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Optical Review Blog No. 29 – Nikon AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8

I'm a sucker for wide-angle lenses. And when it comes to it, sometimes the wider, the better, and while the 28mm is an excellent lens to work with, sometimes you want something that little bit extra. The trouble is that the wider and faster the lens is, the more expensive it is on the used market. And some lenses have a cult following around them, which drives up the price. So often have to compromise on focal length, speed, image quality, or cost. Well, I can certainly say that by going with some of the less expensive lenses in the Nikon manual focus catalogue, I certainly haven't had to compromise on image quality. While being an older version and only being an f/2.8, I can say that I have no complaints about the Nikkor 24mm f/2.8. This lens had a bit of catch up to play when it joined my kit last year and became a popular choice in my 52-Roll project and became a second favourite next to the Nikkor 35mm f/2.8.

Lens Specifications
Make: Nikon
Model: AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8
Focal Length: 24mm
Focal Range: ∞ - 0.3m
Aperture: f/2.8 - f/22, 7 Blades
Structure: 9 Elements in 9 Groups

While not insane, there is a touch of distortion here at close focus - shot at f/8.
Nikon D750 - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8

Build Quality
It will be no surprise to say that the build quality on this lens is superb. Like any lens of its age and manufacture, it has an all-metal construction from end to end. The construction does make the lens a bit heavier and longer than its modern counterpart, but it doesn't throw off the balance of my smaller Nikon cameras, such as the Nikon FE. And it is a perfect match for my Nikon D750. The aperture ring carries a satisfactory click for each stop, and they are clearly marked, and the ring moves smoothly and is accurate to work. The focusing ring has a slight rubber texture and a good grip making for easy function and smooth focusing. For focusing, you can get in reasonably close to your subject (with some drawbacks), and focusing end to end is fast. The Nikkor 24/2.8 also has a metal filter ring and follows the standard 52mm filter size. The optics have an excellent coating for good colour retention and contrast and doesn't have too much issue with flare, but you can add a Nikon HN-1 hood to help with any potential lens flare. When shooting this review, I did not have such a hood and began searching for an HN-1.

Shot wide open at f/2.8 you can see a bit of fall off at the corners and a touch of vignetting, but nothing too serious.
Nikon D750 - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8As soon as you're stopped down to f/4 the fall-off vanishes and you're left with a nice smooth out-of-focus rendering.
Nikon D750 - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8At f/8 we start to get into a decent balance with depth of field, also it's a bit adjusted because of the close focus.
Nikon D750 - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8Once you stop down to f/16 that depth-of-field fills in nicely.
Nikon D750 - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8By f/22 you have your entire frame from front to back in focus.
Nikon D750 - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8

Image Quality
The image quality produced by the Nikkor 24/2.8 is superb! Images are sharp, clean, and only a couple of concerns that I can see with the optics. The first thing I noted is distortion when you're focused in close. I'm talking less than a meter away from your subject; there is slight barrel distortion, but nothing that cannot be fixed in your post-processing (I left it in to show off the distortion). You have to have a keen eye to spot it, so not a deal-breaker on the lens, and I've seen worse. The second item of note is that there is some fall-off at the corners when you're shooting the lens at f/2.8, again minimal fall-off and nothing serious that could affect the overall image quality and could even play into photos shot at f/2.8. Once you have the lens stopped down to f/4, it has vanished. As for image sharpness, right from f/2.8, there's no softness on the subject in focus, and you have an excellent depth-of-field right off the bat, especially when shooting along a common focal plane; images are sharp! You will get an increased depth-of-field as you stop the lens down further. And by the time you hit f/8, unless you're focused in close, you'll have a good portion of your frame in focus and that only increases once you get into f/11 to f/22. And the images stay as sharp, if not more, as you stop the lens down. The lens' out-of-focus rendering is nothing overly special or unique, but the subjects have a smooth, creamy appearance and are still pleasing. Like any wide-angle lens, there is a tendency to flare due to a strong off-axis light source, but I haven't seen anything too bad. The Nikon HN-1 hood is the perfect match for the lens if you are concerned.

