If you’re this type of photographer, then you might consider an alternative, as there are indeed a couple of ultralight 35mm primes for both Canon and Nikon that you can choose from. If these lenses are a bit too much for your budget, Nikon also made the lighter and cheaper version of this lens, the Nikon 85mm f/1.8G, which is another superb lens that works well on Z-mount and F-mount cameras. See my detailed Nikon 85mm f/1.4G Review and Nikon 85mm f/1.8G Review for more information on these lenses. NIKON D750 + 85mm f/1.4 @ 85mm, ISO 280, 1/200, f/2.0 Nikon 105mm f/1.4E There’s something about that slightly-wider-than-50mm angle of view that is perfect for an environmental portrait, or any sort of in-the-action feeling imagery, without getting too wide that distortion becomes a serious issue at the edge of your frame. The great photographer Robert Capa said, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough.”

Just like other Nikon professional prime lenses, the new Nikon 35mm f/1.4 lens has a very high quality build. The outer barrel is made of plastic, but feels just like the expensive Nikon metal lenses, most likely due to the lens weight. It is designed to withstand tough weather and is well-protected on the outside against dust and moisture. I shot the lens in very dusty conditions in Utah with high winds and in one case ended up with plenty of dust and sand all over the lens during a hike through a sandy area of Arches National Park. It continued to function well without any problems. I wiped off the dust/sand with a regular brush and then thoroughly cleaned it with a wet piece of cloth after the hike, after which I used it for two more days without any mechanical or other failures. As you would expect from a lens that costs this much, build quality is very good. The lens feels solid in your hand, even if the outer barrel and the 67mm filter thread appear to be plastic. The focusing ring is wide, ridged and rubberised. As this is a G series lens, it has no aperture ring - no big deal unless you wanted to use it on a very old film body.The Nikon 35mm f/1.8G is an incredibly sharp lens wide open. As you can see, it performs better wide open than the 50mm f/1.4G stopped down to f/1.8. Let’s see what happens at f/2.8: Lateral chromatic aberration is controlled well, but somewhat noticeable in high-contrast situations. Here is how Imatest measured it: This isn’t Tamron’s problem specifically, it’s a huge issue for all third-party lens makers, and it’s even a common frustration for native, name-brand lenses too. And here is another shot at f/2.8: NIKON D700 + 35mm f/1.4 @ 35mm, ISO 200, 1/200, f/2.8 Vignetting

Its big brother, the Nikon 35mm f/1.4G is much heavier and costs twice as much in comparison, so it belongs to a different league. The highly praised Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art sits at a similar price point and can be adapted on Nikon Z cameras with the FTZ adapter, although it is the largest and the heaviest of the bunch. Thus, the new Z 35mm f/1.8 S cannot be directly compared to its F-mount counterparts. At maximum aperture, the depth of field is so shallow (especially with the F-mount f/1.4 version), that if you stand too close to your subject and focus on the eye, the eyelashes get out of focus. Typically, I shoot between f/2.0 and f/2.8 for close-up portraits and f/4.0 every once in a while if I need more depth of field, but if you stand a bit further away from your subject and shoot wide open, these lenses can make stunning portraits. NIKON D750 + 85mm f/1.4 @ ISO 110, 1/200, f/2.8In use, we found the focusing to be indeed very-very quiet, and pretty fast - but not instantaneous -, with the lens mounted to a Nikon D700 body. I’ve used a multitude of different lenses over the years, but never one that I have loved using so much as my 35mm f1.4.