Is this the most versatile prime? The NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S unwrapped

Nikon Team •90-Second NIKKOR•19 Jan 2024•3 min read

With a slightly wide but natural view and amazing light-gathering, this is a lens with stories to tell

Few things are as versatile as a fast 35mm prime lens and the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S takes that versatility to new heights. Whether you are taking stills or video, a 35mm lens angle of view makes users comfortable and involved, as it’s close to scope of the human eye, bringing a little more width to a story. Read on for things to try with the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S to push your creativity further than ever.

1. Make a movie

The 35mm lens is loved by directors and cinematographers. Films such as Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me by Your Name and George Miller’s original Mad Max were shot solely using one 35mm lens, so you’ll be in good company with your video work and filmmaking. Use it to practise framing your shots, whether establishing or close-ups, and the f/1.8 aperture will also give you a fantastic balance between background separation and focal point to help you tell your story.

With a slightly wide but natural view and amazing light-gathering, this is a lens with stories to tell

1. Make a movie

Nikon Team

What’s in our kitbag?

NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 SFor any light, any situation

2. Portraits aren’t just faces

Yes, 85mm, 105mm and 135mm are great for taking head shot portraiture, but a 35mm lens is a wonderful tool for a portrait of a whole person in their environment. Try it out on someone cooking in a kitchen, a craftsperson with tools in their workshop or a shop owner surrounded by their products – these are the kind of scenes that the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S loves.

Output image from a photo shoot for the "Create Your Light: outdoor portrait photography and the art of collaborating!" magazine article.

3. Get in close

With a minimum focus distance of just 25cm the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S can take startlingly detailed close-ups with creamy bokeh beyond the focal point. Create a still life from various small household objects or plants and experiment taking the image from different angles and in different lighting situations.

4. Learn to pull focus

The silent control ring on the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S is perfect for use as a manual focus ring, enabling you to smoothly change your focal point while taking video. Try it out with two subjects at different distances from the camera, changing focus on each, back and forward, as you film. You can pull focus quickly or slowly and see how different speeds affect the scene.

5. Create a visual journal

The NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S lens is a born storyteller – with the ability to work across so many different styles, from portraiture to architecture, street to landscape, stills to video – so use it to tell yours! Try keeping it on your camera for a month and using it to record what you do, what you see and what you feel, and elevate what might have been a social feed taken on a phone into a truly creative document of life.

The key stats: NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S

Type: Nikon Z mount

Format: FX

Focal length: 35mm

Maximum aperture: f/1.8

Minimum aperture: f/16

No. of diaphragm blades: 9 (rounded diaphragm opening)

Minimum focus distance: 0.25m (0.82ft)

Weight: 370g (13.1oz) approx.

Want to see it in action? Check out our 90-Second NIKKOR video below.

NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S in action

Click the button to play

Share Options

Celebrating 90 years of NIKKOR

Introducing a new video series from Nikon Europe. In each episode, we'll take a NIKKOR Z mirrorless lens and tell you everything you need to know in 90 seconds

PLAYLIST