The Nikon 35mm f/1.4 lens has been creating a lot of buzz, especially among those looking for something different from the usual clinical sharpness modern lenses tend to offer. If you’ve been on the lookout for a lens with character, this one might be worth a look.
Coming to you from Alex Barrera, this fantastic video reviews the Nikon NIKKOR 35mm f/1.4 Z lens, focusing on what sets it apart. Barrera points out that most lenses today—whether from Sony, Nikon, or Canon—are nearly flawless in terms of sharpness and clarity. But that can come at the cost of uniqueness. The 35mm f/1.4, on the other hand, stands out for its imperfections. It has a glow when shot wide open, and its bokeh isn’t the smoothest. While some may see these as flaws, Barrera highlights that these characteristics give the lens a vintage feel, making your images stand out from the typical ultra-sharp, sterile shots many other lenses produce.
Barrera goes into how the lens strikes a balance between modern and vintage elements. It’s sharp, but not the sharpest. It has contrast, but not without a bit of that vintage glow. This blend of old and new makes it a joy to shoot with. Barrera explains that picking up this lens has been refreshing because the results are different from the cookie-cutter perfection we’ve grown used to seeing. It adds soul to your images, making each shot feel more personal and less like it was created by a machine.
The video also touches on the technical downsides of the lens. It’s not without issues—purple fringing in high-contrast situations, for one. But as Barrera notes, this is easily corrected in post-processing, and for many, the unique rendering of the lens more than makes up for it. The glow wide open may also divide opinion, but Barrera points out that many photographers buy filters to achieve that very look. With this lens, you don’t need any extra accessories to soften the sharpness; it does that naturally.
Barrera frames this lens as an antidote to the uniformity in modern photography gear. It’s a compact, lightweight, and affordable option that gives you something different. At $600, it’s not an extravagant investment, but it’s one that will give you images with more character than you might get from other lenses in the same range. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Barrera.
