Nikkor Z 40mm | Street Photography in London

I'm in London doing street photography with the Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 lens. I'm using this compact prime lens with my Nikon Z7 to capture images at The Sky Garden, The Barbican, Camden Town and Covent Garden. Along the way, I'll be talking about the lens' features and flaws, as well as analysing its performance and quality.
Image Data Corrections
The image data is incorrect after the third image. Correct info below:
Image 1 - 40mm, 1/250s, f9.0, ISO 64
Image 2 - 40mm, 1/4s, f/4.5, ISO 160
Image 3 - 40mm, 1/640s, f/5.6, ISO 800
Image 4 - 40mm, 1/400s, f/5.0, ISO 400
Image 5 - 40mm, 1/800s, f.2.8, ISO 200
Image 6 - 40mm, 1/250s, f.2.0, ISO 640
00:00 - Intro
00:51 - Sky Garden, Walkie Talkie Building
01:38 - Nikkor Z 40mm ergonomis
03:36 - Photography at The Barbican
04:07 - About aperture
05:38 - Street photography at Camden Town
06:08 - Autofocus and lens features
08:22 - Covent Garden photography
09:31 - Finishing up in London
09:53 - Nikkor Z 40mm image quality (Sharpness, aberation, flaring and vignetting)
13:03 - Conclusion
13:52 - Outro

[@Robert-Bishop]

Apologies everyone, I messed up with the image data information. See the video description for corrections. 🙂

[@bubby372]

The loudly dressed man and the mannequin in the window photo. Excellent!!

[@Robert-Bishop]

Yes, they did make a nice pair. Many thanks. 😊

[@paticillin5952]

Great city, great pictures & great editing. Underrated video. Greetings from Germany

[@Robert-Bishop]

Vielen Dank! Yes, a great city for street photography - so much going on. Thanks for checking out the video. 😊

[@darrenrussell9720]

Hi Robert, Thanks for this VLOG, really informative, well put together and great presenting style. I particularly like the fact that you show images in their RAW and processed state as well as the settings used to take the shot. Thank you! cheers Darren

[@Robert-Bishop]

Thanks a lot Darren, that's great to hear. Thanks for watching. 😊

[@YanyuXi]

Loved this one! Thanks for sharing your views.

[@Robert-Bishop]

Thank you. So much to photograph in London - I'm looking forward to going back at some point. Thanks for watching. 😊

[@LetsClickPhotography]

Great vid - compliments to the videographer for all the b-roll. I spent a lot of time around Barbican 20 years or so back. I remember thinking there was some really impressive yet really oppressive (brutalist was a great accurate description) 70's architecture around there. Great bunch of shots throughout Robert

[@Robert-Bishop]

Yeah, as I said to Paul - could easily spend a full day just at the Barbican, or Camden. Tried to fit quite a lot in, so didn't get as much time in each location as I would have liked. I really wanted a good silhouette shot of someone at the Barbican, but it didn't come together. One for next time. Thanks for watching Dave. 😊

[@paulcookphotography]

Great video Robert! Loved the opening shot of The Shard, probably my favorite skyscraper of all. Glad you made it to Camden Town, that was my favorite part of London. Loved the photo of the punk rock guy, definitely a great subject and an amazing part of London to photograph. Also a cool short long exposure down in The Tube. Looks like a pretty good lens for this type of photography and a lightweight option for walking around all day. I really enjoyed this one mate! Hope you guys are doing well and enjoying the festive season.

[@Robert-Bishop]

Cheers Paul, I know you're a bit of an anglophile, so I thought you might like this one. There's so much to photography in London - we probably tried to squeeze too much into too little time. Could easily spend a full day in just one of those areas. Thanks for watching mate. 😊

[@johncoombes6231]

Great video Robert, some really stunning captures. Been using the 50mm at the street markets in Phuket but the 40mm looks good. Keep up the good work.

[@Robert-Bishop]

Cheers John. It's definitely not as sharp as the 50mm, but it's half the size and light as a feather. I wish I were using it in Thailand - must be a bit warmer than the UK right now! 😂

[@RussWeymouthPhotography]

That's a great view looking towards the Shared from the Nokia building - nice edit on that photo.

[@Robert-Bishop]

Cheers Russ. Free to go up there too. 😊

[@CC3GROUNDZERO]

Great idea putting the unedited RAWs up for comparison next to the edited versions! Really provides some insight into how captures can be edited to guide the eye and attention and get more out of the dynamic range and the tone curve!

