Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical Review

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical (abbreviated as  Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX) was announced on February 9, 2009. Now this lens is quite popular and it is easy to find both new and used.

Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical Review

In brief about the Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical

Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX IS standard fast fixed lens for Nikon DX cameras... In this case, the word 'standard' refers to the focal length and means that the lens provides a moderate angle of view of 44 ° across the frame.

Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX has large aperture... The maximum relative aperture to which the lens aperture opens is 1: 1.8, which is a very good indicator. The Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX is usually a complement to 'dark' versatile zoom lenses such as Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6GII VR II AF-S DX Nikkor or Nikon 18-105mm 1: 3.5-5.6G ED Nikkor VR AF-S SWM DX IF Aspherical. If we compare the maximum aperture of F / 5.6 used in these zoom lenses with the F / 1.8 used in the Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX, the difference will be more than 2 steps, which is about 10 times. Thus max aperture this lens is 10 times larger than regular zoom lenses mounted at the extreme zoom position. So big aperture simplify shooting in low-light conditions. For example, in due time I shot without problems on this lens in temples wedding ceremoniesand baby baptism.

Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX is a fixed lens, which means its focal length is always the same (there is no zoom function). Fix lenses make it much easier and at a more modest price to get very good optical performance. So, this Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX has very good sharpness, inaccessible to a large number of zoom lenses.

The Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX is also a very compact and lightweight lens, it is easy and simple to always carry. Below you can see photos from my vacation, for which I took a lightweight Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX along with a lightweight camera Nikon D40.

To summarize quickly, the Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX is a lens from the category 'Must Have'. 35 mm focal length on the camera Nikon DX give the same angle of view as a 52.5mm lens (virtually the same 'half a ruble') on the camera Nikon fx. Such a lens is suitable for a wide range of photo tasks.

Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical with front and rear covers

Main technical characteristics of Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical:

Review Instance Name Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical 2166388
Basic properties
Front Filter Diameter 52 mm, plastic thread for filters
Focal length 35mm Equivalent Focal Length (EGF) for cameras Nikon DX is 52,5 mm (Spoiler: I’ll soon get away from these meaningless comments about focal lengths and their recounting. Everything is exactly as described above. Without options.)
Zoom ratio 1 X (this is a fixed lens, it does not have a zoom)
Designed by for Nikon DX digital cameras (with APS-C sensor)
Number of aperture blades 7 rounded pieces
Tags bayonet mount tag and hood mount
Diaphragm F / 1.8 to F / 22, without aperture ring.
MDF 0.3 m, the maximum magnification ratio is 1: 6.3 (the smaller the second number, the better the ability to macro)
The weight 200 g
Optical design 8 elements in 6 groups, 1 aspherical element (in the optical diagram, the aspherical element is shown in blue). The presence of such elements on the lens barrel is indicated by the inscription 'Aspherical'. The image of the optical circuit is clickable.

Optical design Nikon 35 1.8G DX

Optical design Nikon 35 1.8G DX

Most likely the aspherical element is a hybrid aspherical, i.e. consisting of a conventional spherical lens coated with plastic aspherics.

Lens hood Nikon HB-46
Manufacturer country MADE IN CHINA (Made in China)
Period From March 2009 to the present
Instructions View ->
3d view View ->
Price

It just so happens that the Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX is the only truly 'fast' prime lens specifically designed for cameras Nikon DX. Other fixed lenses Nikon

Nikkor DX:

have much less aperture.

Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX

Designations on the Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical

Assembly

The copy from this review was made in China. The Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX is quite pleasant to the touch, its plastic body does not cause any discomfort. It is very good that the lens uses a metal mount, which is at least some sign of a quality lens assembly. The lens uses commonly used 52 mm filters.

Please note that the Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX mount side has a special dustproof and waterproof mount seal, which is an indication that the lens has a base mount. dust and moisture protection. Unfortunately, the rest of the case is not protected from the negative impact of the external environment. More information on the all-weather protection of Nikon SLR lenses can be found here.

Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX uses a rubberized focus ring. There are bayonet mount tags and a tag for quick hood installation on the case. The lens uses a strong plastic lens hood HB-46, which is fixed in special grooves located near the front lens of the lens. The lens hood comes with the lens. The hood can be installed in the opposite direction for transportation. In this position, access to the focus ring is completely lost.

The Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX comes with a soft velor case CL-0913, with which you can transport the lens.

Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical lenses and rounded aperture blades

Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX

Microprocessor pins and Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical rear lens

Focusing

Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX focuses quietly thanks to 'SWM'-motor (Silent Wbird Motor - quiet wave motor) and refers to the lens'AF S'type (with built-in motor focusing), and therefore it will automatically focus on any Nikon digital SLR camera.

Auto Focus Speed ​​- average. I want to note that the Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX focuses slower than Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical и Nikon 50mm 1: 1.8D AF Nikkor. On cameras Nikon D40 и Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro the lens focuses tenaciously and does not release objects from the field of focus. Note that there are a lot of rumors on the net that the lens may not focus accurately (have 'back' or 'front' focus). I've had 4 different similar lenses in use all the time, and they all worked and focused properly.

During focusing, the front lens remains stationary. The lens uses RF focusing (Rear Focusing), which is done by moving the back of the lens group. For practical use, focusing type RF is no different from focusing type IF ('Iinternal Focus' - 'Inner Focus'). With this lens, you can easily use any filters, for example, polarizing.

The minimum focusing distance is only 30 cm, while you can shoot Macro with 1: 6.3 magnification... The Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX has neither a window with a distance scale, nor a depth of field scale, nor a mark for working in the infrared spectrum. In manual focusing mode, the ring rotates approximately 90 degrees, when reaching the extreme positions, it does not rest against it, but continues to slide without affecting focusing. Manual aiming is easy. True, some users of this lens still blame the tight rotation of the focusing ring.

On the lens housing you can find focus switch 'M / A - M'. In the 'M / A' position, auto focus works with constant manual focus priority. The 'M / A' mode is very convenient and useful - for manual focusing or focus correction, you do not need to additionally switch the lens to the 'M' mode. You can turn on the 'M / A' mode and forget about this switch forever.

Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical with Nikon HB-46 blend

 Diaphragm

Diaphragm lens consists of 7 rounded petalswhich form a fairly even hole. Diaphragm closes to F / 22. The lens does not have an aperture control ring, nor does the DOF scale.

Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical with Nikon HB-46 hood in transport mode

Nikon 35mm f / 1.8G DX

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical with Nikon HB-46 lens hood Nikon D3300

Lens features on Nikon FX full-length cameras

Interesting: the lens has a good margin of performance, it can work with grief in half and on full-size Nikon FX cameras (for which it is not designed to work) Here is the link on mine sample photos on Nikkor AF-S 35mm f / 1.8G DX and full-format camera in FX image area mode.

Image quality

Good picture quality is obtained due to use aspherical element in the optical circuit of the lens. On foreign sites they write that the lens uses plastic inserts for a hybrid aspherical element, I did not find detailed information about this. Chromatic aberrations (HA) are highly visible until F / 3.2. The purple halo (Purple fringing), which is difficult to remove even when shooting in RAW and post-processing. To catch such a halo, you need to try. The purple halo border is the only major drawback of this lens.

In general, the lens has “cream” bokeh. Don't expect the lens at f / 1.8 to blur the background too much when photographing portraits. For portraits, any half a ruble (50mm fixed lens). I recommend reading my article about  how to take pictures with a blurred background.

Distortion 35 mm still remained and quite a bit makes its own negative adjustments.

Vinienting imperceptibly at any aperture. Natural color renderingeasily fixed by setting white balance in the camera. Lens very sharp at any aperture.

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical and Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6GII VR II AF-S DX Nikkor sizes

Dimensions Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical and Whale Lens Nikon 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6GII VR II AF-S DX Nikkor

Alternatives

If you are looking for a lens of this class, then The following lenses can serve as alternatives at a similar cost or functionality:

My experience:

The 35 mm fix, even on the DX matrix, is quite short and not familiar to me, but shooting with this lens is a fairy tale! Ergonomics and functionality on top. All those who want to upgrade their whale lens, I recommend this particular Nikkor AF-S 35mm f / 1.8G DX.

More examples of photos on the Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical with source RAW files can be found in the review Nikon D3300.

Lens prices

The real prices for Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical can be found in stores and catalogs:

Comments on this post do not require registration. Anyone can leave a comment. Many different photographic equipment can be found on AliExpress.


It is often difficult to choose between Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical and Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical, thoughts about this find here.

I am also often asked how this lens differs from Nikon AF Nikkor 35mm 1: 2D, the difference is described in detail here.

