Nikkor Z 40/2

[MEPER]

I got this lens recently.
It is very light and handles well on Z50.
My goal today was to check out the bokeh at full aperture but I did not get right images for that purpose. Light disappeared and it was a bit cold and windy.
But I have a couple of images at 2.0 to show sharpness which is quite impressive.......I think....
I was also surprised how much DOF I get at 2.0.
Here an image + 100% crop:

 

[MEPER]

Next image I was surprised that the license plate of the green car in the shadow was readable.
Even at 400% it looked sharp. Focus was at the tower house.
A nice thing shooting full aperture are fast shutter speeds.
Will see if I can play with bokeh next time.......which will be easier to get using a FX body.
40/2 can focus quite close.....so should be possible even with DX body.

[David H. Hartman]

Don't expect much background blurring from a 40mm f/2.0 on either DX or FX. A 50mm f/1.2 lens can blur backgrounds but not to the extent of hiding distracting items in the background unless you are very close to your subject and the background reasonably distant. I was disappointed when I first installed my 50/1.2 AIS on my Nikon D2X but not surprised.

Background blurring should not be confused with Bokeh. Bokeh is the quality of the blurring not the degree of blurring. Don't confuse DoF and background blurring. Background blurring occurs well outside the DoF zone.

The degree of background blurring when the background is significantly outside the zone of DoF is controlled by the physical size of the entrance pupil of the lens. The entrance pupil of a 40mm f/2.0 lens is not particularly large so background blurring will be difficult to obtain unless the subject is very close to the lens and the background is well outside the DoF zone.

Dave

[MEPER]

The plan was to take some images at close distance at 2.0.
I think this lens may have good bokeh quality even if bagground is not very blurred. This is where many lenses fails?
Many lenses can give ok bokeh if background is very blurred. Lens have nine rounded aperture blades to help good bokeh.
I learned that I can just open up in low light to avoid camera shake.






 

[MEPER]

Here another frame that is cropped a bit.
I find it difficult just to go close enough when it is unknown people......but I know I should have been closer......like Robert Capa said.....

[Nasos Kosmas]

I got this lens for my z6 mostly
You may see some shots on f2 and f2.8y
On f2 it was a little soft in the corner so I used 2.8 the first two

[MEPER]

Yes, it blurs the background like vaseline.......
Flowers is always a good target to show blurred background.
It is not so easy to throw a camera up in peoples face on the street. Not for me at least....

Images like this you don't need corner sharpness......wit DX-sensor I probably have sharpness from corner to corner.
A nice lens to carry around. Small and light....and autofocus is very nice.....

[Nasos Kosmas]

I was looking for a 35 1.8 F mount but I checked this and it’s OK for general use, as you said , light, fast autofocus and native z
On a z50 looses the wide range advantage, I was looking also for Viltrox 23 1.4 another very good lens equivalent to 35 on apc format but I end up with this on FF
Some night shots most of them wide open

[MEPER]

Some coma is visible in the corners as light dots seems to look like "arrows". But lens still very sharp at 2.0.
It was probably not a design goal to make the lens free of coma at 2.0.

Here are some streets shots from this late afternoon where light was disappearing. All shots at 2.0. Not bad I think. Sharpness very good.

[Nasos Kosmas]

Nice but in crop mode is normal to small telephoto
I like 2350

[MEPER]

Yes, it works as a nice normal lens on Z50. For me "60mm view" is fine.
Picture 2350 was to see if I could get some isolation at all. I also have it without people in the bagground but is not as interesting.
Images like 2350 can spilt people. Many will classify it as junk :-)

First time I had a lens I have only shot wide open.....not a shot so far stopped down.

[David H. Hartman]

Yes, it blurs the background like vaseline.......
Flowers is always a good target to show blurred background.
It is not so easy to throw a camera up in peoples face on the street. Not for me at least....

Throwing a camera in a persons face, e.g. head and shoulders with a 40mm lens isn't for me even with relatives who like having me take their picture.

What is generally acceptable or what looks natural for the perspective in a human face is controlled by social norms. We frequently look at another person's face from a socially acceptable, conversational distance of about 2 meters. Some prefer a bit closer, Yousuf Karsh used view cameras (8x10 and maybe larger) and seem to use a bit closer distance (more intimate) and some photographers use a greater distance like typical fashion photograph (more aloof). I don't care what others use for candid photos of people. I prefer lenses from 85mm to 135mm depending on whether the crop is loose or tight.

For me a 40mm lens is a touch short for me even for a full standing person. 40mm would be fine an environmental shot including people. If someone wants to use a 40mm lens for a tight head shot or a 400mm lens for a full standing portrait I don't care. It's their photography. It's their choice.

Dave

[MEPER]

Yes, with a 135mm the distance is more tolerable. It also depends on the photographers personality what he can get away with :-)
But if street photography is like "candid photography" where you just show daily life then you should not interfere much with people. But to get a perfect portrait of people you don't know it will require some interference I think......unless the lens is very "long". This interference has to be trained if it is not a natural part of the photographers personality. For many it could be a good personal development......probably.
I some "photo classes" the "students" will be forced to do it.......and get their photos judged afterwards by pro photojournalists.

 

[MEPER]

I took a walk in my home city today and made a few street shots with 40/2. Most a bit stopped down. As expected it is a very sharp lens and very light, compact and cheap.
A lot of turists in town. A very nice day with sun.

[MEPER]

A few more......