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Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens USA

  • Price: $196.95
  • B&H # NI3518DXAF
  • Mfr# 2183

DX lenses are NOT recommended for use with FX "full-frame" digital, 35mm or APS SLR cameras.

This item can only be shipped to a US address.

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To fulfill the needs of digital photographers owning Nikon cameras with DX-sized sensors, Nikon produces the 35mm f/1.8 AF-S DX Lens.

This lens produces an angle of view similar to what a 50mm lens would produce on a full-frame/FX camera and thusly functions as a "normal" lens. Prior to the digital explosion, most shooters would begin their exploration into the world of photography with a "normal" lens with a large maximum aperture.

A lens of this type is the traditional standby for low-light shooting, careful composition, and street shooting. This 35mm f/1.8 Nikkor lens recreates that experience for DX format shooters who have been seeking a comparable "normal" lens.

Fast "Normal" Lens
The 35mm focal length closely matches a 50mm lens in the FX format. This is perceived to be a natural lens as it provides an undistorted angle of view that is similar to what the unaided human eye perceives.
Versatile
A desirable lens for low-light, travel, environmental portraiture and overall general photography.
Contains an Aspherical Lens Element
The incorporation of an aspherical element minimizes coma and other lens aberrations, further improving image integrity.
Super Integrated Coating (SIC)
This lens coating enhances light transmission efficiency and offers superior color consistency with reduced flare.
Nikon Silent Wave Motor (SWM)
The motor embedded in the body of the lens enables fast, accurate and quiet autofocusing.
7-blade Diaphragm
A rounded iris produces a more natural rendering of out-of-focus image elements.
Close Focusing
The 35mm f/1.8 AF-S can focus as close as one foot.
Performance
Focal Length 35 mm
Aperture Maximum: f/1.8
Minimum: f/22
Camera Mount Type Nikon F
Format Compatibility Nikon DX
FX in DX Crop Mode
Angle of View 44°
Minimum Focus Distance 11.81" (30 cm)
Magnification 0.16x
Maximum Reproduction Ratio 1:6.25
Groups/Elements 6/8
Diaphragm Blades 7
Features
Image Stabilization No
Autofocus Yes
Tripod Collar No
Physical
Filter Thread 52 mm
Dimensions (DxL) Approx. 2.8 x 2.1" (7.11 x 5.33 cm)
Weight 7.05 oz (200 g)

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens
 
4.7

(based on 1065 reviews)

Ratings Distribution

  • 5 Stars

     

    (816)

  • 4 Stars

     

    (228)

  • 3 Stars

     

    (14)

  • 2 Stars

     

    (4)

  • 1 Stars

     

    (3)

99%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

  • Fast / accurate auto-focus (1000)
  • Lightweight (916)
  • Consistent output (600)
  • Easily interchangeable (524)
  • Nice bokeh (351)

Cons

  • Weak casing (70)
  • Slow focus (63)
  • Blurry focus (20)
  • Poor in low light (9)
  • Tough to attach (9)

Best Uses

  • Low light (655)
  • Night photography (528)
  • Weddings (320)
  • Landscape/scenery (313)
  • General purpose (187)
    • Reviewer Profile:
    • Photo enthusiast (452), Casual photographer (183), Semi-pro photographer (158), Enthusiast (130), Pro photographer (45)
    • Was this a gift?:
    • No (483), Yes (37)

Most Liked Positive Review

 

Excellent value-for-dollar, lots of fun.

This new Nikkor design betters the older AF 35mm F/2D in a couple of important respects- a nice accomplishment given the ackowledged quality of the 35mm F/2D. The new lens exhibits significantly ...Read complete review

This new Nikkor design betters the older AF 35mm F/2D in a couple of important respects- a nice accomplishment given the ackowledged quality of the 35mm F/2D. The new lens exhibits significantly better sharpness wide open and the bokeh is noticeably smoother, particularly at f/5.6 to f/8. All for a less than 2/3 the cost of the original. Build quality is more than adequate, not a tank but certainly strong enough to serve a reasonably careful shooter for a long time to come. The AF/S motor is fast, though that was really not an issue with the old screw-drive lens. It extends the functionality to all of Nikon's modern DX bodies, including those like the D40(x) and D60 that lack an internal focus motor. Contrast is very nice, sharpness from wide open on is fine, and the tendency to have a bit more chromatic aberration than would be ideal is the limiting factor when shooting very contrast or backlit scenes. For the money, this is Nikon's latest no-brainer choice. It has taken that mantle, in my opinion, from the 50mm f/1.8D for owners of DX Nikon digital bodies.

