Nikon Z9 + Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 | TOP Value for Money

[@baronsilverton6504]

This lens is one of the best 'bang for buck' lenses of any system. I have, and use, every Z mount prime lens 105mm and under currently made (with the exception of the Noct 0.95) and although this lens is not an S line lens, it is punching very close to that quality. Compare this lens to the Canon RF 50mm 1.8 lens for example - the Nikon lens is better built as sharp (if not sharper) and displays no focus breathing at all - the Canon is a bad breather. Yes it is about $80 more than the Canon lens, but it is easily twice as good. Due to its light weight and small form factor, I often take this lens for casual shooting and get stellar IQ on the shots - although I don't use it for professional applications, it is good enough to be used this way and in a pinch, I would have no reservations about using it even for my pro work. As mentioned before, this lens does not focus breathe, and is near silent when focusing, so if you are a videographer it is also an excellent choice. Can't recommend this lens highly enough - such a great lens for the price - a real example of what Nikon is able to do with the amazing Z mount.

[@mathphotographer]

Thank you, Baron, for sharing your insights and experience, much appreciated.

[@jacktoddy9783]

Excellent video - your photographs make this lens look great.

[@LucyS565]

Beautiful images Math! Looks like a great lens.

[@dance2jam]

Always enjoyed your perspective. Very tight and appropriate review of this small and relatively inexpensive package. Surprising, to say the least. I really appreciate your thoroughness and demonstration of construction, weather sealing (although it's dust, not water resistant), sharpness, color rendering, bokeh rendering, bokeh balls, speed/accuracy of autofocus, and my favorite 3D pop. The fact that I hadn't subscribed earlier is on me. My apologies. Keep up the excellent work. I have made notes to my friends of the previously unheard of shutter speeds I'm shooting at on the Z9 to get the appropriate exposure. I see from several of your photos you were at 1/10,000 or higher with ISO 100 (Why not 64?). Last item: in the future, if it's in your wheel house, could you "compare it" (not necessarily with photos) to other comparable lenses and their relative costs just for perspective? Thanks again. Really love your channel.

[@mathphotographer]

Thank you very much for your positive feedback, much appreciated and makes my day :)

[@bmwohl]

I like. I bought mine about a month ago, but I've not shot with it yet as much as you have. You really showed off well the range of possibilities with the 40 mm f/2. I just couldn't pass up this prime for USD$250.00.

[@mathphotographer]

Great lens, thanks Barry.

[@DrNick8002]

Very nice review, I will buy this lens for my Z7ii

[@mathphotographer]

Thanks, good decisions. For $250 you get so much ...

[@bfs5113]

I bought mine that was on sale two weeks ago and still waiting for the Z9 to arrive. Although it is close to my 50 f/1.2 S in focal length, but it is mostly to serve as the modern day compact & light nifty fifty.

[@TheUberSchattenjager]

Who is that amazing model? I have never had one be able to hold still so perfectly!! Great video!

[@mathphotographer]

Ha! Thanks :)

[@NikCan66]

Have the Z9 but opened up my eyes to this lens.

[@MrMarco7ify]

Do you mind sharing some raw files to play around with coloring?

[@jonbarnard7186]

Nice review Math. I agree; this lens is good value. I don't think this lens is "fully weather sealed" though. I own it and there is no gasket on the rear mount for example, unlike the other Z lenses I own. There is a bit of a hard plastic ridge that offers some protection since it overlaps a bit, but I would be careful about using this lens in the rain. I can see water making it past the lens mount in rainy conditions, especially heavy rain.

[@capturemedia3092]

howz the quality for capturing events?

[@rbob4931]

40mm z works great on the Z9, great value, light weight, shape enough. Btw, it is dust and drip resistance, but not weather sealed as in the S line. Nor a deal breaking. It is, however, important to provide the correct information to your audience.

[@mathphotographer]

Agree, thanks

[@dance2jam]

I was wondering about that since the gasket at the back wasn't the same. How do you like the lens and it's rendering: More to the point, would you buy it again? I have the Tamron 35mm f/1.4 f-mount lens which has been "pin sharp" and renders colors beautifully. This focal length is perhaps too close for purchase, but the demonstration was beautiful. How do you like the lens?

[@D-Professor]

Thanks for sharing your perspective on this lens. I already own the Z 35mm f/1.8 S. So the focal length is fairly close to 40mm. If I did not have the 35mm, I would probably buy this in a heartbeat after your recommendation.

[@mathphotographer]

:)

[@dance2jam]

David, how do you like the Z35 f/1.8. I own the Tamron 35mm f/1.4 and absolutely love the color rendering and sharpness. Enough so that I don't think I'll be looking at the Z lens yet. Just curious.

[@D-Professor]

@@dance2jam I actually like how the Z 35 f/1.8 S renders images. However, it’s not a focal length I use frequently. But it’s amazing when shot wide open and does a great job of blurring the background if desired. I cannot offer a true comparison with the Tamron since I’ve never owned it.

[@dance2jam]

@@D-Professor No worries. I just was curious about your perspective. I can go to FLICKR and scope it out. I had been looking for an f-mount 35mm lens to go with my D850 a good while back. The Tamron 35mm f/1.4 appeared extremely sharp with wonderful color rendering. I shoot environmental portraits of my girlfriend with this lens a lot (and love the rendering). I was just curious about the Z mount. Now that I've finally gone mirrorless, just starting to learn the lens lineup and what's available. With the FTZii, the Tamron still produces great results. I'll go check out the Nikkor Z 35 on line right now. Thanks for your comment.

[@delpinsky]

Thank you for the review! Perfect and detailed as usual. But clearly that Z9 makes the difference, I guess. 😅 Would be cool to see the same lens, mounted on a more affordable camera to catch the differences in terms on colours, sharpness etc.

