NikonGear'23
Gear Talk => Lens Talk => Topic started by: Jedi on December 30, 2016, 11:49:47
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Hello, I'm here for asking a new opinion to you, after my first topic, about the choice between Zeiss Distagon 21mm f/2.8 and Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8. (I have buied Zeiss Distagon 21mm).
My new doubt: I have Nikon AF-S 24mm f/1.4G, which my D810 and me love very much. I need a great 28mm: Nikon AF-D 28mm f/1.4 is very rare and too expensive; Nikon AF-S seems to be a toy: is it really superb? I would buy Zeiss Distagon 28mm f/2 ZF.2: I have seen many photos on the web, they're spectacular for my taste is it very great such as Distagon 21mm f/2.8 for mountain landscapes?
Thank you!!!!
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I am a long time user of the ZF 28/2, but have no experience with the current AF-S 28/1.8, except handling it at the store. I do not like the feel, or construction quality, of the Nikon f/1.8 primes that I have examined.
The ZF 28/2, once stopped down to f/4 or f/4.5, is an excellent 28mm. At wide open it is sharp in the center, or the edges, but not both at a given plane of focus, due to it's pronounced curvature of field that is convex to the sensor.
Based on my copies of each, the old Nikon 28/2.8 AiS has a flatter field, and can be more useful at f/2.8, and maybe f/4, than the Zeiss 28/2. The Zeiss suffers less from diffraction-induced softening at the small stops such as f/11 and f/16 than the Nikon 28/2.8 AiS. So, the slow lens is better wide open, and the fast lens is better stopped down.
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I've got both - ZF2 and AF-S 28/1.8
Ming Thein has a good writeup and review of both - with good examples of the character of both lenses.
I find that the AF-S 28mm is a great travel lens - light, fast accurate focus and good acuity/sharpness as well as good micro macro contrast. It has a nice rendition too and it and the Zeiss are VERY similar at f5.6 and smaller.
For landscapes, very hard to pick between the two. Both can also focus close (0.24/0.25m). Both have significant field convexity (Zeiss probably more). Both have good sharpness at infinity. Zeiss slightly better flare resistance but Nikon pretty good.
The Zeiss has extremely high macro and micro contrast - it has that uncanny ability at f2 to isolate the subject. This is obviously not that useful in a landscape setting so YMMV.
AF-S 28mm @ 5.6, and wide open
2 of Zeiss 28mm @ f2 showing ability to isolate objects at 2-5m distance
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More from Kyoto - AF-S 28mm