Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S Review – The Best Everyday Prime for Z Shooters?

35mm is the focal length I always come back to. I own a 35mm (or the equivalent) in every system I shoot, so it’s a critical lens for me — and for a lot of photographers who want a single prime they can rely on day in, day out. The question is: does the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S live up to that role on the Z system?

To find out, I paired it with the Nikon Z6 III and spent a few days shooting around Dumaguete — street scenes, family moments, low-light cafes, and fast-moving subjects — to see how it really performs outside of test charts and spec sheets.

Why the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S Matters in the Lineup

One of the main reasons I chose the Z system as my full-frame setup was because of the prime lenses — particularly Nikon’s coherent and high-quality 1.8 lineup. Nikon has given photographers a consistent set of lightweight, weather-sealed primes (20mm, 35mm, 50mm and 85mm) that cover all the major focal lengths without jumping into oversized f/1.2 territory. The 35mm f/1.8 S is a key part of that system, and because 35mm is one of my most-used focal lengths, it instantly became an important lens for me.

For how I shoot, 35mm is the walkaround focal length. It lets me wander the streets of places like Dumaguete and move fluidly between scenic frames, environmental portraits and quiet candid moments. It rewards thoughtful composition — giving you enough space to work with foreground and background elements — yet still allows just enough subject separation to guide the eye and tell a story.

The Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S is a lens that simply lets you get on with the job. It doesn’t shout for attention with extreme specs or oversized glass. There’s no aperture ring, no custom function buttons — just a nicely damped focus ring and an AF/MF switch. I’d still like to see Nikon include aperture rings on these primes to enhance the tactile experience, but on the Z6 III and Z8 — cameras designed to remove friction from shooting — it’s not a deal-breaker.

And because you’re not getting those extra on-lens controls, image quality and autofocus performance become even more important. That’s where the Z 35mm f/1.8 S has to prove itself.

Build & Handling on the Z6 III / Z8

Coming from the Fuji X-T5 with lenses like the XF 23mm f/1.4 WR, I’m used to a setup that feels compact, balanced and made for real-world shooting. That combo — especially with a SmallRig grip — feels purpose-built for documenting life and moving fluidly through streets, family moments and travel environments without drawing attention or causing fatigue.

The Nikon Z6 III or Z8 paired with the 35mm f/1.8 S lands in the same sweet spot. It feels near-perfect in the hand: not front-heavy, not awkwardly compact, and crucially, it has that intangible balance that makes you want to keep shooting. The lens itself, while mostly constructed from high-quality plastics, feels dense and purposeful. Nothing about it gives the impression of being a cost-cutting “budget prime.”

The focus ring is smooth and nicely damped, and although control layout is minimal (no aperture ring, just an AF/MF switch), the execution feels deliberate rather than sparse. What impresses me most about the 35mm f/1.8 S — and really the whole Nikon Z 1.8 prime lineup — is Nikon’s decision to treat these lenses as professional tools rather than entry-level glass. Other brands often position their f/1.8 primes as cheap gateway options; Nikon has instead delivered a range that balances portability with genuine premium build quality.

As someone who doesn’t want to lug oversized f/1.2 lenses while travelling but still demands a professional feel and output, this design philosophy makes complete sense.

Autofocus Performance – Fast, Quiet and Reliable

This section is going to be short and to the point, because — much like I found with the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 S — the autofocus on the 35mm f/1.8 S simply gets the job done without drawing attention to itself.

• Single AF (AF-S) – Lightning fast and locks instantly.
• Continuous AF (AF-C) – Keeps up with constant subject movement and readjusts without hesitation.
• Tracking Mode – I tested it on passing trikes, scooters and cars in Dumaguete and it stayed locked without drifting or pulsing.

I also shot with it in a restaurant in the evening under harsh white lighting — the kind that makes people look ghostly and often causes AF systems to wobble. The 35mm f/1.8 S didn’t slow down or lose accuracy. Across all my time using it — in Dumaguete and back home — I didn’t experience a single notable focusing error.

For this kind of real-world use, it’s basically perfect at this point. No drama, no hesitation — it just focuses and lets you concentrate on the moment.

Image Quality – Sharpness, Rendering and Bokeh

Image quality is what matters most to me with this lens, because 35mm is a focal length I use constantly. I’ve shot everything from the Olympus 17mm f/1.8 to the Fuji GFX 45mm f/2.8 and Sony’s 35mm f/1.4 GM, so my expectations are high. For a lens to earn its place as a daily 35mm, it needs to be sharp wide open, well controlled for chromatic aberration, and capable of rendering with good micro contrast and pop — without drifting into that overly clinical look.

Wide open at f/1.8, the Nikon 35mm f/1.8 S is sharp — not quite as surgically sharp as the 50mm f/1.8 S, but well within what I’d consider excellent. Eyelashes are clearly defined, textures hold together beautifully and even in backlit situations, I didn’t see any hint of chromatic aberration. Turning off software corrections in Lightroom makes no noticeable difference, which tells me the lens is optically corrected rather than heavily fixed in software.

What really sold me on this lens is its rendering style. It’s sharp, but not clinical — there’s still a natural feel to the images. Skin tones look great, and subjects have a subtle 3D separation even at f/1.8. Stopping down to f/2.8 brings an increase in sharpness, but it’s already so good wide open that the gains don’t change real-world usage.

Bokeh performance is also excellent for a 35mm lens. The background blur is smooth with no signs of nervousness, and the transition from in-focus to out-of-focus areas is subtle and refined. There’s some slight cat-eye shape to the bokeh highlights towards the edges — similar to what you see on the 50mm f/1.8 S — but it never becomes distracting. For a 35mm lens, the bokeh is extremely nice, and paired with its natural rendering, it gives images a gentle depth that encourages storytelling rather than just blur-for-the-sake-of-blur.

Compared to my Fuji XF 23mm f/1.4 WR — one of my favourite lenses of all time — the Nikon performs very similarly, both are more than sharp enough wide open but the Nikon renders slightly cooler. Do I have any complaints? Honestly, no. It’s not magical in the same way the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 S can sometimes be, but it’s simply consistently excellent, which in a daily lens is exactly what I want.

Who Should Buy the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S (And Who Shouldn’t)

This is a lens for photographers who want that sweet spot between performance and weight — except there’s actually very little compromise here. It’s sharp wide open, shows no meaningful optical flaws, focuses fast and won’t weigh you down. Yes, it’s a little more expensive than the typical f/1.8 primes you see on other systems, but it’s also a noticeably better lens than most of those.

If you’re the kind of shooter who likes a light setup that still feels professional in output and build, this lens makes complete sense. It suits travel photographers, street shooters, documentary photographers and anyone who wants a single prime they can trust to handle almost anything.

The only people I can see not wanting this lens are those who either don’t use the 35mm focal length or prefer to shoot with zooms. For everyone else, it’s a no-brainer.

Conclusion – Will It Stay in My Kit?

As with the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S, the 35mm f/1.8 S continues in the same vein — offering excellent image quality, solid build and fast, reliable autofocus in a package that remains easy to carry and use all day. The price feels justified when you consider what Nikon has done here: you’re getting a professional-grade lens without being forced into the oversized f/1.2 category or settling for a “budget” 1.8.

This lens — along with the rest of the Nikon Z 1.8 prime series — is a big part of why I chose the Z system as my full-frame platform. It delivers consistency, quality and usability in a way that makes sense for real-world photographers. And yes — this one stays in my kit.