I've been using this lens for over a month now (Seems like here in Germany we got it early). And I'm really enjoing it so far, as it is a good and lightweight companion for my Z6II. The plastic mount adds to that fact and since it is that lightweight I don't consider this a problem. It's a very interesting focal length, ideal for environmental portraits for example. Thanks Christopher for confirming my good choice ;-)
Small but nice! The lens handles bright lights surprisingly well, it is lightweight and I think the overall build quality is great. Compared to the old AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8 G I've been using for years, this new 40mm is in a whole different league in terms of image quality... virutally no color fringing, quiet and fast AF, great sharpness. I recommend using a cheap wide angle metal lens hood as it helps protecting the lens body as you put your camera in your bag, on tables, stonewalls... It is the ideal companion for a city trip.
Every time I think of moving away from full frame bulk, weight and expense, its these compacts that keep me in the game. Just giving me what I need to get around and giving me some honest performance/value
As a street hobbyist photo guy, this is the kind of lens that I would slap on the camera, stop down to f/8, and go hip-shooting the entire day without worry.
Big win for nikon at this price range , nikon z50 or z5 shooters should look no where else , except for may be the long waited z 28mm f2.8 and we will be glad to see it in your hands
I have a Z5 with a z 50mm F1.8 and honestly I don't need anything else. But if I want to shoot wider scenes like landscaping this is THE one that i would buy, yes I know that the z 35mm f1.8 is sharper and all, but is it also double the price of this gem
In my opinion the corners at F2 or 2.8 aren't really a problem because there you most of the time have your subject in center and corners are blurry anyway because out of focus
They are a problem if you want to do Astrophotography, but then you would pick and use the 35mm 1.8 or the 20mm 1.8 which have better corner sharpness wide open. Given its size and weight and price, amazing quality though the 40mm f/2.
I do landscapey stuff and trees in the corners always look real weird if the corners are soft, I usually shoot handheld so f2.8 isn't super unusual though f5.6 is preferable. The EF 40mm f2.8 looks to be a bit sharper than this lens even at f2.8, but it's not massively far off I think. It performs a lot better up close than this one, though. The 50mm f1.8 on Canon really doesn't really outperform it at the same apertures, either, but the Z 50 1.8 would outperform either of them with ease. I usually prefer high quality but lighter f2-4 lenses if possible, but usually that's not how it goes. @@koenpijpersphotography
This is a great lens. It has a bit more character than the absolute sharpness of the S primes, and doesn't have the fringing etc that the older generation of cheap primes had. Yes the mount is plastic but this is a VERY light lens, a metal mount would add weight and price for very little gain. Yes it is plasticy, but that same plastic keeps the weight down, and small + light was the goal of the lens - it has succeeded. It is rare to find a big brand AF lens at such a low price, especially with this optical quality. If you want a big and heavy lens, spend the money on an S prime. This lens might be light and plastic, but that doesn't mean it is badly made.
Very good comment, and excuse my late reply, Tom. There is a lot of ‘noise’ made concerning plastic m punts, as well as plastic in main part of lens, but it actually has the benefit of less ‘wicking’ at the lens mount, out in extreme weather conditions, compared to a metal mount. I am also of the crowd that prefers metal mounts, parts, etc, but thought I would throw that out. Peace
Impressive IQ for the price, but at the cost of build quality. Thankfully the lens is small and light, it should balance well on the camera. Hopefully the 28mm 2.8 reviews just as well, and I wonder if Nikon will round out the the small affordable lens kit with a 65mm f/2-2.8 or similar.
I have "plastic" 28mm f2.8, and 2 kit lenses - even though they have plastic mount they are well made, I feel build quality is better than old plastic f mount lenses. They feel sturdy, and well manufactured.
@Behemoth I think the reasoning behind the 26mm pancake is that it’ll be launched in conjunction with a compact z30 camera or a new compact FF camera that some are referring to as a potential z4. Maybe it’ll have a retro aesthetic to pair with a FF Zf camera. On its own merit it doesn’t make much sense with the 28mm already existing. I think with the size of the lens it’ll likely be an f4 lens.
Best focal length, amazing f/2 aperture, excellent sharpness, all in a portable and cheap lens. This is the lens that lets me carry my full frame the way other people carry their Fujis. Best walk around lens bar none, I only wish I’d bought it sooner.
It really is quite incredibly how this lens turns the Nikon full-frame bodies into unobtrusive lightweight setups that take fantastic pictures day and night while not breaking one's wrist or drawing much attention in the streets like bigger lenses do.
There’s no rubber mount gasket but I do think the lens is weather sealed based on Nikons promo documents. “Designed with consideration for dust and drip-resistant performance with a sealing that prevents dust and water droplets from entering the lens.”
Thanks again for this review that made me decide to buy it. It's so so good for me. Light weight like nothing on camera, useable at F2, wonderful at 2.8. It's my ultimate street/party lense now especially at night. Bokeh is very round and smooth. If you want a light weight fast lense for a starter price, this lense is a no brainer.
