Prime value from Nikon

Nikon Australia has released an affordable ($399) 35mm prime lens for its DX (aka "APS-C", aka "small sensor") range of DSLRs.

The AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f1.8G features a generous maximum aperture of f1.8 enabling handheld shooting in low ambient light and better control of depth of field.

The built-in Silent Wave Motor (SWM) ensures fast, quiet autofocus, even with SLR models that do not have a built-in motor, such as the D40 series and D60.

The AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f1.8G is the first single-focal-length lens with a normal picture angle (similar to a standard 50mm lens/film SLR kit) developed exclusively for Nikon's DX format. It is a compact, lightweight (200g) model that achieves the higher performance of single focal length lenses. Nikon says it is suitable for natural portrait and photojournalistic shooting.

When the lens is mounted on a Nikon FX (aka "35mm", aka "full frame") DSLR, with the image area in the shooting menu set to Auto DX crop (default), DX crop is selected automatically - the lens functions as a 52mm lens, rather than a 35mm lens at full frame.

The lens has two focusing modes: M/A (manual-priority autofocus) and M (manual focus). Closest focusing distance is 0.3m.