PC 19mm f/4 E ED

[Erik Lund]

The 19mm is like a 12-14mm with the mentioned use of shift - so definitely an Ultra-Wide angle lens!

PS the Hartblei collar is restricting shift to one direction only,,, just a warning

[Ilkka Nissilä]

I do panoramics using a panoramic rail, and use the shift to off center the horizon. I don't shift the lens to get the consitituent images but simply rotate the rig on the panorama setup. The distortion can be easily handled by stitching software. I suppose shifting to get the parts has the advantage of avoiding mismatches due to distortion. However, I simply prefer the ability to shift the horizon and don't find the mismatches to be problematic in practice.

I see more of a continuum in steadily improving image quality in the Nikon system (lenses and cameras) instead of any particular "jumps."  However, as lens prices increase much faster than inflation, it would seem few people are actually going to benefit from the latest improvements. A lot of people will have to look elsewhere.

[Michael Erlewine]

OK. The 19mm PC-E arrived, less than two hours ago and I had to let it warm up. Here are a couple of shots taken in our kitchen with the Nikoin D810. They are short stacks of three or four layers, with a clumsy attempt to start figuring out how best to use tilt. Vertical tilt used here, but this is going to be a learning curve. I use tilt a lot with close-up, where it is very easy to see the effect, but here, FF, as others have said.... I have got some learning to do.

The lens is smaller than I imagined, which is good. It is, of course, solid. Finally, for my work, all of the different ways to shift, tilt, rotate, etc. are all there and are wonderful. It took me a while to figure out there is a separate LOCK on tilt, so be warned. As for IQ, too soon to tell. It is not as sharp as the Otus (Otii), but sharp enough considering it is very wide. I will have to do a lot of playing around, and mostly inside, since it is bitter cold right now, with nights near zero. All in all I am pleased, but I have a lot of experimenting to do before I can say for sure. Certainly it is years ahead of my three PC-E lenses, which I am going to get rid of. I am grateful Nikon finally has gone for more quality in lenses, like Zeiss did with the Otus. I did not finish the photos, but I did play with it some, so these are not just right out of the camera. Didn't have time to do both, right now.

[PedroS]

Indeed it's a lens that you should read the instructions, as we never do...
That lock lever is cleverly disguised, thought.

Used to others TS, so mainly the same usage here, but much more control on this lens.
Like Michael stated not so big as expected, neither heavy. But that front element, man, it's huge and clear.
First couple of shoots showed to be very sharp even wide open.

In a couple of weeks a special project is waiting for it. Till then.

[Michael Erlewine]

Not sure if anyone is interested, but here is where I am with the PC-E 19mm Nikon Lens.

Of course, I am only working it to my ends, which usually involve focus stacking, and I can't really take it outside in this weather, as another 8-10 inches of snow fell last night, etc.

The lens is not as sharp or as well corrected as the Otus series. However, it is sharp, and considering that it puts so much in focus, the lack of the utmost acuity is probably tolerable, especially if I can remember that I will be using this for landscape and not tabletop or studio work... unless (there always is the chance) that I find some useful way of using it close-up.

Considering that I stack and that stacks themselves are rife with artifacts unless very carefully done, in some respects this lens avoids having to stack at the sacrifice of a little bit of "sharpness."

I have not experimented with any chromatic aberration or whatever, but I will get around to that. Before I do much tilting or shifting I need to do some straight shooting. Here is one short stack (three) with the Nikon D810. At 100%, it is tolerable, even OK, but with this lens (at least for me) the concept of "impressionism" is important to keep in mind.

The lens cap, which is new for me, is a hard shell cap with a positive lock and requires a button pressed to release it. Since with the lens I won’t walk around with the lens cap off, I am glad it can’t slip off.

[schwett]

michael, thanks for the close-up example.

lloyd chambers' observations on the lens are useful with regard to field curvature and focus shift. i took some time this morning in the dead of our local winter to experiment a little with stitching using the dovetail clamp on my camera and tripod as an ad-hoc "rail." full shift down with the camera slid 12mm "up" in the clamp, then centered, then the opposite, and parallax is neatly avoided for anything at a reasonable distance from the lens. the resultant 70ish mp images are not pin sharp all the way to the edges at the level of individual pixels, but even cut in 1/2 in each dimension they are big files and tons of detail is apparent.

here's a square take from just two frames, capturing a number of curious moments of light both direct and reflected on the rusticated concrete facade of a telecommunications building which has now found itself in the middle of high-rise residential towers.



this 100% crop from the extreme left side with only a bit of sharpening in ACR shows the slight softness that f/8 and perhaps a slight focus error show. of course, keep in mind the scale of this relative to the overall image.



and compared to a point nearer the center of the frame:



the sharpness of areas in the road further towards the side and front suggest that what's happening is both the natural loss of sharpness towards the edge of the image and the "plane" of focus curving towards the camera at the edges.

[Michael Erlewine]

Here is a shot done with the Zeiss Otus 28mm APO lens. This, like the earlier shots, is a stack of a few layers. It is superior to the 19mm PC-E enough, that I question if I want to keep the 19mm PC-E. Your thoughts?

