The new Nikon 24mm f/1.8G ED lens should start shipping tomorrow. Here is a quick review by Marcel Bihr:
I had the opportunity to test the new Nikon 24mm f/1.8G ED lens. According to the Nikon guys, my copy actually was a pre-production model, but very close to a production model. I am considering this lens as a lightweight walk-around lens on both DX and FX bodies (FX for landscape, DX for cities and street photography).
I was impressed by the lightweight of the lens. I think the build quality, or at least the feel in my hands, is slightly better than the 85mm f/1.8 version – the lens looks rather compact and small.
Picture quality at f/1.8 (see above image): wide open you can clearly see color fringes on hard contrasts areas. Overall sharpness is OK. Stopped down, sharpness increases as expected and is in my opinion very good at f/2.8. The color fringes are gone at f/4. Slight distortion is visible but for me this is not a problem:
The lens is quite resistant to ghosting:
Sun-stars are almost invisible (100% crop of the one above):
I like how out-of-focus areas, including bright spots are rendered:
and the transition from in-focus to out-of-focus is smooth:
I was also impressed by the minimum focus distance:
I had the impression that the lens hood almost touched the car (there were about 5cm between the car and the front of the hood).
What I like about the Nikon 24mm f/1.8G ED lens:
- Lightweight
- Good image quality
- Feels good on both FX and DX bodies
- Close focus distance and performance
What I don’t like about the Nikon 24mm f/1.8G ED lens:
- High price
What I don’t care:
- Distortion
- Color fringes
What I could not test:
- Night shots of both cities and milky way
Conclusion:
The lens meets my expectations and I’m sure it will fit nicely in my lens selection. I will buy the lens in the next few months, although the price is more than I would like to pay.
