Wide angle advice AF-S G Nikkors: 20/1.8 v. 24/1.4 v. 24/1.8 ...

[David H. Hartman]

All of my wide angle lenses are AI and Ai-s Nikkors. I straggle to focus them with my D800. My current lenses include a 24/2.8 AI, 20/3.5 AI and 20/2.8 Ai-s. Of these the weakest is the 24/2.8 Ai due to flare, ghost and vignette.

I'm concerned about vignette with the new lenses. I expect it when wide open but wonder when it get tame? The 24/1.4 would surely please me but for the price. I haven't found a useful review of the 24/1.8. I like the 24mm focal length but I love 20mm. I wish I could place an order for a 24/1.4 and 20/1.8 but a 24/1.4 would preclude any other lens purchase for some time. Of such is my dilemma.

Thank you for your suggestions...

Dave

[stenrasmussen]

Both are excellent choices. I tested the 24/1.8G alongside the Sigma 24/1.4A and my preference would be to go for the Nikkor. I briefly tried Mr. Bear's 20/1.8G and found it to be a very likable lens as well.

[Frank Fremerey]

I think your choice is between 20 and 24 ... both of the 1.8G lenses, and in fact the whole series, are excellent ... I own the 1.4/24G, tested it as pre production sample, bought it, when it came out.

Now I see that I tend not to use it a lot because it is such a heavy chunk of glass.

If I did not have the 1.4 I would today sure go for the 1.8/24, just because it is better to carry.

[David H. Hartman]

What about the vignette with the AF-S 24/1.8G? Is it harsh or hard in the deep corners like a 50/1.2 Ai-s? Is it gradual? Is it mild by f/5.6? I sometimes use the Photoshop lens correction tool to sneak in a subtile vegnette to direct the eye. I don't want viewers to notice it. I'm not looking to fool mother optics here.

If I'd be pleased with a 24/1.8 I could buy a 20/1.8 now and in a few weeks a 24/1.8. My budget is tight and after this it will be a very along time before I can indulge my lust for glass again.

Dave

[Akira]

Here's a review of AF-S 24/1.8G.  Please scroll halfway down to see the vignetting test for the FX format.

http://www.lenstip.com/463.8-Lens_review-Nikon_Nikkor_AF-S_24_mm_f_1.8G_ED_Vignetting.html

And AF-S 20/1.8G:

http://www.lenstip.com/416.8-Lens_review-Nikon_Nikkor_AF-S_20_mm_f_1.8G_ED_Vignetting.html

[Bjørn Rørslett]

The 24/1.8 is a nice and capable lens. It might not have the rounded pleasantness of the 24/2, but does have much better flare resistance and undeniably is very sharp.

In practice I haven't noticed issues with any vignetting.

[Erik Lund]

Don't loose your sleep over this

The vignetting on these lenses is no real issue when shooting modern digital cameras IMHO as long as it is less than two stops.

Most often when you shoot wide open the outer edges of the frame are way out side DOF anyway,,,

In most cases a slightly dark edge around the image is preferable, It holds the image together, it's a very old trick actually

Only brick wall shooters and scientific photography would ever see any issue with any of the modern f/1.4 and f/1.8 Nikkor lenses.

Some of the Zeiss WA lenses has a lot of vignetting 2.5 stops or so, there you start to see degration in the image corners if you 'lift' them...

I can say that the 24mm 1.4 is a very good performer, I have sold many product and architecture shots done with this lens, it's outstanding!

[David H. Hartman]

"The vignetting on these lenses is no real issue when shooting modern digital cameras... "

I thought the limit was lower than 2 stops?

As an experiment I corrected a shot from my 50/1.2 AIS. It was early morning and so I was able to shoot at f/1.2. CaptureNX-D won't allow vignette correction of non-CPU lenses so I did what I could in CaptureNX2. I think the loss in the corners is about 2.4 stop for the 50/1.2 AIS wide open and it's pretty hard in the corners so it's quite obvious. I passed a TIF to Photoshop to finish up. With the photo above I tried first to do all the correction in Photoshop and it didn't work as it blew out the clouds. The photo is of the house across the street. Here is the shot...



I'd rather not try to correct more than about 1.5 stops. I don't often correct vignette but sometimes feel I need to. From time to time I add vignette in Photoshop with the Filter> Distort> Lens Correction...> tool. I like to direct the eye without it being obvious that I'm doing it.

I believe vignette correction from an NEF in Nikon software is selectively adjusting the ISO in the corners. If so I'd like to start with less to correct than 2 stops. From the reviews I've read the vignette on the AF-S 20/1.8G ED and AF-S 24/1.8G ED are about 2 stops wide open and not too bad at f/2.8. I think I'll buy the 20/1.8 since Nikon USA is offering a $50.00 (USD) instant rebate. They close buying from Friday evening to Saturday evening (NY, NY time). I don't want to rush so I'll decide in day or two.

Thank you for the replies! Akira thank you for the links.

Dave



 

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I agree with Erik. Vignetting at the widest aperture(s) is nothing to worry about.

Besides, I wonder how they arrive at these allegedly alarming numbers. Certainly you should not use samples of  non-linear image data after adjustment as in a jpg.

Never mind, here is the 24 mm f/1.8 wide open. No further adjustments conducted. Shoot mainly to illustrate the kind of gloomy dark "half-light" we battle with here in my part of the world. This is mid December, at 3'oclock and as one can surmise darkness is all around already.

The excellent bokeh of the 24/1.8 is visible as well.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

OK, off topic rant is removed.

Please guys, do not veer off like this. Your off-topic posts *will* be removed.

[David H. Hartman]

I'm sorry about the post. I didn't think it was a rant but it was quite off topic, a bad habit from other forums.

Dave

[Bjørn Rørslett]

We have learned our bitter lessons from earlier forums, hence the No Off-Topic clause on NG.

Back to the lens in question.

Due to circumstances beyond my control I haven't had opportunity to use the new 24/1.8 as much as I had intended. However, from what I can see in the files, there are no obvious optical flaws with it that should be of any concern. Vignetting likely can be detected in a lab setting, true enough, but of little or no consequence for field use.

[David H. Hartman]

With help I've found more reviews. They all mention a gap in the linkage of the manual focus ring with many of the f/1.8 series Nikkors, a dead spot of about a millimeter. How troublesome is this when manually focusing? I sometimes focus with live view and then switch back to the optical finder.

Dave

[Akira]

I used to use AF-S 35/1.8G ED for a while.  It had the same play in the linkage of the focus ring as the other wider f1.8 series lenses do.  I was not really troubled by the play itself, but troubled by the all-too-short focus throw and by the lack of the exact infinity stop.  It was extremely tricky to focus at distance when I shot nightscapes using the magnified live view.

Another problem I found was the fact that the MF function couldn't be disabled.  The focus mode switch on the lens can only switch between M and MA.  So, in AF mode, a slight accidental touch of focus ring can make the focus off.  I needed to put my fingers on the attached lens hood when I released the shutter.  It is good to mitigate the pitch/yaw blur, though.

[David H. Hartman]

I'm still making up my mind. I'll probably get the 20/1.8G now as there is an instant rebate from Nikon USA. I may be able to get a 24/1.4G for about twice the price of the 24/1.8G, Aha for the days when I could put all my earnings into glass. If all I had left was enough to buy one hundred feet of Tri-X life was good.

Dave