Real World Nikon Z 40mm f/2 | Good? | + RAW Downloads | Matt Irwin

[@LightTheShadows]

I watched this video and thought to myself: man, he is such a positive person despite all the obstacles he has to handle in Melbourne at the moment. Love your style and content! Go on like this, Matt.

[@MattIrwinPhotography]

Thank Peter means a lot, and we just had a little earthquake an hour ago ... feels like the Earth is trying to tell us something ...

[@csc-photo]

Looks to be a great little lens! All of these camera manufacturers have their strengths, but I still maintain that Nikon produces the highest image quality & colors of them all. Thanks for your vids Matt!

[@MattIrwinPhotography]

They are some of the very reasons why digital Nikons have been my mainstay for all these years

[@neilmartin8143]

I know this is a bit late for a comment but finally got my 40mm f2. Really pleased with it. Depth of field and focusing is great. One thing I noticed was how well the eye focus works in video. In comparison to my 50mm f1.8 it keeps focus much better. Maybe it’s due to the small size and fast motor. Not sure but it does perform pretty flawlessly. Anyone else noticed better AF?

[@dietmarwechselberger6707]

I think this is the prime lens I was waiting for. Small, light, affordable with a good image quality. It will fit perfect to my Z6 II.

[@Eltargrimm]

I just picked up my 105mm Macro yesterday and placed an order for this 40mm. I had already done the same for the 28mm, and I believe this will actually lead to me selling my Fuji X-T3 and most of my Fujifilm lenses, now that I can use these 2 compact lenses for street photography.

[@AeschlimannJan]

The ideal walk-around lens for my Z5. Been waiting for this one.

[@MattIrwinPhotography]

Great call Jan

[@valeman1958]

Hey Matt, hearing about the quake in Melbourne and just wanted to say that we all hope you and yours are safe and well. Stay safe buddy! We all thoroughly enjoy your informative, entertaining and enthusiastic content on your channel, but looking after the family and your business should take priority, so please don't take risks, we will be here when things settle down over there.

[@johnking3625]

I’m persuaded to acquire the 40/f2.0 Z lens ASAP. Great for travel photography on my Z5!

[@1217Yangli]

Very nice sample pictures. How does it compare with the 28mm f2.8 Z? in regards of imagine quality?

[@nancyk9475]

Very helpful! I’m looking at either the 40 f2 or 35 f1.8 for nighttime and street on my Z6ii. I think the 40 f2 might be the better choice, especially at the price point

[@JosefFoti]

I expected this lens to be good but it's even better than I expected! Such a great value for the money. However, I'm still not decided that I "need" it :) Yes, it's very affordable but there are lenses on my list that I could use and they are much more expensive. I think it would be very useful in street photography, not only because of its compact size but also because it's a 40mm which I believe is the closest focal length to the human eye so if I want to take the viewer into the scenes, this is the way to go.

[@MattIrwinPhotography]

I really enjoyed it Josef, and focal length wise it was able to capture what I wanted to with either a rotation or a few steps back or forward

[@mylucksmiles]

This 40 mm is amazing. Street photography has its own sent of agenda's. It Disarms passers by , allows me to do the composition with attracting interest. Love it . Cheers for the review. Love your work

[@snipe063]

Just pre-ordered this Z 40mm f/2 lens today. I think it will be perfect for an all purpose, lightweight, walk around lens. After seeing your video Matt, I’m convinced I made the right choice. 👍🏼

[@nnalujim7848]

Hi Matt. Looks like if I have to take only one lens for a trip iit woould be the 40mm f2.0. Best wishes

[@flickrchannyuk4396]

Hi Matt, these are beautiful nightscape images, a brilliant choice for testing this lens. I love your compositions. Not everyone lives in walking distance of amazing landscapes or has access to beautiful models, so it's great to have inspirational cityscapes to inspire those of us who live in cities and because of Covid can't travel too far. Thank you! Thank you! By the way, the bokeh on this 40mm f/2 looks really good. What's your advice to those thinking of either the 40mm f/2 or the 35mm f1/8S? Apart from size and build quality which are key differences, is the 5mm difference in focal length enough of a difference to be a 'thing' to consider?

[@creditelectric]

I like using a prime lens I have an old manual 35mm f1.8 which is a favourite, nothing like the jacket I bought from Target this year, worn it twice, once to try it on in store & at home, such is life.

