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A decent wide for landscapes

tashley

Subscriber Member
Tim you have tried so many lenses, by any chance have you tried the Nikon
28mm 2.8 AI-S on the D800 ??
I used to have this lens in the film days and I remember it to be very sharp.
Sorry Antonio, I haven't: so many lenses that performed well on film or even on the 12/18/24mp generation of cameras seem compromised on the D800 and though there are certainly exceptions, I think it a good generalisation that the newer lenses are the better. I am really looking forward to the new generation of Zeiss lenses for example. I also have a review copy of the upcoming Sammy 24mm tilt shift lined up and that will be a very interesting lens to spend time with. But I bet someone here will have tried the 28 F2.8 and can tell us how it does - it would be lovely to discover a 'sleeper'!
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
If I decided on the Samyang, there's still cash left over for a Nikon 24/2.8D for a normal wide, and the Nikon can use normal filters. The downside here is that the Samyang can't use them. Also, the Tokina was partly chosen due to its distortion control, while the Samyang has awkward distortion.
That's really the big nit with the 14 Sammy -- you can buy a massive Lee filter holder and rectangular filters to filter it, but that kit will cost you more than the lens itself! It's one huge advantage of the ZF 18 (it takes regular round filters) and why I'm thinking I'll hang onto it -- it's still a superwide I can ND filter for moving water, and moving water is something I regularly shoot in my landscapes.

Given the planned use, would you recommend a wide angle zoom that can use (uncommon and expensive) filters, or a two-lens setup with a nice small wide that can use normal filters and a large ultrawide that can't, and also has the distortion?
Problem with the ultrawide zooms are the same filtration issue -- personally I think you are way better off with two ultrawide primes and a wide to normal zoom that covers the 24 end since most of them are also easily filtered.

My .02 only,
 

tashley

Subscriber Member
Interesting Tim, when is the Sammy coming out?
Review copies should hit in December, stores should get them very soon thereafter... And unlike the Nikkor 24mm PCE, you have full individual adjustment of the orientation of movements, so your shifts can combine with tilts in either a 'landscape' way or an 'architectural way...
 

tashley

Subscriber Member
That would be great, but Samyang's comments on their own facebook page suggest that the 24mm T/S launch is postponed until March: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.427074340685114.98471.102447209814497&type=1
I can't see that comment on their page but I might well be missing something.. But I heard yesterday to expect December for review copies so.. We'll just have to wait and see. One thing's for sure: if this lens cuts the mustard, it will sell like hot cakes. Ooh how I love a mixed metaphor.
 

Steen

Senior Subscriber Member

(...) so many lenses that performed well on film or even on the 12/18/24mp generation of cameras seem compromised on the D800 and though there are certainly exceptions, I think it a good generalisation that the newer lenses are the better.

(...) But I bet someone here will have tried the 28 F2.8 and can tell us how it does - it would be lovely to discover a 'sleeper'!

I finally got the time to snap a couple of trivial test compositions to illustrate the AI-S Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 on the D800E, compared to the modern AF-S 28mm f/1.8 G.
I'm afraid the old manual focus AI-S lens isn't quite the 'sleeper' we could dream of for D800.
Anyway, still a decent optic from the film days (though the color rendition is somewhat on the warm side).
I had no landscape at hand, you will have to do with this 'harborscape' :)
It was very windy and cold, so this is just a quick-and-dirty test, focusing on the center only (but at least on tripod).

I add links to the RAW files so that you can do the post processing to your own taste.
Here I have just added about 0.5 or 1.0 Exposure adjustment, plus a bit of Sharpening: 40 - 0.8 - 40 - 10
No other tweaks done in order not to confuse things.
I deliberately left any chromatic abberration as is, just to illustrate each lens' native character (easily adjusted In Lightroom: >> Lens Correction >> Color >> tick: Remove Chromatic Aberration)
As usual: please keep any posted results here on the GetDPI forum.