[@Robert-Bishop]

Glad it was useful. As long as it isn't going to make the video too long, I do try to include the RAWs these days. It was a request from a comment actually. Thanks for watching. 😊

[@photographydiscourse1185]

I love this lens. It is inexpensive and has great character. At f/2 it is also quite good in low light, and it does not focus breathe. It's a great value lens that can even be used for pro event work in a pinch. -PD

[@Robert-Bishop]

I totally agree. 😊 Thanks for watching.

[@alwinbenjamin]

👏🏻👏🏻

[@AndrewHamiltonPhotography]

Cracking wander around town Robert and would love to do some street photography down there ! Many a familiar site in this film and some cracking locations to shoot. You had the benefit of a videographer I see !! It’s so hard doing the a and b roll yourself 😂 My favourite was the juxtaposition of the cowboy (?) and the mannequin in the window - these types are one of my fave to hunt down when doing street. Looked a fab trip and have a great Xmas 🎄

[@Robert-Bishop]

Thanks Andrew. Yeah Andrea has been getting a lot of love for the videography, which is great, as I'm always dragging her to silly places in the freezing cold! 😁 Don't know how you do street photography while filming yourself - you do an excellent job of that. Thanks for watching - hope you're all prepared for Christmas! 😊

[@TerekkiTerekki]

Nice fotos + post processing

[@Robert-Bishop]

Thanks. 😊

[@paulkennedycreativemedia]

aaahhhh London, sometimes I do miss walking around the big smoke taking images, ya got some nice image. can never go wrong with getting a high as you can, going up on rooftops that is.

[@Robert-Bishop]

😂 indeed, it's higher up that the London Eye, and it's free. Thanks for watching mate.

[@LlamaFluff]

Thanks for this, I was actually planning a London trip around Christmas and was going to go to most of the places in this video 😮 I already have the 28mm 2.8 which I think is pretty much the sister lens for this. I have a Z 6 and previously adapted my 50 & 85 1.8, and a 14-24 2.8. But recently have been trying to switch to a smaller, lighter setup so I actually want to bring my camera out more.

[@Robert-Bishop]

The 28 is just as good if you don't mind needing to get a bit closer to the action. With both the 28 and 40, I think the small amount you lose in optical quality is more than made up for with size and weight. Thanks for watching. 😊

[@WBJAdventures]

very nice

[@Robert-Bishop]

Thank you. 😊

[@carlmcneill1139]

I bought the 40mm lens just for street photography. For a cheap lens it's very impressive. It is a very sharp lens. I see so much definition in my photos. I think it would make a decent portrait lens as well.

[@Robert-Bishop]

Totally agree Carl. I haven't tried it for portraits, but might be worth testing it out. Thanks for watching. 😊

[@AndrewWaltonPhotography]

Some great shots there Robert, I think the shot of the guy with matching mannequin at 5:54 was my favourite. Did you have two lurkers in your opening piece to camera or were they with you on the day? Top work on the B roll (which I presume was Andrea) - I wish I could have such assistance when shooting a vlog.

[@Robert-Bishop]

Thanks Andrew. Yeah, couldn't do it without her - especially street photography. No, don't know those guys - definitely government officials, undercover! 😂

[@Hemlck]

Great vid and some lovely shots. Take care with Nikon plastic lens mounts. They break very easily…I broke mine and Nikon would not accept any responsibility (I hadn’t dropped it or anything) …just fragile compared to the 1.8 lenses with metal mounts….Repair was £140 iirc! 👍

[@Robert-Bishop]

Thanks Tim. Not sure if I've been lucky or you've been unlucky, but I've never had any problems with my plastic lens mounts. Would always take metal given the choice though.

[@obedbrinkman]

that 40mm shure looks like a decent lens

[@Robert-Bishop]

Yeah, pretty good for a relatively cheap lens. Thanks for watching. 😊

[@beforetheshutter]

We must have passed each other at some point! Some nice views to be had there!

[@Robert-Bishop]

Were you there Friday 9th? That's when we filmed. Yeah, it's great up in the Sky Garden - first time I've been up there. 😊

[@beforetheshutter]

@@Robert-Bishop ahh no just missed each other! I was there on a commission from the 5th to the 8th :)

[@aerialfilm1]

A year later and I’m just now buying this and the 28. It’s 2024 and I’m not in the least put off by the plastic. This is what I want now. Decent glass in a lightweight compact form. Because I’m old, I’m tired and I’m broke(n).