Nikon FE - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-250 - Flic Film Black/White & Green (1+49) 14:30 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-250 - Flic Film Black/White & Green (1+49) 14:30 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-250 - Flic Film Black/White & Green (1+49) 14:30 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-250 - Flic Film Black/White & Green (1+49) 14:30 @ 20CNikon FE - AI Nikkor 24mm 1:2.8 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-250 - Flic Film Black/White & Green (1+49) 14:30 @ 20C

Applications
There are two primary applications I use the 24mm lens for, the first being landscape and urbanscape work, where I need to get the big picture, show a bit of context. The second is similar architecture. I enjoy showing off the grand sweep of beautiful buildings or wide-open spaces inside. With only a slight distortion when you're focusing in close, the Nikkor 24/2.8 is the perfect match for these subjects. But you don't have to limit yourself to these only, while you can use the lens for portrait work, I experimented with getting in close to a subject with a wide-angle lens. I can see this working better for environmental work or group photos. And because of the wide-angle and fast aperture, it works great for indoor low light settings where you can get those faster shutter speeds without compromising your depth of field too much. I would also choose this lens as part of a three-lens travel kit or as a fast wide-angle prime to complement a kit lens. Being an AI lens, the Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 will work perfectly on almost every Nikon camera out there. I primarily use the lens with a manual focus camera; it works perfectly on my Nikon D750 with full open-aperture matrix metering (manual and aperture priority mode only). And if you have an older camera that requires a direct coupling, the lens still has a claw to get that link.

The Low Down
When buying a fast wide-angle lens for your manual focus Nikon kit, most people will gravitate towards the newer AI-S version of the lens. Aside from minor changes to the lens's exterior, the AI and AI-S versions are almost identical in optical qualities. And for the most part, because it is an f/2.8 lens, there is only a slight difference in the cost between the AI and AI-S versions. The AI and AI-S options run between 120 to 150$ on the used market. Of course, you will pay more if you go for the f/2 version of the lens. And it is reasonably easy to find for sale on auction sites or your favourite used camera dealer. Excellent addition to anyone's Nikon manual focus kit if you're looking for something wide but not too wide.

Further Reading
Don't just take my view on the Nikkor 24/2.8, check out these other reviews.
Happy - Review of the Nikon 24mm 1:2.8 (AI)
Nikon - The Thousand and One Nights No. 14: Nikkor 24mm f/2.8

#opticalreviewblog #ainikkor24mm128 #canada #flicfilmblackwhitegreen #glass #ilforddelta400 #lens #lensreview #nikkor #nikon #nikonfe #ontario #opticalreview #optics #review #toronto

Optical Review Blog No. 24 – Minolta Maxxum AF 28mm 1:2.8

When I first started into the Minolta Maxxum system, my first two lenses were zooms, the iconic duo of f/4 classics, the 35-70mm and 70-210mm. A trip to Burlington Camera yielded a couple of prime lenses that would be perfect additions to my kit; they were the classic 50mm f/1.7 and the lens I'm reviewing today the 28mm f/2.8. The Maxxum 28/2.8 is a great lens and a perfect fit. Doesn't take too much space. It is close to the same size as the 50 and even the 35-70 and is my favourite prime lens for my Maxxum 9 system without a 35mm prime. And while I do enjoy that lovely 35mm focal length that may not always be wide enough for what I wanted to shoot and not fast enough for all situations.