Lenses like this and the Samyang 45 really make the awful nifty 50s from Canon and Sony that much more embarrassing. Excellent review as always. This with a Z5 would make for a strong budget photography combo.
@@michael2gen i think it's not worth the price. I don't know anyone who doesn't buy a better one sooner or later. it is better to save a little more and buy something good straight away than something cheap. it doesn't have to be zeiss. the sigma 50 is pretty good and the sigma 40 is awesome.
Great review, Christopher. I can see this budget lens in my bag in future together with the new 28mm 2.8 Z lens. Hoping Nikon will loan you the 28mm 2.8 Z lens for testing.
As I had said about the 28mm Z lenses, people need to keep their expectations in line with the price. For a $300 lens, this thing performs very well. It's obviously not up to the calibre perhaps of it's bigger sibling, the 50 1.8 S, but that lens is also 2x the price and about 2x the size (length). So for a $300 I could see this as a great street photography lens, partially because it its small and light weight, and on the APS-C bodies, it's an equivalent ~60mm lens which is also a great focal range for things like portraits.
@@RobertFalconer1967 Just actually bought this one and yeah if you step it down, it will make a great street photography pancake (perfect for use on the newer Zf camera or even the APSC cameras if you want a bit of a tighter field of view).
Could you test this lens again on an APS-C camera like the z50 to see if it has corner sharpness wide open? Nikon talk to the benefit of using this as a portrait lens on crop sensor cameras and sell a "portrait bundle" with a flash. So it would be great to see how it performs on the highest resolution Nikon APS-C camera available (at the time of testing)
@@sergtrav I have a Nikon 85 F1.8G that I bought for $200. This new 40 lens is better in performance and imaging. Whether you think is an overpriced toy is simply your opinion. For me, I think it's a good value and does exactly what it intends to do. I won't care if it gets banged up in my travel bag. I won't care if a stranger knocks it. I can shoot it in nature with dirt and grime. It's not my pro gear that needs babying.
@@sergtrav 50mm lenses are the cheapest and easiest to make. Go buy RF 40mm/f2 lens for the same money, or check Voigtlander Ultron 40mm/2 manual focus lens price
I rewatched this video as I have been thinking about buying some Z glass. The one thing that I noticed is that you don't show what the bokeh is like when stopped down to f\4. I thought about this because this lens performs best at f\4, or at least that's what It seems like according to your testing. Other than that, I love watching your videos and I have made a number of purchases based on your tests. Bob
You're really hitting me with the DRTV nostalgia with that outro music.. goddamn I miss those days. Lens looks fantastic, this is honestly exactly what I was hoping from from one of the full frame mirrorless systems. Seriously considering ditching MFT for Nikon Z between this, the 24-70 f4 and Viltrox 85.
Updated: traded my MFT gear for a Z6 with 24-50, now going to get this one and looking at picking up a Tamron 35-150 & FTZ on a deal in the future for my all-in-one zoom needs. (That and I've got a pile of manual Ai/Ai-S & M42 glass that I've been having a great time shooting with so far already. Good times)
Excellent review, most informative. I like 40mm and have been waiting for this lens as my first native Z mount, yet so far I found nothing compelling about it, I now hesitate and have not pulled the trigger. Not a bad lens by the sound of it, but sadly it's less compact than my Hexanon with the adapter, the IQ is about the same, Hexanon is f/1.8 even, so $300 just to get AF over my current $100 Hexanon. I might just spend that money on an AF m-to-z adapter like the Techart or Megadap. (edit) Coming from the old-school lenses, I understand the complains about the plastic mount and agree that makes it sound like a cheap lens, but it doesn't bother me.
Thank you Christopher for another great review. I was interested in this lens I only knew 28 mm which I rather enjoy but there's something appealing about this 40 mm. Thank you very much for the review.
I wonder how it conpared to canon's 40mm 2.8? I think its probably sharper at 2.8 still. It was sure sharper than the 50 1.8, and you mention this acts similarly to those, pwrhaps because nikons 50 1.8 is a premium optic instead of cheap one.
Great lens optical design from nikon, but you pay for it. It's just a small bit of precision glass compared and can't really be called exactly "cheap" in an absolute sense. If sigma could sell their dg dn small aps 30mm f2.8 cheaper so could nikon. But sigma have been going premium.
Great review, I have been waiting for this one! 👍 However because I am shooting Nikon Z50, may I ask you next time when you review Nikon lens to include also APS-C mode, same as you are doing for Sony (it will be probably too much to ask to redo the test). Many people will appreciate it! Thanks!
I would have happily paid 50€ more for a metal mount. Probably more psychological than anything, I admit. As occassional use only lens, this is a serious alternative to the 3x more expensive z35 f1.8. Thanks for the excellent and thorough report, as usual.
