Nikon just announced the first f/1.4 lens for the mirrorless Z system, the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4. That’s the full name of this lens; there’s no “S” designation, which is a bit of a surprise. Another surprise is the price: At $600, it’s even cheaper than the f/1.8 version!
The behind-the-scenes story of this lens’s development must be an interesting one, because I don’t think that a more affordable 35mm f/1.4 was Nikon’s original plan. I’m basing that assumption on Nikon’s own roadmap, which has had an unknown 35mm S-line lens on it since September of 2022. Most photographers, including me, expected it to be an f/1.2 lens to match the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.2 S and 85mm f/1.2 S lenses – maybe it still will be, and this new 35mm f/1.4 could be something different. (Though either way, the roadmap was supposed to cover “through 2023” – clearly something unusual happened during the 35mm S-line lens’s development.)
But whatever the reason for the discrepancy with the roadmap, I’m excited about what Nikon chose to release instead. The Z 35mm f/1.4 is lightweight, inexpensive, and bright. If the image quality is up to par, there’s going to be a lot to like about it, especially for genres like street photography and event photography. The potential audience is certainly much broader than we would have seen with a $2500+ 35mm f/1.2 S monster.
Specifications
- Full Name: Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4
- Mount Type: Nikon Z Mount
- Focal Length: 35mm prime
- Angle of View (Full Frame): 63°
- Angle of View (APS-C): 44°
- Maximum Aperture: f/1.4
- Minimum Aperture: f/16
- Aperture Blades: 9
- Filter Size: 62mm
- Lens Elements: 11
- Lens Groups: 9
- Special Elements: 2 aspherical
- Image Stabilization: No
- Internal Focusing: Yes
- Control Rings: Focus, custom
- Function Button: No
- Switches: None
- Focus Motor: STM
- Minimum Focus Distance: 27 cm (11 inches)
- Maximum Magnification: 0.18× (1:5.6)
- Mount Material: Metal
- Weather/Dust Sealing: Yes
- Dimensions (Length × Diameter): 87 x 75 mm (3.5 x 2.9 inches)
- Weight: 415 g (0.91 lbs)
- MSRP: $599 (Pre-order here)
Analysis
At $600, the new Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4 is less expensive than the current Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S, which retails for $850 but is often on sale for $700 (including right now). The f/1.4 lens is only a hair heavier – 415 grams versus 370 grams – and the two are almost exactly the same size. Yet the new 35mm lens is 2/3 of a stop brighter, giving you more flexibility when you’re working in low light or need a shallow depth of field.
The remaining question is image quality. So far, Nikon has been pretty accurate about labeling their lenses as S-line or not. It wouldn’t surprise me if the new 35mm f/1.4 is a little weaker optically than the 35mm f/1.8 S, especially in the corners at wider apertures. But if the performance is good enough – which I expect it will be, although everyone’s standards vary – then the value proposition of this new lens will be very compelling. Compared to all other first-party 35mm f/1.4 lenses available today, it’s easily the lightest and least expensive.
I look forward to testing the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4 to see if it supplants the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S as my top recommendation at this focal length for Nikon mirrorless cameras!
Pre-Order
The Nikon Z 35mm f/1.4 is scheduled to ship on July 18th and will retail for $599. You can pre-order it and check availability at the links below:
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Product Photos
Official Sample Photos and Crops
Along with the product photos and real-world photos of the Z 35mm f/1.4, Nikon also provided a series of JPEG sample photos. All of them are from 24 megapixel cameras, but from what I can see, the lens looks sharp even at f/1.4 (though the photos don’t allow us to examine the most demanding condition, namely f/1.4 sharpness in the corners).
A couple of these images weren’t provided with EXIF data for whatever reason, but I’ve published all the images with 100% crops for your examination:
Press Release
FAST AND AFFORDABLE: NIKON RELEASES THE NIKKOR Z 35MM F/1.4, A NATURAL WIDE-ANGLE LENS FOR THE NIKON Z MOUNT
Elevate Your Artistry with the Latest NIKKOR Z Prime Lens
MELVILLE, NY (June 26, 2024) – Today Nikon announced the release of the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4, a wide-angle prime lens that is compatible with Z mount full-frame/FX format mirrorless cameras. This fast, versatile lens offers a natural angle of view, popular among street and portrait photographers, with the creative freedom provided by a bright maximum aperture of f/1.4–all at an affordable price.
Not only does the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 allow users to enjoy beautiful soft bokeh and three-dimensional rendering at wide apertures, its versatile 35mm focal length and short minimum focus distance of 10.6 in. (0.27 m) make it ideal for capturing a wide variety of scenes and subjects. From landscapes and street photography to portraits and photos of flowers and pets, photographers and filmmakers will enjoy outstanding sharpness, beautifully-blurred backgrounds and exceptional versatility in low light.
