The new Nikkor AFS 24mm f1.4 G ED lens
I was pleased to hear Nikon announcing the release of their 24mm f1.4 wide angle lens. Does this mean they will now produce a range of fast lenses? Nikon’s main competitor produce some really wide aperture lenses, such as the auto-focus 50mm f1.2 and the 85mm f1.2. Although in my opinion these two lenses are poor performers at maximum aperture.
For many years now I have regularly used the Nikon 85mm f1.4 AIS (manual focus) as I love the creamy out of focus quality of images produced by this lens. It’s rare that I use this lens at a smaller aperture than f1.4 and have always been pleased with the superb control of contrast, vignetting and corner sharpness.
Much of my imagery is created using available light, and fast lenses are vital at allowing more shooting opportunities without compromise. I can use lower iso settings and achieve the shallow depth of field that I almost always aim for, especially in portraiture. Many Nikon lenses have a maximum aperture of F2.8 and these can out perform most other SLR competitor lenses. I often hear that f2.8 is a large aperture, it is not. A fast aperture is at least f1.4. This and larger is, for a professional very important.
Optically, the best lenses out there are Zeiss. Many of these are made with little compromise. Luckily Zeiss manufacture a range of manual focus lenses that will fit Nikon cameras. Much of my personal work is produced using a Carl Zeiss lens and this is on a Contax camera. Now there was a company that could make great equipment. Never bettered for optics and arguably rangefinder cameras.
What Nikon professional photographers now need is auto-focus f1.2, 50mm and 85mm lenses. Nikon make the most useful DSLR cameras out there. Nikon make the best strobe system and some of the most useful lenses. Please, if you are listening, add to this some truly fast optics.