[fusion_text]The Nikon 28mm 1.8 G is one of the 3 Nikon prime lenses that is always in our camera bag at every wedding and engagement session.  Perhaps what I like most about the Nikon 28mm 1.8 is its versatility – being that it works so well in so many different uses and its focal length seems to be wide enough to fit the scene in, sharp enough wide open at 1.8 that its a great lens for low-light situations and being right in the middle of a classic 35mm and 24mm focal length it is either a perfect lens for some or perhaps a little hard to get used to (focal length) for others.

Just as with all of our Cole’s Classroom gear reviews, this review is not meant to show you graphs and diagrams showcasing the technical aspects of the lens, this review is rather meant to give real life and practical insight into the lenses that we actually use every single day and give our thoughts on their strong points and their weaknesses and provide comparisons to other similar lens options letting you make an informed decision with real life data and content that makes sense to you.

As I mention in the video review below our favorite things about the Nikon 28mm 1.8 is:

1. Super sharp – event at f/1.8 and by f/2.8 its amazingly sharp!
2. AF Speed – being a Nikon AF-S lens, the auto-focus is fast and accurate
3. Color & contrast – As with all of my Nikon “G” series lenses the color and contrast is awesome.
4. Bokeh/Close focusing – This lens can focus very close to your object or subject and if shooting wide open at f/1.8 you will see the gorgeous smooth bokeh this lens has.

Lets now discuss a bit about price and value.  The truth is, having top notch photography equipment can get super pricey, and adds up super quick.  The fact that there are far more recreational and hobbyist photographers than professional working photographers out there today makes the question of price to value more important as ever before.  Up until the announcement from Nikon of the 28mm 1.8 lens designed for full frame cameras there were literally zero Nikon options for a wide-mid range full frame prime which was not a f/1.4 lens.  The result was a very limited amount of choices within that focal length, and all of the available choices were extremely expensive, relative to the Nikon 28mm 1.8.

Price comparison to other similar lens alternatives (Prices shown taken from MFG website)

• Nikon 35mm f/1.4 – $1,799.95
• Nikon 24mm f/1.4 – $2,199.95
• Nikon 28mm f/1.8 – $699.95
• Sigma 35mm f/1.4 – $899.00

So if you have a need to be able to shoot at f/1.4 then the Nikon 28mm 1.8 is not the lens for you.  However, if shooting at f/1.8 is enough, then you now have a viable option, that you didn’t have before.

Who is this lens for?

• Nikon full frame (D4, D3, D800, D600, D700) photographers who want a fast prime at an attractive price point.
• Photographers looking for a sharp lens wide open at f/1.8
• People who want a lens wider than 35mm but don’t want to spend $2,200 for the 24mm 1.4
• Nikon DX camera users who plan to upgrade to a full frame (FX) camera in future – the 28mm lens is a good lens length on both DX and FX but will be will work beautifully when transitioning to full frame (unlike the Nikon 35 f/1.8 AF-S for DX)
• Photographers looking for a light weight and inconspicuous “walk around” lens

Who is this lens not for?

• Photographers who need to be able to shoot at f/1.4
• New photographers looking to buy a single lens that will “do-it-all”.

What do I photograph with this lens?

• Weddings
• Engagements
• Travel/Landscape
• Concerts

Some of my favorite images with the Nikon 28mm 1.8 G lens…

If you are a visual learner – check out our video review of this lens right here:
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So in summary – if you are looking to add a wider angle fast prime lens to your kit, I strongly recommend the Nikon 28mm 1.8 G lens for all the above cited reasons.  It offers such a great value at its attractive price point and its image quality is awesome, I really don’t think you will be disappointed![/fusion_text]