Nikkor 24/2.8

Mike Kennedy · Mar 19, 2009

Dropped into my local camera shop yesterday and found this mint 24/2.8 with nikkor hood + B&W filter and caps.It's going for $200.00 + tax which I guess is a pretty fair price.

I'm totally broke after a kitchen renovation but could put some $$ down to hold the glass and pay it off later with no service fee(yea,they treat me well).

Would there be a great deal of difference shooting the 24 as compared to my current wide angle lens (28mm nikkor)?

Thank You

nemo999 · Mar 19, 2009

Mike Kennedy said:
Dropped into my local camera shop yesterday and found this mint 24/2.8 with nikkor hood + B&W filter and caps.It's going for $200.00 + tax which I guess is a pretty fair price.

I'm totally broke after a kitchen renovation but could put some $$ down to hold the glass and pay it off later with no service fee(yea,they treat me well).

Would there be a great deal of difference shooting the 24 as compared to my current wide angle lens (28mm nikkor)?

Thank You

In a word - yes! You could try making simple viewfinders for 24 and 28 mm, in each case with 3 nails and a small piece of wood (2 nails 36 mm apart for length of picture, 3rd nail 24 or 28 mm away from the straight line between the 1st two nails and on a right-angle line from the mid-point between these). Or simply go to the store and ask to put the lens on your camera and shoot a test roll!

Stan160 · Mar 19, 2009

To me, the 24 is the point where the real wide perspective effects become significant, but not dominant like a 20 or wider. There's a big difference between 24 and 28. The 28 just feels like a way of fitting more in to the frame compared to a 50, whereas the 24 brings an extra dimension to the composition.

Can you tell the 24 is my most-used lens ;-)
Ian

2F/2F · Mar 19, 2009

Stan160 said:
To me, the 24 is the point where the real wide perspective effects become significant, but not dominant like a 20 or wider. There's a big difference between 24 and 28. The 28 just feels like a way of fitting more in to the frame compared to a 50, whereas the 24 brings an extra dimension to the composition.

Can you tell the 24 is my most-used lens ;-)
Ian

I agree. The difference between 24mm and 28mm is very noticeable.

However, while this is why you use 24mm more, this is why I *generally* use a 28mm as my widest lens. I use the wider ones when I *want* it to look really "weird".

budrichard · Mar 19, 2009

The 24mm Nikkor was the first of the truly excellent resolution superwide angles from Nikon. The previous 28mm Nikkor was no comparison optically to the 24mm. So if your 28mm is pre 24mm whch was around 1969 if I remember correctly, you will gain by a change. I had the 28mm and it was gone after I got the new 24mm.-Dick

Mike Kennedy · Mar 19, 2009

Thanks all!

After the rain/snow showers stop I'm heading out to the camera shop to give the lens a test drive,so to speak.The manager might even let me have the lens for a day or so.

C A Sugg · Mar 19, 2009

I test drove a "rode hard and put up wet" non-ai 24 2.8 about a year ago. It was horrible. Does the floating element ever get worn or rattled out of sync?

Ralph Javins · Mar 19, 2009

Good morning, Mike;

You will like the Nikkor 24 mm f 2.8. That focal length is my favorite for indoor shots in a room. I need to find something like it for "The 1960's Nikon Project." I have a Minolta W.Rokkor f 2.0 24 mm and a W.Rokkor f 2.8 24 mm. Both of them have worked well for me. I do like the f 2.0 for being easier to focus in low light.

Again, for interior shots in a room, I do not think the 24 mm lens can be beat on a 35 mm camera. Yes, it covers the field of view needed, but it does not have that "wide angle look."

John_Nikon_F · Mar 20, 2009

Got the Nikkor-NC version. It's probably my sixth 24f2.8 that I've gone through over the years. It's beat to heck, but takes great pics. Mine is factory AI'd. Got it for $34.02 off eBait, with a 28f2.8 AI parts lens.

-J

Christiaan Phleger · Mar 21, 2009

BTW the optical formula changed from the original N and N.C version to the AI and Ais versions. The original used thick elements, the newer used thin elements. I prefer the N.C version, seems to handle backlit scenes better. The C is for the improved Nikon Multicoating, pretty much required with this lens. And yes, the rear CRC can get a bit wonky. Check out the history at http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/technology/nikkor/n14_e.htm

Mike Kennedy · Mar 21, 2009

Great link Riding Waves!
Thank You.

Mike (Wade- Through- Snow) Kennedy

Mike Kennedy · Mar 21, 2009

First shots.

Had a roll of film developed this A.M. then dropped my last few $$ to lay away the 24mm.
I like this lens!!

budrichard · Mar 21, 2009

I had an original 24mm 2.8 that i purchased new in the late 1960's and now have the AI version and frankly they both take great pictures and I never noticed any difference when I switched.-Dick

C A Sugg · Mar 21, 2009

RidingWaves said:
BTW the optical formula changed from the original N and N.C version to the AI and Ais versions. The original used thick elements, the newer used thin elements. I prefer the N.C version, seems to handle backlit scenes better. The C is for the improved Nikon Multicoating, pretty much required with this lens. And yes, the rear CRC can get a bit wonky. Check out the history at http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/technology/nikkor/n14_e.htm

I'm using one that produces wonderfull centered 8x10s but seems a little fuzzy in the corners. This lens may have been used aboard one of the battleships that pounded Iraq with 16 inch guns during the first Gulf War. Might that do it?

Christiaan Phleger · Mar 22, 2009

Well give great credit to the Nikon optical guru's, the redesign just seems to have improved it slightly while keeping all the best. They were into thick elements in wide angles for a bit, then (I think) redesigned to 1. use less glass material 2. take further advantage of the improving glass types and especially the rapid increase in computing speed. This allowed them (I think) to make a lot more lenses of ever increasing quality, (for less money) which kinda matches what the consumer photo market was needing (volume) in the mid-late 1970's thru the 80's. If you check out Roland Vink's website of serial numbers of the 24mm/2.8 you'll see what I mean, once it switched to Ai and Ais version then the volume of lenses increased in a very short time.

As for CA Sugg, generally these are very tough lenses, but considering the shock of those guns it very well might. Which version is it? Is there any specific distance/f-stop that this happens at?

Nikkor 24/2.8

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