18mm Nikkor vs. Canon 16-35mm

Hi All - Just passing through DFW on my way home from Socorro. Really nice manta action, and it looks like the EOS1DsMKII might be doing a fine job on sunballs. More on that later once I get home to process files with various RAW converters.

Meanwhile, this link might be of interest to those leaning towards Canon wide angle zooms:

http://www.seacamusa.com/18nikkorvs1635canon.shtml

In previous tests comparing 17-40 to 16-35 I have found the 17-40 to be a better performer at the corners BTW.

Thanks for the information...interesting. I am curious how the Canon EF 20mm 2.8 would hold up to both the 16-35 and 17-40 at 20mm. The 20mm seems like a good benchmark since it covers the same area (housed underwater) as the venerable Nikonos 15mm. Non L fixed focal lenth vs. "L" zoom, might be an interesting match up.

Keith

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Thanks for the information...interesting. I am curious how the Canon EF 20mm 2.8 would hold up to both the 16-35 and 17-40 at 20mm. The 20mm seems like a good benchmark since it covers the same area (housed underwater) as the venerable Nikonos 15mm. Non L fixed focal lenth vs. "L" zoom, might be an interesting match up.  

 

Keith

The 17-40L is at least equal to the fixexd length non-L primes, IMHO, on a crop sensor camera. If flare and distortion are important considerations, the primes do have their uses.

The 20mm/2.8 on full frame is generally considered to be not up to the job.

I did some more shooting with the 24/2.8 on the weekend, which is a better optical performer than the 20mm/2.8, and I don't think it matches the 17-40L. But I still need to sort this out myself, and maybe shoot a few more brick walls.

If you like the 20mm FOV the Sigma 20/1.8 should be significantly better than Canon's effort, although I note Craig didn't like his copy at all.

Do you find the light falloff and aberration issues any more dramatic with the mkII than with the original 1Ds?

Strictly relating to image quality, do you find the mkII to be a big improvement over the original?

Thanks for your input!

The 17-40L is at least equal to the fixexd length non-L primes, IMHO, on a crop sensor camera. If flare and distortion are important considerations

Thanks Whitey. I have only seen comparisons made between Canon's two wide "L" zooms and mostly the 17-40 get the more favorable nod. Hopefully Canon will do something with the wide end of their lens range soon. I will be in Maui next week using hte 17-40 w/ the 1Ds II, so I hope to post some shots after I return.

Keith

BTW ... I forgot to specifiy, but I used the Cameraquest adapter to mount the 18mm Nikkor on the Canon EOS1DsMKII. The mounting system is quite nice, but of course means no AF and no auto-indexing on aperture. I had the lens with me in Socorro, but didn't use it because manual focus at F-8 or so would likely be difficult when the viewfinder got that much darker.

Very interesting. And the abilty to be able to continue to use their well loved Nikon wide glass is yet another reason for Nikon users to consider a switch!

Plus with Nikon DSLR users on cropped sensors - there are good deals on some of the now-not-so-wide Nikon Wide Angles 18, 20, 17-35 etc.

Alex

Very interesting. And the abilty to be able to continue to use their well loved Nikon wide glass is yet another reason for Nikon users to consider a switch!

Alex

I'd agree only if I got a little more functionality out of my nikorrs. As stephen commented, however, manual focusing and composing through a stopped down lens would be impractical underwater.

KC

Not to mention that it would be difficult to rig up an aperture control on a housing do desgined to have one. I'd hate to have to preset aperture for a dive.

I know there are lots of aperture gears floating around out ther from the "Pre-G" days, but whether they will mesh up with any of the gears in modern housings is questionable. For WA, I'd imagine you could focus on the hyperfocal distance for your dome (again, just like the old days) and get decent shots. What worries me most though is having to try to compose through a stopped down lens.

I think this is pretty intersting though - thanks for posting these Steve.

Cheers

James