When Nikon first introduced their Z-mount mirrorless system, they did something unique: They made a whole collection of flagship grade prime lenses (the “S” line) with an f/1.8. Normally, f/1.8 was for beginner, entry-level prime lenses, and the flagship primes were the f/1.4’s. Today, we’re completing Nikon’s flip-the-script tactic with our Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4 Lens Review!
That’s right, this Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4 prime lens is actually more affordable than its f/1.8 sibling! Not only does it offer a faster aperture, but it’s also a tiny bit more compact, and not much heavier at all.
How is this “miracle” achieved? Well, the f/1.8 Nikkor is an S-series lens, while the f/1.4 Nikkor is not. This means there are a few differences between them. Mainly, the S-line lenses are a bit more robust and professionally made, both mechanically and optically. Yes, that means the f/1.8 S 35mm prime delivers better image quality.
However, it’s not a one-sided advantage/disadvantage situation. The f/1.4 35mm prime offers a “command ring”, which many mirrorless photographers and videographers alike have come to love on Nikkor lenses. Unfortunately, the older, S-line 35mm prime lacks this, although it does offer an AF/MF switch.
Spoiler alert: Honestly? I really like this lens, for almost all types of photography and videography that a 35mm prime is popular for. That is, except maybe for astro-landscape photography, where the image quality does suffer a bit until you stop the aperture down a couple stops…
With that said, let’s dive into this review!
Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4 Specifications
- FOCAL LENGTH & ANGLE OF VIEW: 35mm, 63° angle of view (FX full-frame)
- LENS MOUNT(S): Nikon Z mirrorless (FX full-frame)
- APERTURE & RANGE: f/1.4 – f/16, 9 blade iris
- STABILIZATION: No
- AUTOFOCUS: STM stepper motor; near-silent
- MANUAL FOCUS: Electronically controlled
- OPTICAL CONSTRUCTION: 11 elements in 9 groups, 2 Aspherical
- MECHANICAL CONSTRUCTION: Metal & plastic, weather-sealed
- MAGNIFICATION & FOCUS DISTANCE: 0.18x mag, 10.6” (27cm) close focus
- FILTER THREADS & HOOD: 62mm, plastic one-piece hood
- SIZE: 2.9×3.5”, (74.5×88.5mm)
- WEIGHT: 14.6 oz (0.91 lbs, 415g)
- PRICE: $596
(B&H | Adorama | Amazon)
Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4 Review | Who Should Buy It?
When I first reviewed Nikon’s S-line of f/1.8 primes, I stated that it was clear “f/1.8 is the new f/1.4”. Today, with our Nikon 35mm f/1.4 review, we are testing that theory. Does the lack of an “S” on this lens mean that it’s only recommended for beginners? Should serious pros stick to exclusively S-line Nikkors?
In short, NOPE. This affordable, portable 35mm f/1.4 prime is a real gem. Yeah, it’s not optically flawless, however, most photographers, including serious pros, are going to appreciate the characteristics of its images.
Let’s talk about the exact genres of photo & video that this lens is very well-suited for, and then we’ll get into the exact details of testing the lens’ pros & cons…
Portrait Photography
For me, 35mm (and f/1.4) is/are the classic “environmental portrait” tools. As a portrait photographer, I’ve been in love with this focal length for nearly two decades now! Of course, almost everybody starts off with a 50mm prime instead of a 35mm. That was the case for me as well. However, as soon as I tried 35mm and experienced that slightly wider perspective, I was hooked.
So, for me, plain and simple, this lens is a must-have for any type of portrait photography. The only real question is, should you get this lens, or the S-line f/1.8 version? I think all of the other things in this review will help you make that decision, beyond just portrait photography itself. However, personally, I’m leaning towards this option.
Video | Cinema, Vloggers, & Influencer
One of the key differences between this more affordable Nikkor Z-mount lens and its pro-class sibling is this: There is a de-clicked command ring, which is a perfect tool for anyone who needs to smoothly open or close the lens’ aperture.
Honestly, whether you’re doing high-end cinematography, or you’re capturing 15-second vertical video clips for social media, I’d love to have this lens, once again.
Wedding Photography & Videography
With wedding photography, capturing the environment, and candid moments in general, becomes even more important than with any other form of portrait photography. As I said before, I’ve always loved 35mm much more than 50mm, and this rings especially true for wedding photography.
For grabbing candid moments all throughout a wedding day, a 35mm f/1.4 prime lens is my favorite choice. Especially a lightweight, compact prime; not a massive, heavy one. (Most Hindu weddings can book 12-14+ hours of your time!)