VS

Most Liked Negative Review

 

Not too shabby

I've been using this lens as my normal lens on a d90 now, taking the place of my 50mm f/1.8 Series E. There are two things about the 35mm that it does better ...Read complete review

I've been using this lens as my normal lens on a d90 now, taking the place of my 50mm f/1.8 Series E. There are two things about the 35mm that it does better for me. First, I like the field of view for 35mm a lot more than 50mm on a dx camera. Second, this lens is sharper than my 50mm f/1.8E. Unfortunately it seems to do about everything else than my 50mm, despite being a 20 year newer design. I'll hit on some strengths and weaknesses:

Strengths:
Size - not too much to say here..it's big enough for a great reasonable grip, the MF ring is easy to find. Nothing to complain about here.

Sharpness - it's usually pretty good in this respect, so good in fact I think that causes problems when it comes to the transition between in focus and out of focus, and the bokeh quality, but more on that later. This lens is a 3.5 out of 5 on sharpness in my book - pretty good with lenses like the 75-150 Series E getting a 4.5 and the 180/2.8 AIS (legendary) getting a 5. Do avoid being wide open when going for sharpness (as with about every other lens on the planet) but it doesn't take much stopping down for it to get its act together. At f/2.5 its output is pretty good.

Volume - it's AF motor is quiet. I can't think of any scenario in which it may be a problem.

Flare resistance - I haven't felt the need to use the supplied hood.

Weaknesses:
Image Quality - the lens is sharp, but the transition between the in focus areas and the out of focus areas is a clearly visible line. I'll avoid shallow depth of field photos with this lens. It's just disappointing.

- in addition the quality of the out of focus areas (bokeh) hasn't been so spectacular in my book. It's just not that smooth. The moderately fast aperture allows you to throw the background out of focus fairly easily, but with the quality of the oof areas leaves that fast aperture is for light gathering, not depth of field control, in my book.

Controls - I'm used to vintage lenses with a proper aperture control, using this G lens is simply put silly. The two control dials on my d90 that I must use with this lens to set exposure is such a clunky design. I can't believe it's the best Canon, Nikon, Pentax, all the dSLR makers have come up with. A proper aperture control ring puts both hands into play engaging more of the body. With an AF-S G lens my left hand has nothing to do, and it leaves me feeling more disconnected from the picture taking.

Bundled pouch - the pouch bundled for this lens is a joke.

Bottom line --
If you're looking for a lens to mount to take photos of friends that can handle the dark this is a great, inexpensive option. If you're looking for anything that involves throwing the background out of focus I'd look elsewhere.

REVIEWS

Reviewed by 1065 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-20

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5.0

Perfect lens for indoor shots

By Cool Mom

from Humboldt, KS

About Me Photo Enthusiast

Verified Buyer

Pros

  • Consistent Output
  • Durable
  • Easily Interchangeable
  • Fast / accurate auto-focus
  • Lightweight
  • Nice Bokeh

Cons

    Best Uses

    • Indoors/Low Light
    • Macro Photography

    Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

    Great little lens for just about anything. I use it mostly for indoor shots. I also like it for food photography. This is the lens I grab before any of the others.

    • Was this a gift?:
    • No

    Share this review

     
    5.0

    The one lens I always have with me.

    By John

    from Ashland, Ohio

    About Me Casual Photographer

    Verified Buyer

    Pros

    • Consistent Output
    • Durable
    • Easily Interchangeable
    • Fast / accurate auto-focus
    • Lightweight
    • Nice Bokeh
    • Rugged
    • Strong Construction

    Cons

      Best Uses

      • Indoors/Low Light
      • Landscape/Scenery
      • Night Photography
      • Weddings/Events

      Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

      This 35mm 1.8 G DX lens is light weight but rugged. I replaced my 50mm 1.8 lens with this one. Much more versatile and the photos are tack sharp. I don't leave the house without it. Great for street shooting as well as indoors. Also the perfect landscape lens. If your thinking about getting one I highly recommend this lens.

