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20mm lenses compared
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 10:15 pm    Post subject: 20mm lenses compared Reply with quote
Quick test, handheld in at the lake with my 5D (full frame). Technically, this is a poor test, but it shows how differently various lenses perform in terms of real focal length, colour, centre and edge sharpness. To an extent! The real purpose was to satisfy myself that my Nikkor 20/4 Ai wasn't duff, as a previous test showed it to be inferior to an old Tokina 20mm lens.

Whole scene

Nikkor 20/4 Ai @ f5.6



Carl Zeiss Jena 20/2.8 MC @ f5.6



Tokina AF 20-35/3.5-4.5 (2nd version) @ f5.6



Centre

Nikkor



CZJ



Tokina AF



Left

Nikkor



CZJ



Tokina AF



Right

Nikkor



CZJ



Tokina AF



Summary

I really like the colours of the Carl Zeiss Jena and the Tokina. The Nikon has the best centre sharpness (IMO) while the Tokina looks much softer. Corners are a different matter though, with the Tokina excelling. The Nikon puts in a decent show too. The CZJ suffers here, quite visibly.

I think I'll try f8 next time for a more realistic test. On a tripod.

Pleased that there doesn't appear to be much wrong with the Nikon though, bar a bit of vignetting Smile


PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 12:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thankyou for this test Graham, it is very useful to me as I am, as you know, looking for a wide lens for landscapes. The Nikkor looks good to me, shame that the Zeiss has poor corners. The Tokina is better than I expected.

Any idea on the respective values of these lenses on the secondhand market?


PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
IMHO...

Overall winner: Nikkor
Very close: Tokina AF zoom
Clear looser: CZJ

Thanks for the test, Graham!


PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 7:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Ian, the Nikkor sells from between £120-160 generally. There is a slightly faster f3.5 version as well.

The Tokina is about £100.00. The original version had a window with the focus scale on it, while the improved second version doesn't.

LucisPictor - I agree, but the CZJ is much sharper in the centre than the Tokina, so I guess it comes down to what you are looking for Smile


PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 7:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I don't own the Nikkor, but I have Flektogon and Tokina zoom. I can confirm your results.
This Tokina is very good lens especially at it's price ~100USD.


PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 7:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Most interesting. I'm looking at wide lenses myself. The tokina initially looks good for the prices quoted, but a quick search on ebay reveals it's currently hovering about £160+ for the v1 with the window.

Do you have any idea how the 18-55IS (MK 1) compares?


PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 8:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
NewStuff wrote:
Most interesting. I'm looking at wide lenses myself. The tokina initially looks good for the prices quoted, but a quick search on ebay reveals it's currently hovering about £160+ for the v1 with the window.

Do you have any idea how the 18-55IS (MK 1) compares?

After reading the advices on your thread some weeks ago, I chose to buy the 18-55IS (I've the MkII version). I must say that optically, it's quite good, even if the object itself is, well, plastic crap. Some examples here:

50D / 18-55 IS @ 24/6.3 / 1/640s


50D / 18-55 IS @ 23/8 / 1/125s


50D / 18-55 IS @ 24/4 / 1/160s


PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 11:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
LucisPictor wrote:
IMHO...

Overall winner: Nikkor
Very close: Tokina AF zoom
Clear looser: CZJ


Despite center sharpness being great on CZJ i must agree if one search for landscape lens. On F8 order above might have been different. On APS-C for sure Smile.


PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 11:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
The reality is, that buying old super-wide lenses for APS-C is a bit of a waste of time, when modern EF-S / DX zoom lenses are so good. Full frame is a little bit different however, where super wide lenses are not so easy to come by Smile


PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 12:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
ManualFocus-G wrote:
The reality is, that buying old super-wide lenses for APS-C is a bit of a waste of time, when modern EF-S / DX zoom lenses are so good. Full frame is a little bit different however, where super wide lenses are not so easy to come by Smile

Sharpness-wise I partly agree with you Graham, bearing in mind the current prices of u/wide primes. However, I haven't seen a zoom which doesn't show heavy barrel distortion at its widest end, and correcting that ruins the sharpness to a degree. But perhaps that's not too big a problem for open landscapes! Smile


PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 12:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
peterqd wrote:
ManualFocus-G wrote:
The reality is, that buying old super-wide lenses for APS-C is a bit of a waste of time, when modern EF-S / DX zoom lenses are so good. Full frame is a little bit different however, where super wide lenses are not so easy to come by Smile

Sharpness-wise I partly agree with you Graham, bearing in mind the current prices of u/wide primes. However, I haven't seen a zoom which doesn't show heavy barrel distortion at its widest end, and correcting that ruins the sharpness to a degree. But perhaps that's not too big a problem for open landscapes! Smile


Very, very good point re: distortion! That's the key point I'm missing Smile


PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 1:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks Graham, I think you've sold me on a Nikkor 3.5/20.

On the Canon 18-55 kit lens, I've had two, barely used them because they just broke, never seen a more crappy and cheap piece of plastic, shame on Canon for producing this junk. For me, a large part of why I will stick to old MF lenses is they are made of metal and last a long time.


PostPosted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 1:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'll just throw another compact excellent lens into the mix allbeit a zoom - Tamron SP 24-48mm f3.5-3.8.

Whoops, sorry, wrong post!!!


PostPosted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 2:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Tamron AF 17-35 is undervalued these lenses that work well 5DC. This is F 4, and 17mm



PostPosted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 10:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
ManualFocus-G wrote:
Ian, the Nikkor sells from between £120-160 generally. There is a slightly faster f3.5 version as well.


And a newer AIS f2.8 that outperforms both and it is very flare resistant.


PostPosted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 6:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
2 things have stopped me buying a 20mm Flek: This test and The Viv S1 19-35mm.

I'm quite impressed by the Tokina and it's my favourite here as I prefer the colours from it.


PostPosted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 7:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
muddus wrote:
Tamron AF 17-35 is undervalued these lenses that work well 5DC. This is F 4, and 17mm[/url]


Do you have any landscape shots as examples? With the greatest respect, all these lenses are brilliant at close ups Smile


martinsmith99 wrote:
2 things have stopped me buying a 20mm Flek: This test and The Viv S1 19-35mm.

I'm quite impressed by the Tokina and it's my favourite here as I prefer the colours from it.


I think the Flek is really going to come into it own for architectural shots. I'll try to get some tests in soon!


PostPosted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 12:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
muddus wrote:
Tamron AF 17-35 is undervalued these lenses that work well 5DC. This is F 4, and 17mm


Oh, yeah. I love my manual focus lenses, but I have two AF lenses that work very well. My favorite is my Tokina 100mm f/2.8 ATX Macro. From its incredible sharpness, to its great color and wonderful bokeh. In fact, it's my second favorite lens overall, coming in behind my favorite MF lens.

I snapped this just the other day in the Mission San Juan Capistrano garden. Oh, btw, I focused it manually--does that count in a Manual Focus forum? No? Okay, sorry. Won't do it again...



Edit:
PS--coincidentally, this, too, was shot at f/4.


PostPosted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 6:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
That's a gorgeous shot, really vibrant colours and very nice bokeh (in my opinion).


PostPosted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 7:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
ManualFocus-G wrote:
That's a gorgeous shot, really vibrant colours and very nice bokeh (in my opinion).

+1, it's lovely


PostPosted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 5:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Does it? It may depend on the copy, but by now, I have been more convinced of my F4.


PostPosted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 5:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Here's pair nice winter morning, Tamron 17-35 / 20mm 5DC






PostPosted: Sat Jul 30, 2011 2:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
muddus wrote:
Here's pair nice winter morning, Tamron 17-35 / 20mm 5DC


Very, very nice! Sharp, clean, great color.


PostPosted: Sat Jul 30, 2011 8:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lovely colours! It would be helpful to see corner and centre crops, to give a loose comparison to the lenses mentioned at the start of the thread I think Smile


PostPosted: Sat Jul 30, 2011 8:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
100% crop without sharpening


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