When it comes to choosing a lens that offers a distinct look, one often may turn to third-party lens makers. For instance, some may choose Laowa or Tamron over Nikon’s own optics. However, in more recent years, the company has been trying to offer something worthwhile to its users, and one lens that happens to win us over is the 35mm f1.4 Z. Have a look.
Nikon’s trajectory for its mirrorless lenses has been nothing short of exceptional. The company managed to introduce a lens that is not only great, but also costs much less. The 35mm f1.4 was introduced in 2024, and the lens truly wins for its character. The images are not clinically sharp; instead, they offer nice flare and bokeh. As we said in our review:
There’s something about the bokeh from the Nikon 35mm f1.4 Z that makes me want to keep staring at it — especially when shooting in black and white. And while the lens is sharp, it’s nowhere as sharp as the brand’s S-lineup.
Another reason it is such a great performer is its nice focusing system. In good lighting, the lens can latch onto the subjects with ease. This is also the case when scene detection is not in use. However, in low light, it struggles a bit, due to the camera we have used. It also offers nice weather sealing, which makes life a bit easier. The lens is ideal for street photography, photojournalism, and general everyday use.
While 35mm is an exception, we also like to nominate another lens with a similar character: the 50mm f1.4. While the 35mm wins hands down, the 50mm is not far behind in terms of flare and bokeh. The only challenge is that it suppresses the character a little more. This is ideal for those who want to shoot portraits but need a budget lens that offers them build quality and image satisfaction. As we added in our review:
The Nikon 50mm f1.4 Z lens is another entry into Nikon’s character lenses. It feels just like the very good 35mm f1.4 Z, but slightly longer. So there’s totally an audience of photographers who will wear this lens on their camera like their favorite memory maker.
As more and more lenses become clinically sharp, one has little choice but to choose from them. The great part is that Nikon is trying its best to offer something at the same price range as other third-party Chinese lenses. The 50mm, for instance, costs just $500. And that’s with weather sealing and autofocus. The same can’t be said about offerings from TTArtisan or 7Artisans. So, if you are a young photographer, the Nikon Z series lineup is worth getting your hands on.