Lens Specifications
Make: Minolta
Model: Maxxum AF 28mm 1:2.8
Focal Length: 28mm
Focal Range: ∞ - 0.31m
Aperture: f/2.8 - f/22, 7 Blades
Structure: 5 Elements in 5 Groups

You can see a touch of distortion on the straight lines.
Minolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28mm 1:2.8 - Kodak TMax 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20C

Build Quality
Like any Maxxum lens, the focus of the outer shell is plastic, including the filter ring. However, the internals and lens mount are constructed of metal. The filter ring is 49mm making it the same diameter as other prime lenses from this first generation of Maxxum glass and giving it a good balance between durability and lightweight. And the lens fits nicely on any Maxxum body without adding additional weight, working well on the original 7000 up to the 9. Given that the lens is designed specifically for autofocus cameras, the focusing ring is small and easily overlooked, being at the front of the lens. If you're used to lenses with a bit more space, it can be hard to manipulate. It seems a bit inconsistent given that it spins relatively fast in manual mode, making it suitable for gross adjustments while finer work can prove challenging. At least there's a decent and easily read focus scale on the lens. The one nice feature is the built-in sliding lens hood, although I've found that it's not entirely required as I don't see that the lens flares too much.

The one thing that surprises me is that even at f/2.8 there is a bit of fall off at the edges, but it isn't too bad on this lens.
Minolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28mm 1:2.8 - Kodak TMax 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CHere at f/5.6 any fall off is gone, and you have a good clean depth of field to make good images.
Minolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28mm 1:2.8 - Kodak TMax 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CSolid clean image at f/8.
Minolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28mm 1:2.8 - Kodak TMax 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CGetting into some deep depth of field here at f/13.
Minolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28mm 1:2.8 - Kodak TMax 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CFull front to back in focus subject matter at f/22.
Minolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28mm 1:2.8 - Kodak TMax 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20C

Image Quality
While not perfect by any means, the Maxxum 28/2.8 is undoubtedly a solid performer in the image quality area. The first thing that I noticed is that despite being an f/2.8 lens when you're shooting wide open, there is a little bit of fall off and vignetting at the edges and corners, but nothing overly serious and when you start to stop down, it is all but gone at f/4 and entirely gone at f/5.6. At f/5.6, you have some excellent depth of field and subject separation, and that depth of field only increases as you stop further down. And by the time you hit f/22, you have your entire scene in focus. The main issue with the lens is a tendency for distortion with close subject matters. I noticed that straight lines tend to bow horizontally and vertically when shooting in confined areas or close focusing. Other than that, I find that the lens is excellent, but nothing special, no real character. It renders the out-of-focus elements smoothly but nothing out of the ordinary. It produces beautifully sharp images starting at f/5.6 and extending out to f/22.

Minolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28mm 1:2.8 - Kodak TMax 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28mm 1:2.8 - Kodak TMax 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28mm 1:2.8 - Kodak TMax 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28mm 1:2.8 - Kodak TMax 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 28mm 1:2.8 - Kodak TMax 400 @ ASA-400 - FA-1027 (1+9) 8:00 @ 20C

Applications
I picked up this lens because I needed something more comprehensive and faster than the 35-70mm f/4, and this one certainly fits the bill, and it proved more critical and valuable than the 50mm f/1.7. Great for landscape work and cityscape work, and being able to stop down to f/22 ensures that you can get the whole scene in focus (when appropriately focused). When it comes to architectural work, I will not rate this lens as the best choice, but if you have enough distance and not shooting in a confined space, it's okay, but as soon as you're getting into those narrow areas, that distortion could be a distraction. This lens is also excellent for working indoors when you have to get the whole group into the frame and keep everyone in focus, and as long as you have everyone on a single or narrow focal plane, you can shoot at f/5.6-f/8 have everyone in focus.

The Low Down
Despite the problems, I like this lens. The Maxxum 28/2.8 rarely leaves my camera body when I want to take it out and shoot, mainly when I don't want to lug around the 28-135/4-4.5 and need those extra stops if the lighting is in question. In the used market, this lens is incredibly affordable. You can find them between 60 to 100 dollars, with outliers on the low and high end. But try and stick to the middle range of 70-80 dollars to get a good model. And being that it is an A-Mount lens, it will also work flawlessly on Sony DSLR cameras.

Further Reading
Don't just take my view on the Maxxum 28/2.8; check out these other reviews.
Kurt Munger - Minolta AF 28mm f/2.8 Review
Dynux - Minolta AF 28mm F2.8 A-mount lens reviews
Imaging Resource - Konica Minolta 28mm f/2.8 AF
DPReview - Minolta AF 28mm f/2.8 - Not as bad as you might think.