Great review Chris I do like the 40 FoV - had the Pan 20/1.7 on m43 for many years - lovely and sharp lens. I had this 40/2 for a week and sent it back to Amazon. Maybe it was a bad copy but I don't think so: the resolution drifts away from the centre as you can see from the MTF and I found that I needed to stop it down to f4 ( and I am not picky in general ) to get decent-ish IQ. It did nothing for me in terms of any special quality - any old decent MF 50 like my Contax 1.7's bests it. Thom Hogan did say "old school" about it. It is a 200 quid lens after all and you get what you pay for. I think I actually preferred the 50/1.8 G. ( apart from the FL ). If I have to run at f4 or narrower then there is no point in an f2 optic. The kit 24-70/4 is not exactly huge and does a far far better job. If I need a fast lens and sharp over most of the frame then its my Z 50/1.8S even if it is bigger. Since I have the megadap EZ221, I did look at the Sony 40/2.5 g for a compact prime - superb resolution wide open but high LOCA unlike the Nikon which is a point in its favour. The Sony is also overpriced IMO. On the other hand, I thought the build quality of that Nikkor was fine - I have no issue with plastic mounts and see Roger Cicala view on them over on the Lens Rentals Blog. Many "metal" mounts are just a metal plate and screwed onto a plastic subframe.
While optical performance is clearly better than either 35/2 or 50/1.8 G lenses, the same could not be said for the build. It's a shame that Nikon didn't outfit this, and the 28/2.8 Z with metal mounts. Yes, these are budget (by today's standard), but not exactly cheap lenses. Handling the 40/2 and the 50/1.8 G, the 40 feels plain cheap.
it really has beautiful rendition. I have seen a lot of beautiful pictures taken with it. Really surprised by the autofocus speed, definitely impressive
@@eldindokara7868 People get fired up by plastic mount, overlooking what that little lens produces. There are things you can't measure, you can only see it, if you have that kind of senses. I think Nikon should've gone with metal, and weather sealing, but it's not end of the world. Plastic is used in more critical situations than very light lens mount, and it works.
Wow that af is realy fast! Quick question: I never see microcontrast as test matric in your reviews. Could you tell me why? I look mostly for lenses with high microcontrast and this lens seems to have it. This will make me switch from fuji to nikon. I love the high micro contrast lenses of fuji, unfortunately those lenses which have it (14 f2.8, 27 f2.8, 18 f2, 35 1.4, 60 f2.4, 56 f1.2 and 23 f1.4) all have slow autofocus, the only exception i can remember is the 50 f2 and 90 f2.... The new lenses of fuji have fast af, but are to large (imho) and to expensive!
There is a mistake in your test setup. When validating corner sharpness you should use lcd view and zoom to the corner you want to test and focus exactly here. Either manually or using AF. Then you will really see how sharp the cornes can be. With so small DOF at F/2 and fosussing to the center, the corners are already out of focal plane.
You're asking for an unrealistic test. No one is buying this lens to focus in the corner at F/2. His test is realistic since people will use it for portrait at or near the center and shows how flat or curved the lens' focal plane is.
@@honza8tube It's not nonsense because of his test consistency and focal plane (field curvature). He does this whether it's a landscape or portrait lens. Now people will know to stop down the aperture if they're going to use the lens for a group photo with people at the edges. The Nikon Z 50mm 1.2 and 1.8 have straight focal plane at their max aperture.
I'm not really in the market for this lens, but something about it just seems great. Those are lovely optics given the price. Thanks for the review, Chris. Side note, ever since its announcement, I've been itching to learn more about the new Samyang 50mm, and I'm eagerly awaiting your review, assuming you cover it, of course.
@@christopherfrost many thanks in advance! I'm already really considering it, but there can always be little devils in the optical design one needs to uncover.
Is there a chance you could re-review the sigma 18-35 F1.8? I think it would be popular among us aps-c viewers and would be much higher quality than the review using the 60D.
Also the micro contrast seems awesome on this lens. I am realy considering selling my xp3 and xf 35 1.4 for a z6 with this lens. I imagine that sharpness will be better on the z6 due to less MP, or am I mistaken? Also, would it be possible to add micro contrast as a metric for your reviews? I think people realy like microcontrast and therefore buy Zeiss, Leica and fuji glass (mostly the older ones) for this. Thx in advance!
Shame about the missing coma test though. Wide open at f2, the coma on this lens is outright terrible. Point light sources can produce heavily pronounced coma.
Take a laser pointer and a mirror. The greater the angle you point the laser at the mirror the more the point on the other side will move around when changing the angle a small amount. Modern lenses do that 6-14+ times with moving parts. With light from every single direction. That's why we still don't get optically perfect lenses.
I always see that at wide open, corners are softer, but is it the right test? Should a test board be not flat for that test, because the distance to corners is greater than to center and due to narrow field of view, corners always be softer or I would say, out of focus?
This lens is the perfect example of "good enough". Fairly cheap. Small-ish. Some sacrifices in build quality, but acceptable ones. IQ not optimal wide open, but improves stopped down. I think many primes in the S line are just too big and pricey; I only own the 50mm f1.8s in that line. The newer 26mm pancake lens tries to go further, but misses the mark with its price tag.
