Late 1980s ~ early 1990s AF cameras like the N90s, N70 and F4 will focus just fine. You'll have Program and Shutter-priority modes, but will lose Manual and Aperture-priority since you have no way to set the aperture on the camera or on the lens. Similar to high-end Nikon F primes, the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S is built very well, thanks to its solid metal base, a tough plastic shell and weather-sealed construction. Although some photographers prefer all-metal lenses for their long-term durability, I personally favor plastic over metal for several reasons. First of all, plastic handles much better in extremely cold weather conditions, while metal gets too cold to touch with bare hands. Second, use of plastic significantly reduces the weight of lenses, which makes a huge difference when traveling. Third, tough plastic does better when you bump it against hard surfaces compared to metal. Lastly, plastic is cheaper to support and replace for the manufacturer, which can potentially reduce long term maintenance costs in case of damage in the field. NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S @ 35mm, ISO 64, 1/30, f/10.0 DX vs DX/FX – the first major difference I want to point out between the two, is the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G is a DX-only lens, which means that it will only properly work on DX sensor cameras like Nikon D3100/D5000/D90/D300s/D7000. The Nikon 50mm f/1.4G, on the other hand, works well on both DX and FX sensor cameras such as Nikon D700/D3s/D3x. These incredibly subjective aspects of image quality are always difficult to describe in written form. Again, I’d rather let the sample images do the talking.

If you’re this type of photographer, then the Tamron SP 35mm f/1.4 is absolutely worth its substantial size and heft. I’m glad I used the 35mm f/1.8G lens for this shot, since a 50mm would have been too long to capture enough of the sky. Because, the fact is, when calibrated properly you can really trust this lens to nail focus, and that’s impressive for any prime on a DSLR. Con: Weight & Size At the moment, the biggest benefits of the focus by wire system on Z-series lenses are: quiet AF operation, fast focusing speed and superb AF precision. Although Nikon’s SWM (Silent Wave Motor) has the word “silent” in it, many Nikon shooters know that when Nikon F mount lenses focus, they produce quite a bit of audible noise, which can be annoying when shooting videos. In comparison, Nikon’s new stepping motors are noticeably quieter than their SWM counterparts. Stepping motors also deliver improved focusing speed, since they have more powerful focus actuators. But these are small benefits compared to AF precision. I am not sure what Nikon has done with its focusing algorithm and how it interacts with the focus by wire system, but as we have previously reported in our Nikon Z7 review, autofocus precision has improved dramatically compared to DSLR cameras, especially when shooting in low-light conditions. While I often find myself slightly tweaking focus after using autofocus in live view mode on Nikon’s DSLRs, I no longer have to do that on Nikon Z mirrorless cameras – autofocus precision is extremely accurate in almost every case. This is a drastic improvement and something absolutely worth mentioning. As a result of the above, the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S stands out when compared to its F mount peers – it is quieter, faster and more precise in its autofocus performance. NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S @ 35mm, ISO 400, 1/1000, f/1.8In other words, if you’re a DSLR user, it doesn’t matter if you buy name-brand or third-party lenses; you’ll have to learn how to calibrate those lenses either way. Not for: Don't use this FX lens on a DX camera. Use the 35mm f/1.8 DX lens instead for a fraction of the price. Likewise, this G lens won't work on older 35mm AF or manual-focus cameras; use the 35mm f/2 AF or 35mm f/2 AI-s instead. Lateral chromatic aberrations, typically seen as blue or purple fringes along contrasty edges, are very well controlled with this lens - the examples below show the worst-case scenario. Yes, Canon L lenses are known for having “that look”, a combination of beautiful colors, popping contrast, and buttery bokeh. But, the Tamron has a beautiful overall rendering of images, too!

Unfortunately, I could not move around much to change the position of the light source due to the number of photographers that were there, standing pretty much shoulder to shoulder. I do, however, like how the lens renders the sun in a star shape when you shoot at smaller apertures.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.