[@Robert-Bishop]

Yeah, the plastic makes little difference - still feels well made. It's a great lens. Thanks for watching. 😊

[@peterparanoid9635]

Thank you so much for this test. The 40mm is a great lens. What's the name of the song?

[@Robert-Bishop]

Thanks, I really like using it. The track is called Buoyantly Optimistic.

[@nomnom8692]

Thanks for sharing this, I'm also in London, I currently have the 20mm 1.8 and was considering checking the 40mm for street photography, do you think it would be worth for me? Or would you recommend something else? I feel the 20mm is great for landscape, good for street photography, but the 40mm size is attracting me to get one.

[@Robert-Bishop]

The 20mm 1.8 is a fantastic lens, but i would find it too big and heavy for street photography. The 40mm is great if you like that focal length. The 28mm 2.8 is a similar size if you like something a bit wider. Thanks for watching. 😊

[@nomnom8692]

@@Robert-Bishop Thanks for replying! I ended getting the 40mm, I think as I already have the 20mm the 40mm will be a good addition, maybe in the future I will check the new 26mm pancake one, have you seen it? It's almost half the size of the 40mm

[@Robert-Bishop]

@@nomnom8692 Oh great, well the 40mm is a great lens, I'm sure you'll love it. I am interested by the pancake lens, yes. Would make the Z cameras very inconspicuous. 😊

[@elmundodepedro]

Hello. I have a question to finish deciding. Is the lens glass or plastic? (NIKKOR Z 40MM F/2)

[@Robert-Bishop]

The optical elements are glass. The lens mount (where it attaches to the camera) is plastic. 😊

[@elmundodepedro]

@@Robert-Bishop Thank you very much for your prompt response.

[@fotorado]

5:58 / 13 seconds? how did you do it?

[@Robert-Bishop]

I accidentally messed up the labels. This one was 40mm, 1/400s, f/5.0, ISO 400 - you can see all the correct information in the video description. Thanks for watching. 🙂

[@igg5589]

I think something wrong with this lens, as there are plenty of very sharp open aperture examples. And overall, what's the point of taking f2 lens and shoot on f8. You can use 24-300 then for everything :)

[@Katushka4875]

👍😉Круто!

[@Robert-Bishop]

It's a great place for street photography. 😊

[@airbnbphotography]

wide enough for street photography?? I hate that Nikon uses all over plastic and those high f stops, this one still ok 2. Hope a competitor will be able to offer more compact but better quality lenses !

[@Robert-Bishop]

Depends on your taste and style really - I found it quite a good focal length for street. It is all plastic, but it doesn't feel low quality. The optics are fantastic, and the barrel still feels fairly sturdy. Always good to have some third party competition though, so I'd welcome that. Thanks for watching. 😊

[@winheiMR]

Irgendwie sind 40mm sind Fisch noch Fleisch, irgendwie dazwischen, wer es braucht! Konnte jetzt ein recht günstig gebrauchtes ergattern, werde es mal ausführlich testen, an der Z7 und der Zfc. Erste Testbulder sind nicht so schlecht, Die Plastikhaptik ist nur Scheiße, schade.

[@Robert-Bishop]

Haha, I know what you mean. I actually found 40mm to be quite a useful focal length though. Personal preference I suppose. 😊

[@18yearsoldnot]

If only Nikon made a full frame rangefinder 😢 around 500g (like the Sony a7c). And then they come out with the zf and make it heavier than the z6/7… Not even Leica makes autofocus lenses this compact… such a waste of a lens if you’re relegated to dx bodies.

[@squidwerd1981]

i don't consider those images sharp at all. not impressed with this lens. Glad I saw this before buying it.

[@Robert-Bishop]

Glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching. 😊

[@allen.9]

I’ve never had an issue with sharpness in over a year of use. Besides, who cares? It’s a 40mm, not a professional zoom lens.

[@Overtorange]

You would need to download the raw files to be able to make that determination. All Z mount lenses have fantastic sharpness, and the only real technical deficiencies in this lens lies in things like fringing, coma, etc, since it has less glass than the S lenses. This video is very compressed (more than a lot of videos I’ve watched just today honestly), so I wouldn’t even consider the contrast or colors shown here to be representative of what the lens can do.