Nikon is cheaper, smaller, focus closer and have better controlled distortion, the Viltrox is a little wider, has better construction (still not weather sealed) and a apeture ring but has clearly distortion problems and for now I don't know if Viltrox has published corrections for this lens. In sharpness both are really similar, the Nikon is a little better.
@@angelfoto4795 thank you. That makes the Nikon quite more appealing. I already have the 50mm 1.8. I think something a little wider and smaller is appealing. I kind of wish the small Nikon was 35mm. The 35 1.8 is quite expensive, even with the current rebate.
I've been using this lens for over a month now (Seems like here in Germany we got it early). And I'm really enjoing it so far, as it is a good and lightweight companion for my Z6II. The plastic mount adds to that fact and since it is that lightweight I don't consider this a problem. It's a very interesting focal length, ideal for environmental portraits for example.
Thanks Christopher for confirming my good choice ;-)
One of the best Nikon lenses for portraits and street photography. Just love it!
What would be something wider
Small but nice! The lens handles bright lights surprisingly well, it is lightweight and I think the overall build quality is great. Compared to the old AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8 G I've been using for years, this new 40mm is in a whole different league in terms of image quality... virutally no color fringing, quiet and fast AF, great sharpness. I recommend using a cheap wide angle metal lens hood as it helps protecting the lens body as you put your camera in your bag, on tables, stonewalls... It is the ideal companion for a city trip.
Every time I think of moving away from full frame bulk, weight and expense, its these compacts that keep me in the game. Just giving me what I need to get around and giving me some honest performance/value
As a street hobbyist photo guy, this is the kind of lens that I would slap on the camera, stop down to f/8, and go hip-shooting the entire day without worry.
Big win for nikon at this price range , nikon z50 or z5 shooters should look no where else , except for may be the long waited z 28mm f2.8 and we will be glad to see it in your hands
Is the 28 f2.8 full frame as well. Love these little lenses.
@@markshirley01 yes , its for full frame
I have a Z5 with a z 50mm F1.8 and honestly I don't need anything else. But if I want to shoot wider scenes like landscaping this is THE one that i would buy, yes I know that the z 35mm f1.8 is sharper and all, but is it also double the price of this gem
@@Q1nt0 me too. got both 50mm and 40mm. Portability + size are key for the 40mm. IQ and reach for the 50mm. It's not all about the price here.
In my opinion the corners at F2 or 2.8 aren't really a problem because there you most of the time have your subject in center and corners are blurry anyway because out of focus
They are a problem if you want to do Astrophotography, but then you would pick and use the 35mm 1.8 or the 20mm 1.8 which have better corner sharpness wide open. Given its size and weight and price, amazing quality though the 40mm f/2.
The problem of this lens is poor closeup IQ.
I do landscapey stuff and trees in the corners always look real weird if the corners are soft, I usually shoot handheld so f2.8 isn't super unusual though f5.6 is preferable. The EF 40mm f2.8 looks to be a bit sharper than this lens even at f2.8, but it's not massively far off I think. It performs a lot better up close than this one, though. The 50mm f1.8 on Canon really doesn't really outperform it at the same apertures, either, but the Z 50 1.8 would outperform either of them with ease. I usually prefer high quality but lighter f2-4 lenses if possible, but usually that's not how it goes. @@koenpijpersphotography
This is a great lens. It has a bit more character than the absolute sharpness of the S primes, and doesn't have the fringing etc that the older generation of cheap primes had. Yes the mount is plastic but this is a VERY light lens, a metal mount would add weight and price for very little gain. Yes it is plasticy, but that same plastic keeps the weight down, and small + light was the goal of the lens - it has succeeded. It is rare to find a big brand AF lens at such a low price, especially with this optical quality. If you want a big and heavy lens, spend the money on an S prime. This lens might be light and plastic, but that doesn't mean it is badly made.
Very good comment, and excuse my late reply, Tom. There is a lot of ‘noise’ made concerning plastic m punts, as well as plastic in main part of lens, but it actually has the benefit of less ‘wicking’ at the lens mount, out in extreme weather conditions, compared to a metal mount. I am also of the crowd that prefers metal mounts, parts, etc, but thought I would throw that out. Peace
Impressive IQ for the price, but at the cost of build quality. Thankfully the lens is small and light, it should balance well on the camera. Hopefully the 28mm 2.8 reviews just as well, and I wonder if Nikon will round out the the small affordable lens kit with a 65mm f/2-2.8 or similar.
I think 60/65 is an underrated focal length for primes
There is a proper 26mm pancake on the roadmap... I'm intrigued by that and how much it will differ from the 28mm 2.8.
I have "plastic" 28mm f2.8, and 2 kit lenses - even though they have plastic mount they are well made, I feel build quality is better than old plastic f mount lenses. They feel sturdy, and well manufactured.