Tamron was known in the past for focusing more on lightweight materials and construction, sometimes at the expense of durability or practical handling. However, that has changed completely with many of their latest lenses, especially their G2 zooms. Not only are they well-engineered to operate intuitively and smoothly, they’re built to be rugged and stand the test of time just as well as any name-brand optic. Pro: Autofocus RELIABILITY (WHEN CALIBRATED) HOWEVER, upon close inspection (pixel-peeping) of cityscape image samples at 100%, I noticed something pretty impressive: While very large points of light weren’t offering up prominent sunstars until f/8-16, to my amazement I found that teeny-tiny, ultra-bright pin-point lights actually started forming sunstars upon stopping down just 1/3 stop to f/1.6. When compared to previous generation Nikon 35mm lenses, ghosting and flare are controlled well, thanks to the Nano Crystal Coat. The amount of flares and ghosting will depend on where you position the light source in the frame. Shooting directly at the sun, you will most definitely get some flares and ghosting if the sun is in the middle of the frame, as seen below. As you move the light source towards the corners, the size and length of ghosting/flares can get dramatically bigger, so take this into consideration when shooting in the field. If you see a strong amount of ghosting and flares, try moving the light source in your frame to see where the effect is minimal and acceptable. Take a look at this shot of the Mesa Arch at f/8.0: NIKON D700 + 35mm f/1.4 @ 35mm, ISO 200, 1/80, f/8.0

Within a year of starting with not even an idea of what a DSLR was I was having to turn people away at Christmas time because I was so busy. I’m glad I didn’t spend more money on equip during that time because I have now moved up to a D750 and have less “old” stuff to sell. When mirrorless cameras first started to take over, many photographers expected both the cameras and the lenses to be smaller than those of traditional DSLRs. However, this expectation has only been partially fulfilled. Some lenses downsize, while others have stayed the same or grown. That’s why I was so surprised when I took the Pergear 35mm f/1.4 out of the box. Flare and distortion are almost nonexistent. Tamron has definitely developed some high-quality lens coatings that are on par with any exotic name brand! Bokeh & DOF It used to be that third-party lenses were indeed much worse at consistently nailing focus than name brands. Now, however, any difference that may still exist is nearly impossible to discern from the general shortcoming of optical phase-detection autofocus itself.

As you’d expect, whereas the original Nikon lens was a manual-focus optic, the new one gains a ring-type ultrasonic autofocus system which is rapid and whisper-quiet. As usual, it comes complete with a focus distance scale beneath a viewing window, and full-time manual override. Indeed, priority is given to manual override when in autofocus mode, signified by the M/A M lettering above the auto/manual focus switch. Focusing is entirely internal, so the lens doesn’t physically extend at any focus setting, and the front element doesn’t rotate. While I certainly enjoyed using a 35mm lens for wedding photography, I personally switched to using a wide-angle + 50mm prime instead. However, many other photographers, including our very own John Bosley swear by this lens and use it every day for their wedding photography needs. NIKON D700 + 35mm f/1.4 @ 35mm, ISO 400, 1/40, f/2.8 Cranking out amazing f/2.8 zooms left and right for years now, (for both DSLR and mirrorless systems) they have shown their commitment to serious photographers with truly impressive lenses. Meanwhile, however, other third-party brands were cranking out impressive f/1.4 primes, too.Although both look very similar, the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G still has a slight edge over the 50mm f/1.4G. What about f/4.0: The lens is much bigger and heavier compared to other Nikon 35mm lenses such as Nikon 35mm f/2D and Nikon 35mm f/1.4 AIS, making it the biggest and heaviest 35mm prime produced by Nikon to date. The Nikon 35mm f/1.4 feels very solid in hands and the focus ring is conveniently located in the front of the barrel, making it easy to manually focus with a thumb and index fingers while shooting images or video. The lens comes with the “HB-59” lens hood, which is a little bulkier than the “HB-51” that comes with the 24mm f/1.4G. It snaps on the front of the lens and sits tight without wobbling like some other Nikon lens hoods. It has also been a long journey for third-party lenses to be able to truly match the autofocus speed and reliability of name brands. Yet again, Tamron’s latest SP and G2 lenses have all proven that they’re up to the task. 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/2.8