      • Was this a gift?:
      • No

      Share this review

       
      5.0

      Glad I jumped

      By Ben the family man

      from Cincinnati, OH

      About Me Photo Enthusiast

      Verified Reviewer

      Pros

      • Fast / accurate auto-focus
      • Lightweight
      • Nice Bokeh

      Cons

        Best Uses

        • Indoors/Low Light
        • Sports/Action
        • Weddings/Events

        Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

        This was purchased for shooting my kids. My 18-105 is great outdoors but struggled inside. This is fantastic indoors. My shutter speeds at ISO200 went from 1/2 to 1/13th, at higher ISO's is so easy where i was shooting around 800-1600 im not very comfortable at ISO400 on my D40. Bokeh is fantastic, AF is fast and accurate, and it is sharp though admittedly I'm NOT a pixle peeper.

        It takes some getting used to not having any zoom, but in the end the speed is well worth it. Its very light which makes carrying it around much easier.

        • Was this a gift?:
        • No

        Share this review

         
        4.0

        must have!

        By Athens_Nikon

        from Athens, OH

        About Me Photo Enthusiast

        Verified Buyer

        Pros

        • Great depth of field

        Cons

          Best Uses

          • Indoors/Low Light
          • Weddings/Events

          Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

          Great for indoor shots w/o flash. So easy to create a lot of depth of field with this lens. No complaints

          • Was this a gift?:
          • No

          Share this review

           
          4.0

          Joe pleased

          By Joe nikon

          from Southaven, Ms

          About Me Semi-pro Photographer

          Verified Buyer

          Pros

          • Durable

          Cons

            Best Uses

              Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

              Quick shipping, good picture with low light condition, very good flur backgound..

              Share this review

               
              5.0

              Excellent Lens!

              By Dr. Hijiki

              from San Francisco, CA

              About Me Casual Photographer

              Verified Buyer

              Pros

              • Durable
              • Lightweight

              Cons

                Best Uses

                • Indoors/Low Light

                Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

                This is a great super light lens.It's great in low light, fast, and perfect as a normal lens on a DX body.What I love about this lens the most is it's size, much easier to use than bulky zoom lenses. The best part is the price, only [$] for fast glass.If you shoot DX, this is the prime lens everyone HAS to have.

                • Was this a gift?:
                • No

                Share this review

                 
                5.0

                Very Nice Lens

                By thabesh

                from Boulder, CO

                About Me Photo Enthusiast

                Verified Buyer

                Pros

                • Consistent Output
                • Fast / accurate auto-focus
                • Lightweight
                • Nice Bokeh

                Cons

                  Best Uses

                  • Indoors/Low Light
                  • Landscape/Scenery

                  Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

                  this has been a great addition to my DX format camera and allows me to more easily get good shots indoors without using a flash unit as you cannot do that all of the time. I intend to use this as a single lens when traveling as well as I've been really happy with its all around sharpness under a lot of different conditions. Long-term, we'll see how it holds up but it seems to be a durable product.

                  • Was this a gift?:
                  • No

                  Share this review

                   
                  5.0

                  great

                  By Khoi

                  from Seattle, WA

                  About Me Photography Student

                  Verified Buyer

                  Pros

                  • Consistent Output
                  • Fast / accurate auto-focus
                  • Lightweight
                  • Strong Construction

                  Cons

                  • Poor in Low Light
                  • Weak Casing

                  Best Uses

                  • Indoors/Low Light
                  • Landscape/Scenery
                  • Night Photography

                  Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

                  basic lens for Nikon

                  • Was this a gift?:
                  • No

                  Share this review

                   
                  5.0

                  Great lens, great price!

