Thoughs on Nikkor 20mm f/2.8D - DPChallenge Forums

01/09/2007 10:18:21 AM · #1

I'm considering buying the Nikkor 2.8D, but I read mixed opinions of that lens. I currently have the Sigma 10-20mm, so I am also wondering how the 20/2.8 would compare to the current ultra wide zooms (such as the Sigma 10-20 or the Tokina 12-24).

I browsed the images at //www.dpchallenge.com/lens.php?LENS_ID=254 , but I found it hard to draw any kind of opinion based on these.

Thanks for any input.

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

01/09/2007 11:26:12 AM · #2

Used it to shoot these images with crop it's like having a almost a 35 mm on the camera. No distortion no CA.

I like the lens it's fast, sharp and compact. I use my Tokina 12-24 more often but in low light and at night it works great. Would I spend the $500 again probably not but it is nice to have in the bag and I am not getting rid of it.

_eug

Nikon D50

01/09/2007 12:02:15 PM · #3

Originally posted by thegrandwazoo:

Maybe I'll come to Phoenix, get you liquored up on tequila and "borrow" it from you. hehe

01/09/2007 12:09:32 PM · #4

Originally posted by thegrandwazoo:

No distortion no CA.

I like the lens it's fast, sharp and compact.

Did you use it for shooting against the sun, at all? I wonder how prone to flare it is at around f/8 - f/11.

Does anyone know whether the 20mm/2.8D AF is the same design as the manual focus 20/2.8 AIS? The latter is supposed to be a pretty good lens, at least according to Bjorn Rorslett's review (he did not review the AF version).

Message edited by author 2007-01-09 12:10:06.

01/09/2007 12:13:49 PM · #5

Originally posted by _eug:

Originally posted by thegrandwazoo:

Used it to shoot these images with crop it's like having a almost a 35 mm on the camera. No distortion no CA.

I like the lens it's fast, sharp and compact. I use my Tokina 12-24 more often but in low light and at night it works great. Would I spend the $500 again probably not but it is nice to have in the bag and I am not getting rid of it.

Maybe I'll come to Phoenix, get you liquored up on tequila and "borrow" it from you. hehe

It's a deal _eug!

And agenkin I can this weekend shoot any test you would like to see. Post it here or shoot ma a PM and I will get after it for you.

hyperfocal

Nikon D7000

01/09/2007 12:32:05 PM · #6

If you were using it on a D200, which has Ai support I'd suggest the 20mm f3.5. The 3.5 is one of the best wide angles Nikon has ever made.

The 20mm f2.8 AF is reputed to having the same optical formula as the Ais version, which makes since as the 20mm f2.8 Ais came out less than five years before the AF version. The AF version doesn't focus as close as the manual version (by 2 inches), but that is probably due to the focusing mechanism differences. It has been many years (before digital) since I've owned this lens, but I remember quite a bit of barrel distortion. It has CRC so it works as well at close focus as it does at infinity. Unlike the 52mm of the manual f4 and f3.5 versions the 62mm filter threads of the AF doesn't make it as useful for macro (reversing, etc). Basically it is less useful and quite pricey for the DX format.

jaysonmc

01/09/2007 12:36:17 PM · #7

It's sharp and virtually no CA. It has a CRC element which is a plus.
However, it is suspectible to flair. Usually rears it's head around 5.6 when shooting in the sun especially if you also have a filter. The recommended lens hood does not help. Otherwise it is a nice piece of glass.

01/09/2007 12:36:31 PM · #8

Originally posted by thegrandwazoo:

And agenkin I can this weekend shoot any test you would like to see. Post it here or shoot ma a PM and I will get after it for you.

Cool, thanks for the offer. If you could take a couple of snaps off a tripod with the lens set to f/11 and manually focused to the hyperfocal distance, with something with a reasonable level of details in the fore-, middle- and background, that would be fantastic. Doesn't have to be pretty, a view from the balcony would be just fine. NEF files would be even better. One of them being a back-lit scene would be more than I can hope for. :)

Thanks in advance!

Nikon AF Nikkor 20mm f/2.8D

01/09/2007 02:44:21 PM · #9

Originally posted by agenkin:

Originally posted by thegrandwazoo:
And agenkin I can this weekend shoot any test you would like to see. Post it here or shoot ma a PM and I will get after it for you.

Cool, thanks for the offer. If you could take a couple of snaps off a tripod with the lens set to f/11 and manually focused to the hyperfocal distance, with something with a reasonable level of details in the fore-, middle- and background, that would be fantastic. Doesn't have to be pretty, a view from the balcony would be just fine. NEF files would be even better. One of them being a back-lit scene would be more than I can hope for. :)

Thanks in advance!

