Omg I finally did it yall I sold off my old dslr gear and ordered a Nikon Z6II and I am SO excited to jump into mirrorless!! My kit is arriving this Friday and Im planning a weekend trip up to Portland to shoot some moody street stuff and coffee shops with my friends, but Im completely paralyzed on what prime lens to buy first. I spent the last three nights falling down a massive youtube rabbit hole reading every review out there. Some people swear by the 40mm f2 because its super tiny and cheap and has that cool analog vibe, but then others say the 50mm 1.8 S line is literally one of the sharpest lenses Nikon has ever made period. I also looked at the 35mm 1.8 since I love wider shots for architecture and tight spaces, but ugh my budget is strictly around 500 to 700 bucks right now and I cant decide if I should blow it all on the S-line optical perfection or save some cash for extra batteries and a new bag. Like, is the nifty fifty actually too boring for street photography on a full frame body? Or am I gonna regret not getting the weather sealing on the 1.8s when it inevitably rains in Oregon this weekend? Which prime lens is actually the best all-rounder to start with on these Z bodies...
> some people swear by the 40mm f2 because its super tiny Grab the Nikon NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2 instead of blowing your whole budget! It is fun, lightweight, and perfect for street shots.
@Reply #1 - good point! That 40mm is a fun little pancake, but if we are talking raw optical data, the Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S is in a completely different tier. MTF charts on that S-line glass show near-zero chromatic aberration wide open at f/1.8. Corner sharpness rivals macro lenses twice the price. You do lose some weather sealing and take a hit on portability compared to the 40mm, but resolution-wise, it resolves fine details on the Z6II sensor effortlessly. If sharpness matters most for your crops, stretch the budget.
Regarding what #2 said about those insane MTF charts, theyre totally right about the glass quality, but yall gotta be careful with full frame budgets right out the gate. I made the mistake of blowing my whole stash on the Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S when I first switched over, and honestly? Ended up stressing so much about scratching expensive glass in the rain that I barely took the camera out that first weekend. If you are hitting up Portland coffee shops and tight spaces, that focal length might feel a bit cramped anyway. I would suggest keeping an eye on your total spend so you dont run out of cash for basic accessories. That S-line is a masterpiece, sure, but make sure you have enough left over for a proper weather cover and extra juice since mirrorless eats batteries for breakfast.