Nikon’s growing range of Z-mount lenses for its mirrorless cameras – which we rate among the best mirrorless cameras – has a new addition, and it’s a true classic for street, reportage and event photography; the Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4.
As the 43rd Z-mount lens, it’s surprising to read that this is the first f/1.4 lens in the range, and the fast aperture prime is also more affordable than expected.
Retailing for $599 / £649 and available from July, the street shooter isn’t afforded Nikon’s pro ‘S’ moniker, but it does feature the fast f/1.4 aperture for low-light work and a shallow depth of field that many pro photographers harness to help their subjects stand out.
It’s a simple lens with no external buttons; you get a focus ring and a customizable ‘clickless’ control ring that can be used to adjust one of aperture, ISO, exposure compensation and more.
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There’s no official dust and drip resistant rating, which is what you’d get if this was a pricier pro lens. However, it is a compact lens, weighing just 14.6 oz / 415g, making it a good fit with Nikon’s mid-sized mirrorless cameras, such as the new Nikon Z6 III.
All in all, Nikon has taken a vastly different approach to Canon who also recently launched a 35mm f/1.4 lens. Canon’s RF-mount version is a pro ‘L’ lens that’s three times the price of Nikon’s new lens, and it’s a chunkier hybrid lens packed with controls for video creatives.
Mind you, Nikon stills bills its new 35mm lens as being equipped for today’s hybrid shooters: it suppresses focus breathing, while linear focusing enables accurate manual focus pulling. It also features Nikon’s multi-focusing system for quick, smooth and steady autofocus, while close focusing is up to 0.89ft / 0.27m.
Is this the 35mm lens Nikon fans wanted?
There was a time in my professional photography days in East Africa, before becoming TechRadar’s Cameras Editor, that I almost solely used a 35mm f/1.4 lens. It’s a versatile type of lens especially for reportage photography, telling stories of people and places.
I often utilized the maximum f/1.4 aperture of my classic Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens to help subjects stand out in street photography and on-location portraiture, plus it comes in handy for low-light scenes such as indoor events – scenarios that pros often find themselves in.
Nikon’s new Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4 is not the optically complex and rugged lens that some pros would hope for, for working in extreme outdoor environments. However, I still expect it to be one of the most popular Z-mount lenses available.
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