You got it!

LanceW

Nikon Z9

01/09/2007 02:54:26 PM · #10

Originally posted by agenkin:

Mixed reviews? Where? They must have had a bad sample. I love the lens. I first purchased it as my wide angle lens for my film bodies. It now still works as a fairly wide angle and like another poster here said, it now acts close to the same as my 35mm did on film bodies.

As a matter of fact, I used my 20mm for this shot which finished 8th in the lastest free study:

Nikon AF Nikkor 20mm f/2.8D

01/09/2007 04:21:52 PM · #11

Originally posted by tooohip:

Mixed reviews? Where? They must have had a bad sample. I love the lens.

Well, reviews was, probably, a wrong word. Scratch that and replace it with "opinions" ;^). In the DPReview forums, for instance, I saw some dissatisfied owners. But I also saw a bunch of satisfied owners, as well; that's what I meant by "mixed". :) Another DPC member, in a private message, reports that his 20/2.8 is not sharp on his D70, but is quite sharp used with film.

LanceW

Nikon Z9

01/09/2007 04:50:22 PM · #12

Originally posted by agenkin:

Ah that makes sense. I honestly haven't really done any comparisons between film and digital use with this lens, but can tell you I use it over my Nikkor 12-24 when ever I don't need to go wider than 20mm.

hyperfocal

Nikon D7000

01/09/2007 05:34:06 PM · #13

Originally posted by tooohip:

Beautiful photo!

I don't think anyone has given the lens a really bad review. Its just that the necessary design elements to cover the 35mm film format with such a wide view has made the design expensive and introduced a higher degree of barrel distortion and vignetting for what is an equivalent of the DX format a 30mm f2.8.

A perfect review example would be PhotoZone's review here.

With just a quick look through some of my slides here is a shot with the lens on 35mm...

01/15/2007 03:20:27 PM · #14

Arcady I have not forgotten about you. I had a bout with the flu and I have almost kicked it completely. I will shoot the test image and send you a PM in the next couple days.

Erick

01/15/2007 07:23:44 PM · #15

Originally posted by thegrandwazoo:

Arcady I have not forgotten about you. I had a bout with the flu and I have almost kicked it completely. I will shoot the test image and send you a PM in the next couple days.

Erick, please don't sweat it. :) I gave myself a few weeks to think the purchasing of the 20mm over, so there is no rush at all. Please concentrate on getting better and don't worry about sending me those images. :)

I think that I will end up selling a couple of my zooms and getting the 35mm f/2 and the 20mm f/2.8, after all.

jaysonmc

01/17/2007 01:22:30 PM · #16

Originally posted by agenkin:

I think that I will end up selling a couple of my zooms and getting the 35mm f/2 and the 20mm f/2.8, after all.

That is the exact outfit I have, and the 105 2.5 AIS to round it out. I rent the 70-200 every once in a while. Love my 3 lenses though there are days I wish I had a 28-70 2.8...

Pedro

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR DG IF-ED

01/17/2007 01:59:50 PM · #17

worth a look:

Sigma 30mm F1.4

Probably the sharpest non-nikon prime I've tried (and likely as sharp as the Nikkor ones too). Extremely solid build, and no BD or CA.

P-ness

01/17/2007 02:27:14 PM · #18

Originally posted by Pedro:

worth a look:
Sigma 30mm F1.4

I want to have compatibility with film bodies, to this is not an option for me. But having such a fast normalish prime for a DSLR is tempting.

01/17/2007 02:30:06 PM · #19

Originally posted by jaysonmc:

That is the exact outfit I have, and the 105 2.5 AIS to round it out.

Those D200 owners!

Originally posted by jaysonmc:

I wish I had a 28-70 2.8...

Did you consider the 35-70/2.8? They say that its sharpness is quite comparable to the 28-70/2.8, so you're loosing only some zoom range and AF-S, but save a lot of money.

jaysonmc

01/17/2007 06:53:15 PM · #20

Originally posted by agenkin:

Originally posted by jaysonmc:
That is the exact outfit I have, and the 105 2.5 AIS to round it out.

Those D200 owners!

Originally posted by jaysonmc:
I wish I had a 28-70 2.8...

Did you consider the 35-70/2.8? They say that its sharpness is quite comparable to the 28-70/2.8, so you're loosing only some zoom range and AF-S, but save a lot of money.

I did look at the 35-70 for a bit. I've heard good things about the lens, but with the short range and lack of AF-S I didn't see that big of an advantage over carrying my primes around. I almost went this direction instead of the getting the primes though.

As for the D200, it is alot of overkill, at least for me. I would have been all over a FE2 or F3MA in digital form if available.