An accurate list of all Nikon DX Nikkor lenses

  1. 10.5 mm/ 2.8G AF Fisheye [gold ring]
  2. 35 mm/1.8G AF-S
  3. 40 mm/2.8G AF-S Microphone
  4. 85 mm/3.5G AF-S VR Microphone
  5. 10-20 mm/4.5-5.6G AF-P VR
  6. 10-24 mm/3.5-4.5G AF-S
  7. 12-24 mm/4G AF-S [gold ring]
  8. 16-80 mm/ 2.8-4IN AF S VR [gold ring]
  9. 16-85 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR
  10. 17-55 mm/2.8G AF-S [gold ring]
  11. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S [black / silver]
  12. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6GII AF-S [black / silver]
  13. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR
  14. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6GII AF-S VR
  15. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-P
  16. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-P VR
  17. 18-70 mm/3.5-4.5G AF-S
  18. 18-105 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR [Thailand / China]
  19. 18-135 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S
  20. 18-140 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR [Thailand / China]
  21. 18-200 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR [Japan / China]
  22. 18-200 mm/3.5-5.6GII AF-S VR
  23. 18-300 mm/3.5-5.6G VR
  24. 18-300 mm/3.5-6.3G VR
  25. 55-200 mm/4-5.6G AF-S [black / silver, Japan / China]
  26. 55-200 mm/4-5.6G AF-S VR
  27. 55-200 mm/4-5.6GII ED VR
  28. 55-300 mm/4.5-5.6G AF-S VR
  29. 70-300 mm/4.5-6.3G AF-P
  30. 70-300 mm/4.5-6.3G AF-P VR
Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical on Nikon D3300

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical on Camera Nikon D3300

Results

Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical is an excellent standard high-aperture prime lens for cropped Nikon DX cameras. The lens has excellent sharpness and compactness, works on all digital SLRs Nikon. The lens has only one serious drawback - strong purple halos on the contrasting details of the image.

If you have any question about this lens, feel free to ask it in the comments and they’ll answer for sure. Also, in comments write your reviews, impressions, opinions and ratings of this lens.

UPDATE 1: A cheap similar lens went on sale in 2016 - Yongnuo 35mm 1: 2 (YN35mm F2N, for Nikon cameras, review at this link).

UPDATE 2: in 2020, a large overview of the premium lens appeared on Radozhiv Sigma 30mm 1: 1.4 DC A (Art).

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

Add a comment:

 

 

Comments: 990 on the topic: Review of the Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1: 1.8G SWM Aspherical

  • Dzmitry

    As an amateur I want a very sharp fix, I'm interested in sharpness on the Nic d70, the best would be Zuico 50mm 1.8 or 35mm 1.8?

    • Alexey

      Zuico 50mm 1.8 does not exist, there is Zuiko 50 1.8, but it is not so easy to put it on Nikon, you need to replace the mount. and the native Nikkor 35 1.8, which works only on crop cameras, is very, very good.

      • Dzmitry

        I found with an adapter, I'm only interested in the question of sharpness

        • Michael

          In terms of sharpness, the subject is doing well. You can watch the RAVs. Olik means old OM? He's definitely not a competitor. If you need even more resolution, you should pay attention to macro lenses.

  • Dim

    I want to leave my IMHO, as I myself am guided by this site when choosing equipment. In reality, the Sigma 30mm 1: 1.4 EX DC HSM is not analogous to this lens. I have both. First I took Sigma, and then this lens. Why? I took Sigma, when I had D40 and D90 in my hands (both served their purpose) on D40, when buying, it got up perfectly, and on D90 it was almost impossible to fall into focus, then D200 and D300 appeared on both, everything was more or less decent, then D3300 and D5200 (as a replacement for D40 and D90) and they have already defined it as manual - hello and goodbye. Sigma is big with huge lenses, weighty and metal, beautifully done; This lens is small, the size of the lenses cannot be compared with those installed on the Sigma, it is light and gives the impression of a toy, it is written on the Sigma that it is Japanese, on it it is Chinese, and you immediately believe in the first and second.

    • Specialist

      Dim, you described lenses as objects very well. What can you say about their optical properties, maybe they give a different picture or something else?