#opticalreviewblog #burlington #canada #fa1027 #gear #glass #kodaktmax400 #lens #lensreview #minoltamaxxum9 #minoltamaxxumaf28mm128 #ontario #opticalreview #review

Optical Review Blog No. 21 – Minolta Maxxum AF 70-210mm 1:4

When I first started working with the Maxxum system, there were two lenses recommended; the first is the 35-70mm f/4 (which will get a review next year) and the 70-210mm f/4; these were both parts of the original lineup of lenses in 1985 and have stood the test of time. Affectionately known as the 'beer can', a name was applied to several different lenses of the same type. While it might not be a fast lens (f/4), it still produces fantastic results, and despite the solid metal construction, the lens remains a well balanced long lens for outdoor use and one that works perfectly with the modern Maxxum 9.

Lens Specifications
Make: Minolta
Model: Maxxum AF 70-210mm 1:4
Focal Length: 70mm - 210mm
Focal Range: ∞ - 1.1m
Aperture: f/4 - f/32, 7 Blades
Structure: 12 Elements in 9 Groups

You can see that at 70mm (left) there's no distortion, but at 210mm (right) there's a bit of pinching.
Minolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 70-210mm 1:4 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - Rollei Supergrain (1+9) 6:00 @ 20C

Build Quality
This lens earns the nickname beer can well, although I have never seen a beer can this big, at least any that contains good beer. Being an early version, this is an all-metal lens, especially in all the areas that matter, the mount, the body and the hood. It is heavy, well made, and handles like a dream. While it was a bit front heavy on a more miniature camera like the 7000, but it works perfectly on my Maxxum 9 with the VC-9 grip. The lens is immense but doesn't change in length based on the focal length; all the movements are internal, including the focusing, which does help with stability. The zoom is controlled from a twist function rather than push/pull, and the zoom ring is big and easily found with your eye to the viewfinder. The manual focus is small for a lens this size, but then again, most of these early Maxxum lenses are designed with only autofocus use in mind. However, there are some annoyances with the lens. First is the filter size, 55mm. Most lenses from this era use either 49mm or 52mm, so having one slightly larger is troublesome (but you can always use the larger filters with step down rings. The second is that the manual focus ring is smaller and hard to use. And finally, the hood doesn't use a bayonet or even screw-on; instead, it uses two clips that are not exactly stable or easy to mount and dismount quickly. At least the hood is made of metal and can take a hit, but hard enough, it might break away from the lens and only damage the mounts rather than the hood and lens itself.

Of course the depth of field is not perfect, but that f/4 does allow a single subject to be in total focus, you do notice at the 210mm mark (right) some fall off.
Minolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 70-210mm 1:4 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - Rollei Supergrain (1+9) 6:00 @ 20CWhile at f/8 you do get some additional depth of field at the 70mm mark (left) and any fall off at the 210mm mark (right) is gone.
Minolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 70-210mm 1:4 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - Rollei Supergrain (1+9) 6:00 @ 20CMoving up to f/16 you still have some separation at the 210mm (right) mark and almost all three figures in focus at 70mm (left).
Minolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 70-210mm 1:4 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - Rollei Supergrain (1+9) 6:00 @ 20CAt f/22 you do have all figures again in focus at the 70mm (left) mark while starting to get a deeper depth of field at 210mm (right) mark.
Minolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 70-210mm 1:4 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - Rollei Supergrain (1+9) 6:00 @ 20CAt the full stopped down (f/32) aperture if overkill for 70mm (left) but certain helps at 210mm (right).
Minolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 70-210mm 1:4 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - Rollei Supergrain (1+9) 6:00 @ 20C