[@nathanjimenez1562]

If the lens performs well on a 45 mp camera like the z9 it would be just as good on anything else.

[@derrickdu]

Nice. I would definitely buy this and the 28mm if I own the Z9. I still use D850. Z9 is one of those “I don’t need but want it” camera. I’ add it to my wish list. Thanks

[@mathphotographer]

The Z9 is a total game changer, believe me.

[@dance2jam]

I will second the comment with the following qualifier: The Z9 will dramatically change the way you shoot if your principle interests are Action/Sports/Wildlife photography. For the last 4 years I shot the D850/D500 combination. Love them. I have picked them up once in the last 6 months. My buddies (who I talked into getting the Z9) told me they would never part with the D850. Now, after they have been shooting the Z9 for 2+ months, they told me they have not touched the D850. I could go into many of the reasons you've heard many times already. The learning curve is as steep as you make it, and 6 months after picking it up, I am still experimenting with it and learning the features. Just the OVF to EVF experience will allow you to get the exposure you are looking for almost all the time. Shooting moving objects with a black-out free experience is a game changer for Nikon shooters, but the Sony a9 started that revolution long ago. The FPS will allow you to capture things you would not. The PRE-CAPTURE at 30/120 fps is a game changer (and my Canon R3 friends lament every time we have a "capture this" challenge). Silent shooting/or near silent with the volume turned all the way down, is so appreciated in wildlife setting or church or event. Now you have the added flicker control (Firmware 2.1) for event signage or concerts. There is enormous program flexibility, useful banks settings, and of course the Astrophotography and Video aspects. So much more in there, and if you shoot landscapes, product photography, street or some other genres, you could argue you have enough camera with the DSLR D850. It is heavy (same as D850 + D5 battery with vertical grip). I would argue that for many things the term "Game Changer" might be a bit strong. It will make things you could capture with the D850 faster, easier, and more enjoyable to photograph and the results will likely reveal a much higher keeper rate. I now routinely shoot portraits or boudoir shots of my girlfriend (something I was not very successful at before), but the EVF has made this so much easier and now I get a much better experience. If you can find one (friend or store), pick it up and shoot with it a bit, but make sure you plan for the purchase. 🙂 The major negatives: What review would be complete without them. No blinkies in photo shooting mode (Zebras are present in video mode). Highlights are a bit easier to blowout (i.e. similar to D500). No color histogram in the EVF - just the summary white one. No seamless transition from photoshooting to video without a switch flip. The horizontal OSPDAF masked pixels allow the AF at times to find strong vertical objects (as in almost all mirrorless cameras to date). Adobe products still do not seem to process HE* files well. I don't believe you see DOF at f/stops greater than 5.6 in the EVF in stills, but you do in video. There are a few more, but by and large, the Z9 will make photography for the action/wildlife/sports shooter even more fun.

[@derrickdu]

@@mathphotographer The more I watch your videos, the poorer I become. 🤪

[@mathphotographer]

@@derrickdu Ha! :) So sorry to hear ... :)

[@JAPAN4K]

Wow very good nice. I'm a big fan of you＋👍🔔

[@mathphotographer]

Ha! Thanks so much

[@Photojouralist123]

Mat I got one, and its amazing!!!!

[@mathphotographer]

Thanks :)

[@fthprodphoto-video5357]

Nice video to be fair the sexy lady at 8:27 made my decision to buy the lens 😊

[@mathphotographer]

Lol - good decision :)

[@Stephen_Baker]

As ever I appreciate your reviews here the Z 28/2.8; other platforms / formats but don’t you perhaps underestimate the cleverness of Nikon? Isn’t it becoming more Fuji like? For example, both the 28/2.8 and this lens leave room for, say, the new Z Voigtländer glass at roughly competitive focal lengths? Shouldn’t you be comparing this glass with Nikon’s own and understanding how Nikon is positioning itself, now that Z mount is where it is? BTW we haven’t even discussed the emerging Zeiss roadmap from what I hear in Germany this is now becoming a serious and sometimes heated internal discussion at their head office! Oh, I must offer you free English lessons whenever I’m in your neck of the woods! We anglophone Brits tend never to correct foreigners (including Americans), we think perhaps that that is polite. No doubt we are wrong (wie mir der deutsche Teil meines Gehirns sagt).

[@mathphotographer]

Ha! :) Maybe yes, being a bit naive is ok :)

[@GKhanKutar]

Great price and very nice optical performance but it looks too plastic

[@mathphotographer]

Thanks GKhan, yes it looks a bit plastic but it feels great in hand as soon as it is mounted to the camera.

[@thedarkslide]

The lens has a low price tag because the build quality is CRAP, it's fully plastic including the lens mount. Nikon claims the lens is sealed - but look on the mount. Do you see rubber gaskets anywhere? I don't see any on my SE copy of the lens. When Nikon says the lens is sealed, they put an asterisk on that claim and they do not provide any rating for the sealing. So no, you cannot shoot this lens under any weather condition. The optics of the lens are so so. It is /reasonably/ sharp but not sharp enough for landscape photography or any type of photography where fine detail reproduction is critical. I shot landscape with this lens on a Nikon Z f side by side with shooting the same scene with a Leica M10 and an M converted Contax Zeiss 45mm f2 from the 1990s. It is very noticeable how the Zeiss lens is MUCH sharper than the much more modern Nikon 40mm. The Nikkor is good enough for people photography. The lens is not bad, it just has a LOT of limitations and I think reviewers should put that into better perspective.

[@bullsharkreef]

I also was looking at that lens, but plastic mount? No! Just no. Nikon, just charge $2.97 more and put a proper metal mount on it, please.

[@mathphotographer]

:)