Yungnuo 35mm f/2 - Personal Review

 

I recently bought the relatively affordable 35mm f/2 lens by the Chinese manufacturer Yungnuo. The idea was to have a lightweight, compact, but still good enough lens to carry around. 35mm is a very good focal length for almost all photographic genres. Many photographers use it all day, especially for street photography. 

If you restrict yourself to one prime lens only, it is probably the best choice. 50mm is often too narrow and feels like a telephoto lens, and 28mm requires special attention with its need for a foreground object to avoid boring compositions. It forces to get uncomfortably close for some.

All images on this page are from the Yungnuo.

This will not be a full review, but rather a recommendation and a personal impression. In summary, I will most likely return the lens. But let me start with an overview of the features.

• The build quality is okay. You won't break the lens, and it has a metal mount (although this is less important than many think). The hood does not click, but it sits well, and it can be reversed.
• The focus ring could move stiffer, but it is okay. I had no problem with manual focus. The focus cannot be handled when the hood sits reversed on the lens.
• There is an M/A switch and one programmable extra button.
• The lens can be updated via an USB port.
• The weight is not zero nor is it a pancake lens, but much more comfortable than the Nikon 35mm f/1.8 S lens. The 28mm f/2.8 is lighter and smaller, however.
• Filter size is 52mm, but I do not own a filter of this size to test the handling.

How about the image quality?

• Sharpness is okay. But the lens suffers from field curvature, especially at lower distances. In my tests, consistency across the frame is a lot better in the S-line lenses, e.g., in the Nikon 24-70 f/4 "kit lens", compared e.g. at f/5.6.
• You can go reasonably close, but not as close as with the 28mm f/2.8 or the 35mm f/1.8 S. Maximal magnification is only about 1:10.
• The micro shot above shows the kind of background you can expect wide open and close. I find it very smooth and would call the Bokeh a strong point of this lens.
• Expect a lot of vignetting, like in the Nikon 28mm f/2.8. The front opening of the lens is simply not wide enough to provide enough light in the corners. It does not get much better at closer apertures.
• Color fringing is normal for a cheaper and wider lens. To get less, you need an S-line lens. I did not find it too intrusive, however.
• The lens has a tendency to underexpose. Have a look at the histogram.
• Focusing speed is normal on my camera.
• Contrast and punchiness are mediocre at best, colors are also a bit off. All images needed more fixing in post.

If you are spoiled by S-line lenses you might be disappointed. The Yungnuo should rather be compared to the Nikon 28mm f/2.8 or the Nikon 40mm f/2. From the comparison shots I took, these cheaper Nikon lenses are maybe a tiny bit better overall, but the difference is marginal.

Focusing was not always precise when I used this lens. It might be the lens. But more likely it is my handling. I tend to use this camera and lens combination more like point and shoot. 

You can use the lens in low light. But beware that f/2 yields a narrow DOF if you are close. Further away, focusing gets easier. For a shot of a stage, 35mm is not the right lens. I had to crop the shot below to about 50mm. Consequently, my 50mm would have been the better choice to start with.

I tried some street photography. But the light was low, and my technique was not good. I ended with either boring sharp pictures, or blurry more interesting ones.

What is my advice? This is a not a bad lens and worth considering. But it does not work for me.

If you have the money and do not care for the size and weight, the Nikon 35mm f/1.8 S is the better choice. If you care about the price, weight or size, get the Nikon 28mm f/2.8 or the Nikon 40mm f/2 instead. 

There is also a Nikon 35mm f/1.4 to come in July. It is not an S-line lens. But I am very sure that it is better than the Yungnuo option in almost any aspect. It will be about 50% more expensive.

Or, simply use your Nikon 24-70 f/4. If you do not need the open aperture, this kit lens will produce better results. Moreover, it is more versatile. E.g., you can go to 70mm and get a better background and Bokeh, or you can use 24mm at f/8 to get a wider and sharper image.

By the way, if you already have the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 S, learn to use it more often. It stands high above the others. 

I am a street and travel shooter, besides making portraits. The lens is certainly fit as a walk-around lens. But for me, the 24-70 f/4 kit lens together with the 50mm f/1.8 works better. Those are two lenses, and not very compact ones, I know. But they produce pictures that are simply technically superior. 

The very nice Bokeh and the compact form factor may, however, attract many to this lens.