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SoundHound
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p.2 #1 · Nikon wide fast primes?

Yep the dirty little secret is that Nikon has a very limited range of modern AF fast primes. IMHO the Nikkor f2.8 24-70 is the equal of their primes so you will have to buy a Canon body (I have) to use the EOS F1.4 24 & 35 and their F1.2 50 & 85 "Ls ."

But with Nikon's superb FX sensor performance @ 6400 ISO consider just how "Fast" a 2.8 lens really is (also with more DOF). I am happy with their 3 pro F2.8 zooms that cover 14-200mm. So a good case can be made for buying a D700 to save lots of money on a camera package.

Sep 13, 2008 at 04:19 PM

stuuke
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p.2 #2 · Nikon wide fast primes?

I miss using my Canon 35mm to shoot at 1.4

Sep 13, 2008 at 08:21 PM

RyanFlynn
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p.2 #3 · Nikon wide fast primes?

molson wrote:

I had two different copies, and returned both of them because they were utter crap. The only sample photos I still have were the ones I sent to B&H to prove the second lens was totally unsharp at any aperture, and I can post some of them when I get home next week...

I think it's quite funny how the Canon users faithfully troll the Nikon forum, so they can spring to the defense when anyone criticizes their beloved brand's second-rate gear...

Edited by molson on Sep 08, 2008 at 07:40 AM GMT

Pretty much the unnecessarily pedantic and sarcastic response I expected from you, but thanks. Call me a troll if you want, but I couldn't care less about brands, I just want what I want, and I like things that work. Canon lenses are perfect for me, Nikon bodies are perfect for me ... what to do?

Not that you'd believe me, because it's outside your locked-in view of Canon users, but I have zero brand loyalty, and I couldn't care less what people say, if it's true.

My 24/1.4 is fantastic, that's all there is to it. And I know enough other people with great copies to believe that your poor copies are the exception, not the rule as you'd have us believe. People deserve unbiased facts, not opinions. I'm anxiously awaiting your sample images, and your further derogations.

Sep 14, 2008 at 01:03 AM

SoundHound
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p.2 #4 · Nikon wide fast primes?

There are quite a few test that report the 24L as a state of the art glass that compares well not only with Nikkors but the German glass as well. That said the 24L is really a specialized lens for F2.0 and below shooting.

Sep 14, 2008 at 03:05 PM

forestmage
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p.2 #5 · Nikon wide fast primes?

RyanFlynn wrote:
Canon lenses are perfect for me, Nikon bodies are perfect for me ... what to do?

Zeiss primes!

Sep 14, 2008 at 03:12 PM

Dan Bellyk
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p.2 #6 · Nikon wide fast primes?

And what does the 24L have to do with Nikon fast primes??

Sep 14, 2008 at 03:22 PM

Flappie
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p.2 #7 · Nikon wide fast primes?

stuuke wrote:
I miss using my Canon 35mm to shoot at 1.4

Me to. But honestly, it's the only thing I miss since I switched from 5D to D700

Sep 14, 2008 at 03:28 PM

williamkazak
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p.2 #8 · Nikon wide fast primes?

I have the 20mm F2.8 and the 35mm F2. I tried the 17-35mm in the camera store, shooting the slaesman with backlight from the large windows and it sucked.
You wanted some facts. Since every lens is different, samples vary and unfortunately, you will have to make individual tests on the lenses in question. This is why enthusiasm varies by user.
Also, I had a 24mm F2 MF and it did not suck. I had a 35mm F1.4 MF and it was allright. I had a 50mm F1.2 and by F4 it started to look good. The 50mm F1.8 MF looked even better.

Sep 16, 2008 at 04:04 PM

Makten
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p.2 #9 · Nikon wide fast primes?

How about the Sigma 20/1.8 EX? People often claim it sucks, but probably they didn't even try it themselves. This is wide open on D700.

And stopped down to f/4. Notice the very nice bokeh.

Drawbacks? Well, wierd and hard-to-correct distortion, not very good corner sharpness until f/8 or so. But who would buy an f/1.8 wideangle for shooting at f/8? Not me.

Sep 16, 2008 at 08:44 PM

phillip ino
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p.2 #10 · Nikon wide fast primes?

Makten wrote:
How about the Sigma 20/1.8 EX? People often claim it sucks, but probably they didn't even try it themselves. This is wide open on D700.

And stopped down to f/4. Notice the very nice bokeh.

Drawbacks? Well, wierd and hard-to-correct distortion, not very good corner sharpness until f/8 or so. But who would buy an f/1.8 wideangle for shooting at f/8? Not me.

+1

Although, I don't find the distortion that bad at all for a 20mm!

Sep 16, 2008 at 09:07 PM

Makten
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p.2 #11 · Nikon wide fast primes?

phillip ino wrote:
Although, I don't find the distortion that bad at all for a 20mm!

It's not "bad", but very hard to correct since it goes from barrel shaped to wave shaped, to almost pincushion in the extreme corners. Not a lens for architecture, but for everything else it's nice.

If manual focus is not an issue (which it isn't with the D700 in my opinion), the Nikkor 35/1.4 is an other very nice lens. Acceptable sharpness wide open and very sharp stopped down, except for the extreme corners again.

Wide open.

At f/2.

At f/2.8.

Sep 16, 2008 at 09:24 PM


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