Despite its large f/1.4 maximum aperture the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 is a great “carry everywhere” lens for day-to-day shooting, weighing just 14.6 oz (415 g) and measuring only 3.4 in. (86.5mm)1 in length.
The superior optical performance unique to NIKKOR Z lenses allows for clear images with outstanding clarity including close-up portraits that emphasize the subject with a pleasant background blur. Stopping down the aperture when photographing landscapes realizes incredible sharpness. As a wide-angle prime lens with superior cost performance, the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 supports the capture of a wide variety of scenes and subjects, and will appeal to a wide variety of enthusiast creators.
Primary features of the Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4:
- Beautiful bokeh: Max aperture of f/1.4 allows photographers and filmmakers to achieve smooth, creamy out of focus backgrounds while precisely controlling depth-of-field for ideal subject and background separation.
- Versatile focal length: The 35mm focal length is close to that of human vision, making it ideal for capturing a wide range of scenes and subjects. On DX format Z cameras, the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 becomes a 52mm equivalent prime lens, close to the classic “standard” 50mm.
- Close minimum focus: Close focus of just 10.6 in (0.27 m) is ideal for capturing details in food and flowers with a beautifully blurred background.
- Compact and well-balanced: The NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 weighs just 14.6 oz (415 g), making it is easy to carry and comfortable to use for hand-held shooting.
- Fast and quiet autofocus: The use of a stepping motor (STM) for autofocus ensures fast and quiet autofocus for both stills and video.
- Clickless control ring: Easily control key exposure settings including aperture, ISO sensitivity and exposure compensation.
- Suppressed focus breathing: Advanced optical design means the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4’s focal length stays consistent during focusing, which is ideal when recording video.2
- Dust and drip-resistant: Seals throughout the design help prevent dust and water droplets from entering the lens.3
Price and Availability
The new Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 lens will be available in mid July 2024 for a suggested retail price of $599.95.* For more information about the latest Nikon products, including the extensive lineup of NIKKOR Z lenses and the entire range of Z series cameras, please visit Nikonusa.com.
About Nikon
Nikon Inc. is a world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and technologies for photo and video capture; globally recognized for setting new standards in product design and performance for an award-winning array of equipment that enables visual storytelling and content creation. Nikon Inc. distributes consumer and professional Z Series mirrorless cameras, digital SLR cameras, a vast array of NIKKOR and NIKKOR Z lenses, Speedlights and system accessories, Nikon COOLPIX® compact digital cameras and Nikon software products. For more information, dial (800) NIKON-US or visit www.nikonusa.com, which links all levels of photographers and visual storytellers to the Web’s most comprehensive learning and sharing communities. Connect with Nikon on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
# # #
Specifications, equipment, and release dates are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer.
*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.
- Distance to end of lens from camera lens mount flange.
- Focus breathing may be noticeable depending on the distance between the lens and the subject due to the characteristics of the lens.
- Thorough dust- and drip-resistance is not guaranteed in all situations or under all conditions.
As a street photographer, this lens looks amazing. Cheap, fast, and a great focal length.
I find the large rear element of this lens interesting relative to the Z 35mm f1.8, and other lenses for that matter. How it affects the boleh and vignetting. Ricci gave some interesting examples regarding the round bikes balls, and even dropped the Plena word bomb at one point. Obviously it’s not a Plena, but I repeat, the large rear elements are interesting.
One another note, The MRF chart is for the lens wide open. For across the frame sharpness the photographer will have to stop down (what?! lol).
I’ll keep my Sigma 35 mm f1.4 art
As a 35mm shooter, I’m generally happy to see this, except that I really don’t like a clickless control ring… If the intention is to cater to Zf users with a “vintage” classic camera feel, then it would have been much better if there was an option to enable/disable clicking.
I already have a 35mm f1.8 z and an adapted manual Zeiss Loxia 35mm f2 on my Z8, but I don’t see it tempting me to replace either or them.
I wonder if Nikon is responding a bit to the flood of budget optics being offered by a number of 3rd party manufacturers. Tamron has started making Z lenses, for one, and there are a number of other lensmakers (Viltrox, Meike,) doing the same. Just a thought… I’m still using my old 35mm Nikon F (with FTZ), so this might be a good choice for me.
