When I finally made the switch to the Nikon Zf, the first Z lens was last on my list.

The reviews for this 35mm f1.8 S were underwhelming, and I already had the 40? But after trying seven Nikon primes and a slew of third party glass, I landed back on this 35. Sure there’s the 35 1.4, and the brand new 1.2, but for street I pick this underrated 35mm f1.8S every single time:

There is a lens that could take its place, but it’s buried in Nikon’s archives.

Welcome to my lens buying guide for the Nikon Zf (street photography edition).

If you’re new to Nikon and the Zf, lenses can be an overwhelming decision, so today I’ll walk through all my favourite Z lenses for street photography in one video. I’ll compare my pick for street - the 35mm f1.8 S - against 7 Nikon lenses - all first party full-frame autofocusing primes. Street photographers usually only go as wide as 28, and as tight as 50, but today we’ll stretch the boundaries slightly.

I’ll rank each lens by optical performance as well as suitability for street, which of course includes portability. Ideally around 200 grams, but if we expand the weight cutoff to 500 grams it gives us access to some S-line glass.

The premium S badge is the new Gold Ring, yet it is an odd label for Nikon’s first Z lens.

Surely there’s room for improvement on any first attempt, and the reviews for the 35mm f1.8 S are mixed. Despite being the most expensive of the f1.8 trilogy some even call it the worst S-line prime, and this is just another example of the Hedonic treadmill.

The best is just a placeholder for what’s yet to come.

Comparison is the thief of joy?

40mm f2

Good thing then that most of us can stop at this first comparison, because the 40mm f2 is a joy to use. Only 170 grams, sticks out from the camera by less than 2 inches, and its modest price is even cheaper bundled with the Zf. The 35mm f1.8 S is more than triple the price, more than double the weight and length.

The 35 has more metal in it, including at the rubber gasketed lens mount, whereas the 40 is entirely plastic and has an unsealed mount. Nikon still says the 40 is dust and drip resistant, maybe plastic forms a tighter seal than metal.

This 40 was built for street photography, from 5 meters onwards it’s super sharp, wide open at f2 there’s enough falloff, and it’s has nice and silent autofocus even at night:

It’s good enough that it could be your only lens for the Zf, but there is one caveat.

Closeup is a letdown. It’s very smeary, the fringing and CA becomes even more apparent, and the 35 performs a lot better up close. In terms of pure optical performance the 40 is near the bottom of the list, the 35 is near the top, but for street I’d rank the 40’s sharpness and compact size as a tie or at least a very close second to the 35. If it’s clean results you’re after though, the 35 is better.

But when it comes to S glass there’s a next level pick.

50mm f1.8 S

Unlike the lukewarm reception the 35 f1.8S received, the 50 1.8S had near universal acclaim.

It’s an open secret that this is the best “nifty fifty” on the market, shame that most buyers won’t give it a second look.

This is next level image quality, flat field curvature makes it sharp corner to corner, the bokeh looks like a sheet of frosted glass sits just behind the subject, and I’ve never seen so many elements crammed in to a f1.8 lens. Its near apochromatic design means I’ve never seen fringing or CA in any normal use case, and unlike the 40 its performance at any distance is fantastic.

The main knock on the 50 f1.8S is that some think its look is bordering on clinical, in which case get the newer…

50mm f1.4

It has aberrations aplenty, but it’s almost just as sharp as the f1.8 S and the bokeh looks a bit more swirly and dreamy:

In terms of pure optical performance I’d put the 50mm f1.8S all the way at the top, above the 35, and the 50mm f1.4 a notch below but just above the 40, but neither of these 50s outrank the 40 or 35 when it comes to street.

An everyday street lens to me needs to serve double duty. I’m never just shooting street, also food, candid family portraits, and a 50 is too tight for most indoor settings. Even a 40mm can be too tight at times, which is why I went wide.

28mm f2.8

The 28mm f2.8 is the physical twin of the 40 at about the same price, and I think it’s optically the better lens. It’s sharper wide open, especially from mid distances on, but at its very close minimal focusing distance of 0.19 metres things get mushy. Even though the 28 is sharper than the 40, you need to get much closer on a 28 to get the shot - you’ll see the softness up close more often unless you stop down - bokeh is not a strong suit of any 28 anyway:

Its autofocus is fast and silent, super useful on the street if you’re a 28 shooter, but the shallower depth of field of the 35mm f1.8 S or the 40mm f2 give you an extra creative tool.

Just like on the 40, you can see fringing in the highlights with this 28, but it still has some vintage character, compared to the supposedly “clinical” S-line glass.

35mm f1.4

When I bought my copy of the 35mm f1.8S, there were no other Z mount 35s, but today there are 3 native options.

