This is a pretty amazing lens. I’ve said before that the Nikon 40mm f/2.8G is my sharpest lens, but I think it has to give up that title.
On a DX camera, this lens is in effect 128mm, so perhaps a bit too long for portraits, but still a versatile focal length. I can see it working for some concerts, choirs, select sports, and possibly even car racing, if you get close enough. It may also be suitable for landscape photography, for isolating subjects from surroundings and backgrounds.
It is made mainly out of plastic, but still feels well-made. For anything but perhaps the most expensive lenses, that’s the norm, I guess. It’s not very long but quite chunky. That the filter thread is 67mm speaks to that.
It focuses pretty fast, faster than I need it too at least. I doubt I will shoot much action with this lens. More stationary targets are likely, although I can see how this would be a suitable lens for concerts, at least if you can get pretty close.
Another reason for getting this lens is, of course, f/1.8. It produces an interesting dilemma for shooting, for example portraits: the depth of field is really shallow. That’s obviously what you want, but it also challenges you. Take a portrait of someone not directly facing you, and one eye may be sharp while the other one is not.
Anyway, that’s a nice problem to have.
I attach a few shots I’ve taken with the D7200 and this lens. More to come, I’m sure.
