I'm considering the purchase of this lens. All the reviews have been good. So, anyone here had a bad experience with this lens? Probably going to buy it this weekend from B&H, unless you guys talk me down.
I played with it for a day, and must say it is very impressing. In the end, though, I decided it was to wide for me and went with the 45 PC-E (which is also a stunning lens).
I'm using the 24mm PC-C on my D2x's and my F6, and it's a beaut in all respects. I have one client I shoot buildings for, and that's this lens primary purpose for me, but, you can do some very creative things shooting landscapes and such. It is a *very* sharp lens, and contrary to what some say (who haven't used the lens) is that the tilt and shift doesn't give you that much more flexibility, well..... it's kind of amazing just how much you do have. The only caveat shooting with the D2x and/or F6 is, you have to remember to stop down before pressing the shutter
I'll comment based upon my experience with the Canon TS-E 24mm, which is probably the equivalent lens:
The effect of lens shift is easy enough to see in the viewfinder but the effect of lens tilt is not so easy to see. That is because the natural DOF of a 24mm lens is wide enough to make subtle focal plane shifts hard to judge. Longer lenses with less DOF are much easier to judge focus tilt in the viewfinder. Therefore consider how much you really want 24mm rather than a longer focal length. If you have a need for 24mm then go for it but if you just want to play with tilt and shift then a longer lens will be easier to use.
