Nikon AFS 12-24 lens reviewed

http://www.naturfotograf.com/AFS12-24DX_rev00.html

"Dedicated digital shooters have long lusted for a truly wide lens to attach to their digital pet cameras. The smaller imager of current Nikon DSLRs means not a focal multiplier, but a narrower field of view. Thus, even the 17-35 Nikkor could not quench the wide-anglers thirst for even more encompassing vistas. By the arrival of the new AFS 12-24 DX Nikkor, their quest may have ended. Read on to learn more...."

I noticed that B&H Photo has just listed tis lens, but it's already shown as "out of stock," so they must have had a big waiting list.

Nikon

Zoom Super Wide Angle AF 12-24mm f/4G ED-IF DX AF-S Autofocus Lens

Mfr# 2144 • B&H# NI12244GAFS

Availability: Out of Stock

Notify me when available

USA

Price $1,029.95

Plus Shipping cost

This is going to be a really hard sell to my wife/dive buddy. Still, my birthday is coming up...

I noticed that B&H Photo has just listed tis lens, but it's already shown as "out of stock," so they must have had a big waiting list.

 

Nikon

Zoom Super Wide Angle AF 12-24mm f/4G ED-IF DX AF-S Autofocus Lens

 

This is going to be a really hard sell to my wife/dive buddy.  Still, my birthday is coming up...

B&H have let to receive these lenses. They emailed me July 1 to allow preorders with the expectation they would be recieving stock late next week.

I didn't order through them - mine should be arriving tomorrow or Friday.... I can't wait.

M

Mine arrived moments ago!

If you guys think you're making me jealous...

YOU ARE!

Have fun with the new lens and let us know how they do.

I laughed when I saw the announcement on Phil's page. "New" review -- well it's been out 2 weeks -- an eternity in the digital world, lol.

Bjorn is a pretty reliable reviewer, so if he thinks the lens is good - it is. I think we can expect to see some CA due to diffraction, but that shouldn't be a problem underwater (I'm hoping) and it's a physical limitation that cannot be avoided when pixels are ~6microns.

I love the 12-24 and feel that it has given Nikon an advantage over Canon in the wide "arena," at least for the time being. Now, someone can buy a $1,500 D100 and a $1,000 lens and effectively shoot a true 18mm-35mm zoom.

Plus, the lens actually IS pretty small. It's a LOT smaller than the Sigma 15-30, and it has a 77mm filter thread. Another bonus: The front element doesn't move or rotate during zoom and focus, so your polarizer or grad ND filter won't move.

Cheers

James

The other advantage of the front of you lens not moving during zooming and focusing is that it makes it easier to get your dome optics correct.

Do people think that Nikon/Fuji will stick with the smaller than 35mm CCD size on their future digital cameras?

My only concern about the buying this lens is that I will only be able to use it while my D100 is extant. From memory Nikon have in the past, on several occasions, made lenses that are now obsolete (unless you still use the old cameras). E.g. trheir APS SLR and the UW corrected lenses for the RS?

Alex

Hi Alex,

My gut feeling is that Nikon is going to stick with the smaller sensor in their "consumer" DSLR's for a while - strictly due to the economics. Check out the fredmiranda article about full sized sensor costs and history and you'll see why.

Cheers

James

Adding to James' comment on economics, Nikon may also be taking somewhat of an "Olympus 4/3"s view on how to best develop digital. They may see the APS sensor size along with optimized lens geometry as a better technical plan than full frame (for their lens mount). As long as they can compete with sensor quality that makes sense to me. I think they'd struggle against the 1Ds though. Perhaps we'll see a DX fisheye.

On my Red Sea trip Peter Rowlands, who edits UWP, and is a big fan of digital cameras suggested that a well made supplimentary lens might be a good solution for digital cameras - to make fisheyes back into full frame fisheyes.

Just chat - but might provide a cheap solution. If it was designed with dome optics in mind the loss in optical quality might be acceptable.

Don't think anyone will do it. Manufacture numbers would be too small. Same could be said about a DX Fisheye?

Here you go:

This is a combination of the 20mm, a Nikon 6T, Century 58mm +7, and the Century 58mm .3x fisheye.

The combination vignettes because of the 58mm but I suspect there are workarounds.

I pointed this into the sun because I was too lazy to take a better shot. FOV is about 165 degrees.

There are smaller fisheye adapters available and I bet you could do better than this with a little work. I made this from parts laying on my floor.

How about popping a supplementary lens into the rear bayonet mount of the Nikon 15mm?

Craig, that is way cool!

Trippy CA on the lower window frame, eh? Green and purple.

Cheers

James

Wow. That was quick! Now to house it...

I think there's a better combination than this. Raynox makes a 62mm adapter that's also smaller. The 18mm lens may help too.

The real trick is getting behind a dome and maintaining resolution. The stack will be long, too.