                  By StaceyLiza

                  from SC

                  About Me Photo Enthusiast

                  Verified Buyer

                  Pros

                  • Consistent Output
                  • Durable
                  • Easily Interchangeable
                  • Fast / accurate auto-focus
                  • Lightweight

                  Cons

                    Best Uses

                    • Indoors/Low Light
                    • Weddings/Events

                    Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

                    I've really enjoyed this lens for using inside. It gives a bit more room than the 50mm in close spaces but is similar in quality to the 50mm. I've really enjoyed using it!

                    • Was this a gift?:
                    • No

                    Share this review

                     
                    5.0

                    My new favorite lens

                    By Skinny

                    from Oxford, MI

                    About Me Casual Photographer

                    Verified Buyer

                    Pros

                    • Consistent Output
                    • Easily Interchangeable
                    • Fast / accurate auto-focus
                    • Strong Construction

                    Cons

                      Best Uses

                      • Indoors/Low Light
                      • Portrait

                      Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

                      My favorite shots are candids with short depth of fields to apply max focus to the subject. This fits the bill. The f/1.8 also comes in handy for shooting indoors without (fill)flash. The auto focus works well enough but most of the time I either override it or just leave it in manual.

                      • Was this a gift?:
                      • No

                      Share this review

                       
                      5.0

                      Like getting a new camera

                      By Max

                      from New York City

                      About Me Photo Enthusiast

                      Verified Buyer

                      Pros

                      • Easily Interchangeable
                      • Lightweight

                      Cons

                        Best Uses

                        • Indoors/Low Light
                        • Night Photography
                        • Weddings/Events

                        Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

                        This is the perfect lens for street photography. It's fast, light, and inconspicuous.

                        • Was this a gift?:
                        • No

                        Share this review

                         
                        5.0

                        Awesome Prime Lens

                        By brentsunrise

                        from Cape Town, South Africa

                        About Me Casual Photographer

                        Verified Buyer

                        Pros

                        • Consistent Output
                        • Fast / accurate auto-focus
                        • Lightweight
                        • Nice Bokeh

                        Cons

                          Best Uses

                          • Indoors/Low Light
                          • Portraits

                          Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

                          This is the first lens I got with my D5100 and it's set standards that are hard for my other lenses to live up to. I'm a beginner photographer and it's making me look better than I am. Great crisp pictures with wonderful bokeh. Not being able to zoom can be frustrating sometimes, but what you gain is worth it.

                          Highly recommended!

                          • Was this a gift?:
                          • Yes

                          Share this review

                           
                          5.0

                          Very good lens

                          By artur80

                          from Geneva, Switzerland

                          About Me Photo Enthusiast

                          Verified Buyer

                          Pros

                          • Consistent Output
                          • Easily Interchangeable
                          • Fast / accurate auto-focus
                          • Lightweight
                          • Nice Bokeh

                          Cons

                          • Weak Casing

                          Best Uses

                          • Indoors/Low Light
                          • Night Photography
                          • Video
                          • Weddings/Events

                          Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

                          I have one of this lenses which I use on my D80, and I really like it for the wide field of view. I have a 50mm 1.4, but its filed of view is sometimes too narrow, and I prefer using the 35mm in those cases.

                          A friend of mine got a D5100 recently, and was looking around for a nice lens to compliment the kit. I gave him the 35mm 1.8 as a gift, and he is very happy with the low-light capabilities.

                          For the price, it is a bargain of a lens.

                          • Was this a gift?:
                          • No

                          Share this review

                           
                          5.0

                          Great buy for the money

                          By funluvingrn

                          from Palmdale, Ca

                          About Me Photo Enthusiast

                          Verified Buyer

                          Pros

                          • Consistent Output
                          • Durable
                          • Easily Interchangeable
                          • Fast / accurate auto-focus
                          • Lightweight
                          • Nice Bokeh
                          • Rugged
                          • Strong Construction

                          Cons

                            Best Uses

                            • Indoors/Low Light
                            • Weddings/Events

                            Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

                            Great for indoors and low light. Used for taking photos of fast moving toddlers!

                            • Was this a gift?:
                            • No

                            Share this review

                             
                            5.0

                            Great little lens

                            By benny

                            from Phila., Pa.