Fashion & Editorial Photography & Videography
For any type of high-end commercial work, you’re beginning to care a little more about how sharp a lens is at f/5.6 or f/8. Obviously not necessarily as much as a serious landscape photographer, but still…
With this in mind, I’m beginning to see a little more value in the S-line lens, thanks to its slightly more discerning image quality. However, the dedicated aperture ring would still be the deciding factor for me, personally. (Especially if I did video in this field!)
Candid & Street Photography & Videography
A good, portable 35mm f/1.4 is a perfect choice for everyday life, candid street photography, vacations, everything! Again, I prefer this focal length much more than 50mm. Also, I consider it a worthwhile bonus to have f/1.4 at my disposal; the dreamy character of this lens in general makes it a very easy choice for me.
Landscape & Nightscape Photography & Videography
This is where some of you may begin to be a little disappointed in the optical performance of this lens, but only if you really pixel-peep.
Simply put, the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4 is intended to be a portable, affordable choice. It does not offer optical perfection, it delivers optics with “character”. So whether you are pixel-peeping the extreme corners of the frame at 45+ megapixels and f/8, or you are capturing nightscape scenes at a fast aperture such as f/2, you’ll probably want to opt for the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S, instead.
Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4 Review | Pros & Cons
Now that we’ve mostly written this Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4 review from the subjective standpoint of who might actually be interested in it, let’s approach the lens from a more objective, technical perspective. How well does it actually perform?
Image Quality
In short, the image quality from this lens is gorgeous. The lens is a delight to use in almost any situation. The two aspherical glass elements aid in the delivery of sharp results, while the overall simplicity of the optics (not many “exotic” glass coatings, etc) give images a more classic character. (We’ll talk more about things like flare and ghosting and chromatic aberrations shortly!)
Sharpness
Even wide-open at f/1.4, the resolution of this lens is quite impressive. It’s not flawless, even in the center of the image, and the corners definitely leave much to be desired. However, unless you’re trying to photograph the stars or some other type of flat-plane subject with the aperture wide-open, this likely won’t be an issue for you.
Once stopped down just 1-2 stops to f/2 or f/2.8, sharpness joins even the flagship and exotic Nikkor glass in the realm of “incredibly sharp”, with plenty of resolving power even for a future generation of cameras that might offer more megapixels.
Bokeh
This is where any f/1.4 prime lens is going to be closely scrutinized, because part of the whole reason to buy this optic is to use it wide-open and achieve beautiful background blur! Both wide-open at f/1.4 and also stopped down a little bit, the rendering of background blur is beautifully soft, smooth, and aesthetically pleasing.
Even under challenging conditions, where “nasty” textures and harsh contrast can create distraction despite being blurred out, this Nikkor still does a decent job of “killing” a “busy” background.
Colors & Contrast
When I first heard about this lens, I noticed that not only does it lack the “S” label which denotes high-end professional glass, but also, it lacks any mention of such high-end optical coatings as seen in our next-newest Nikkor review, the Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena.
This caused me a bit of concern, but it was completely unnecessary. The images are clear, crisp, and colorful, indeed! (We’ll talk more about color fringing and aberrations shortly…)
Vignetting & Distortion
As with all modern mirrorless lenses, the Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4 does rely on a built-in lens profile to perform some corrections to both vignetting and distortion. If you leave these corrections on, you ‘ll probably never notice.
A profile that performs “severe” vignetting correction is only a problem if you’re heavily under-exposing your images, and/or using a very high ISO, and performing excessive amounts of shadow recovery.
A “severe” distortion correction is only a problem if you’re using extremely noisy high ISOs, and adding a lot of sharpening and/or Texture/Clarity. (A bizarre curved cross-hatch pattern can be revealed, again usually only with excessive amounts of editing.)
In either case, I have good news: The Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4’s profile correction doesn’t count as “severe”, and even if you ever do have an issue, the images still look beautiful when you turn the corrections completely off.
Sunstars & Flare
This was one of my primary areas of concern for a non-S series, relatively un-coated optic. I was worried that there might be a lot of weird flare “dots”. More good news: there aren’t! Even with harsh light points in or near the image frame, aberrations are relatively minimal, and regular flare is warm and inviting.
Sunstars are also excellent, because as you might note from the technical specifications, the aperture only has 9 blades, and they’re not listed as “rounded”, either.
Color Fringing, Aberration, Coma & Astigmatism
Without the S-series moniker, this is where the most “suns” are getting swept under the rug. Even then, it’s not that bad! Throughout the image, the lens’ built-in corrections do a good job of removing any color fringing, which is virtually gone by f/2.8 Even in the extreme corners, despite some noticeable softening of detail/resolution, the coma or sagittal astigmatism aren’t very severe.
