Wide angle FX primes

Moderated by: guardian

Visit the FM Store · Image Upload · Buy & Sell
FM Forum Rules
Nikon SLRs, primes, and zooms lenses reviews

FM Forums | Nikon-mount SLRs | Join Image Upload

2 end

phillip ino
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #1 · Wide angle FX primes

Would like to get some suggestions for a wide angle prime for my D700. I am alright with 3rd party lenses. I currently have the Sigma 24/1.8, and although it is really sharp, the bokeh is just nor very pleasing to me. If you have some images to share with your suggestion, that would be most helpful.

Aug 18, 2008 at 10:59 PM

woodyspedden
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #2 · Wide angle FX primes

I just received my Zeiss 18 3.5 and can unconditionally recommend it. There is NO and I mean NO CA that I can find and the flare performance is superb. I am enclosing an image which is poor in the extreme but useful in that the sun is just out of the frame about 1/3 the way from the top left corner. So I think that you have two real choices.......the wonderful 14-24 zoom which of course allows for no filters but has wonderful performance and the primes, including the 18 which, with a few feet of walking covers the 14-24 range pretty well.

Woody Spedden

Aug 18, 2008 at 11:41 PM

phillip ino
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #3 · Wide angle FX primes

Although I am a fan of Zeiss lenses, I was leaning more towards a lens with auto focus. I would also love to have a 14-24, but the inability to use filters is a real turn off for me. Were you going to include an image?

Thanks!

Aug 19, 2008 at 02:18 AM

panos.v
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #4 · Wide angle FX primes

If you're ok with f/2.8, the best wide angle AF prime Nikon makes and can take filters is the 17-35

. If you want faster than f/2.8 your only choices are the 20/1.8 and 24/1.8 Sigmas, the ultra-expensive 28/1.4 AFD and then you go to MF with the 28/2 AI and the Zeiss stuff.

Edited on Aug 19, 2008 at 01:51 PM

Aug 19, 2008 at 01:51 PM

phillip ino
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #5 · Wide angle FX primes

Well, I have the Sig 24/1.8 and am not pleased with its bokeh, so I am selling to a friend who wants it and I just ordered the Sig 20/1.8. Hopefully it will work out better for me. I would love to have the Nikkor 28/1.4...in fact, one just sold the other day for real cheap! I was too late in seeing the posting

Here is an example of the ugly bokey from the 24/1.8, shot wide open

Aug 19, 2008 at 01:59 PM

stompyq
Offline
Buy and Sell: On

p.1 #6 · Wide angle FX primes

Please don't burn me for asking, but why are you so concerned with bokeh on such a wide lens?

Aug 19, 2008 at 02:06 PM

phillip ino
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #7 · Wide angle FX primes

Well I should have clarified...I won't be using this for landscapes, but mostly candids, indoor shots and foilage. For landscapes I will be using my 20-35. I will be mainly shooting the prime lens wide open.

Aug 19, 2008 at 02:22 PM

jph1
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #8 · Wide angle FX primes

Hi Francis, congrats on getting your FX cam. Have you looked into the 35mm 2.0 afd?
Jim

Aug 19, 2008 at 03:48 PM

phillip ino
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #9 · Wide angle FX primes

jph1 wrote:
Hi Francis, congrats on getting your FX cam. Have you looked into the 35mm 2.0 afd?
Jim

Not wide enough.

Aug 19, 2008 at 04:13 PM

DavidWEGS
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #10 · Wide angle FX primes

+1 (as in not wide enough)

phillip ino wrote:
jph1 wrote:
Hi Francis, congrats on getting your FX cam. Have you looked into the 35mm 2.0 afd?
Jim

Not wide enough.

Edited on Aug 19, 2008 at 04:40 PM

Aug 19, 2008 at 04:39 PM

panos.v
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #11 · Wide angle FX primes

17-35 bokeh, 17mm f/3.5. On a D70s.

This image is copyrighted by the owner

I had a 20/2.8 which I cannot say it had CA, nothing that couldn't be fixed quickly in Lightroom anyway, but I only used it on DX. I don't have any shots showing the bokeh but my general impression was that the 17-35 is better.

Edited on Aug 19, 2008 at 05:20 PM

Aug 19, 2008 at 05:19 PM

phillip ino
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #12 · Wide angle FX primes

panos.v wrote:
17-35 bokeh, 17mm f/3.5. On a D70s.

