What is the best Nikkor 35mm lens?

kopimorning · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 97 Location: Jakarta-Bali

Been reading reviews on the net, can not conclude what is the best Nikkor 35mm lens. Note on 35/1.4 Ais price going unreasonably high for some people that expect more image quality from that price range.

Thank you

ChrisLilley · Joined: 01 Jan 2008 Posts: 1767 Location: Nice, France

Depends what you are looking for (and 35/1.4 ais prices are coming down).

35/2 AIS is a good all rounder, better than the AF 35/2.

35/1.4 AIS has a more complex behaviour, soft edged and low contrast wide open but sharpening with each stop so by f/2.8 its pretty crisp. Whether you consider that a flaw or a benefit depends on what look you want (I see you shoot a ZF 50/1.4 which behaves similarly wide open).

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

I have Nikkor 35mm 1.4 AIS, wide open soft in my opinion too, I like it's exceptional color rendering and sharpness, details just stunning from f2.8 right.

Not in same leaguage with Contax 35mm f1.4 which is sharp at every aperture including wide open, perhaps not in same price league too.

kopimorning · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 97 Location: Jakarta-Bali

This time I expect crisp and sharp image. Perhaps I should go with 35/2.8 Ais instead ?

Sevo · Expire: 2012-12-03

I hate to say so, but the humble 2.0/35 AF (I have a 2nd, rubber ring, version but 1st and D are optically the same) beats all others I own or have owned (35/2 Non-AI and AI, 35/2.8 E, 35/1.4 AI-S), by image quality, distortion, contrast and edge falloff. The manual focus 35/2 would be nice too, but it is prone to flare and softer wide open.

Sevo

NikonD · Joined: 29 Jul 2008 Posts: 1922 Location: Slovenija

well I have 35/2 K version and it's super sharp wide open and has great contrast... I've had 35/1.8 AF and its great too Wink

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

I have had some Nikkor lenses, not many as true Nikonians have, but not few either. Of those that I had, the first place in quality would be shared by the 50/1.4 AIS and the 2.5/105 AI.

Andrew G. · Joined: 18 Jul 2010 Posts: 159 Location: Pennsylvania, USA

james · Expire: 2011-12-28

I would go for the Zeiss 2/35 if lower light capabilities are what you need. The non-CPU version, used, ought to be somewhat cheaper and it's tack-sharp from f/2; colors are notably warmer than the Nikkor 35/1.4, whose palate tends to the cooler, bluer side.

Esox lucius · Expire: 2011-11-18

Esox lucius · Expire: 2011-11-18

james · Expire: 2011-12-28

Esox lucius · Expire: 2011-11-18

The 17-35/2.8D, while it is a zoom lens, gives very very nice 3D stopped down (when used at 20 to 28mm). See example

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mureena/3770301884/sizes/o/

The 24-70/2.8G is a fine lens, mandatory for any Nikon full-frame professional. While I keep this lens in higher regard than the 17-35/2.8D I would not want to degrade it, but please understand that its strongpoints are when used at about 40 to 70mm and more or less wide open (talking about dimensionality in images - see this reference)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mureena/4505219070/sizes/l/

Having seen what I have seen from the manual focus 35/2 Distagon ZF, both of these professional quality zooms can only rival the 35/2 Distagon ZF, at their best.

I would immediately pick the Zeiss prime, if focal length, rendering and fingerprint was the qualifying factor.

For useability and reaction when ISO 12,800 and wide open is the territory - I'm bringing the Nikkors. For every other use, the Zeiss is my mainstay.

james · Expire: 2011-12-28

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

I used to have a non-AI 2/35 and sold it when I got the Leica Summicron 2/35 (which I also have sold again and now have a MIR-24 2/35). I regret having sold the Nikkor, though. The 2/35 is a great lens!

Esox lucius · Expire: 2011-11-18

kopimorning · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 97 Location: Jakarta-Bali

if budget is not an issue, I would simply choose Distagon 35/2 ZF, but they are out of my league for now

I guess my next acquisition would be a nikkor 35/2 ais

thank you guys for your wisdom Very Happy

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

mysticeyes · Joined: 05 Dec 2008 Posts: 15 Location: Maryland USA

I've got the 35mm F1.4 AI and the 35mm F2 Nikkor-O with a factory AI ring, and they're both fine lenses. I wouldn't get rid of either of them.

But....if you have a D40 like I do, you should get the late-model 35mm F1.8 AF-S G DX lens, no question about it! I got mine, used and in perfect condition, for $150. On the D40, it comes really close to fulfilling the ideal of the original 35mm compact camera: it is cheap, fast, light, sharp, quick in use, just a joy to shoot, and you don't mind carrying it everywhere you go.

Swappo · Joined: 02 Apr 2009 Posts: 327 Location: Sweden

I revently bought the 35/1.4 converted to Canon EOS mount.
A bit soft, but usefull wide open, and gets better if you step down a little.
Colors are amazing and the rendering is caracteristic and special.

tinyrobot · Joined: 05 May 2011 Posts: 1

Is the aperture controlled by the camera? Disappointed if it is.

patrickh · Expire: 2011-11-18

Arninetyes · Expire: 2013-03-26

I had a 35/2 Ai (actually still do, but it's in my list of need-to-sell along with about a dozen other MF Nikkors).

I think it's a fine lens that gives sharp images and good contrast from f/2.8 on, and it's pretty good at f/2 as well. My only objection is that it's fairly prone to flare. Since I live in the land-of-constant-sunshine--Southern California--flare can be an issue with a wide-angle lens. Ended up with a 28/2 Ai, which has almost no flare. Works better for me where I live, but if I lived somewhere that had more weather and less sun, I would never have looked for a replacement.

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

I lived in SoCal for 24 years and when I encountered flare from having the sun close to being in the frame, I found I could usually hold my hand up and block the sun's rays from falling on the lens. This saved a lot of sunny photos for me.

Now I live in Houston, and although we get weather here, we also have plenty of sun. Too much. So I do the same thing here.

Ivan Lee · Posted: Fri May 06, 2011 4:24 am Post subject: