Bruno Philipe

I've been wanting a low f-number prime for my Nikon Z, but didn't wanna splurge the $1k+ lenses since I mostly enjoy shooting zoom, and have a 24-70mm ƒ4 that mostly does the job.

Well I recently found that Nikon put out a cheap-o (plastic) 40mm ƒ2 lens for the Z mount, and got curious. Reviews seemed good, and so I decided to give it a try.

Jul 12, 2023 at 6:44amWeb
Show threadBruno PhilipeJul 12, 2023
Well, I have to say, I'm truly impressed. This lil thing that weighs absolutely nothing packs a punch, and made some beautiful shots despite the fact I'm still learning how to push a prime lens to its best ability.
Show threadBruno PhilipeJul 12, 2023
Just to provide some perspective, the entire Z Nikkor 40mm ƒ/2 lens is about the same size as the FTZII adapter. 😱
Show threadThe BellmanJul 12, 2023
@brunoph nice
Show threadChristian LobachJul 12, 2023
@brunoph wanted to say that 50mm f/1.8 is usually the best bang for your buck. But I just looked it up - why is it so expensive for Nikon Z? 😳
Show threadBruno PhilipeJul 12, 2023
@DerLobi I believe it’s because of the large size of the mount, forcing it to be wider and longer to match. Plus they’re only making them in the S series (so far) which is their professional tier (weather sealing, aberration-free optics, etc)
Show threadChristian LobachJul 12, 2023
@brunoph Ah I wasn't familiar with the “S”, that explains it. I got one for Canon RF for 150€ (the mount is also larger than their SLR-lenses), but the lens body is completely plastic, no AF/MF switch etc. Optics are decent though as always.
Had a 40mm f/2 for Canon EF as well and I liked it because it was absolutely tiny 🥞.
Show threadBruno PhilipeJul 12, 2023
@DerLobi yes, having a little lightweight lens was another thing I was looking for.Even though I don't mind lugging my big zooms around, sometimes I just feel like going about without a camera bag 😰
Show threadBruno PhilipeJul 12, 2023
@DerLobi Oh, another thing I forgot about the Z mount is that the flange distance is only 16mm, which I'm sure has a costly effect on lens optics
Show threadBenJul 12, 2023
@brunoph the best camera is the one you have with you. And nothing beats a tiny prime lens in that matter 🙂
Show threadWill SchneeklothJul 12, 2023
@brunoph My wallet is very glad no Nikon mirrorless cameras are included in Prime Day Deals (Sony a7 III & IV and several Canons are)! These look great!