@Behemoth I think the reasoning behind the 26mm pancake is that it’ll be launched in conjunction with a compact z30 camera or a new compact FF camera that some are referring to as a potential z4. Maybe it’ll have a retro aesthetic to pair with a FF Zf camera. On its own merit it doesn’t make much sense with the 28mm already existing. I think with the size of the lens it’ll likely be an f4 lens.
Best focal length, amazing f/2 aperture, excellent sharpness, all in a portable and cheap lens. This is the lens that lets me carry my full frame the way other people carry their Fujis. Best walk around lens bar none, I only wish I’d bought it sooner.
I have many of the other Z mount lenses but I keep this one on my Z6 90% of the time because it makes the camera light and fun to carry around.
It really is quite incredibly how this lens turns the Nikon full-frame bodies into unobtrusive lightweight setups that take fantastic pictures day and night while not breaking one's wrist or drawing much attention in the streets like bigger lenses do.
There’s no rubber mount gasket but I do think the lens is weather sealed based on Nikons promo documents.
“Designed with consideration for dust and drip-resistant performance with a sealing that prevents dust and water droplets from entering the lens.”
Man, if I shot Nikon I'd definitely use that lens. That kinda image quality for 300usd is really enticing imo.
Thanks again for this review that made me decide to buy it. It's so so good for me. Light weight like nothing on camera, useable at F2, wonderful at 2.8. It's my ultimate street/party lense now especially at night. Bokeh is very round and smooth. If you want a light weight fast lense for a starter price, this lense is a no brainer.
Thinking to swap one Lumix S camera for a Nikon Z6 just for this lens...just amazing!
This might just be the first actual Z lens I pick up for my Z6, looks great!
Amazing image quality for such a cheap lens. It appeals to me for its size and low weight. With the price there is not much to go wrong.
Could you please review the Nikkor 24-200 mm f4-6.3 Z Nikon lens? Excellent review as usual. What would you prefer 35 mm or 40 mm?
Yeah, agree on the 24-200mm lens.
+1
Just buy it. It's excellent :)
Only sunstars are missing and it's not that sharp at 200mm. Use it as my standard lens. My favorite lens.
A street photography lens for Nikon Z cameras?
Lenses like this and the Samyang 45 really make the awful nifty 50s from Canon and Sony that much more embarrassing. Excellent review as always. This with a Z5 would make for a strong budget photography combo.
All of them are weak in manual lenses from pentax era like super takumar etc.
The Canon nifty 50s are that bad? I think it is pretty decent
@@michael2gen do you have any premium lens to compare? i think they are all rubbish.
@@mofi3641 i meant decent for its price...not comparing to Leica nor Otus. There is always something between junk and premium lenses...
@@michael2gen i think it's not worth the price. I don't know anyone who doesn't buy a better one sooner or later. it is better to save a little more and buy something good straight away than something cheap. it doesn't have to be zeiss. the sigma 50 is pretty good and the sigma 40 is awesome.
Would love to see a review of Nikons 28mm 2.8... especially on APSC :)
Great review, Christopher. I can see this budget lens in my bag in future together with the new 28mm 2.8 Z lens. Hoping Nikon will loan you the 28mm 2.8 Z lens for testing.
The autofocus motor is dead silent. Better priced and much better than all of my previous canon cameras.
nice little lens. I like the focal length much more than 50mm
Wish Nikon would make a premium version of this lens with metal lens mount and weather sealing
Isn't that the 35mm S lens?
Me too, really love the focal length of 40mm. It would be nice if there's ED glass in it.
@@mlai2546 the 40 renders better.
I literally just got back from the camera store with this lens and I see your review! Nice job 😁
So this lens is stupidly good at f/4 considering its price, weight and the fact that is full frame.
As I had said about the 28mm Z lenses, people need to keep their expectations in line with the price. For a $300 lens, this thing performs very well. It's obviously not up to the calibre perhaps of it's bigger sibling, the 50 1.8 S, but that lens is also 2x the price and about 2x the size (length). So for a $300 I could see this as a great street photography lens, partially because it its small and light weight, and on the APS-C bodies, it's an equivalent ~60mm lens which is also a great focal range for things like portraits.
Yup. And if you stop this little lens down to f/8 for street photography it'll be every bit as sharp as the 50 1.8 S at the same aperture.
@@RobertFalconer1967 Just actually bought this one and yeah if you step it down, it will make a great street photography pancake (perfect for use on the newer Zf camera or even the APSC cameras if you want a bit of a tighter field of view).
Could you test this lens again on an APS-C camera like the z50 to see if it has corner sharpness wide open?
Nikon talk to the benefit of using this as a portrait lens on crop sensor cameras and sell a "portrait bundle" with a flash. So it would be great to see how it performs on the highest resolution Nikon APS-C camera available (at the time of testing)
Who cares if it's plastic? It's cheap and lightweight. I rather have something light for everyday walk around
Old Canon 50 1.8 with the same build quality for 100$ is cheap, but this Nikon's plastic toy is hugely overpriced.