This image is copyrighted by the owner

Aug 19, 2008 at 05:53 PM

phillip ino
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #13 · Wide angle FX primes

First shots with my new 20/1.8 on the D700

Edited on Aug 21, 2008 at 01:35 PM

Aug 21, 2008 at 01:34 PM

Creative Edge
Offline
Buy and Sell: On

p.1 #14 · Wide angle FX primes

guess you found what you needed... shots look great...
I had the Sigma 20 1.8 with the d2x and loved it...

Aug 21, 2008 at 02:14 PM

dimitris77
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #15 · Wide angle FX primes

phillip ino wrote:
Well, I have the Sig 24/1.8 and am not pleased with its bokeh, so I am selling to a friend who wants it and I just ordered the Sig 20/1.8. Hopefully it will work out better for me. I would love to have the Nikkor 28/1.4...in fact, one just sold the other day for real cheap! I was too late in seeing the posting

Here is an example of the ugly bokey from the 24/1.8, shot wide open

Actually I like this bokeh over the 17-35mm.

Aug 21, 2008 at 02:46 PM

phillip ino
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #16 · Wide angle FX primes

Well, Dimitris. Regardless, I no longer have that lens

Edited on Aug 21, 2008 at 04:04 PM

Aug 21, 2008 at 04:03 PM

poisonpill
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #17 · Wide angle FX primes

You do realize that wide angle zooms have surpassed any wide angle primes right? The 14-24mm whips any prime, the 14mm nikon included. I have the Sigma 12-24mm for my D700 and it's crazy wide. Probably not the sharpest edge to edge, but the edges when that wide are pretty stretched out anyway.

If you MUST get a prime, try the 14mm F/2.8 from either Nikon or Sigma. Thom Hogan has a decent review of the latter.

Good luck and have fun!

Aug 21, 2008 at 04:15 PM

phillip ino
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #18 · Wide angle FX primes

poisonpill wrote:
You do realize that wide angle zooms have surpassed any wide angle primes right? The 14-24mm whips any prime, the 14mm nikon included. I have the Sigma 12-24mm for my D700 and it's crazy wide. Probably not the sharpest edge to edge, but the edges when that wide are pretty stretched out anyway.

If you MUST get a prime, try the 14mm F/2.8 from either Nikon or Sigma. Thom Hogan has a decent review of the latter.

Good luck and have fun!

Yes, I've known that. But $400 vs. $1800....you do the math lol.

Aug 21, 2008 at 04:16 PM

DavidWEGS
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #19 · Wide angle FX primes

Phillip,

nice shots. I have the 20/1.8 but don't use it enough (looking at your uses) and just pulled it out for a few low light party shots.

Thanks for the inspiration. D.

Aug 21, 2008 at 04:18 PM

xof711
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #20 · Wide angle FX primes

I loved my 20mm f/2.8D and I can only wish to get a FX body next so I can start using it again!

---
http://digitalfreak.net

Aug 21, 2008 at 04:33 PM

phillip ino
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #21 · Wide angle FX primes

DavidWEGS wrote:
Phillip,

nice shots. I have the 20/1.8 but don't use it enough (looking at your uses) and just pulled it out for a few low light party shots.

Thanks for the inspiration. D.

Thanks, David! Glad I could be of assistance

Aug 21, 2008 at 05:47 PM

phillip ino
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #22 · Wide angle FX primes

xof711 wrote:
I loved my 20mm f/2.8D and I can only wish to get a FX body next so I can start using it again!

---
http://digitalfreak.net

Hurry up and start saving! It's a real treat shooting in FX

Aug 21, 2008 at 05:47 PM

DavidWEGS
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #23 · Wide angle FX primes

Edited on Aug 22, 2008 at 11:02 PM

Aug 22, 2008 at 11:01 PM

phillip ino
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #24 · Wide angle FX primes

Very nice, Dave

Sep 01, 2008 at 03:39 PM

mawz
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #25 · Wide angle FX primes

Frankly, the only reason to buy a prime these days is to go faster than f2.8, or to get a Zeiss (For the build, the size advantage or the Zeiss 'look')

Nikon's wide AF primes other than the 28/1.4 are all massively overshadowed by the 17-35 and 14-24 in performance, the best of the lot are the 24 and 20 which are not at their best on FX. The Zeiss ZF primes can keep up, but offer no speed advantage apart from the 25 and 28 (at f2) and are MF of course.

Really, if you want fast, wide and AF, your only choice is the Sigma f1.8 troika.

Edited on Sep 02, 2008 at 12:54 AM

Sep 02, 2008 at 12:53 AM


FM Forums \| Nikon-mount SLRs \| Join Image Upload 1 2 end