      • Dim

        I believe that Arkady's optical moments are nowhere better illuminated. And to be honest, I don't care much about their variations in fairly wide ranges, since there is a large selection of lenses and bodies. Rather, each of them is like some kind of dish - with its own flavor, it just needs to be tasted. Perhaps this attitude is due to the fact that I photograph mostly portraits. Accordingly, even the distortions that I have in the Sigma 10-20 do not seem to me to be any special problem or something worth thinking about. What immediately made itself felt was the increased "adequacy" of focusing when photographing with the D300 + 30 / 1.4 and D3300 + 35 / 1.8 sets, and here the new bundle has a clear plus, I really don't want to use the D300 + 30 / 1.4 indoors - this bundle, in general, may refuse to focus in low light. In the case when photographing children, this can be critical. And indeed Nikkor has ghosting and it even happens that many small details in a slight defocus are completely colored with ghosting color, for some it may be a problem. In Sigma, I did not notice such a pronounced coloring (maybe I just did not pay special attention), while it has a rather specific bokeh - with herringbones sometimes turning the background into something resembling a mess that was ripped with a knife, so to speak, but I must say that from it sometimes beautiful open portraits are obtained.

        • Michael

          Well Duc yes. Freezing and focus shift (you forgot about it or didn't notice it) are the main disadvantages of this lens.
          Sigma, by the way, is also not metal, but it is apparently made soundly

          • Dim

            I somehow put Sigma on something - a small dent appeared at the base (closer to the bayonet), a small piece of paint also fell off - there is clearly metal, although, of course, I cannot guarantee that the entire body is pure metal. Well, in the cold, it becomes cold, although this is not a plus.

            • Michael

              Interesting. The case looks like a 10-20

          • Victor

            Part of the body of this sigma is made of metal, as well as the internal structure is an entirely duralumin massive frame and almost all of it is made of metal. Even the ring ultrasonic motor is worth it. This is in contrast to the 35 1.8dx. And sigma has noticeably less chromaticity, thanks to special optical elements.

  • Sergei

    Greetings to all! Share your opinion)) Newbie (1 year) I have Nikon 3200. I tried Helios 44-4. Impressed. The photos for which I am not ashamed are on him. But this, as you understand, is for unhurried creative work. I wanted something similar, only with autofocus. According to colossal reviews, the choice fell on the 35 mm Nikon. I got it the other day. In general, either I'm doing something wrong. Or 35ku is greatly overpriced. Yesterday I conducted an experiment - I compared it with a whale 18-55. Sharpness with helios did not even try. Everything is clear there without an experiment. Now for the comparison. The famous aperture ratio isn't all that magic. On a whale with a stabilizer and having already got used to it, I did 1/10 without lubrication, but this does not work here. Well, that's okay. The most curious thing: a dark room, a tripod, a camera with an activated built-in flash (TTL mode), the kit changed lenses from time to time then 35ku. According to ISO settings: first 100, then auto with a limit of up to 1600. When analyzing on a computer monitor…. the whale is noticeably sharper and the picture is richer. This is a fiasco! In the afternoon I have not yet gone out with 35. But something tells me - no pleasant surprises should be expected. In this regard, I have for you, as an experienced photographer, a question: how to assess the above? Either they really praised the 35th, or does it show itself in a flash, and in normal daylight it will reveal itself? What do you think?

    • Andrei

      I believe that without sample photos, you poured a bucket of water and smeared it with a rag.

    • Victor

      In addition to the above, I think that, firstly, there is clearly not enough experience (if there is no idea where the luminosity can manifest itself), and secondly, it is rather funny to compare with the 35ku helicopter, it is still not a competitor to it.

      • Sergei

        If it's not difficult, share your experience, where all the same, in the highest degree, the luminosity manifests itself. I will be grateful.

        • Victor

          Obviously in all low-light traffic where the gimbal is virtually useless.

    • Specialist

      Victor, check your lens for front / back focus. 35 / 1,8DX will be sharper than the light zoom, and the saturation will not be worse.

      • Specialist

        Sorry, not Victor, but Sergey.

      • Sergei

        The lens is okay. Today I checked it on 2 different tables - the norm. Also in the afternoon I took a number of photographs - excellent. Conclusion: a bad dancer ...)) But seriously, working with him is noticeably different from a whale. You need to think differently when shooting. I already like it)) So we will develop. I thank everyone who responded.

    • Novel

      It was necessary to cover not the ISO, but the aperture for equivalent values. The whale can SEEM sharper because of the greater grip when photographing scenes with a large number of shots - who knows where you focus there, or maybe BE sharper, the difference is more than two stops of aperture.

      • Sergei

        Yes. I already figured it out. And so it was.