[Ilkka Nissilä]

From the specifications, it would seem the 19 PC is not optimized for close-ups; the other modern PC Nikkors have greater maximum magnification ratios. I would think therefore the 19mm is designed primarily for larger subjects. I would try using it for some near-to-far landscapes to see how it works for those subjects; some flower, mossy, icy rocks in the foreground perhaps, and then trees in the background that can be held vertical without keystoning while the tilt ensures enough near to far sharpness for the foreground and the background at least stopped down (I typically use f/11 for these shots since there is usually some 3D shape in the subject matter). These are some of my favorite subjects for the 24 PC.

[Michael Erlewine]

From the specifications, it would seem the 19 PC is not optimized for close-ups; the other modern PC Nikkors have greater maximum magnification ratios. I would think therefore the 19mm is designed primarily for larger subjects. I would try using it for some near-to-far landscapes to see how it works for those subjects; some flower, mossy, icy rocks in the foreground perhaps, and then trees in the background that can be held vertical without keystoning while the tilt ensures enough near to far sharpness for the foreground and the background at least stopped down (I typically use f/11 for these shots since there is usually some 3D shape in the subject matter). These are some of my favorite subjects for the 24 PC.

I hear you. But even when I tested both lenses straight-on (no tilt or shift), the 19mm PCE was (IMO) just short of my being able to ignore its lack of acuity. I wish it did not bug me, but it did. As for near or far, perhaps some distance helps, but when it comes to being sharp or not, that would come across near and far, only in far it might be harder to see. But you know me, I would manage to see it anyway. If I don't keep this lens, then I will have to get the virtual equivalent of tilt by focus stacking -- virtual DOF.

[Alaun]

Michael, the colors from the flower with the Nikon seem to be warmer (more pleasing than with the Otus, is that due to the lens or due to development?

[Michael Erlewine]

Michael, the colors from the flower with the Nikon seem to be warmer (more pleasing than with the Otus, is that due to the lens or due to development?

Hard to say. Different lenses do color differently. I like the Zeiss, but I was not looking for color here, but for the degree of acuity. The Zeiss has it; the Nikon, just shy of what I need in a lens, but nice. Probably less noticeable outside, but we have lots of snow outside just now and more coming. Don't want to damage this lens in case I return, which I may.

[Thomas G]

michael, thanks for the close-up example.

lloyd chambers' observations on the lens are useful with regard to field curvature and focus shift. i took some time this morning in the dead of our local winter to experiment a little with stitching using the dovetail clamp on my camera and tripod as an ad-hoc "rail." full shift down with the camera slid 12mm "up" in the clamp, then centered, then the opposite, and parallax is neatly avoided for anything at a reasonable distance from the lens. the resultant 70ish mp images are not pin sharp all the way to the edges at the level of individual pixels, but even cut in 1/2 in each dimension they are big files and tons of detail is apparent.

here's a square take from just two frames, capturing a number of curious moments of light both direct and reflected on the rusticated concrete facade of a telecommunications building which has now found itself in the middle of high-rise residential towers.
[...]
this 100% crop from the extreme left side with only a bit of sharpening in ACR shows the slight softness that f/8 and perhaps a slight focus error show. of course, keep in mind the scale of this relative to the overall image.
[...]
and compared to a point nearer the center of the frame:
[...]
the sharpness of areas in the road further towards the side and front suggest that what's happening is both the natural loss of sharpness towards the edge of the image and the "plane" of focus curving towards the camera at the edges.

I like what I see here.

[Erik Lund]

michael, thanks for the close-up example.

lloyd chambers' observations on the lens are useful with regard to field curvature and focus shift. i took some time this morning in the dead of our local winter to experiment a little with stitching using the dovetail clamp on my camera and tripod as an ad-hoc "rail." full shift down with the camera slid 12mm "up" in the clamp, then centered, then the opposite, and parallax is neatly avoided for anything at a reasonable distance from the lens. the resultant 70ish mp images are not pin sharp all the way to the edges at the level of individual pixels, but even cut in 1/2 in each dimension they are big files and tons of detail is apparent.

here's a square take from just two frames, capturing a number of curious moments of light both direct and reflected on the rusticated concrete facade of a telecommunications building which has now found itself in the middle of high-rise residential towers.



this 100% crop from the extreme left side with only a bit of sharpening in ACR shows the slight softness that f/8 and perhaps a slight focus error show. of course, keep in mind the scale of this relative to the overall image.



and compared to a point nearer the center of the frame:



the sharpness of areas in the road further towards the side and front suggest that what's happening is both the natural loss of sharpness towards the edge of the image and the "plane" of focus curving towards the camera at the edges.

Thanks, the overall image looks good, but the uneven sharpness looks strange, yes probably focus is off,,, A lens this sharp is very demanding especially if you attempt to stitch,,,

[PedroS]

Indeed Pedro!

Here is the lens ring (collar) for Canon 17mm

http://www.hartblei.de/en/canon-tse-collar.htm

The JMBS Jumbo MultiBigShoot Plus support doesn't work with the 19mm
Do you know a bracket for it?

[schwett]

Hard to say. Different lenses do color differently. I like the Zeiss, but I was not looking for color here, but for the degree of acuity. The Zeiss has it; the Nikon, just shy of what I need in a lens, but nice. Probably less noticeable outside, but we have lots of snow outside just now and more coming. Don't want to damage this lens in case I return, which I may.

michael, it seems like your intended use of the lens doesn't line up exactly with it's strengths. it's definitely not a "close up" lens, except in the sense that wide angle landscape and architecture work often has a near subject. but i don't think you'll get the kind of detail out of it that makes your work with the APO lenses so compelling.