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Archive 2014 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs

  
 
bikemore
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


Your thoughts on hanging on to a Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs?

The copy I have needs service for oil on the aperture blades.
This lens has received little use and I have two other lenses that cover this focal length.

Has anyone been convinced it is on par with a Zeiss 21 or the 14-24 at that focal length when stopped down to to 5.6 or 8 and therefore worth it for its small form factor?






Mar 27, 2014 at 09:06 PM
roger1
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


what camera are you using ?


Mar 27, 2014 at 09:19 PM
bikemore
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


For FX a D800 and a D700.


Mar 27, 2014 at 09:26 PM
Coltrane
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


If you decide to have the lens serviced, there's a very reputable Nikon outfit in Morton Grove, Il. called APS. 847-966-4091.


Mar 27, 2014 at 09:30 PM
bikemore
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


Thanks for the referral to APS. I had another lens serviced there recently and it was done well.

I did a quick and simple comparison of the 20mm f/2.8 AIs to a 17-35 and a borrowed 14-24.
On a tripod at f/8 and with live view.
The center on the 20 is ok relative to to the other two; the corners are noticeably softer.
No surprise here: the 14-24 is the best of the three.

What is most obvious about the 20mm is a blue-green tint and vignetting.



Mar 29, 2014 at 11:19 AM
CGrindahl
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


The 20 f/2.8 AI-s is an excellent lens but it has been around a long time. Yes, it is still being produced but the optical design is 30 years old. I would expect newer lenses might perform better. Surely, the 14-24 is in a class by itself and my guess is most folks who use the Zeiss 21 f/2.8 would prefer that lens. If you need corner to corner sharpness it might make sense for you to invest in a newer lens. For me, the older lens is still useful and for the price is a sweet option to have. I shoot only MF Nikkors and when traveling will typically have the 20 with me for those few situations where I need the width. (It doesn't take up much space in my camera bag.) I'm not printing large images nor do I expect my work to be published so what the 20 gives me is great.


Mar 29, 2014 at 11:53 AM
jhinkey
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


Yes, the 20/2.8 AIS (and as far as I could tell the identical 20/2.8D) is not the best 20mm lens. My 17-35/2.8D handily beats it in all areas except for size, weight, and price.

What it has going for it is weight and compactness. On a D700 it's pretty good, but those corners really show themselves on the D800 by never really getting fully sharp.

However it can do a fine job if you aren't planning on blowing up images to huge sizes or need sharpness far into the corners.

I still have my aging 20/2.8D (had an AIS, but sold it because it was optically identical and AF was important along with the price difference to keep the AIS which was more expensive) and I use it on my D800 if I need something light and compact.



Mar 29, 2014 at 12:15 PM
bikemore
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


Thank you for the responses.


Mar 29, 2014 at 05:40 PM
j.liam
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


According to Bjørn Rørslett, the D-version may not be identical to the AIS. This is from his moribund website:

"The successor to the MF 20/2.8 is often stated to have identical optics, but I'm not entirely convinced that this is true and think Nikon tweaked the design so make the lens focus better in AF. Direct comparison with the MF lens shows that the AF has more curvature of field, at least in the close range where this feature counts, and slightly more CA. Image sharpness isn't entirely up to that of the MF brother at any aperture, but the contrast is slightly higher. Probably Nikon tweaked the coating as well."

On Nikon's website, the 'D' is listed at US$624 while the older AIS is US$674. Curious, but this may be due to materials used.



Mar 29, 2014 at 08:59 PM
sandycrane
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


The 20/2.8 is not a great lens as far as IQ and is not in the same league as the 14-24 Nikon or the 21/2.8 Zeiss. I have all three lenses. It seems best at close and medium distances. It is very compact.


Mar 30, 2014 at 09:19 AM
delic66
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


The 20/2.8 AIS is indeed great in the 1-3 m range. It does not draw attention like the bigger zooms, and therefore I prefer it over 16-35 for street photography. It may be a different story at infinity focus. AIS version is definitely more robust than the AF varieties, and it has a useable distance scale and hard stop at infinity.


Mar 30, 2014 at 12:00 PM
j.liam
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


Personally, I'd rather go for a Leitax'd OM 21/3.5

A far better optic and tiny to boot. Besides the aforementioned and large Nikkor 14-24 and ZM 21 there is a void between 14 and 24mm that has never been addressed by Nikon with a proper, compact prime. And given the countless OEM & 3rd party zooms crisscrossing the range, we likely never will.



