Nikon AF 28mm 1.4 D via Rayqual adapter on Sony A7rII
I love to have a closer look at exotic lenses from the past, especially those that had a huge influence on lens design in general, that pushed the boundaries and ultimately redefined the idea of optical performance. This Nikon AF Nikkor 28mm 1.4 D is definitely one of those lenses. Not only does it feature a ground aspherical element, but also an extremely complex internal focus mechanism with one fixed and two moving groups. In 1994 no one else made a lens comparable to this one.
Let’s see what this lens is capable of on modern high resolution digital cameras.
Sample Images
Sony A7III | Nikon AF 28mm 1.4 D | f/1.4Sony A7III | Nikon AF 28mm 1.4 D | f/1.4Sony A7III | Nikon AF 28mm 1.4 D | f/1.4Sony A7III | Nikon AF 28mm 1.4 D | f/1.4Sony A7III | Nikon AF 28mm 1.4 D | f/1.4Sony A7III | Nikon AF 28mm 1.4 D | f/1.4Sony A7III | Nikon AF 28mm 1.4 D | f/1.4
If you ask all the photographers, which single prime lens they would choose if they could own only one lens in the world, the majority would say the 35mm, and most of the rest would say a fast 35mm. This is because it is one of the most versatile prime lenses. Although it’s a wide-angle lens, it is sometimes referred to as the alternative normal lens because it is so close to the standard focal length that it does not distort the subject much. With such lenses, you can also get a good background separation with a nice bokeh. They are useful in almost all kinds of photography, especially in everyday photography, street photography, environmental portraits, landscapes, weddings, events, and travel. Additionally, it works well for stitched astrophotography.
Its popularity has led to numerous 35mm lenses being produced by various manufacturers from the early days of photography to the modern era. In this article, I will compare six of them, from vintage to old to new. Let’s have a look together!
AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G on Nikon Z7II Mirroless Camera
The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G, a popular full-frame standard lens, and an equally popular portrait lens on an APS-C camera, is the last 50mm lens designed and made by Nikon with the Nikon F mount in 2011. Thus, Nikon had put all its knowledge, technology, and experience from decades of producing 50mm lenses in F mount into making this lens. The optical design was new by then and it was the first Nikon 50mm lens with an aspherical lens element, not even the much more expensive Nikkor 50/1.4G had such an element (58mm lenses not counted). Nikon did not make much fuss about this lens as they did not want to undermine the market for the much more expensive 50/1.4G. The price was set to just over $200 new and I see that you can buy a used one for under $100 today. It should be a bargain for such a fast lens, if it is good. Let’s see about it!
The lens was tested on 46 Mp FF Nikon Z7II, 24 Mp FF Nikon Z6, and 24 Mp APS-C Nikon D7200 cameras.
Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.8 S is the first ever prime lens that Nikon released for the Z-mount. Being a 35mm, it is the port to the wide-angle world and a popular focal length for street and general-purpose photography. It is one of Nikon’s high-end “S” series lenses and is supposed to have superior qualities that should satisfy even professional photographers. It should, as it is the only 35mm lens in Z mount from Nikon and has a price tag of €800. Let’s see if it does so!
Sample Images
Nikon Z6 | Nikon Nikkor Z 35/1.8 S | f/13Nikon Z6 | Nikon Nikkor Z 35/1.8 S | f/1.8Nikon Z6 | Nikon Nikkor Z 35/1.8 S | f/1.8Nikon Z6 | Nikon Nikkor Z 35/1.8 S | f/1.8Nikon Z6 | Nikon Nikkor Z 35/1.8 S | f/1.8
Viltrox AF 24/1.8 Z, is the only AF prime 24mm lens for Nikon Z cameras besides the Nikon Nikkor Z 24/1.8 S (Also available with Sony FE mount). The full name is “Viltrox AF 24mm 1:1.8 STM ASPH ED IF for Nikon Z“. 24mm on a full frame camera is quite wide at the verge of ultra-wide angle, which can create dramatic images but at the same time it is not so wide that it makes composing images difficult. It is great for landscape photography, but due to its f/1.8 wide aperture, it can also be easily used indoors or in other low-light situations. It costs less than half as much as the Nikon 24mm lens, which makes it a very attractive alternative, but is it good enough? Let’s find out!
Sample Images
Nikon Z6 | Viltrox 24/1.8 STM ASPH ED IF | f/1.8Nikon Z6 | Viltrox 24/1.8 STM ASPH ED IF | f/5Nikon Z6 | Viltrox 24/1.8 STM ASPH ED IF | f/5.6Nikon Z6 | Viltrox 24/1.8 STM ASPH ED IF | f/1.8
Sony α | Leica M | Nikon F/Z New article every week
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