Not to be argumentative, but to state “On paper the winner is definitely the Z 35mm f1.4” is highly questionable. It’s only advantage over the Nikkor 35mm f1.8 “S” lens is it is $250.00 cheaper (only $100 currently) and is 2/3rds of a stop faster which is pretty much negligible, bokeh will not be amazingly superior by any means. The 35mm f1.8 offers many benefits justifying the additional cost: 1) It’s an “S” Series Lens; 2) It has a A/M switch on the body; 3) It has 2 ED glass elements vs 0 and 3 aspherical elements vs 2; 3) It has Nano and Super Integrated Coating on the lens vs None on the f1.4 version, that’s a big deal and 4) It is slightly smaller and lighter. Right now I would spend the $100.00 extra for the 1.8 version personally.
That’s fair, I deleted that sentence.
I mostly agree with your argument and with your conclusion, but super integrated coating is the standard coating they apply to everything. Pretty sure the new lens has that, too.
NIKKOR Lens Glossary
Nikon Super Integrated Coating
“This coating system is applied to all current lenses in the NIKKOR lineup.”
imaging.nikon.com/imagi…/glossary/
Well I’m glad they have something, silly though that they don’t mention it in their advertising or spec sheet. Always seem to find things not fully disclosed in spec sheets.
Nikon has been using its proprietary super integrated coatings (SIC) for decades, serving two purposes:
1. reducing air-to-lens and lens-to-air surface reflections thereby reducing glare, ghosting, and flare; and increasing transmission and contrast.
2. fine-tuning spectral transmission in order to obtain colour rendering consistency (rather than arbitrary accuracy) across the product range.
Something ceases to be a noteworthy product feature when it’s applied across the product range.
I can’t think of a modern camera lens, from any manufacturer, that doesn’t have multi-coated lens groups. Can you?
What a disappointment. As a Nikon & Sony user, I swapped my Z 35 mm f/1.8 for the Sony 35 mm f/1.4 GM, which is excellent. I hoped Nikon would come up with something better, a f/1.2 lens.
Nikon Rumors is saying that there’s still going to be a 35mm f/1.2, so we’ll see. This lens may be the start of a new budget f/1.4 line, rather than a replacement for the mystery 35mm S-line lens on the roadmap.
Isn’t Nikon’s strategy to employ only f/1.8 and f/1.2 max apertures to it’s fastest lenses exclusive only to S-line lenses? The 35mm f/1.4 is NOT an S-line lens, so the f/1.8 & f/1.2 strategy does not apply in this case.
I am just hoping they are planning to release a relatively light 200mm f/1.8 super tele with a built-in 1.4x TC. Wouldn’t that be an optical blast!?!
Nikon had a strategy, now they have a new (expanded) one.
Nikon Ricci is also saying the 35mm F1.2 IS STILL COMING after the release of the 35mm f1.4. So its a win win as far as I see it.
www.youtube.com/watch…fFe2eR8wtk
Go to 11:03 you can see a sample image. The corner sharpness, the coma, the chromatic aberration… look really bad to me. 35mm 1.8s is by far a better lens.
Yeah, that looks pretty bad in the top-left corner. The bottom-right corner looks better (though not perfect). Seems like there’s high coma on this lens at f/1.4, unless he was using a cheap UV filter while filming that segment.
Very interesting announcement! I could see this being a potential big hit with lots of different photographers, especially for events, where maximum sharpness is not typically the most important thing. If it is good enough wide open, I could see getting this for weddings instead of the 35 1.8 or the 40 f2
Agreed, it all comes down to the performance. I don’t expect it to beat the 35mm f/1.8 in sharpness, but if it’s good (say, similar in quality to the F-mount 35mm f/1.4), I think it will be a popular choice.
In the very old AI days lenses fit into a rigid hierarchy of cost, aperture and performance. Brighter was more expensive and optically better, most of the time. I think it’s a good sign that Nikon is recalibrating and offering things outside this rigid system. The 1.8 S primes were criticized and defended in reviews for being expensive, premium, excellent, but also “just” f1.8. So here you go: lower cost, probably performs just fine, and it’s f1.4. Nikon may also have determined just how many super duper 35/1.2 S stellar performers they could actually sell. Less expensive should not always equate to a slower maximum aperture. If it’s more affordable, outstanding when stopped down even if less than perfect wide open, that’s a compromise a lot of people will go for. Perhaps this is the beginning of a new approach. It’s a nifty 35 without being a plastic apology like the 40/2.
I agree, it’s not a bad approach to make the f/1.8 line have maximum image quality, and the f/1.4 line remain relatively portable. A lot of photographers who need maximum sharpness don’t need a bright maximum aperture, and vice versa. (If Nikon continues it, the f/1.2 line would be available for those who need both.)