Image Quality
When it comes to image quality, the beer can, despite its nickname, has an excellent reputation for image quality but is not perfect. The first thing to bring up is that there are some distortion issues with the lens. While not present at the 70mm mark, there is a bit of pinching at the 210mm mark when you're getting in close with your straight lines. But when you're focusing far, that becomes a non-issue. One of the biggest help for the lens is that f/4 maximum aperture, as with some faster lenses at wide-open f/2.8 or wider, you start to get some serious fall-off at those bigger apertures. At 70mm, there's no fall off at that f/4 aperture; it is rather noticeable at 210mm. But by f/8, that is gone, and you start to get into the sweet spot of the lens that stands between f/8 and f/22. You get excellent subject separation for the 210mm mark between those apertures, although, at 70mm getting those smaller apertures by f/22, you have a good end-to-end depth-of-field, which f/32 seems to be overkill certainly helps deepen that depth of field at 210mm. Overall the lens has excellent sharpness at all apertures, even wide-open at f/4, and only get better, but again has that sweet spot between f/8 and f/22. Nothing is exciting about the out-of-focus elements; there are no swirls, but they are clean and smooth around the edges and are pleasing, and with a complex background, will be nicely rendered. The lens can flare, and that hood, despite its troublesome mounting, does help, and when outside the day I was shooting, that hood certainly saved my butt to get some of that flare.

Minolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 70-210mm 1:4 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - Rollei Supergrain (1+9) 6:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 70-210mm 1:4 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - Rollei Supergrain (1+9) 6:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 70-210mm 1:4 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - Rollei Supergrain (1+9) 6:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 70-210mm 1:4 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - Rollei Supergrain (1+9) 6:00 @ 20CMinolta Maxxum 9 - Minolta Maxxum AF 70-210mm 1:4 - Ilford Delta 400 @ ASA-400 - Rollei Supergrain (1+9) 6:00 @ 20C

Applications
Like any telephoto lenses, the obvious applications include sports and event photography, where you're far from the subject and need to get closer. And while you'll need to seriously push your sensitivity or film speed when you're indoors with only that f/4 wide open. But outside the lens is a champ, one of the first events I took this lens to when I first got it was a War of 1812 reenactment. Despite its age, the autofocus speed on modern alpha cameras is fairly quick, that even in sports or events, it will handle a bit of speed and action well. It also is an excellent portrait lens when working with one or two people. And with a constant f/4 aperture, you have excellent subject separation without having to surrender too much depth of field. Setting the 70-210/4 beercan is the macro capability where I would struggle with my 70-200/2.8G to get those test shots were a breeze with the 70-210/4 beercan. It also makes for a good landscape lens when you want to isolate or get close to subjects and architectural detail work. Another option is street photography if you're comfortable standing further off your subjects to remove yourself from the equation.

The Low Down
While not the fastest lens on the market for the Alpha series, it certainly has the qualities of a more expensive lens without the massive cost. They are an older lens, being among the first generation of Alpha lenses to come from Minolta but still work brilliantly today on everything from the 7000 to the 9 and even Sony's digital SLR options and mirrorless options with an appropriate adapter. Surprisingly that hasn't affected the price of this lens mostly because people I feel are turned off my the f/4 maximum aperture. And it shows you can get one of these for between 40-90 dollars on the used market, which will give you a good telephoto and leave plenty of room in your budget for additional lenses. I'll close by saying that this is one of the lenses that made me like zoom lenses.

Further Reading
Don't just take my view on the Maxxum 70-210/4; check out these other reviews.
Kurt Munger - Minolta AF 70-210mm f/4 Review
Ken Rockwell - Minolta Maxxum 70-210mm f/4 Review
Dyxum - Minolta AF 70-210mm f/4 Review
How Green is Your Garden - Minolta 70-210 f/4 Beercan Review
Fotograf Mania - Minolta AF 70-210mm f4 Beercan Review

#opticalreviewblog #alpha #canada #glass #hamilton #ilforddelta400 #lens #lensreview #maxxum #minolta #minoltamaxxum9 #minoltamaxxumaf70210mm14 #ontario #opticalreview #optics #rolleisupergrain

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