                            About Me Semi-pro Photographer

                            Verified Buyer

                            Pros

                            • Consistent Output
                            • Easily Interchangeable
                            • Fast / accurate auto-focus
                            • Lightweight
                            • Strong Construction

                            Cons

                              Best Uses

                              • Indoors/Low Light
                              • Landscape/Scenery
                              • Night Photography
                              • Sports/Action
                              • Weddings/Events

                              Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

                              Great lens on my D300s specially use in indoor and close-ups. Definately worth buying as it is an amazing quality item for a very low price. Nikon, keep it up!

                              • Was this a gift?:
                              • No

                              Share this review

                               
                              5.0

                              Must-have lens for DX sensor cameras

                              By Mr Crackers

                              from Santa Cruz, CA

                              About Me Photo Enthusiast

                              Verified Buyer

                              Pros

                              • Fast / accurate auto-focus
                              • Lightweight
                              • Nice Bokeh

                              Cons

                                Best Uses

                                • Indoors/Low Light
                                • Landscape/Scenery
                                • Night Photography
                                • Weddings/Events

                                Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

                                The lens is small, fast, and versatile. It excels at low light situations and in closeups where you may want a strong bokeh background.

                                Instead of getting typical noisy, warm-colored images in indoor dim lighting with slower kit lenses, have this lightweight lens in the camera pouch side pocket (it's small enough to fit in many). The focal length is very natural/normal for human eye perspectives.

                                It's also a very artistic lense at f/1.8 with the ability to produce a pleasing bokeh.

                                • Was this a gift?:
                                • No

                                Share this review

                                 
                                4.0

                                Good lens for general use.

                                By Photo Jessi

                                from Omaha, NE

                                About Me Photo Enthusiast

                                Verified Buyer

                                Pros

                                • Consistent Output
                                • Durable
                                • Fast / accurate auto-focus
                                • Lightweight

                                Cons

                                  Best Uses

                                  • Indoors/Low Light
                                  • Weddings/Events

                                  Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

                                  It's fast so it's useful for low lighting. Much more affordable than the f/1.4. Fast focus. I would use this more than the 50mm even for portraits.

                                  • Was this a gift?:
                                  • No

                                  Share this review

                                   
                                  5.0

                                  Outstanding value for indoor sports

                                  By philbert

                                  from Kenosha, WI

                                  About Me Photo Enthusiast

                                  Verified Buyer

                                  Pros

                                  • Price

                                  Cons

                                    Best Uses

                                    • Indoors/Low Light
                                    • Indoor Sports
                                    • Sports/Action

                                    Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

                                    This lens is an outstanding value relative to it's big brother, the f/1.4G, which cost over $1,600. I rented both of these lenses to shoot a basketball tournament and was surprised how well the f/1.8 performed. Clearly, the f/1.4G is a superior lens, but the f/1.8 DX is a terrific solution for indoor sports for a non-pro. The high ISO generates a fair amount of noise but it's easily cleaned up with a noise filter (I use Dfine2). This little guy's appearance on your camera won't impress or "wow" anyone, but the action shots it enables you to capture will have teammates and parents begging for more. It was easy to rate this lens 5 stars given the [$] price tag having compared it to the $1,600 wishlist alternative.

                                    • Was this a gift?:
                                    • No

                                    Share this review

                                     
                                    5.0

                                    On you mark, get set...

                                    By Dave

                                    from Warren, Ohio

                                    About Me Casual Photographer

                                    Verified Buyer

                                    Pros

                                      Cons

                                        Best Uses

                                          Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

                                          I love to record memories, so when my son gave me a Nikon camera for Christmas I was grateful and a little overwhelmed. He told me to get this lens so that my introduction to this level of photography would be easy and gratifing. He was right. The pics I take are very clear,of post card quality, and so easy.

                                          • Was this a gift?:
                                          • Yes

                                          Share this review

                                           
                                          4.0

                                          Essential for the dx photographer

                                          By Naftoli

                                          from NY

                                          Verified Buyer

                                          Comments about Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX Lens:

                                          awsome lens! awesome price! great for portraits, low light, way sharper then my nikon 18-200mm, small compact and very lightweight, why 4 stars? because it doesnt have that little focus window on the lens that the 50mm has

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