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A Quick Update to Our Nikon 35mm F1.8 S Lens Review. It Got Better.

Chris Gampat
No Comments
06/17/2021
3 Mins read
Pauleth Ip The Phoblographer Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f1.8 S Product Image 03 of 06

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If there is anything that’s true about the Nikon Z mount system, it’s that it has truly improved. Nikon has worked to release as many lenses as possible in a short time. They’ve also put out a bunch of firmware updates and made new cameras. Those cameras work very well now. And one of our favorite lenses, the Nikon 35mm f1.8 S, has also changed. This lens hasn’t had the firmware updated, but the cameras have improved so much that we’ve felt it necessary to update our review. So how is it? Hit the jump for our findings in our revamped Nikon 35mm f1.8 S review.

Check out our full Nikon 35mm f1.8 S review which includes the update.

The lens is basically what we thought: capable of focusing incredibly fast. But the problem is Nikon’s autofocus system. As we’ve seen, it has improved a lot. To that end, the lens’ performance has too. I can confidently say that I can use the Nikon 35mm lens and get sharp images for most of the work I do. But if you’re shooting subjects in motion, you’ll still have a tough time. 

However, I think the tough time stems more from Nikon’s autofocus system. It has surely improved. but it’s still behind much of the pack. It’s still better than Sigma’s and Hasselblad’s. In low light, the Nikon 35mm f1.8 S can do a great job on the right camera. But this is only in the single focus selection mode. When it comes to AF-C and tracking, there are still problems. Even those have improved, though. 

If the work you do isn’t demanding on the autofocus, then you’ll like the Nikon 35mm f1.8 S. It boasts wonderful colors. But keep in mind that it’s more like a tiger: it can nail the shot the first time. But like a tiger, it doesn’t have much stamina to consistently keep it up. It’s also not a terrible price right now.

Here’s the relevant part of our update:

Update June 2021. The Nikon 35mm f1.8 S lens hasn’t received a firmware update per se, but what it can do has surely improved. Nikon has made lots of firmware updates to their cameras and even released new ones. This lens was tested again on the Nikon Z5. 

First off, we’re still in the tail end of a pandemic. So we didn’t take this lens out to a concert to test it out. But instead, we used it in very low light shooting street photography, food and other things. Because the cameras have improved, so too did the Nikon 35mm f1.8 S. It focuses much faster in low light now and face detection has greatly improved. However, Nikon is really only good at single focusing, not continuous and not tracking. So if you want to do street photography, try to get the photo in the first shot. 

Acquiring a subject is also pretty fast now too. 

In comparison to other systems, Nikon is still behind. Fujifilm is great in low light. And if we’re looking at their fastest focusing cameras, then we’re considering the GFX 100S and the XT4. Both of Fujifilm’s cameras are faster. So too then are their lenses at this point. Even Leica SL and Panasonic L mount cameras can focus faster with similar lenses. 

Still though, the Nikon 35mm f1.8 S is surely usable. But I wouldn’t rely on it for critical and very important work where I’m very stressed.

autofocus camera body low light nikon Nikon 35mm f1.8 S Nikon 35mm f1.8 S review update
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Chris Gampat

Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.
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