wait a minute - It's a DX........
It is the equivalent of the classical 50 f1.8.
Nikon just released a new 50mm f1.4 also AFS/G for full frame cameras (equivalent of 75mm lens in DX).
They could have followed the same path making the new 35mm also a 1.4 aperture and 9 blades.
It is great on the D40 (that is discontinued) and D40X/D60 which are entry level cameras sold with kit lens that stays on 99% of the time.
I think I want a real f2 24, 28 and 35 mm to use on full frame cameras and occasionally with DX - and if they are not G meaning they retain proper f/ stop aperture ring they can be used with... actually all (cut) Nikon F and D bodies, not to mention Canon EOS-D bodies with a Nikon to Canon ring.
Good news
It is the equivalent of the classical 50 f1.8.
Nikon just released a new 50mm f1.4 also AFS/G for full frame cameras (equivalent of 75mm lens in DX).
They could have followed the same path making the new 35mm also a 1.4 aperture and 9 blades.
It is great on the D40 (that is discontinued) and D40X/D60 which are entry level cameras sold with kit lens that stays on 99% of the time.
I think I want a real f2 24, 28 and 35 mm to use on full frame cameras and occasionally with DX - and if they are not G meaning they retain proper f/ stop aperture ring they can be used with... actually all (cut) Nikon F and D bodies, not to mention Canon EOS-D bodies with a Nikon to Canon ring.
Good news
- It's fast: f/1.8,
- SWM motor with internal focus,
- Closest focus 30cm
- Filter ring is the classic 52mm and non rotating,
- Diaphragm 7 rounded blades for better renditions of out of focus areas,
- It's light (200g) and cheap (200$), and provided with caps and hood (plastic/bayonet).
Less impressive news: it's a G (no aperture ring) , 7 blades
The lens includes one hybrid aspherical element, whereby the asph part of the lens resin is molded on spherical glass lens.
This method simplify lens design, reduce costs and aberrations. Nikon states that it "delivers superior reproduction capability". But this is also a cost cutting measure to achieve some satisfactory results without using too much glass.
Bottom line
Was this really a priority ? I don't see D40/40x/60 owners crying for this type of lens.
That said this is a lens that may be a bit less qualitative than the 50mm 1.4 AFS/G (7 blades, plastic asph, DX, etc.) but it is also 2/3 lighter and cost nearly half of the price of its bigger brother.
I would expect, given the nature of the lens which is meant for smaller image sensor (DX) , it to be less resolving than the 50 AFS.
It also need to be compared to the regular 35 f2 AFD, which has a bit slower Auto Focus. This is not one of the most loved Nikon lens (also given frequent aperture blades oil leaks - be careful if buying second hand). It has a bit of distortion and corners are not as sharp as center - but less an issue in DX.
Rather, I would have preferred a new improved 35mm lens meant for 35mm system and possibly backward compatible. Please next time use ED glass rather than cheapo asph, and keep 52mm filters.
The main advantage of this 35 AFS is the convenience of quick and silent AF operation, with manual override and use with cameras lacking AF motors.
So we will have to see whether the results are there in term of image quality and whether a 35 f2 AFD (while still more expensive new) is not a better choice.
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