@@sergtrav I have a Nikon 85 F1.8G that I bought for $200. This new 40 lens is better in performance and imaging. Whether you think is an overpriced toy is simply your opinion. For me, I think it's a good value and does exactly what it intends to do. I won't care if it gets banged up in my travel bag. I won't care if a stranger knocks it. I can shoot it in nature with dirt and grime. It's not my pro gear that needs babying.
@@sergtrav 50mm lenses are the cheapest and easiest to make. Go buy RF 40mm/f2 lens for the same money, or check Voigtlander Ultron 40mm/2 manual focus lens price
@@sergtrav beef is more expensive than LAST year... yea, so no surprises the new lens is more expensive than the old lens
@@KibbitUpIt 85mm vs 40mm, what a great comparison 😹 And I have Canon 40mm 2,8 pancake for 100$, it's sharper than 70-200 2.8.
I rewatched this video as I have been thinking about buying some Z glass. The one thing that I noticed is that you don't show what the bokeh is like when stopped down to f\4. I thought about this because this lens performs best at f\4, or at least that's what It seems like according to your testing. Other than that, I love watching your videos and I have made a number of purchases based on your tests.
Bob
You're really hitting me with the DRTV nostalgia with that outro music.. goddamn I miss those days.
Lens looks fantastic, this is honestly exactly what I was hoping from from one of the full frame mirrorless systems. Seriously considering ditching MFT for Nikon Z between this, the 24-70 f4 and Viltrox 85.
Updated: traded my MFT gear for a Z6 with 24-50, now going to get this one and looking at picking up a Tamron 35-150 & FTZ on a deal in the future for my all-in-one zoom needs.
(That and I've got a pile of manual Ai/Ai-S & M42 glass that I've been having a great time shooting with so far already. Good times)
ugh I was watching DPReview oldies last month. I miss the trío, Lok, alamby, and Kai Man Wong, ahh.. :’)
Just got this lens, absolutely fantastic!
Excellent review, most informative. I like 40mm and have been waiting for this lens as my first native Z mount, yet so far I found nothing compelling about it, I now hesitate and have not pulled the trigger. Not a bad lens by the sound of it, but sadly it's less compact than my Hexanon with the adapter, the IQ is about the same, Hexanon is f/1.8 even, so $300 just to get AF over my current $100 Hexanon. I might just spend that money on an AF m-to-z adapter like the Techart or Megadap.
(edit) Coming from the old-school lenses, I understand the complains about the plastic mount and agree that makes it sound like a cheap lens, but it doesn't bother me.
Are you going to test the Z 28mm F2.8 lenses? Would be awesome. Thank you.
for a budget lens this is amazing performance imo
also considering the fact that there's very few 40mm options in mirrorless world overall
I plan to buy one for my Z50! Thanks for the review :)
Got this lens just for size and weight. And 40mm is good for every day photography
Thank you Christopher for another great review. I was interested in this lens I only knew 28 mm which I rather enjoy but there's something appealing about this 40 mm. Thank you very much for the review.
Please review the Nikon 28mm f/2.8 SE! Thanks
I wonder how it conpared to canon's 40mm 2.8? I think its probably sharper at 2.8 still. It was sure sharper than the 50 1.8, and you mention this acts similarly to those, pwrhaps because nikons 50 1.8 is a premium optic instead of cheap one.
Great lens optical design from nikon, but you pay for it. It's just a small bit of precision glass compared and can't really be called exactly "cheap" in an absolute sense. If sigma could sell their dg dn small aps 30mm f2.8 cheaper so could nikon. But sigma have been going premium.
I been waiting for this one 😃
Thank you so much!!!!😎👍🏼
Wondering should I shoot for this or for the viltrox 35 or 50
thank you - very good review. No useless talking but covering all important topics and showcasing them with good examples!
Great review, I have been waiting for this one! 👍 However because I am shooting Nikon Z50, may I ask you next time when you review Nikon lens to include also APS-C mode, same as you are doing for Sony (it will be probably too much to ask to redo the test). Many people will appreciate it! Thanks!
Nice review Chris. Can you please do a review on the new Tamron 35-150mm f2-2.8 ?
That is definitely on my list of things to do
@@christopherfrost have you reviewed the 35-150mm 2.8-f4 tamron thanks love your reviews
+1 for the 35-150 2-2.8
I would have happily paid 50€ more for a metal mount. Probably more psychological than anything, I admit. As occassional use only lens, this is a serious alternative to the 3x more expensive z35 f1.8. Thanks for the excellent and thorough report, as usual.
Thanks for this review. Do you have the brother of this one also in planning? The Z 28 f2.8? Looking forward to it.
Great review Chris
I do like the 40 FoV - had the Pan 20/1.7 on m43 for many years - lovely and sharp lens.