Honestly, despite the “miss” in terms of absolute perfection, I’m actually very surprised at how good the images look considering the lens portability and affordability.
Macro & Close-Up Photography
I really like 35mm primes for close-up details with wedding photo/video work, and general nature photography as well. The focal length and aperture create a look to images that doesn’t even require a very significant magnification factor; you can create beautiful close-up images of most everyday subjects with this Nikkor’s relatively close ~10-inch minimum focus distance.
Design & Durability
Physically, I was impressed to see that this budget-friendly Nikkor has about as may weather seals as any professional lens, apparently. Not bad! The mount itself is metal, and the barrel construction is that high-grade plastic composite material that I love because it absorbs bumps and knocks so well. (Yes, I’d usually rather have this build of lens instead of an all-metal one!) It’s lightweight, and relatively impervious to “abuse”…)
In terms of the overall design, I’m glad to see the command ring on this budget-friendly lens, however, I do miss having an AF/MF switch. I did get pretty used to switching AF modes using a button on the camera body itself in recent years, however, so, I’m honestly much happier with the design of this lens compared to its S-line sibling.
Ergonomics & Portability
This is where I am truly happy: I love lightweight primes! After two decades of weddings, with more than one decade of extra-long Hindu ceremonies under my belt, I’ve come to appreciate the most lightweight, portable cameras and lenses that still deliver professional results.
Usually, this would mean makind a compromise in aperture, and settling for an f/1.8 or f/2 or even an f/2.8 prime lens, if I wanted something this small & compact, yet still get excellent images, reliable autofocus, etc.
That’s why I’m so excited about Nikon’s new (and hopefully growing) collection (for now, just a pair) of f/1.4 primes. Whether your favorite all-around prime is 35mm or 50mm, Nikon is the only name brand on the market to offer f/1.4 at this price range AND weight class!
Autofocus Performance
Nikon’s STM (stepper motor) is excellent. AF is fast, quiet, and consistently reliable. It helps that there just isn’t that much glass for the motors to “push” back and forth! Images are consistently tack-sharp, even when capturing tricky, active subjects in low light.
Features & Customizations
As I mentioned, this is a dang simple lens. No AF/MF switch, no customizable L-Fn button, just the focus ring and the command/control ring. You can customize the control ring to do quite a few useful things, although I wish Nikon would expand the offering and allow a few more options, honestly.
Value
All in all, this Nikon 35mm f/1.4 prime is in unprecedented territory, for a name brand. Actually, even for third-party lens options, this thing is very competitively priced! I don’t know how Nikon did it, but offering these results for under $600 is a steal.
Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4 Review | Compared To The Competition
Yes, Sigma’s own 35mm f/1.4 (not yet available on Z-mount, but maybe some day soon!) …is optically better, for nearly $900. Yes, you could get an older F-mount 35mm f/1.4 for relatively cheap, especially third-party options from Tamron and Sigma.
However, for all the convenience and performance this Nikkor has to offer, I’m definitely giving it the nod compared to any other options. That is, except the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S, which we’ve already discussed quite a bit.
Here is how I see it: The 35mm f/1.4 is a better option for many photographers, and almost all types of videographers. The direct alternative, the 35mm f/1.8 S, may be optically superior, but I suspect that most users will actually prefer this choice.
Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4 Review | Conclusion
Why am I surprised that Nikon has broken the mold, once again? This is what they are known for: delivering amazing value, high performance, and filing a lineup with lots of great options.
The Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4 joins a rather full category of medium-wide prime lenses from Nikon, if you count the 28mm f/2.8 and the 40mm f/2 as well as the 35mm f/1.8 S. All that might be missing is a huge, expensive Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.2 S, I suppose?
Either way, this is probably the 35mm prime for you, if you’re a Nikon full-frame user, or a DX user who is looking for a “normal” (~50mm) prime lens. Only a few highly discerning (read: nit-picky, pixel-peeping) photographers might opt for the S-line alternative.
Personally? I’m thrilled with Nikon’s lineup overall. As a wedding photographer in particular, I’m thrilled by the thought of pairing this portable prime with 2-3 portable, affordable f/2.8 zooms, (see above) and maybe the Nikon Z6 III. Quite simply, this is the most professional setup at the lowest price that you could expect to get a complete setup for! Once again, bravo to Nikon for delivering such incredible value and performance in one of my favorite lenses.
Check Pricing & Availability
The Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4 is currently available for $596.95, and that’s without any savings or rebates or sales, or whatever they’re called these days.
By comparison, the Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.8 S is $696.95, and that’s with a $150 savings at present. (Normally, it’s $846.95) You can read our full review here!
