Remember when I owned a Nikon Z 24 – 70 f/2.8S for about a week last year? Also remember all that stuff I said about purchasing a used F mount lens instead of buying a native Z mount lens? Well I did it again, also a purchase from last year that I started drafting a post for and then paused. This one actually happened during the same Lensrentals sale where I bought the Nikon Z 24 – 70 f/2.8 S. Before finding the 24 – 70, this was the only lens in that order: the Tamron SP 35mm F1.4 USD. So let’s talk about it.
OK, that’s kind of a lie: I was looking at Tamron’s f/1.8 version first, but discovered that the 1.4 version was far better. It was more expensive, but came down to $408 after the 20% discount Lensrentals was running. It’s another F mount lens that’s similar to my 50mm Sigma Art: big, heavy, and sharp as hell. It was released in 2019 for $900 and sells for $700 now. I snagged it for $42% off of the current price in nearly perfect condition.
I read some reviews quickly before purchasing: all said it was a great lens overall and one of the best 35mm lenses on the market. It’s amazingly sharp and high contrast with really good background blur. I was surprised that it arrived with all the fixings – original box, serial number warranty card, manual, unused lens bag, and locking lens hood. I’m always up for an unboxing experience, even if the product isn’t exactly brand new.
It has a nice design, matching my Tamron 90mm macro with a silver band at the mount point, simple switches, and a focus distance window. There’s no image stabilization, but that’s not common at this focal length and I’ll get it from my Z8 anyway. It’s nearly as long as my 24 – 120mm and heavier too. It feels very similar to the Sigma 50mm – sturdy, strong, and professional.
As for image quality, there’s not much to say here other than wow. I really love my Sigma 50mm due to its sharpness and background rendering, and this 35mm Tamron is even better. It’s even sharper and the backgrounds blur even more nicely. And the autofocus is a bit faster and more accurate to boot!
Being a prime lens, I have to get used to the fixed angle of view. There’s no zooming in or out, just moving closer or further away to frame my subject. I’m used to 50mm primes, which are good for portraits, details, and street photography. The 35mm focal length is wider, so it’s less useful for portraits, but very common for street photography. I’ve never owned a 35mm before and it’s been a cool focal length to learn. It pulls in more of the environment while keeping the subject close enough to provide a lot of isolation and background blur.
I’ve found myself using this lens a ton, even though it’s wider than I’m used to. I want to use it to do some street photography this year, along with my Sigma 50mm. It’s just such a great and sharp lens. It’s sturdy but still easy to handle. It was well worth the price I paid for it, especially for the savings. I’m completely comfortable owning yet another F mount lens that will need to be adapted. This one’s a keeper!
Relatively Ambitious 
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