[@gregcorker2193]

Great review. Those were really nice images. The image quality, compact size, and relatively fast maximum aperture make it quite attractive even at a higher price than is being asked. Remarkable from a lens in that price range. On top of it all, people looking for an affordable entry into an interchangeable lens camera system will find it an excellent option.

[@warlordpriest1]

Excellent video! Decided to purchase this lens after watching it. It’s the best video I’ve seen using this lens in a low light scenario. Amazed at how sharp it is and the depth of field at f2, not to mention that you were shooting at night at ISO 100. Thanks for making this one especially, Matt.

[@MattIrwinPhotography]

Cheers Walter, ENJOY !!!! Matt :)

[@detectivejonesw]

I agree with you on this lens, I think it may be over performing. Great first lens to get on a Z

[@jpdj2715]

Have you tried "highlight-weighted" metering? Shooting raw, I feel in many cases that gives excellent exposure albeit there is a tendency to have zero photosites (pixels) overexposed. Consequently, when you open a raw image in LrC, it looks 2..3 f-stops underexposed and that feels like dynamic range was taken away (there's plenty with these Z cameras). In general, I would set exposure correction to +1 f-stop. In LrC, if my image looks underexposed on opening, I lower the white point. In C1, that is a nightmare to me (alter the white point and if you next alter exposure, C1 changes the white point again, giving me What The Fotography moments).

[@duncanwallace7760]

Nikon is certainly enjoying the options the new mount is giving them. There will be some really cool and varied lenses over the next few years I reckon!

[@roberthadley1717]

I can see me getting one to shot some low light gigs with on my Z6. Love the 24-70 f4s lens I use now but a f2 lens would be so much better.The cost plays a part too.

[@analogecstasy4654]

The bokeh from this thing looks INCREDIBLE. It’s so smooth! Really wish they’d made a 105mm f/2.5 Z lens with the same price and performance as this one.

[@claudiakuprat4923]

Ordered! This might be the general walkaround-lens i was waiting for. Really looking forward to have it mounted on my Z6. Thanks for the great preview, Matt. Very much appreciated.

[@patriciablyler6484]

This lens is currently on sale in the US for $250 so I thought I'd give it a try. I've read a bunch of reviews and it looks like a pretty nice lens for the price. I want to try using it for some low light photography. I usually look for a review from Matt before I decide on my purchases.

[@vparikh08]

Just got mine today! Haven't been able to go out and try it out yet. - but it is excactly what I was looking for. An everyday general purpose lens that is light, inexpensive, and performant. Can't wait to go out and do a walkabout with this lens. I'll say this - the Nikon Z system has got me excited about photography again - and that is the greatest thing a company can do!

[@MattIrwinPhotography]

Such great news. And I totally agree. 😀

[@KrzysztofBurak]

Please do combo Z50 + 40mm - city scape, street, portrait, etc. Budget combo - diffrent shooting scenarios.

[@troyphillips1077]

What I see from this lens aside from its focal length which is a given, 40mm. It has dimensionally. I kept hearing “ sharp , sharp , sharp” so it’s sharp another kind of given . This low element count lens with high quality glass it get great 3-d rendering. But I am not hearing you say anything about that . Even as I watch the video of you . There is great dimension and roundness to your face . It is a super lens in design especially for video. You’ll get immersive video with dimensionally. I was just editing video last night and we were shooting 8 cameras. You could totally see the difference between the lenses used . My super high resolution high element count lenses ( Sigma 28 and 40mm Art ) were so flat and lacked microcontrast. The low element count lenses were hugely better in color depth, roundness the microcontrast. Everything we better. We also were shooting the Nikkor 300mm f/4 afs-d . That lens looked immensely better than the Sigmas . So did the Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 e fl vr. That lens was inferior to the old low element count Nikkor 300 f/4 afs. I also use an old 28mm f/1.8 Nikon and old Nikkor 400mm f/3.5 ais . These lenses in rendering dimensionally are far superior than the super sharp high element count lenses. It’s weird how the lesser lens seems to have more detail even though it doesn’t. Or does it actually because it has more shades for grey , more dof or microcontrast. If the eye and brain see better depth at a glance isn’t that more detail? Or is more sharp lines more detail? I myself prefer color and shape depth. I love seeing dimensionally over sharp edges ( most of the time)

[@devilangel4655]

If Nikon brought this earlier out, I didn’t bought the 35/50 1.8s Because the Z-lenses are so good, that I’m satisfied enough already.