I had this 40/2 for a week and sent it back to Amazon. Maybe it was a bad copy but I don't think so: the resolution drifts away from the centre as you can see from the MTF and I found that I needed to stop it down to f4 ( and I am not picky in general ) to get decent-ish IQ. It did nothing for me in terms of any special quality - any old decent MF 50 like my Contax 1.7's bests it. Thom Hogan did say "old school" about it. It is a 200 quid lens after all and you get what you pay for. I think I actually preferred the 50/1.8 G. ( apart from the FL ).
If I have to run at f4 or narrower then there is no point in an f2 optic. The kit 24-70/4 is not exactly huge and does a far far better job. If I need a fast lens and sharp over most of the frame then its my Z 50/1.8S even if it is bigger.
Since I have the megadap EZ221, I did look at the Sony 40/2.5 g for a compact prime - superb resolution wide open but high LOCA unlike the Nikon which is a point in its favour. The Sony is also overpriced IMO.
On the other hand, I thought the build quality of that Nikkor was fine - I have no issue with plastic mounts and see Roger Cicala view on them over on the Lens Rentals Blog. Many "metal" mounts are just a metal plate and screwed onto a plastic subframe.
I tried the 40 mm on my Z50, a nice portrait lens.
This lens reminds me a lot of the Samyang 35mm f2.8 for Sony FE, boyh physically and in terms of sharpness distribution.
While optical performance is clearly better than either 35/2 or 50/1.8 G lenses, the same could not be said for the build. It's a shame that Nikon didn't outfit this, and the 28/2.8 Z with metal mounts. Yes, these are budget (by today's standard), but not exactly cheap lenses. Handling the 40/2 and the 50/1.8 G, the 40 feels plain cheap.
Can you check out the Samyang 24-70 f2.8 parfocal for sony e mount?
Regardless of the sharpness look at all that microcontrast! Reminds me of the Super multicoat Takumar 35 1.8
it really has beautiful rendition. I have seen a lot of beautiful pictures taken with it. Really surprised by the autofocus speed, definitely impressive
@@eldindokara7868 People get fired up by plastic mount, overlooking what that little lens produces. There are things you can't measure, you can only see it, if you have that kind of senses. I think Nikon should've gone with metal, and weather sealing, but it's not end of the world. Plastic is used in more critical situations than very light lens mount, and it works.
fewer glass elements equals greater microcontrast. the over corrected S lenses are lacking in this metric.
Grabbed it on sale from Adorama. I’m going to be using this on my studio videos at f2.0.
Wow that af is realy fast! Quick question: I never see microcontrast as test matric in your reviews. Could you tell me why? I look mostly for lenses with high microcontrast and this lens seems to have it. This will make me switch from fuji to nikon. I love the high micro contrast lenses of fuji, unfortunately those lenses which have it (14 f2.8, 27 f2.8, 18 f2, 35 1.4, 60 f2.4, 56 f1.2 and 23 f1.4) all have slow autofocus, the only exception i can remember is the 50 f2 and 90 f2.... The new lenses of fuji have fast af, but are to large (imho) and to expensive!
Love your reviews! How would you think the performance of this lens might be different when used on the Z50?
Hi Christopher, I'd like to see the inclusion of short sound clips of lenses' AF motors. Otherwise, I really enjoy your videos!
There is a mistake in your test setup. When validating corner sharpness you should use lcd view and zoom to the corner you want to test and focus exactly here. Either manually or using AF. Then you will really see how sharp the cornes can be. With so small DOF at F/2 and fosussing to the center, the corners are already out of focal plane.
You're asking for an unrealistic test. No one is buying this lens to focus in the corner at F/2. His test is realistic since people will use it for portrait at or near the center and shows how flat or curved the lens' focal plane is.
@@Rocky_KO Exactly, that why I am saying its nonsence to validating corner sharpness while not foccussing into the corners
@@honza8tube It's not nonsense because of his test consistency and focal plane (field curvature). He does this whether it's a landscape or portrait lens. Now people will know to stop down the aperture if they're going to use the lens for a group photo with people at the edges. The Nikon Z 50mm 1.2 and 1.8 have straight focal plane at their max aperture.
What a shame, no weather sealing.. Though it's so simple - just to include a rubber circle around the mount.
just glue it to the camera
nikon f mount 50mm f1.8 vs z mount 40mm f 2 which is best lens for photography nikon z50 body
Hi.
In your opinion, Nikon Z5 Nikkor Z 40mm f2 or Nikon Z5 FTZ Nikkor AF-S 50mm 1.4 G
I'm not really in the market for this lens, but something about it just seems great. Those are lovely optics given the price. Thanks for the review, Chris.
Side note, ever since its announcement, I've been itching to learn more about the new Samyang 50mm, and I'm eagerly awaiting your review, assuming you cover it, of course.
I will cover it as soon as Samyang can get one to me :-)
@@christopherfrost many thanks in advance! I'm already really considering it, but there can always be little devils in the optical design one needs to uncover.
When are you gonna get your hands on the new Samyang FE 50 F1.4 v2 lens?
