared f (focal length) and the declared number in f/number are "effectively" what is declared only, with that lens set to infinity. Focus closer by and the effective f increases. Consequently, as the diameter of the entry pupil (the "aperture"- opening - in the diaphragm) does not change, the effective "number" in "f/number" will be higher. My Nikon Z 105/2.8S macro lens neatly displays the effective aperture on the display in the lens. At infinity set to f/2.8 (where f=105mm and 105mm/2.8 is 37.5mm entry pupil diameter) focused down to closest by (1:1 reproduction ratio) changes the number in f/number to about 4.3. As 4.3*37.5mm=161.25mm, that has become the effective focal length now. A prime lens with suppression of this "focal length breathing" (the corollary "aperture breathing" would be more annoying to me, in movie recording) is in fact a subtle zoom lens that zooms out precisely the amount of the focal length increase that would be caused by focusing closer by. "Floating elements" can be used to zoom, or to focus, or do optical corrections related to f changes, or more than one of these. A fly-by-wire Nikon Z 85/1.2S has 2 focus motors for this reason. Adding such elements, in the past, meant that you lost optical quality. While lenses got a lot more expensive. Check "cine lenses". And the addition of elements increased vulnerability to glare (loss of contrast through internal reflections) and flare (a variant of glare with visual shapes). Well, with incredibly better coatings, Nikon is able to have 20 or more elements and still offer a great T value, and great optical performance. That's S class and S++ class (a few Z lenses with a "name" must be in the hypothetical S++ class). If we ignore all that "effective" stuff, then we get to ~297 mm^2 entry pupil for the 35/1.8S at infinity focus and f/1.8. That would be ~491 mm^2 for the 35/1.4 - a 65% or 2/3rd increase in pupil area and hence 2/3rd EV. That area would be ~668 mm^2 in the case of a 1.2, though and that is 2.25 more than the 1.8 (1 1/4th EV more light). The step from 1.4 to 1.2, though, only gives 1/3rd EV gain. With an optical viewfinder in the film days, such a tiny gain could be meaningful. With an electronically amplified viewfinder in a mirrorless camera that still can focus for us (using AF) down to LV -10 (LV = EV @ ISO 100), these differences have become almost meaningless. I mean, really meaningless. You know what, let's get real. The beauty of blur is neither going to sell you wedding shoots nor portrait sittings. Nor is it the decisive factor in getting your work into the National Art Gallery. Owning the Z 35/1.8S, I now shrug my shoulders. It's good for the Z eco system, though, to have an extra option.

Im super confused that wasn’t what I waited for. As professional photographer I was waiting for a 1.4 s line at minimum. I’ve currently the Nikon z35 1.8 but still use the sigma art 35 1.4. How would you compare this new Nikon 1.4 to the sigma?

I’m actually stunned at this release. I’m just outside my return policy and I just switched to Nikon and bought the 35 1.8. I’m honestly alittle pissed by this. It’s literally cheaper than my slower lens. I love innovation and I wouldn’t dare say this lens better not be better than my lens but I really hope there’s a difference worth while cause I’ll have a hard time selling my lens.

I am always interested in the 35mm f1.8S. But now this f1.4 emerged. I am interested to know if no coating makes a big difference in the field. Otherwise, the size and price of the f1.4 compared to the f1.8S is certainly enticing.

i was literally going to by the Sony 35mm f.14 GM for my ETZ21 pro/z8 tomorrow. This is a hard choice. the Sony 35mm from what i can see is best in class, with a price to match, but you still having to mess around with sony adapters if your jumping around Sony and nikon glass. Or go with the Nikon 35mm f.14, but not quite as good optically by the sounds of these early previews, but far cheaper, and native to boot.

I have already ordered a 35 mm Nikkor, just to be the fist one on the waiting lis - I'm so happy with the 85 mm 1.2 - , but it was supposed to be a 1.2 version. will this lens finally show up?

I was hoping someone would get a video out quickly when I saw the announcement email. Really interesting to put a 1.4 under the 1.8 in terms of price. I too would hope for a full set of affordable 1.4 primes. I’ve been wanting to start buying some of the third party DX primes to get the 1.4, but will probably snatch this one up and see what else Nikon offers.

The 35 1.4 z lens makes sense. Especially for the price point.

Hope Nikon will come out with 28mm f1.4..great video, thank you.

