Ive been shooting with my Z6 for about three years now and honestly I still love the sensor performance, but lately Ive been feeling kinda limited by the kit zoom I started with. I keep hitting these walls when Im doing street photography at night, specifically with the aperture. Like, I know the Z glass is supposedly top tier, but the sheer number of options is stressing me out.
So I was thinking maybe the 50mm f/1.8 S is the obvious route because everyone raves about the sharpness, and yeah, Ive seen the MTF charts. But then I started debating if the 40mm f/2 would be a better fit since its way more compact and honestly a lot cheaper? My budget is sitting around 600 bucks, maybe 700 if I find a deal, and I really want something I can throw in my bag for a trip to Chicago next month. I need something that handles flare well because the city lights drive me nuts sometimes.
My logic was that the 50mm is the safer bet for portraits and that classic look, but I find myself wanting something slightly wider for architecture stuff. Is the S-line glass actually worth the extra weight? I mean, I have the FTZ adapter too, so I could grab an older F-mount prime, but I really dont want to deal with the extra bulk if I can avoid it. Should I just save up longer for the 35mm f/1.8 or is there a hidden gem I am completely missing here? Just feels like every time I look at reviews I get more confused by the sharpness vs size trade-off...
Honestly, skip the Nikon NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2. I bought it because I wanted something tiny, but it just felt cheap and the autofocus hunting in low light was super frustrating. It really isn't as sharp as the hype suggests, especially if you're coming from that Z6 sensor which is still a beast. Honestly, it was a bit disappointing compared to the rest of my kit. If you want the best performance for your money, just go for the Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S. I know it looks bigger on paper, but it balances way better on the Z6 than the 40mm does. The sharpness is just unreal and it handles city street lights like a champ without that nasty flaring I had issues with on cheaper glass. It basically makes the Z6 look like a whole new camera. If you really need wider for Chicago architecture, keep an eye out for a used Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S. It stays in your budget if you hunt for a deal and it's sharper than pretty much anything else in the range. Don't waste your time with the FTZ adapter route either, the extra bulk and balance issues just aren't worth it when the native S-line glass is this good. Just grab the 50mm and you wont look back.
Building on the earlier suggestion, I actually think the Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S is the real winner here. While 35mm is versatile, nothing beats the pure optical magic of the 50mm S-line for night street work. The sharpness is just insane, and it handles flare way better than the cheaper options! It really makes that Z6 sensor shine. It is worth every single penny for the image quality you get.
Honestly just grab the Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S. Over the years I've found it hits that perfect sweet spot for city architecture and low light street work.
- Way sharper than the 40mm
- Better build quality
- Less flare