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A decent wide for landscapes

tashley

Subscriber Member
Having stopped shooting Phase/Schneider/Cambo some months ago in favour of D800e, this is the missing lens for me: I'd like something fairly sharp edge to edge and with great resolution and micro contrast on centre, with no more field curvature than can be defeated by focussing on a distant hillside and selecting f8 (though 5.6 would be ideal) and no strong distortion or CA. it would be somewhere in the 24 to 28mm range.

None of the Zeiss glass seems to fit (the likely candidates are 'too fast' meaning too much field curvature and distortion) and the Nikon 14-24 doesn't take well to filters. The nikkor 28 1.8g is great but not for distant planar landscapes. The other zooms seem too compromised in one way or another.

I wish someone would make a landscape wide, a slow (f4 or 5.6) but very well corrected lens.

Anyone else feel the same or have any suggestions? I've read so many reviews and tried quite a few lenses, but nothing seems to match...
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I'm very happy with my Zeiss 25mm F2 . Really got to use it in Zion and its better than I thought it would be. Some images posted in the fun with Nikon. I still have more to process but end of day I was extremely pleased with my 3 Zeiss choices the 18, 25 and 35 in F2 flavors.
 

jagsiva

Active member
I have the 14-14, but find myself using the 24/1.4G more, and also feel it is a great lens on the D800e.

Assuming you have already considered the 24/1.4 as well as Nikon 24 T/S, have you looked at using a Leica R lens adapted to Nikon...just a thought.
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
I hear you Tim. The closest thing I've found is the 24 PC-E, but it isn't as perfect as what you're looking for. But for me, it's close enough and the added benefits of tilts and shifts make it my goto wide.
 

tashley

Subscriber Member
Thanks everyone...

The Zeiss 25mm f2 is a lens I am very keen to buy but Lloyd Chambers says that it has such severe field curvature that getting distant landscapes in focus is (to paraphrase him) non trivial. It seems optimised for near to mid work.

The 24 1.4 sounds great but it apparently has serious focus issues and suffers also from notable focus shift. That would be acceptable if it were nice to manually focus but I have yet to find a Nikkor that can get anywhere near the Zeisses for ease of MF.

The 24 PCE I have, I like up in some ways, but edges and corners on mine (my second copy) are noticeably a little soft even at f8 and at 50% view and I just don't have th energy to deal with nikon's 'service' again - another reason to avoid the 24mm f1.4. Ai want to buy as few Nikon products as possible. I don't like their QC at either the manufacturing or servicing stage!

A converted Leica R might be great but so few are deeply reviewed on the D800 and it could be an expensive experiment!

Maybe I should give Schneider a call and have a little chat. Methinks there would be a market for my f5.6 thru f11 only flat field manual focus 24mm lens...

;-)
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Here is Rogers take on it but I find infinity at 5.6 or 8 to be exact to the 35 F2

Roger's Take
Roger Cicala
President of LensRentals.com
It’s really, really good. That should about cover it. Oh, you want details? OK.
It’s an interesting lens. Unlike previous versions in this focal range there is very little field curvature (unlike the 25mm f/2.8). In terms of pure resolution it’s superb, generating numbers in our testing similar to the legendary 21mm f/2.8. Sharper than the Nikon or Canon 24mm f/1.4 lenses when shot at f/2.0. Sharper than any 35mm, 50mm, or 85mm lens we stock at f/2.0. And that’s both in the center and overall (weighted average) sharpness.
But there’s a bit of a catch: that’s for testing at middle distances (10 to 25 feet). But at infinity (where the MTF charts are made) it doesn’t seem quite as good (it’s still good, but not amazingly good), so there are probably better choices for landscape work. But 25mm isn’t really a landscape focal length for most people, it’s more for reportage, street shooting, architecture, and video work. For these purposes, at middle distances, I’m not sure there’s a better lens available.
 

nikonf

Member
When will the newly announced Schneider 28mm TS be available?
I was disappointed by the reviews of the Schneider 50mm TS lens.
I need a sharp 24-28mm and a 35mm.
I think I will go for the Zeiss 35mm f2 for the D800E.
Anyone impressed with this optic?
I wish someone would develop a 35mm PC lens for the Nikon.
They discontinued this many years ago and I really prefer this focal length.
It would have been great with TILT. Canon had tilt in their 35mm.
:deadhorse:
Thanks everyone...