Is there a chance you could re-review the sigma 18-35 F1.8? I think it would be popular among us aps-c viewers and would be much higher quality than the review using the 60D.
Hi guys! I have a Nikon D3300, will this lens work with this body? I'm such a noob to all of this sorry if it sounds silly.
No. It won't mount. Get the 35mm f1.8 Dx F mount lens for $100 used and call it a day. It's a fantastic lens for your camera.
Aaaargh. Price point. The camera reviewer's favourite expression. I think it means price
My Nikon Z 35mm F1.8 is faulty, can I use this lens to replace it.
Thanks for the review! The lens seems awesome, not sure about the plastic mount though. Still, it's great for the price.
i like that you are going for the z system, too.
Nice and small and better for carry than my optically excellent 50 1.8 Z lens. Optically good enough, but no match for 50 1.8
5.6 the sweet spot for land scape on this lens
Great review! Bought this lense today 😊
Nice review - short, crisp, to the point.
Cracking review, thank you. Following this review I am now going to purchase one.
Does a cheap lens show slightly less dynamic range?
Glad you said i should not hammer nails with this lens as this is way i normally do with my lenses ;) Great video, Chris!
Also the micro contrast seems awesome on this lens. I am realy considering selling my xp3 and xf 35 1.4 for a z6 with this lens. I imagine that sharpness will be better on the z6 due to less MP, or am I mistaken? Also, would it be possible to add micro contrast as a metric for your reviews? I think people realy like microcontrast and therefore buy Zeiss, Leica and fuji glass (mostly the older ones) for this. Thx in advance!
Is this a good replacement for a 50 1.8G in terms of sharpness and portrait photography
much better rendering, much more important than sharpness. and then there's the issue of focal length.
@@billmoyer3254 so is the 50 1.8 better?
Got Z6 and kit 24-70F4S, I'm still on the fence between this one and Viltrox 35 1.8Z.
The ibis with a Nikon brand z lens is the much better
@@18yearsoldnot I bought this one eventually, worth every penny. I can't believe this plastic little guy is such a powerful beast.
Please do review of sony 28-60 lens we need your review all them.
Nikon was not able to squeeze out a metal mount?
Cmon…
Shame about the missing coma test though. Wide open at f2, the coma on this lens is outright terrible. Point light sources can produce heavily pronounced coma.
Awesome review, I'm getting one 👍
Another winning review! Cheers! 👍👍👍✌🏻😁📷
Nikon makes itself a seppuku with its "breakthrough" projects!
Why corner is always less sharper compared to center in majority of lenses? I'm just trying to understand.
Take a laser pointer and a mirror. The greater the angle you point the laser at the mirror the more the point on the other side will move around when changing the angle a small amount.
Modern lenses do that 6-14+ times with moving parts. With light from every single direction.
That's why we still don't get optically perfect lenses.
@@rrteppo thank you for answering my question.
Viltrox 27mm f1.2
Nikon: See how much they sacrifice to mimic a fraction of our power
Please can you test zeiss batis 40mm CF
The plastic mount is surprising, I understand it’s a budget lens but other brands put metal mounts on on their budget lenses.
I always see that at wide open, corners are softer, but is it the right test? Should a test board be not flat for that test, because the distance to corners is greater than to center and due to narrow field of view, corners always be softer or I would say, out of focus?
What you are talking about is field curvature. Properly corrected lenses should have a flat field of focus.
@@christopherfrost Just the question is this to be relevant @ test chart distance or more @ infinity (landscapes).
is it good for Z30
This lens is the perfect example of "good enough". Fairly cheap. Small-ish. Some sacrifices in build quality, but acceptable ones. IQ not optimal wide open, but improves stopped down. I think many primes in the S line are just too big and pricey; I only own the 50mm f1.8s in that line.
The newer 26mm pancake lens tries to go further, but misses the mark with its price tag.
Dilemma. This Nikon or Viltrox 35mm?
Nikon is cheaper, smaller, focus closer and have better controlled distortion, the Viltrox is a little wider, has better construction (still not weather sealed) and a apeture ring but has clearly distortion problems and for now I don't know if Viltrox has published corrections for this lens. In sharpness both are really similar, the Nikon is a little better.
@@angelfoto4795 thank you. That makes the Nikon quite more appealing. I already have the 50mm 1.8. I think something a little wider and smaller is appealing. I kind of wish the small Nikon was 35mm. The 35 1.8 is quite expensive, even with the current rebate.
it has dust and moissure resistance
40 mm nikon z f2 sell kar rha hu mai 5 days old with bill
I love the compactness but when it came to low light I was like bye ✌🏻haha. Its a wonderful lens for the price though!
Is the 50mm f/1.8 better?
@@C_itsNemo yes absolutely. 50mm 1.8 is an amazing lens
No brainer with the Nikon Zf
thank you
why have they not made it a 35mm focal length.. who the hell uses 40mm, its too close to 50mm.. cmon nikon what are you doing?
Thanks!
Thanks for your support!