[@arobleto]

Can't wait to get my hands on this 40mm f2 Nikon lens. Great insights provided by your rendezvous in the city of Melbourne! Thanks for sharing and greetings from Nicaragua.

[@guffey1989]

Love the way this lens renders and how compact it is. Will likely be picking it up to use for street and walkaround shooting soon.

[@spiffhappens]

Most excellent video, Matt. Love your personality. Just ordered the lens (currently on sale for $269 US). Can't wait to slap it on my Z6 and hit the streets. You fired me up! Happy Holidays.

[@MattIrwinPhotography]

Awesome! Thank you Spiff. Enjoy, Cheers Matt

[@solomonessix6909]

I pre-ordered. Waiting for my copy. I appreciate your reviews.

[@Digmen1]

Its amazing, the shots you got at night, hand held! Beautifil colours, but then I a Nikon fan boy!

[@chriskirisoglou922]

Thank you for your insight. How do you find the autofocus compared to the 50 1.8s?

[@ericlarson2444]

I or pre-ordered this lens the morning it was announced. I can’t wait to get this and the 28mm both are ideal for street photography and will get a lot of use on both my Z6 and Z50 cameras

[@lovettdsouzaexternal8353]

Hi Eric - Just placed an order for this lens. What is your early thought on this lens and the quality of images your getting. Would love to know your thoughts

[@alistairnicholson2046]

Ordered mine. Looks ideal for small, light, travel and lower light situations where the lower priced zooms might not be fast enough - without spending too much.

[@roybixby6135]

Love the scootering effect...

[@MattIrwinPhotography]

Thanks Roy :)

[@e1evn1ee]

Thanks Matt for your fabulous work! I was just deciding between z 35mm 1.8s, tamron 35mm 1.4 and this little pancake. You helped me make the decision and save some money! Have a great night :)

[@lukaszklopotek]

The 35-es have professional application, this light 40 is for fun / travel. So it depends on your needs.

[@mattgrant447]

Great video. I just love my 50 1.8s too much to buy a 40, but I could imagine getting this lens if the hadn’t already made that decision. I really enjoy those cityscapes. I’m always amazed at the images that we can get with IBIS under ideal situations with today’s technology, but agree that there is a limit. I shot a bunch of night images at around 1 second recently to try to get some reflections on water and they were just too soft. But the angle was also tricky so I couldn’t stabilize very well. In general though, I’ve stopped carrying a tripod at night now knowing that most of my images can turn out well with shutter and ISO adjstments.

[@psoon04286]

I’ve never used a camera with IBIS before getting my Z5. It’s allowed me to capture night scenes at insanely low shutter speeds(sub 1/15 sec) that I rarely bring along even my monopod. Just using the old tried and tested techniques for handholding the camera at low shutter speeds and the camera’s IBIS will render crisp images for you👍😄

[@TylerChristiaens]

I love my 50mm 1.8 as well but I’m going to use the 40mm as my gimbal and travel lens. Nice and small. Great medium between my 24-70 as well.

[@pauka13]

despite the fact that ppl already judging this lens because of the plastic mount, I think Nikon will sell a ton of them. For this price it is a must have. I already have the 35mm 1.8s, so I didn't make my decision yet, but maybe some time later it will land in my collection.

[@tonyhayes9827]

Love these videos Matt. Respectful, measured. All power to you.

[@bluste63]

So the question is, which one would you use for a fashion show, Nikkor Z50mm f/1.8s or this lens with a slightly wider FOV? As always thanks for all the fun videos. Seasons greetings

[@vinshul1980]

Hi, nice work. Im planning to get this lens. How does this lens perform in video ? Please share your thoughts on it. And a comparison of this lens with Z 35mm f1.8. Thanks

[@dannyletrasss]

Great video 🔥💪 Could you do a video comparison between this Z 40mm f/2 and the Z 35mm F/1.8? I think a lot of people might be thinking of buying one or the other for video purposes. I can already imagine the pros/cons to both but for the price, if the 40mm at its lower weight can perform even close to the 35mm, it might be a more popular option? 🤔

[@laurelb8372]

I would like that comparison

[@Touuraab]

music was awesome, jacket is cool, and that slightly wider studio view is really good

[@jackbeltane]

Taking that lens on the zfc to a early morning Melbourne fashion week shoot in 2 hours time, also my first go at using a Nikon in Melbourne city.