Hello Matt, 35mm is one focal length that I have loved for years. Now f1.4 is odd to me as most of there top end prims have been f1.2, is this where Nikon have said a f1.2 would just be too big? Is the it an S line lens and I know its about one stop wide than the 24mm-70mm f2.8 zoom, but is the much optical difference between the 24mm-70mm f2.8 set at 35mm and this new 35mm f1.4? yes the boka at f1.4 will by good but at f2.8? well done getting this lens.

My question is how does this compare to the 40mm F2? I think this 35 F1.2 would be great non-S low aperture alternative for general use and street. 👍🏾

It depends how you plan to use a 35mm. Up close wide open with great bokeh is the attractive part of this lens. The look is really interesting.

You get less depth of field (if you want), not more.

I have to say that the 35mm f/1.2 S doesn't make sense to me. 35mm says landscape/street to me, and 1.2 says potentially tiny depth of field, which is not landscape. Now 1.4 could be more handy, if you look at it as a night time landscape/street lens, does it need all the anti-glare S-type coatings as a night-time lens (no)? I can see this lens making sense to a lot of Z users. It's not quite wide enough for me. I am holding out for an 18/1.4 - that would absolutely suit my wants. Good video, Matt, keep up the good work.

Does the f/1.4 35mm focus faster that the f/1.8 35mm S which has a very Different focus method than other Z Lenses.

I got the 35mm 1.8 with my Z6ii. I now have the Z8 and I will wait until the 35mm 1.2 comes out.

I bought my 35mm f1.8 S lens six months ago. If I did not have it, the 35mm f1.4 would've been a nice alternative.

If its as sharp as the 40(I'm sure it's at least on par), I have a feeling I'll be snagging one.

So it seems like the strategy is to have the 1.8 and 1.2 versions as S line lenses. The 1.4 versions will then be the non-S version. With the 50mm 1.4 rumour m, this would seem like it might be the way they are going. This is quite a good strategy in my opinion.

This would be a good match for the ZF with S.E dressing..

I mean, this is actually good news for me. I use to be a wedding photographer, now I only take picture for my family and holidays. I guess just an everage guy who takes picture using camera instead of a phone. And I think this segment of a market is larger than a pro gear market. Kudos to Nikon, for acknowledging this segment. For decade, after I stop doing photography as a job, II switch from Nikon to Fujifilm. And now back to Nikon after the Zf was launched. With this segment of lens coming out from Nikon, (light weigh, small, good 'enough' image quality image and cheaper), me going back to Nikon is a good decision.

Sigmas F1.4 Art, series of lenses was a game changer - especially the perfect 40mm F1.4. Their price & image quality 💯

I like how Nikon is breaking tradition and expectations. If you want the best then “pony-up” and go Plena or 1.2. If you want fun then have it! If they make the 35mm in an SE or 1.2 I’ll get them.; the SE for my Zf and the 1.2 for my Z6iii. Until then I’m getting the Voitlander 35mm APO. This further expanding their segmentation with different lenses from 3rd party brands. 👍🏾

Wait wait what!!!

LESS depth of field at 1.4, not more - you said this twice: I know what you mean, but please get it right!

It is bizarre that f/1.8 S version is now cheaper than the latest f/1.4 non-S, given the EOFY sales happening! I would be more interested into f/1.4, given f/1.8 is closer to 40 f/2.0 and I have just bought Viltrox 20 f/2.8! Will wait a few months as well as for reviews! Also, I'm assuming it's not weather-sealed since it's non-S though the mount seems to be metal.

I'm waiting for a good Nikon telephoto lens for APS-C. There are a lot of lenses for full frame, but only for APS-C. I bought Nikon because Canon had a closed system and I was glad that Nikon allowed other companies to produce lenses. Now Canon recently announced that it is opening its system and I will be following the market. If it turns out that Canon will have more APS-C lenses, I will probably change the entire system to Canon.

These will be Nikon's Character Lenses - you have the clinical side with the F1.8's and these will bring a Character range to the table.

It’s a great lens even if it is not S class! Images taken with optically less perfect lenses can be more characteristic in many cases so it can be an advantage! And also the price which is an important factor especially in these challenging times. I really do hope that Nikon will release a whole range of affordable 1.4 primes…

Nikon is definitely giving more and more for the Z mount. Hopefully a higher resolution dx model will come out soon. The z50 and ZFC are not on par with the a6700 or R7

I will need to get a Z camera first. edit, I really like my 50mm f1.4G, no matter what some critics might say & the old AI-S design 50mm f1.2.