  • Andrei

    Is this motor so quiet? When shooting video, focusing is very audible even. Maybe I have a factory marriage?

    • Ivan

      For video - AF-P lenses. They are fast and quiet.

  • Alexey

    Hello! Please tell me, I have a nikon d5100 and lenses nikkor 16-85 3.5-5.6g ed dx and nikkor 50 mm 1.8g. is it worth taking 35 ku?

  • Vitalij

    They are sold second-hand with different plugs (some are white, others are black), and everyone writes that the originals, who knows why the plugs are different?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      they came with different, depending on the period

      • Vitalij

        i.e. white, theoretically, in newer
        lenses?

  • Ruslan Bond

    A marketer sees a marketer from afar, so I strongly advise you to take a full frame))
    Don't listen to anyone who says otherwise.

    By the way, the vignette there is absolutely predictable. It depends not only on the aperture, but on the distance to the object being shot. You will understand when the vignettes are not enough

  • Gregory

    Hello.
    I photographed clouds with this lens with a covered aperture up to f / 2,8.
    The sun was shining from behind, and on the other hand, thunderclouds were pumping up.

    https://disk.yandex.ru/i/oqiCe-E5E3Ur_Q

    I really liked the richness of the colors. What apertures will not lose color saturation?
    I also noticed that at aperture priority, pictures with f / 1,8 are exposed darker than at f / 2,8.
    The picture is actually darker.
    Camera Nikon D5600. The same picture on the camera Nikon D3300.

    • B. R. P.

      Do not close beyond 8. And better - 5,6+. 24 MP., diffraction, however.

  • Konstantin

    Hello! Advise a fast wide-angle lens on the d5200 crop. The task is to shoot video at concerts from the stage. There is 50mm, but the focal length is large, everything does not fit into the frame, and the whale is a bit dark. I would like 35mm, won't the focal length be large too? Maybe then something from 24mm?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      easier to use zoom, like Sigma 17-50 / 2.8 OS

  • Basil

    I don't understand something. I have this lens. On the d5100 it is very sharp at 1.8. On the d3300 and d5300, it is clearly soft on open ones somewhere up to 3.5. I checked on the target - there is no front or back focus. This is fine?

    • Andrei

      “I have this lens. On the d5100 it is very sharp at 1.8. On the d3300 and d5300, it is clearly soft on the open somewhere up to 3.5.”
      We need to figure out who has whom.

    • B. R. P.

      How many megapixels at 5100? 16. What about 3300 and 5300? 24. Here is your answer.

  • Novel

    Nobody compared 35mm1.8dx with 35mm 1.8 ed, maybe there were comparisons, there is very little information about full-frame 35k. better full frame for crop, is it really so?

  • giorgi

    Please review the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G ED lens

  • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

    Good day! Tell me, does it make sense if you already have 50 1.8 g?

  • Doctor Kos

    I purchased this lens after I walked around with the G-81M and saw the sharpness it was capable of; it surprised me after the kit one. And this one caught my eye. Now a used one is not very cheap, a new one is 20.000 rubles, in some places 18-19.
    I found a used one in new condition for 14.
    This is my favorite glass so far.
    Although I took the camera mainly for nature and “multi-layered” city landscapes with panels shot on a telephoto camera, but with this one I want to shoot everything, from the subject to the same panels.
    Very nice picture, good autofocus, I like the sharpness. Compact and looks reliable. This and Helios are my favorites right now.

  • Kekekeke

    Amazing lens. I bought it for myself and have never been disappointed. After the G-81M, I wanted a clear 50mm prime with autofocus (well, 35 on crop gives almost 50) - I got it. The whale went into a case and it is unlikely that I will ever get it out of my own free will.
    It has become my favorite glass, although I initially took the camera to photograph Gordian multi-layered landscapes on a telephoto camera, for birds and monuments, and for a week now I have been driving around with this 35mm without taking it off at all.
    Perhaps the best purchase for a camera.
    Clear, fast, draws beautifully, the photos immediately began to look more “expensive”.

Add a comment

Copyright © Radojuva.com. Blog author - Photographer in Kiev Arkady Shapoval. 2009-2023

English-version of this article https://radojuva.com/en/2011/03/obzor-nikkor-af-s-35mm-f1-8-dx/

Version en español de este artículo https://radojuva.com/es/2011/03/obzor-nikkor-af-s-35mm-f1-8-dx/