 Incredible wide open performance |
| Review Date: May 2, 2010 |
| Reviewer: M. N. Mehta, MA, USA |
I bought the 24 1.4 for the sole purpose of being able to shoot wide at 1.4. I dont think I have taken one picture with this lens that is not at 1.4. IMO, if one wanted to shoot at anything higher than 1.4, there are plenty of other alternatives that cost less than this lens and give more flexibility eg 24-70, 14-24, 16-35vr etc. On DX, the lens is equivalent to a FX 35mm 1.4.
The performance of this lens at 1.4 is simply incredible. At 1.4 this lens is just as sharp as my 70-200 VRII. Not just in the center, but corner to corner. After a week of using the lens, my jaw still drops everytime I look at pictures taken with this lens and I cannot help but marvel at the clarity, contrast and sharpness of pictures using the 24 1.4.
The bokeh is quite pleasing. It doesn't compare to the classics like the 85 1.4 or the 135DC, but it not bad by any means (see the sample picture I uploaded of a flower and shrubs to get a sense for the bokeh).
There is really only one shortcoming of the 24 1.4: chromatic aberration. You do see CA in in high contrast situations, but this is relatively easy to fix in post.
In terms of weight and feel, the lens is about the same weight as a Tokina 11-16. It feels slightly front heavy on my D90 without a grip and feels great balanced on a D700. If you are using it with a film camera, note that there is no aperture ring on the lens. This doesn't affect me because I use an F100.
The lens is not cheap, but my qualms about spending $2k+ are somewhat quashed after seeing the photos it can help me produce. Further, it's likely that a lens of this calibre will retain its value over the coming years so if you sell it after some time, you'll really only be out about 10-20% of the cost. Hence, the main issue potentially becomes one of cash flow.. |
A modern gem, better than the old AF-D 28mm f/1.4
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| Review Date: April 19, 2010 |
| Reviewer: L. Hong, Cambridge, MA USA |
I have owned and tried most of Nikon's fast (low aperture) gems (58mm f/1.2 Noct, 28mm f/1.4, AF 85mm f/1.4, 105 and 135mm f2 DC, 200mm F2 VR, etc), and this lens ranks among the best.
Great build quality, super sharp wide open at f/1.4, great bokeh (creamy background blur) and very low flare (especially when compared to my 14-24mm zoom). Less distortion and noticeably sharper than the older 28mm f/1.4.
This is THE lens to own for low-light / nighttime photography! |
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