Scribblings About Things
Nikon NIKKOR Z DX MC 35mm f/1.7 Announced
Earlier this week the Nikon NIKKOR Z DX MC 35mm f/1.7 (and Nikon NIKKOR DX 16-50mm f/2.8 VR) were announced.
Although they were announced together, I have decided to make individual posts for each lens as I think both lenses are interesting and important additions to the Z-mount DX lineup.
The dedicated special contents page and technical specifications of the Nikon NIKKOR Z DX MC 35mm f/1.7 can be viewed here:
This is the first DX macro lens from Nikon for the Z-mount, and while its focal length is similar to the F-mount DX 40mm/2.8G macro lens and hence can be thought of as its spiritual successor for the Z-mount, the similarities pretty much end there since there have been quite substantial changes as to how this DX lens has been engineered:
Internal focusing design (the 40/2.8G has an inner barrel that extends at close/macro distances)
Wider maximum aperture of f/1.7 (only at infinity focus/far focus. More information on this later down this post)
Maximum reproduction ratio of 0.67x (the 40/2.8G has a 1.0x true macro reproduction ratio)
The internal focusing design makes the lens slightly longer than the FX Z MC 50/2.8, but I definitely welcome the internal focusing design since it makes the lens more robust and also more resistant to dust and moisture.
The wider aperture of f/1.7, coupled with the 35mm focal length (which gives an equivalent angle of view of FX 52.5mm) makes the lens a good alternative as a normal prime lens for the DX system too, and could pair nicely with the DX 24/1.7 as well.
However, as mentioned, the f/1.7 aperture only works on longer focus distances, as typical of internal focusing Nikon macro lenses, they are designed to shift their focal length with focus distances and the resultant effective aperture is reflected in camera for exposure calculations. I did play around with the lens a bit in the Nikon showroom, and from my quick testing with it, these are the focal distances that result in a change in the effective maximum aperture values:
Above 3m (to Infinity): f/1.7
3m: f/1.8
0.7m: f/1.9
0.39m: f/2
0.19m: f/2.5
0.16m: f/3.2
Also, in contrast to the true life macro reproduction ratio of the 40/2.8G (and the Z MC 50/2.8 in this regard too), this new lens offers only a 0.67x magnification ratio. While not a true macro lens in this regard, when calculated with the crop factor of the APS-C sensor, it offers an equivalent magnification ratio of 1.0x.
In short, using a FX body with the MC 50/2.8 and a DX body with the MC DX 35/1.7, at the minimum focusing distance of both sets, the resulting images would be identical in terms of apparent magnification.
I am quite excited about this lens, as it is really lightweight and can double as a normal prime lens, and with internal focusing and weather seals around the lens it makes for a nice robust walkaround kit.
Oh, and this lens, together with the accompanying DX 16-50/2.8 VR, are also the first DX Z-mount lenses with metal mounts too.
Do note that the lens does not come with lens hood in the box, although a separate HN-43 screw-in lens hood (Japanese product page here) was announced alongside it as the official lens hood for the lens.
And in a nice surprise, on the product page of the HN-43 it is also listed as the official lens hood for the 40/2 and 28/2.8 lenses too. Which also means that perhaps the HN-2 can be used as an alternative lens hood for the DX MC 35/1.7 too?