With its DX designation, this 35mm f/1.8 from Nikon has been designed to work specifically with Nikon D-SLRs with APS-C sized sensorsThe Nikon 35mm F/1.8g AF-S DX offers an equivalent focal length of 52.5mm thanks to the 1.5x crop factor. The lens features a nice wide maximum aperture of f/1.8 allowing you to easily defocus the background and offering plenty of scope to shoot in low light should you wish.
The Nikon 35mm F/1.8g AF-S DX features Nikon’s AF-S motor to reduce the noise of AF operation while also benefiting D40/40x/60/ 3000/5000 users (these models don’t have an AF motor in the body, so they need the lens’s AF-S motor to focus). The design is relatively compact, and while the build is a step-up from the kit lens with a metal lens mount, the finish is predominantly plastic.
In use, the focus is smooth and very quiet thanks to the AF-S motor. It’s not phenomenally quick, but it locks on without hassle and focuses pretty close at 30cm. The manual focus ring is finished with a rubberised grip and while not as smooth as we’d quite like through the range, it does allow for a decent level of control when in manual focus – there’s also a handy MF/AF switch on the side of the lens.
The focal length is almost spot-on that of the classic standard and offers a nice maximum aperture of f/1.8. Performance-wise, it’s very good – the AF is incredibly quiet in action and though not lightning-fast, it locks on with ease. The manual focus ring offers smooth control and image quality is strong, especially between f/8-11, where it delivers excellent results. All this, and the £169 price-tag, makes it one of the most affordable lenses available in the Nikon line-up. If you’ve got a Nikon DX-format D-SLR, then this deserves a place in your camera bag.
Digital Photo Gold Award
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