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.
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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.