Author Topic: 28mm f/1.4E Various Online Reviews, and my Own Summary  (Read 2075 times)

Macro_Cosmos

  • NG Member
  • *
  • Posts: 340
    • Flickr
28mm f/1.4E Various Online Reviews, and my Own Summary
« on: July 08, 2017, 08:18:28 »
Street Silhouettes: http://www.streetsilhouettes.com/home/2017/7/5/nikon-28mm-f14e-how-is-the-35mm-f14-still-a-thing
LensTip: http://www.lenstip.com/504.7-Lens_review-Nikon_Nikkor_AF-S_28_mm_f_1.4E_ED_Coma__astigmatism_and_bokeh.html
Cameralabs: https://www.cameralabs.com/nikon-28mm-f1-4e-review/

My summary:
Compared to 28/1.4 Zeiss Otus, going to call "Otus" here. Calling the Nikkor 28E.

Compared to the Otus, the 28E is slightly sharper in the centre and slightly less sharper in the corners.
Otus has better LoCA performance, the 28E LoCA performance isn't excellent, but it's no bad either.
Coma wise, it's really good wide open. Visible seagulls flying in the corners at f/1.4, which DOESN'T improve when stopped down to f/2 -- disappointed.
Compared to the Samyang 24/1.4 (reality closer to 1.8 ), it's slightly better. See: http://www.lenstip.com/330.7-Lens_review-Samyang_24_mm_f_1.4_ED_AS_UMC_Coma__astigmatism_and_bokeh.html
Rendition, in my subjective opinion, is really good. Bokeh is nice too, especially for a wide angle.
Vignetting is a bit prone at 1.4 and 2, to be expected. I like it to add some scene to photos, and it's easily fixed in post if not wanted anyway.
Distortion is well under control.
Expensive. Obviously outperforms the 1.8G Plastic-Nikkor  :P (Still a really good lens! Don't get me wrong). I'm guessing it will vindicate the 28/1.4D too.
Bit of an apples to oranges comparison, the 28E outperforms the 24/1.4G.

Overall, impressive but expensive. I will patiently wait for used copies to circulate and actual astrolandscape photos to come out.

Oh and let me rant about Samyang, where's your 14/2.4 SP lens for the F-mount? Why only Canon, I want to be in that bed too!!!  :'(
Astro season is over soon in Australia, guess I won't be getting my greedy hands onto a Samyang SP this year.  ::)
Photomicrography gallery: Instagram
Blog: Diatoms Australia
Andor Zyla 5.5 sCMOS | Hamamatsu ORCA-Flash V2 | Nikon Z6 | Olympus Microscope

Roland Vink

  • NG Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1525
  • Nikon Nerd from New Zealand
    • Nikon Database
Re: 28mm f/1.4E Various Online Reviews, and my Own Summary
« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2017, 08:55:52 »
Coma wise, it's really good wide open. Visible seagulls flying in the corners at f/1.4, which DOESN'T improve when stopped down to f/2 -- disappointed.
Aperture blades don't usually touch the far corners until stopped down more than one stop, often two stops (it's easy to see on lenses with the aperture ring - with the lens wide open look through at an angle and note how far you have to stop down before the aperture blades start to become visible).  That is why performance in the far corners doesn't usually pick up at first, and why the seagulls don't go away at f/2.

Macro_Cosmos

  • NG Member
  • *
  • Posts: 340
    • Flickr
Re: 28mm f/1.4E Various Online Reviews, and my Own Summary
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2017, 10:27:50 »
Aperture blades don't usually touch the far corners until stopped down more than one stop, often two stops (it's easy to see on lenses with the aperture ring - with the lens wide open look through at an angle and note how far you have to stop down before the aperture blades start to become visible).  That is why performance in the far corners doesn't usually pick up at first, and why the seagulls don't go away at f/2.
Yep, you're right!
The difference in iris opening between f1.4 and f2 is really tiny, and just barely visible. Still sort of disappointed though, since Nikon specifically indicated that the lens will be "well corrected for coma", which to be fair it is probably the best f/1.4 wide angle performer... but ehhh still. I'll wait 2 years and get one for $2000 AUD. Those 24/1.4 nikkors can be had easily for $1500 AUD.
 
Photomicrography gallery: Instagram
Blog: Diatoms Australia
Andor Zyla 5.5 sCMOS | Hamamatsu ORCA-Flash V2 | Nikon Z6 | Olympus Microscope

Macro_Cosmos

  • NG Member
  • *
  • Posts: 340
    • Flickr
Re: 28mm f/1.4E Various Online Reviews, and my Own Summary
« Reply #3 on: July 08, 2017, 13:35:45 »
http://www.streetsilhouettes.com/home/2017/7/5/nikon-28mm-f14e-how-is-the-35mm-f14-still-a-thing
In this post, the 28E was compared to the 28D.
Scroll down for the eye shot. I think the 28D was slightly out of focus?
Perhaps Bjørn could conduct an actual comparison when the testing sample comes in! Really wanna see the improvements.
Photomicrography gallery: Instagram
Blog: Diatoms Australia
Andor Zyla 5.5 sCMOS | Hamamatsu ORCA-Flash V2 | Nikon Z6 | Olympus Microscope