I won’t be buying the 35mm f1.2, f1.8 is fast enough for me, but if it’s not fast enough for you there’s now 1.4. It’s identical in size to the f1.8S, but is optimised more for lens character. It’s not as sharp, and also less corrected. Bigger bokeh balls, more catseye around the corners for that soap bubble effect. It doesn’t handle flaring, or fringing anywhere near as well as the f1.8 S, but the extra light gathering, smoother falloff, and lower price tag make it very appealing:

f1.4 is much easier to sell than f1.8, and even though I prefer the f1.8 S, for most new Zf shooters the f1.4 makes more sense. For optical performance I would rank the 35mm 1.4 below the 50mm 1.4, but above the 28mm f2.8, but I wish it came in an even smaller form factor.

The mystery lens I’ve been using this week (more at the end of this blog) might be the perfect size, which is why the 35 1.2 is a non starter (for me). Early reviews indicate it’s leaning more towards the clinical well corrected side, perfect for pro event photographers who need the clean reproduction, but for me there’s just no need to lug around all that glass.

The f1.8 might already be too big to some, in which case you have to consider Nikon’s smallest Z lens.

26mm f2.8

The 26mm is the smallest Nikon full frame Z lens, a true pancake amongst the muffin-like form factors of the 28mm and 40mm.

To make it this small the lens barrel does extend when focusing, so I always use the included lens hood to protect the protruding element. But my goodness it’s sharp - yes even up close, and it focuses about as close as the 28mm at 0.2 meters, due to its all element focusing design.

The corners aren’t as sharp, but it’s almost as sharp as the 35mm f1.8S in the center at a fraction of the size. The fringing is there but well-controlled, and flare resistance is great, just like on the 35mm 1.8S. But despite the fantastic form factor there is distortion. Anything around the corners has a lot of vignetting and if your camera’s not level there’s also warping:

For leading lines that perspective distortion can give you a very different look, but if there people in frame they’ll look distorted too. Optically the 26mm f2.8 is just shy of the 35mm f1.8 S, better than the f1.4 lineup, its usability on the street lower than the 28mm.

If I want my subjects to look natural, as flattering as possible, I’ll need to go to the other end of the spectrum.

85mm f1.8 S

The last of the f1.8S trio is not my everyday street lens, but it is my most-used travel lens.

It’s too tight for family shots or everyday carry, but when travelling I’m trying to get unique coverage of all the tourist spots. It’s better corrected than the 35mm f1.8S, sharper than it as well, but compared to the 50mm f1.8 S it’s a little softer in the corners.

For travel photography I want accurate reproduction to preserve those memories, I’m OK spending the time to soften an image in post. Optically this 85mm is second on my list, but how about for street?

Not only is this 85 on the heavier side, though at 480 grams it skirts just below the 500 gram threshold, this focal length is too tight for an everyday carry street lens. Even though I love it, and I do use it for street, given how allergic street shooters tend to be towards longer focal lengths it goes to the bottom of that list.

Is the First Z lens now the Worst Value?

Where does that leave us with the 35mm f1.8 S? In retrospect it is the least impressive S lens in the f1.8 trilogy optically, but in terms of usability for street it’s near the very top.

Out of the f1.8S trio the 35 is the one that has the most charm, or at least a dash of soul, it’s not perfectly corrected for aberrations. You’ll see fringing on the 35 1.8, both green and purple, in unpredictable lighting when it’s hard to underexpose, but it doesn’t flare or lose much contrast due to the arneo coatings.

Its bokeh has a little of that soap bubble effect, which when coupled to its sharp performance at any distance?

A nice blend of modern and vintage.

Its aberrations add a little more character to the clinical look of the S-line, and its optical performance beats the f1.4 if not the massive f1.2.

If there’s one thing I’d change in a mark 2 version of this f1.8S, it’s size.

If it was two thirds of the length I’d be happy with f2 over f1.8, even if it’s not any better corrected or a little less sharp. Leave room for an aperture ring if I’m greedy?

But I’m very content with the 35mm f1.8S, comparison is the thief of joy after all, and if it’s the vintage look you’re after just stick with the 40mm f2, and 28mm f2.8. Fill the rest of your bag with vintage glass, because small but flawed lenses can make the everyday feel other worldly.

If you have to have a 35 and think the f1.8 S is too expensive, consider:

A used 35mm f1.8S (with a pro mist filter for optional vintage look)
A 35mm f1.4 (new or used), OR

My new favourite option.

35mm from the Archives

The lens most of us want for the Zf is a full frame 35mm 2 with autofocus, aperture ring, that’s sharp but not too clinical in its rendering. Why can’t Nikon give us what we want?

Turns out they already have.

Nikon 35mm f2 AF-D. Optically it’s right at the bottom of the list compared to the rest of the lenses we’ve talked about today - Z mount is optically better than F-mount after all.

But it’s absolutely tiny on any F-mount DSLR. Still very small when adapted on the Zf, although it becomes manual focus only.

I’m firmly in the middle of the clinical vs character debate, but by default smaller lenses have the advantage, especially if they have a whirling lens barrel, clicky aperture ring, and that beautiful tactile feel.

I’m going to try the 35mm f2 AF-D on the DF as my everyday setup for the next few weeks, as a reminder of how it feels not being on the hedonic treadmill for once.

Street photography doesn’t have to be anything more than this?

Happy shooting everyone, talk soon.

Jack.

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