Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsBuy this instead of the 35mm f/1.8 DX
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2011
Many forum threads have pondered whether to choose the 40mm micro of the 35mm 1.8. I have owned both, used them extensively and can safely conclude that the 40mm micro/macro is the better all-around lens. It can do most the 35 can do, but offers the added bonus of macro and superior sharpness and resistance to chromatic aberration.
Here are the pros of the 35mm 1.8
- affordable prime lens
- fast 1.8 aperture makes it potentially wonderful for indoor and low-light shots when flash is not available or permitted
- extremely sharp if you get a good copy (I've owned two copies. One was tack sharp all the way down to f/1.8. The other had a lot of chromatic aberration and purple fringing wide open).
- great starter lens for a photo class
Here are the cons of the 35mm 1.8
- purple fringing wide open
- blurry wide open (what's the point of 1.8 if you can't use it?)
- lens hood is way too small
- build quality is plasticky (but this applies to 40mm micro as well)
Here are the pros of the 40mm micro
- A great lens for amateur food photography (at the actual restaurant/kitchen with actual food)
- Nikon's most affordable macro lens
- f/2.8 aperture is still very good for general photography
- Macro feature works like a charm
- Lens is lightweight enough that you can get away with handheld shots
- 40mm focal length (60mm on full-frame) makes it good for product photography of larger objects
- has focus limiter switch to disable macro and speed up autofocus
- great manual focus feel
Here are the cons of the 40mm micro
- autofocus hunts more than a regular af-s lens
- you're way too close to subject if you want 1:1 magnification (where 24mm wide object fills length of frame)
- Max aperture is f/4.4 at 1:1, but that's normal for all macro lenses
Because both lenses produce the equivalent of 52/60mm on a film camera, neither is appropriate for head & shoulder portraits, unless you shoot in landscape orientation. Both are great for full body or waist-up portraits. I like shooting up close, so I think you can fit a maximum of two or three people in the shot with these lenses. I would go wider for group photos.
Overall, though, I would choose the 40mm macro lens. It's sharper overall, focus is pretty fast (even when it hunts), and has the added value of close-focus/macro ability. Great for food & product photos.
