Nikon 35mm f/2D AF Wide-Angle Nikkor Lens for Nikon 35mm and Digital SLR Cameras

I've owned this lens for many years now. It will always be my lens of choice when i don't want to use my zoom lenses.
Pros:
(+) Excellent optical quality, sharpness. no vignetting whatsoever on a DX sensor.
(+) Fast and accurate autofocus (on higher end bodies)
(+) Compact size.
(+) Normal viewing angle on a DX sensor.

Cons:
(-) Does not autofocus on entry level bodies (D40 and D60 at the time of this writing)

Other F-mount lenses owned:
* Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 (as good as the 35mm optically, but too narrow viewing angle on a DX body for my taste)
* Nikkor 18-70mm zoom (good)
* Sigma 10-20mm zoom (good for city travel photography, and sometimes outdoors, noticable distortion if you measure it, but it does not really bother me)
* Sigma 30mm f/1.4 (erratic autofocus, not that good lens IMO, although it is physically BIG)

My best lens by far. Great IQ, light and not too expensive. The focal length is more usable than the 50mm 1.8 (also great) and the build quality is better. I mainly use mine for portraits at f2.8. At f2 it's a tiny bit soft but at 2.8 it's perfect. I have taken some brilliant pics with it. You will not regret this buy.

I have a D80 and two VR lenses covering 18-200mm, a 50mm f/1.8...and now this gem. I only add to other positive reviews that this is great for taking shots of my kids and easier to get them into the frame. I think that the f/2 is as good or better than the f/1.8. Also, photos of landscapes are much sharper with this than the 50mm. It feels more solidly built. I like Ken Rockwell and wish that he had evaluated this lens in greater detail...but take his word, this lens is a "gem". It feels great on the D80 and I'm having lots of fun, and surprisingly the colors are excellent.

I needed a lens that is small and decreases the overall bulk of the camera. This lens is the one. It has a wide range of applications...I use it for candid photography, portraits, landscapes, and architecturals. It can even focus as close as 5 inches from the subject to the front of the lens barrel. It is moderately sharp compared to a 35mm Summicron lens, which is the very best there is. It's nowhere near as flat as the famous Pentax "pancake" lens, or the excellent Minolta 45mm pancake lens, but it weighs the same. I recommend this lens if you want to travel light and not give up any quality.

The 50mm 1.8 and 50mm 1.4 are great, but if you're shooting DX you need this focal length. Because of the crop factor on DX cameras, 35mm is the "true" normal lens, and I can't figure out why more people don't own this lens in place of the 50mm 1.8... sure, the 35mm 1.8 is a lot cheaper, and it's fantastic, but it's a telephoto on DX, perfect for portraits but frustrating for everyday shots. You simply can't go wrong with this lens. I just upgraded to an FX camera, D700, and now I have a great wide angle prime. It is built like the 50mm 1.4, vs. the more plasticky 1.8.

If you can afford just one lens for your DX camera, or if you can afford just one prime lens aside from your kit lens, get this one, you won't regret it.