[@bankroller83]

40mm is not a focal length that I often use but you've sold the concept to me. £249 in the UK seems like a bargain for a walkaround lens. Wishing you and your neighbours and swift and safe return to normality.

[@uvaiskomath]

This is great lens for story telling. The subject separated from BG anf background not compressed which helps in giving context

[@khengteoh4318]

For the price and size such a great little lens

[@normang663]

Hi, really love your videos. I'm a complete newbie, just bought this lens with Z30 camera. I currently only use the auto mode, BUT if you were to give advice, what mode is the easiest to use for a newbie like me who want to try manually setting the ISO and aperture? Thank you once again

[@stephankurda7397]

Pictures looking good, thanks for doing them. Hope Nikon will really start shipping end of September.

[@q5rwi1]

Great video Matt! I really enjoyed your enthusiasm and energy. Thank you for bringing a lot of videos for us. 😀

[@MattIrwinPhotography]

My pleasure!

[@not2green]

Yep, pretty keen - I like that 40mm is just a little more interesting (to me) than 50mm, it's inexpensive, light, small - sounds good.

[@MattIrwinPhotography]

Awesome, here is some more food for thought kzbin.info/www/bejne/lWq0dmp8hZyVbdk

[@philcampbell5827]

Great video Matt...terrific shots that really demonstrate the quality of the lens. If I didn't already own the 50mm 1.8, I think I might buy this in it's place just for the size difference and cost savings. Doesn't look like you would be giving up too much from an IQ standpoint.

[@rkic47]

I hope that you and yours are ok after the quake. Very tempted by the 40mm as a walkabout lens

[@neilmartin8143]

Looks great. Was swithering but your shots have convinced me. Just ordered using the link to Adorama. Cheers

[@JB-rk9mx]

Thanks for making the vid. Been contemplating this lens as a casual ‘walk around lens’. Looks like some pretty decent results, will be buying one!

[@bradl2636]

Would love to see a shootout with the Voigtlander 40mm f2. Are any of your sample images straight out of camera?

[@jackfellows6171]

I've just ordered this lens for my Z50 based on your reviews, thanks from there UK Matt!

[@TonyHedges]

Matt, hope you are OK. Did the earth move for you? Did you feel it? If you are OK, it's a photo op. I remember experiencing a tremor, it felt like the whole house jumped in the air and back down again. It wasn't more than 4 on the Reicher scale, which is nothing, so to see damage in Melbourne is a surprise and means what you had there was way more than I have experienced. Hope all is well, thanks for the video.

[@stephankurda7397]

Is the reason, that you are using Capture One a more technical thing or a more licensing thing?

[@ronaldmoravec2692]

I love mine for Z6 2. Sharp with less lens swapping from 35/50. 4.0 to get corners perfect.

[@Zocral]

Great video with superb sample images. Just ordered mine today. 🙂

[@shadow479]

Despite of the plasticky, cheap looking body the quality you got from those pictures is really incredible !

[@thejohnnerparty]

This was a really good post. That lens does a really good job for the price. .... Matt, nice job on the photos. I like your taste.

[@OkieDokie]

Great video! What software are you using in this video for editing the photos?

[@oliverlane4050]

That quality is astounding for the price! Your photography skills certainly help to show what it can do though 😀

[@smkunder1]

Another great review, always enjoy your balance. What are your typical “go to” focus modes?

[@Kryptech]

Thank you for the wonderful review Matt. The images from this lens look superb.

[@andrewchisholm3665]

Might look into this lens as I had the 40mm 2.8 for my DX 71000 and it was a great wee lens

[@39mdg92]

Looks great, about to preorder one for a Nikon Z5 that I want to give to a friend so he'll have a camera when his baby is born. Would have liked to hear a word about the autofocus of this lens, is it adequate for photography of children, pets and family stuff? Ofcourse its not a sporty lens, but do you think it will focus quick enough for snapshots of the kid? Can't tell since all the test images were still life.

[@AndyCuthbert]

Great little review Matt. Looks like a great little lens to add the bad. Looks like the next “Nifty-Fifty.” Keep up the good work👏🏻👏🏻….also a bummer the Insta360 camera crash. Looking forward to that review to take place of the GoPro on low light vlogging/hiking.

[@johnwood406]

Great vid. Any news on the new FTZ mount adapter supposedly in the works? As always, thank you for sharing.

[@helgividar]

Over-delivering! I agree with that verdict. The images look fantastic. Now I am going to take a look at your files.

