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Dare to Compare: Nikon 24mm shoot out.

R

rjkern

Guest
I knuckled down to geek out to something I’ve been exploring for many moons, a lens comparison between Nikon 24mm Trinity which includes the legendary ultra-wide angle Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 ($1760), the practical & smooth Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 ($1650), and exotic Nikon 24mm f/1.4 ($1880). The Trinity shares three things in common:

They are expensive Nikon glass. Anytime I spend over $1,000 on anything, I think long and hard.

They focus fast and are razor sharp. One of Nikon’s greatest strengths compared is effective focusing in low-light. You could make 20 x 30″ prints no problem using any of these lenses.

They photograph well at 24mm. Sure, wide-angle distortion is a common atrribute at 24mm… but nothing that can’t be fixed in post-processing (if that is your thing).

What I have been curious about is how well they shoot at 24mm at their widest aperture.

Here's the link to the full article:

http://www.kern-photo.com/index.php/2011/09/nikon-14-24-vs-24-f1-4-dare-to-compare

The Skinny:

Shooting 24mm at 1.4 or 2.8 has it’s merits. It’s a dance between a macro lens and wide angle, hard to accomplish yet worth weight in gold…. like landing a first kiss on a date. Shooting at f/1.4 in the 24mm range requires a certain skill. Add the needed trust needed to get your clients closer.

Pros:

I took my 24 f1.4 to Burning Man. I left my 14-24 at home. Why? I want lens protection from the elements and the 14-24 is just too much exposed to sand, water, and dirty hippies.

Shooting from the hip has a whole new meaning at 14mm. You’ll know wy when standing inches from a flower girl bubbling with joy who has no idea you are about to create a photo that will make her grandmother MELT. THAT is what wedding photography is about.

Forget flash & tripod when you can hand-hold at 1/15, ISO 3200, at 1.4. That’s low-light shooting at it’s best… almost near infrared spectrum.

Cons:

16mm is where my world starts. I wish I could take it all in. I simply CAN’T at 24mm. Period.

A zoom is faster than my legs can walk in dire situations: think cake-cutting, wagging dog, or over-the-head politician fist pumping… all distinct genres with similar challenges.

There’s no way I can justify owning, let along carrying, all three. At least one has to go. I boot the 24-70mm f/2.8.

Conclusion:

You don’t buy a 24mm f/1.4 for sharpness at shooting at f/1.4. The Nikon 24mm is an exception. It is very, very sharp shot wide open. Then again, you don’t buy a 24mm f1.4 for shoot at f/11 all day, many cheaper lenses will do get this job done for $1500 less.

Modern zooms are just as sharp at 2.8. That’s not the point. That’s like asking for a $5,000 wedding dress for $500. It just doesn’t happen. While the extra 2 stops of light is nice, the shallow depth of field makes this lens shines. But to see the bokeh best, you have to be close to your subject… like within 2 feet.

If I had to choose one lens, I’d go for the Nikon 14-24 which is the best wide angle zoom lens I’ve ever used.

If I was to choose one of the three: The Nikon 24mm f/1.4 is my winner.
 
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