Nikon Nikkor AF-S 35 mm F/1.8 G Lens

At some point in any photographer's evoloution we all need to make a decision - am I a zoom or fixed focal length shooter?
For the type of photography I enjoy, and for the purposes I use my photos for, are the tight tolerances and distortion controls designed into most professional level fixed focal length lenses necessary? Do I need the faster apertures - really? Do I mind carrying around several lenses, each weighing half to one and a half pounds, to cover the focal lengths I most frequently use when shooting and do I mind having to reach into my bag to change lenses again and again during a shooting session?
Or do I prefer carrying one, or at most two, overlapping zooms covering the same range?
If the answer to this question is the latter, then you should read no further and consider purchasing one of the many zoom lenses available that include the 85mm focal length. You should especially do so if you are a digital shooter. For you, the fast aperture of f/1.8 is meaningless, since most of your SLR's start with a sensitivity of ISO 320, and corner sharpness is useless since your sensor is only "seeing" the central portion of the circle projected by this lens.
Having said all that, Nikon's 85mm f/1.8 AF lens is one of the finest optics it has been my pleasure to own. Designing short telephoto's is, admittedly, easier to do well than say superwides but this lens is, nevertheless, a jewel among short telephotos. Distortion is virtually nil and the lens is sharp at all apertures, especially at f/1.8. Build quality is excellent, being mostly metal and the lens has metal filter threads (which you will learn to appreciate the first time you cross thread a filter on a lens with plastic threads). The internal focusing mechanism and short movement required to focus to infinity makes autofocus on the lens as fast on my F100 and D100 as my lenses with the AFS motors.
Slides taken with this lens are contrasty and sharp at all apertures with no vignetting - even with the lenshood on over a thick filter mount. The lenshood itself is a welcome departure from some of the plastic horrors Nikon has come out with in recent years, being an all metal screw in type.
So if moody portraiture with soft out of focus backgrounds on ISO 50 films are your thing - this is your optic and it's a bargain even at full price. If you are a contemplative one lens shooter, who spends the time setting up a tripod and then moving it about until your angle and framing are perfect, then you could not do much better than this little gem (But why are you working in 35mm and not large format?). Even a working pro, who occasionally needs a little more reach and speed would be happy with this lens and can be confident that the results will not let him down.
It just that the rest of us, with limited budgets, who take pictures for our own pleasure and not for resale, would probably be better served spending the same money for something a bit more versatile.

I have been a fan of prime lenses since I first began using film cameras years ago. The aperture range to cost ratio is balanced quite well with a package like this Nikon AF-S 35 mm.

This lens has already worked well in a range of my activities from catching the action of band members in dimly lit bar rooms, to close up portrait work under controlled lighting, to vast landscape views.

The performance has been fast, smooth, and accurate with only one exception. The G type Nikon lenses do have a tendency to become confused in very low light situations and have some difficulty focusing there. This is a time when the user needs to treat the lens as if it is on a manual focus camera.

This lens has one switch listed as "manual/ auto" or "manual." The "M" setting is totally manual like any MF camera from years past. The "M/A" setting allows the user to have a little more control over the lens, but ultimately achieves the final focus through the motor.

Over the years, I have used prime lenses on Nikon, Minolta, and Cannon film cameras and have used manual focus prime lenses on a Nikon DSLR. Using the latter of those cameras requires the AF-S type Nikon lenses in order to have the option of auto focus. I still tend to do some work with the manual focus prime lens on the DSLR body, but the selling point of this lens was having the option to use auto focus when the situation demands it.

I would recommend this lens to any Nikon enthusiast who has to have the AF-S type. This has already given me some very promising results and really does not cost all that much for the diversity of use that it provides.

As I had my first wedding shoot coming up, I was very much aware that my existing set of zoom lenses were going to cause me problems in lowlight. So, after going through countless reviews of various prime lenses, I decided on this Nikon 35mm based on price and quality. Many people opt for a 50mm prime but I personally find a 35mm will give you more scope in a tighter space (eg, registry office).
I certainly was not disappointed with the results it gave. Granted, if you've never used a prime lens, it'll feel strange at first, as you're forced to physically move back and forward to compose your image but it soon becomes almost intuitive. If it's your first time using a prime, leave it on your camera for a while to get comfortable using it, especially if you've an event coming up. The fast shutter speeds this 1.8 lens allows will be a revelation if you're new to it. I was able to take handheld shots in very dim conditions and fell in love with it instantly. At f1.8 you will get very shallow DOF which works great for portraits and weddings, giving a very pleasing Bokeh effect.
Also, because it's a prime, image quality will be far superior to most standard zoom lenses so you will find very little evidence of lens distortion and Chromatic Aberration / Fringing.
I had read some people having issues with slow auto focus but personally I had no issues there.

All in all, this is a little gem of a lens and if you can get it from one of the sellers charging in the region of £200 or less, then consider it a worthwhile investment. Absolutely no need to pay much more than that!!! I've seen it going for twice that price here and on other sites so do look around.

Why did I buy it?...... Needed a fast lens for Weddings and Portraits in lowlight.
What do I like about it?..... Fast shutter speeds, light lens and quality results.
Now, all I need is another wedding to use it again.

This is the cheapest Nikon prime lens with inbuilt silent wave auto focus motor for DX cameras. Got better view angle than 50mm. Especially wonderful for shooting anything hand-held in available light. Can take very sharp images with blurry background because of higher aperture . Built quality is really good. Comes with rear and front caps, hood and case.Very easy to do manual focusing.

The Nikon 35 1.8 camera lens is an amazing product for the price.
This lens works nearly as well as many that costs a thousand dollars more than it.
The images the Nikon 35 1.8 produces are sharp and the color is very nice and true to life.
The Nikon 35 1.8 sharpness is pretty nice when set on f/1.8, and gets sharper as you go down.
While the speed of the Nikon 35 1.8 lens isn’t the fastest out there, it’s certainly not slow, and is still pretty quick.
I’ve found that Nikon 35 1.8 works best for me in low light settings. The auto focus of Nikon 35 1.8 is very quiet, and has an option to enable a manual override while still being of auto focus, meaning 35 1.8 lens won’t be necessary to switch to manual mode every time you need to manually change the focus just for one picture. Because the Nikon 35 1.8 lens is indeed quick, it’s good for moving targets, like sports shots.