AI-S Nikkor 28mm f/2.8

801_3061_AIS_28mm_at_f8.NEF
click for native sizes (8 - 9 Mb each)


Nikon D800E • AI-S Nikkor 2.8/28mm • 1/350 sec. at f/8 ISO 100 • Lightroom 4.2



AF-S Nikkor 28mm f/1.8 G

801_3065_AFS_G_28mm_at_f8.NEF



Nikon D800E • AF-S Nikkor 1.8/28mm G • 1/250 sec. at f/8 ISO 100 • Lightroom 4.2



AI-S Nikkor 28mm f/2.8

801_3074_AIS_28mm_at_f8.NEF



Nikon D800E • AI-S Nikkor 2.8/28mm • 1/350 sec. at f/8 ISO 100 • Lightroom 4.2



AF-S Nikkor 28mm f/1.8 G

801_3077_AFS_G_28mm_at_f8.NEF



Nikon D800E • AF-S Nikkor 1.8/28mm G • 1/350 sec. at f/8 ISO 100 • Lightroom 4.2
 
Steen thanks for the test.
I'm seing very small differences at 100% being AIS better at some point and G better in detail all over but just a small difference really.
 
The elmarit r 28 type 2 (last) is generally considered a good lens.
I tested it on my usual brickwall to verify resolution and field curvature.
The first link shows results at F8 focusing straight in the center, in practice at infinity or just an hair less.(full size jpg)

All sizes | _DSC1521 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Second link shows results at F8 focusing for corner sharpness-in practice at approx. 5-8 meters.

All sizes | _DSC1519 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Resized image.


_DSC1519 by sergio
lovisolo
, on Flickr

I have the impression that second focus compensated shot is slightly overcorrected.

Sergio
 

Steen

Senior Subscriber Member

Tim has recently made this excellent Field Review of the Carl Zeiss Distagon 2.8/21mm ZF.
Tim Ashley Photography | Zeiss 21mm F2.8 ZF2 on D800e: Field Review, Tips 'n' Tricks
I have now bought a used sample of the 21mm, and I can only confirm Tim's findings e.g. with the field curvature.

Yesterday I tried out the Zeiss ZF in comparison to my Voigtländer Color-Skopar 3.5/20mm SLII Asph.
I think it's pretty clear that the Zeiss lens has the edge especially by being a bit more contrasty, still I'm surprised how well the Voigtländer holds up.
I wasn't really able to focus in Live View partly because of the bright sunlight reflected by the snow and partly because I got tears in my eyes due to the cold and a windy weather.
One of those occasions where I really missed autofocus.
But at f/8 and using focus bracketing I was able to get a couple of lucky shots with more or less everything within acceptable DOF, and I just picked the best shot from each lens.
This is in no way scientific, the sun was now and then breaking through some heavy clouds behind my bag and the light was quickly changing with regards to brightness as well as color.
This time I removed the lateral color aberration when processing the files, but you can download the RAW files and see for yourselves.
I also did not add the full amount of EV because with a bit more darkness I find it easier to judge sharpness, but you can just process the RAW files to your own taste.


The Voigtländer 20mm

801_3233_Voigtlander_20mm_at_f8.NEF

click for native size (6.7 Mb)


Nikon D800E • Voigtländer Color-Skopar 3.5/20mm SLII Aspherical • 1/180 sec. at f/8 ISO 100 • Lightroom 4.3








The Zeiss 21mm

801_3212_Zeiss_21mm_ZF_at_f8.NEF

click for native size (7.2 Mb)


Nikon D800E • Carl Zeiss Distagon 2.8/21mm ZF • 1/180 sec. at f/8 ISO 100 • Lightroom 4.3
 

tashley

Subscriber Member
Nice, slightly surreal shot Steen!
I have a new secret weapon for sharp corner to corner and edge to edge: the RX1 ;-)
 

Steen

Senior Subscriber Member

Nice, slightly surreal shot Steen!
I have a new secret weapon for sharp corner to corner and edge to edge: the RX1 ;-)
Oh yeah, nice lens the RX1, unfortunately it has a built-in camera.

So like a wise man said: "The lens will die with the camera" ;)
 
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