[@helgividar]

Incredible files, both in terms of lens quality and quality information that they contain when brightened up.

[@scotth4019]

Hello Matt. Another great video. I am very excited about this lens and thank you so much for giving it a quick once over. I am curious what you using for editing is this Lightroom? Or is this the Nikon editing software I forget the name of it off the top of my head but I usually use Lightroom but I've heard good things about the Nikon editing software just curious what you think. Thanks again

[@gabrielh7718]

Very relaxing and nice video Matt, keep it up!

[@stefanflaschko]

Great video Matt, was thinking about buying the nikon z5, but was not sure if their cheaper lenses will be good enought... Very helpful to make a decision :)

[@obedbrinkman]

nice samples!

[@tomfoord8860]

Matt, is there any chance Nikon will enable 5:4 aspect in the Z6II? Maybe it’s such a small thing that it’s overlooked, but then again it should be real easy. Do you think they’ve heard people asking for this?

[@30DegreesBank]

Hi, Matt! I winder, which software are you using to review the images? I thought it is NX Studio, but Is it?

[@marcusbraun8889]

It's Capture One.

[@IEmilyI]

As a non-native English speaker, I love how even native speakers have trouble pronouncing "sixth". Nice video btw, thanks! Probably going to get this lens at some point.

[@elementh3368]

Waiting for this lens to Z5 and also 35mm viltrox for compare, for now the 35mm is my favorite focal lenght.

[@evgenipoptoshev4112]

I have both the 40/2Z and the 50/1.8F (adapted). The 40 is better. It focuses faster, has a way better contrast and sharpness wide open, and less purple fringing. Yes, it is even more plasticky build than the 50/1.8, but its image quality is clearly superior, especially wide open.

[@UweRoclawski]

Hi, what 50mm lens you mean? The AF-S or the older AF-D?

[@maneshmalla588]

Matt i hope you are good, how did the quake behave for you? Keep safe, love from across tasman

[@gerryphilpott9766]

Matt, I'm going to dip my toe again into the Zfc as I returned the one I got in their first shipment as it died on me right out of the box. Hopefully some bugs have been addressed and/or I'm luckier this time. Question, I believe both the 28mm 2.8 and the new 40mm 2.0 are not VR, correct? Of the two, which one would you recommend if I was buying just one? I have a Z7ii as well. Thanks!!

[@robertb.3651]

Have one on my Z5. It's awesome, sometimes even to sharp !!!

[@TheDeamonLo]

I really want this but I already have the 50 1.8 S. I mostly do street. Worth it?

[@warlordpriest1]

I also have the 50 1.8 S but just decided to order this one as well, primarily because of the light weight and because of this impressive video, which shows the lens performing in my preferred scenario…low light street. What also blows my mind is how sharp the images are and the depth of field even at f/2.

[@1990geddes]

I'm really hoping they make a retro style one to go with the 28mm I got for the zfc

[@RVarrun]

Fantastic video. This lens is phenomenal for the price and what it offers. Wow

[@jeffstephens5266]

Do you think this lens works better on Z6 than Z7 for night shooting. Probably a great match with Z5 for low light shooting

[@ThisIsDavesGarage]

While not as sharp and bokeh-licious as the S line Nikkor lenses, this small 40mm f/2 lens packs the most micro-contrast of them all, and in the smallest pancake package, while costing half the amount of a 50mm 1.8S. It's a fun little lens with great image quality! Highly recommended.

[@MattIrwinPhotography]

Well said TFA

[@stevenbusby9209]

Would like to see how it renders B&W stills?

[@Samuel-dr9ev]

Download the raw files

[@MINECRAFTandSEB]

WOAH is that a hand held 1/6 of a second???? how

[@Honkus]

Some good looking images. Definitely a nice lines to have at $299.

[@BernardSolomon]

Nice video as always Matt. Stay safe.

[@ptg5377]

Hope all is well in Melbourne today. Stay safe.

[@jpdj2715]

Tiny tease, Matt: "remember this is a 5K screen". Yes, I did and watch YT at 1,440p, or 4K that is the maximum resolution that you uploaded.

[@bradl2636]

Construction? Barrel is plastic or metal? Plastic, aluminium or brass mount? Plastic or metal filter threads? Thread diameter? Made in Japan, China or Thailand?

[@cmichaelhaugh8517]

Looks very interesting if I take up street photography.