The Zeiss 25mm f2 is a lens I am very keen to buy but Lloyd Chambers says that it has such severe field curvature that getting distant landscapes in focus is (to paraphrase him) non trivial. It seems optimised for near to mid work.

The 24 1.4 sounds great but it apparently has serious focus issues and suffers also from notable focus shift. That would be acceptable if it were nice to manually focus but I have yet to find a Nikkor that can get anywhere near the Zeisses for ease of MF.

The 24 PCE I have, I like up in some ways, but edges and corners on mine (my second copy) are noticeably a little soft even at f8 and at 50% view and I just don't have th energy to deal with nikon's 'service' again - another reason to avoid the 24mm f1.4. Ai want to buy as few Nikon products as possible. I don't like their QC at either the manufacturing or servicing stage!

A converted Leica R might be great but so few are deeply reviewed on the D800 and it could be an expensive experiment!

Maybe I should give Schneider a call and have a little chat. Methinks there would be a market for my f5.6 thru f11 only flat field manual focus 24mm lens...

;-)
 

robsteve

Subscriber
I have some Leitax mounts coming for my Leica glass. I will be adapting the Leica 28mm PC and the second generation Leica 28mm f2.8. The 28mm f2.8 Elmarit-R was pretty stellar on the DMR and film, but I will wait and see how it make out on full frame digital.

I am wishing now that I had paid the extras to have the Leitax mounts sent via courier, rather than by mail.
 

nikonf

Member
If I get the Leitax mount, I will have to remove the Leica-R mount from my Leica 100mm f2.8 Macro-Elmarit?
Will this lens work at infinity on the D800E?

I have some Leitax mounts coming for my Leica glass. I will be adapting the Leica 28mm PC and the second generation Leica 28mm f2.8. The 28mm f2.8 Elmarit-R was pretty stellar on the DMR and film, but I will wait and see how it make out on full frame digital.

I am wishing now that I had paid the extras to have the Leitax mounts sent via courier, rather than by mail.
 

nikonf

Member
Beautiful! Are these from Zion? I love Zion and Bryce Canyon, especially in Autumn and Winter.
I went there on the morning after the Presidential election in 2008.
It was 7 degrees and there was a blizzard at sunrise.
The sun came out and the entire canyon was absolutely beautiful.
Alas, I had a lowly 12mp Canon 5D, as my 4x5 was relegated to the Storm case, to protect it from the snow.
Still made a nice 13x19 inch print, though.
Ah, to return with a D800 and similar weather conditions!
Yea I trust there opinions but results are what counts and they seem very good.

Here are some Zeiss 25mm F2 lens shots



 

tashley

Subscriber Member
Thanks Guy... Those are beautiful shots. Lloyd was talking about field curvature for shots at infinity, like really distant stuff, and when he focussed using the centre, the edges were pretty soft. The shots you post above, I would call mid-distance and one of them is favoured by a curved field lens. How have you found it on far distant subjects?
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Really have not shot anything like 10 miles away and probably never would as its too wide for something like that anyway. I can't imagine at that distance field curvature would be a issue unless pretty wide open . Honestly doing landscape work most images are stopped down anyway unless you maybe doing detail type stuff a little closer. These lenses there optimum is like 5.6 anyway. In all truth this is a tough focal length. The zooms are okay but nothing like the Nikon 24 1.4 or this. The only other is the 24pc lens which if we all had Jacks copy we would be pleased. He does have a nice copy.
 
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