Hmm, maybe I'll finally sell my sigma 35 1.4 with ftz and get this lens. Finally getting rid of the adapter.

I'm very very curious to see how this lens performs against the ol' Sigma ART lens 35 F1.4. When I get my Z6III, it will have performed excellent on all three Z6 generations. It's just time to drop the FTZ.

You keep saying and typing 1.4 has MORE DEPTH of FIELD than the 1.8. I know what you mean.... It's shallower and better, but not MORE. maybe MORE better! Love your videos!

LOL… just took a 35/1.8S to replace my Sigma 35/1.4 on FTZII… I was really waiting fo this 1.4 but no S-Line I don’t know if I would took it over the 1.8… waiting for a deeper test…

This is just an interim lens and there will be 35 1.2s because why wouldn’t there be? I think the 1.4 will be fantastic on the Zf 😀

I admit this release sort of confuses me. Presumably the optical differences between it and the 1.8S will be small to neglible. Maybe I miessed it, but was the degree of weather sealing on the new 1.4 mentioned? The lower price welcome, especially considering how much flak Nikon got for the pricing of the S-Line primes at the start. I own the 1.8S and love the rendering, but admit for low light street photography, the 2/3 is interesting (I am not blessed with particularly steady hands - so little bit helps). I guess like so many others, I will wait for the comparison and before deciding what to do.

Hi Mat a 75mm f2.5 SE would be well received for Z users 😊

here in Sweden they are listed at the same price basically, only bummer is it is not an S line lens, otherwise i would have traded it in for my 1.8.

OK, Lenses I would like Nikon to make: (1) Z-105 mm F1.4 'S' Plena with a short minimum focus distance. (2) Z-300-600 mm F5.6 'S' with internal zoom and a short minimum focus distance. I would have preferred Nikon to have made the Z-35 mm F1.4 'S' / Z-50mm F1.4 'S' / Z-85mm F1.4 'S' and a Z-105mm F1.4 'S' Range and kept the F1.8 range for the Non-'S' more affordable range. For me the F1.2 range are too big, too heavy and too expensive, we want smallish, lightish, more reasonably priced Pro lenses.

Thanks for a great video! I have the Z 40 f2, that I’m going to sell for this lens.

Is it April 1st?

is it cheaper than Sigma 33m F1.4 F mount?

This being a 1.4 at $599 - it's not a coincidence it was announced just after the Z6III. Nikon's playing chess, not checkers. Brilliant move. I'm confused how it fits in with the 35 1.8 S, how it compares etc. Regardless, they have my attention 🙂👏🏻

Not going to buy a 35mm f1.4 when I have the optically superior S f1.8 BUT I would absolutely consider a 105mm f1.4 or 135mm f1.4 vs $3300 CAD Plena! I am an amateur, and the non S prine lenses have all been more than good enough!

Finally! Praise the lord! Wasn't inspired by the 1.8 but will be buying the 1.4 - kudos to making it cheaper and smaller

Now I have to decide something important, because I use the Tamron SP Line 35mm f/1.4 with an FTZ. I awaited for the new 35mm Z mount lens from Nikon. But the Tamron is the most advanced design they have. Will the Non-S Nikon now outperform optically this one? Do you think I should switch in order to get rid of the FTZ and have a more secure AutoFocus, or stick with the Tamron, based on its optical Quality?

absolutely brilliant move by Nikon. but I feel for all the camera salespeople who have to explain the S 1.8 vs 1.4 difference. I'm also firmly convinced that Tamron is the ghost designer for this which would also be awesome.

This release from Nikon feels somewhat unusual. While I'm pleased they introduced a 1.4 version, it appears somewhat incomplete. I like its compact size, yet I wish it featured an aperture ring similar to what Sigma or Sony offers. Additionally, I'm curious if it includes weather sealing.

I want one! When will it be launched?

More than anything, it is perfect for video and ideal to mount it on a gimbal as it is small and light. And, who knows, it may very well be better than the 1.8 as that lens is kinda old now lol. Let's go #Nikon! :)

Hey Matt, I was looking forward to your video about this new lens. But I have a doubt, you mentioned (at 4:55) that the 35mm 1.4 (non S) is cheaper than 35mm 1.8S lens, but I can see that is not the case on nikon India site. I can see this pricing: NIKKOR Z 35MM F/1.8 S priced at INR 66950 ($1200 AUD) NIKKOR Z 35MM F/1.4 priced at INR 89995 ($1615 AUD)

Se version retro style please!! Zf and this