Post 59: Nikon 35mm f/1.8G DX Review

The Nikon 35mm f/1.8G DX was the first additional lens I ever bought for my camera. My first camera was a Nikon D3100 that my parents bought for me along with the 18-55mm and 55-200mm kit lenses. After learning a thing or two about lenses, apertures, and photography in general, I was eager to get as far away as possible from the two lenses that came with my camera.

Until I got the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G, the 35mm was pretty much the only lens I used. The only time I would ever switch lenses is if I needed a telephoto (and by "telephoto," I mean the 200mm end). I loved this lens when I first got it. It let in much more light than the 18-55 did, and taking a few steps closer or further away from my subject wasn't that big of a deal. However, as my knowledge of lenses and photography grew, I began to notice the flaws in this lens.

First of all, this lens is a DX lens, which means it's only for cropped sensor cameras. It can be used on a full-frame camera, but, as I understand it, only in DX mode. Why anyone would want to do this when the better 50mm 1.8G is around the same price is beyond me. I have also heard that when a full frame lens is on a cropped sensor body, more of the middle of the glass is being used, which equals better image quality. I don't know if this is true or not, but I'm not going to take any chances if I don't have to.

While reading reviews of this lens, it received a lot of praise, and I remember one review stating how sharp it was. I would have to disagree. I don't think the sharpness of this lens is anything worth mentioning for more than two to three sentences. I also thing the overall image quality of this lens is lacking.

However, after considering the drawbacks of this lens, one also has to consider what this lens is. It's one of most inexpensive lenses Nikon makes at just under $200. Not only is this lens inexpensive, but this lens also offers a maximum aperture of f/1.8. And most importantly, 35mm on a cropped sensor body roughly has the same angle of view as a 50mm lens does on a full-frame body, which gives about the same angle of view as the human eye. This focal length is extremely popular among photographers, and is one of the only reasons I even use this lens.

Would I ever use this lens in a professional setting? Probably not. I would if I couldn't get everything I needed to into the frame with my 50mm, but I can promise I would try every possible angle with my 50mm before pulling out the 35mm. Would I replace this lens if it were stolen? Yes, but with the new 35mm 1.8G ED that Nikon just released, even if the new 35mm costs three times as much.

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