Photography Reviews

10 Hot Highlights of the Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.4G Lens That Will Attract Both Serious and Professional Photographers

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  1. Introduced during September 2010, the AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4G lens is a major step forwards from its old, but reliable, manual-focus ancestor, the 35mm f/1.4. Not only is it Nikon’s first lens of this size with auto-focus, but also very few other wide-angle, fixed-focal length lenses equal its sharpness performance.

    Read real customer reviews of the Nikon AF-S 35mm here.

  1. Because of the inclusion of Nikon’s Silent Wave Motor (SWM) to operate the auto-focus feature, the newer f/1.4G has had to gain some weight and heft. It will, however, feel comfortable in your hands attached to either an FX or DX camera body. The 35mm f/1.4G is 3.3” x 3.8” (83 x 895.mm) and tips the scales at 21.2 oz. (600g).

  1. Since it is an upgrade and costs more than its predecessor, Nikon has constructed the 35mm f/1.4G with the latest in design and manufacturing quality. Most important of which is dust and moisture seals. The focusing ring is broad and easily gripped by photographers with small and large hands and fingers.

  1. In terms of exterior controls, photographers will be pleased to find a distance scale that also includes a depth-of-field (DOF) scale. M/A and M settings are found on the conveniently placed focus mode switch.

  1. Nikon delivers on the “Silent” in the Silent Wave Motor on the 35mm f/1.4g, with a rear-focus auto-focus system that is virtually noiseless and accurate. Serious and professional photographers will appreciate how easily they can switch to manual focus whenever the M/A focus mode has been previously selected. As expected with a lens of this quality, focusing occurs totally internally, so the lens doesn’t change its length, nor does the front of the lens body turn. Attach a polarizing or neutral density filter and shoot without another thought.

  1. The Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.4G focuses as close as 11.8” (30cm) and provides a maximum magnification ratio of 1:5. Although these are not macro lens specifications, the lens will serve food and product photographers very well.

  1. Nikon has built the diaphragm for this lens with 9 rounded blades, giving it exceptional bokeh. Paired with the fast aperture, photographers will be able to achieve very good to excellent separation of a subject from the background, especially considering that wide-angle lenses are not known for this capability.

  1. The vast improvement in sharpness of this lens compared to its predecessor starts with the optical configuration of 10 glass elements in 7 groups, with one aspherical element. Of particular note is how sharp the center and edges of images are rendered at the widest aperture, which is often not found on lenses of this type. Move to f/2 and sharpness is essentially as good as can be expected all the way to f/11.

  1. The Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.4G lens is for the serious and professional photographer shooting interiors, weddings, photojournalism and landscapes. These are the photographers who also require excellent sharpness and image contrast at its widest aperture and the silence and precision of auto-focus.

  1. Order a Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.4G lens from Amazon here Nikon 35mm f/1.4G AF-S FX SWM Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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