Mar 30, 2014 at 10:53 PM
Chris S.
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


Bikemore, some years ago, I was faced with a similar quandary with my Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AF-D. Oil on the aperture blades--to fix or not to fix?

I'd discovered the issue when getting ready to sell my specimen of this lens. It had been much loved in the film days, but this was the time when film was dead, but Nikon hadn't yet introduced FX, and the 30mm equivalent on DX was not appealing to me. Given the hard hikes and mountain climbs I'd carried this lens on, and a general respect for good glass, I couldn't bring myself to junk it. And I wasn't willing to sell it with an oil issue/stuck iris, even with full disclosure. So I had it fixed. The repair turned out to cost not all that much, and the lens worked wonderfully after the repair. Then I sold it, in excellent condition, with full disclosure and a clear conscience. I hope and trust that the purchaser was happy and has done fine work with this optic.

Today I use the 14-24mm Nikkor, and love it. Far better performance wide open than the 20mm prime (for example, greatly decreased CA). It's too heavy for carrying up mountains, but now, smaller sensor cameras accompany me when the going gets tough--and they produce better images than my old 35mm film cameras did, for far less weight and bulk.

If I had a Nikon DF, I might be tempted to throw one of the old 20mm primes on it, take it climbing, and shoot at the middle apertures--but for the coming climbing season, I see a much smaller, lighter, Panasonic Lumix GM-1 clamped to my pack straps.

But I digress. Your old 20mm AI-S lens deserves respect, and getting an oil spot fixed falls within reasonable maintenance for valued tools. In your shoes, I'd get it fixed. Stopped down, as you describe, it's a decent lens, especially for its weight and size. And if you decide to sell it, you'll be passing on a properly-maintained lens.

Cheers,

--Chris





Mar 31, 2014 at 02:10 AM
the solitaire
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


Optically the 14-24 AF-S is a better lens. The 20mm Ai-S is smaller. The f3,5 version is smaller still and can be had for as little as $200 used.

I'd sell the 20mm f2,8 Ai-S with oil on the aperture blades and buy the 20mm f3,5 Ai for the money the Ai-S lens sold for.



Mar 31, 2014 at 02:47 AM
Christian H
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


I regularly use the D version for journalism assignments. Corner sharpness is rarely critical (only photographers peek at the edges of images) and the colors & contrast are pleasing enough.




Mar 31, 2014 at 06:27 AM
JBPhotog
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


FWIW, I sold my mint 20mm f2.8 Ai-S a few years ago for $375 with the hood. I was never impressed with its performance once I went digital, even with CRC it wasn't a good performer. My 14-24 easily spanks it.


Mar 31, 2014 at 07:16 PM
CGrindahl
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


Size sometimes trumps performance...

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/images1/24mm-f28-afd/D3S_8465-1200.jpg

For a pro, the G lenses may be the best choice. For the rest of us mortals other considerations can enter the picture. A good friend is madly in love with his 14-24 and carries it into the wilderness with his tripod but his work ends up in calendars and mine ends up on Picasa and in FM where the wonders of the 14-24 are not quite so easy to distinguish. But that is just me... The 20 f/2.8 AI-s is even smaller than the 24 f/2.8D.



Apr 01, 2014 at 02:18 PM
bikemore
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


Chris S. wrote:
... And I wasn't willing to sell it with an oil issue/stuck iris, even with full disclosure. So I had it fixed. The repair turned out to cost not all that much, and the lens worked wonderfully after the repair. Then I sold it, in excellent condition, with full disclosure and a clear conscience. I hope and trust that the purchaser was happy and has done fine work with this optic.

... And if you decide to sell it, you'll be passing on a properly-maintained lens.

Cheers,

--Chris



That pretty much sums it up for me.
I mentioned in another thread my intent to thin the herd down, so it's part of that process.
The repair quote from APS was $175. A colleague recommended another repair place that I might try.
But it will have to wait to I sell other items to pay for it from either vendor.




Apr 03, 2014 at 01:39 PM
sandycrane
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


I just checked KEH and they are pricing Bargain 20/2.8 AIs for $400.! Maybe I should stop bad-mouthing the lens and sell mine!
Anyways, I would just go ahead and sell yours for $225. as is with an honest description. Save yourself the hassle. Someone will buy it.



Apr 04, 2014 at 10:18 AM
craigjohn
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 AIs


I had a 20/2.8D, sold it and replaced it with the 14-24/2.8G. Sold the 14-24/2.8G and bought another 20/2.8D, because the photo right up there ^^^^^ says it all.


Apr 04, 2014 at 04:05 PM
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