Overview
The Nikon 24mm f/1.4G lens is a professional-grade lens for enthusiasts and professionals that need the highest quality optics of a fixed wide-angle lens with a large aperture of f/1.4 for low-light situations and shallow depth of field to isolate subjects from the background. The lens incorporates the latest optical technology destined for both FX and DX sensors (equivalent of 36mm on DX), yielding amazing clarity and contrast in most challenging lighting conditions. The Nikon 24mm f/1.4G follows the footsteps of the legendary Nikon 28mm f/1.4D lens, which was known for its exceptional quality and sharp optics, even at large apertures. The new Nikon 24mm f/1.4 is no exception – it performs almost flawlessly at all apertures, most notably at f/1.4 with maximum sharpness from center to corner, as seen in the examples of this review. Nikon has incorporated the latest technology and optical formulas to this lens, including AF-S silent-wave focus motor and Nano crystal coating. The lens is also sealed against dust and tough weather conditions. Just like most Nikon professional lenses, the lens has a 77mm filter thread, which is great news for landscape and architectural photographers.
Where the Nikon 24mm f/1.4 shines, is its subject isolation capability with exceptionally good-looking bokeh at a wide perspective of 24mm, which is an extremely useful focal length for both FX and DX sensors. The maximum aperture of f/1.4 makes this lens a superb portrait lens for both images and video, making it a great candidate for low-light photography.
Captured with Nikon 24mm f/1.4G Lens
In this review, I will be focusing on showing center and corner sharpness of the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G lens under different conditions both indoors and outdoors. In addition, I will do my best to provide a thorough analysis of this lens, along with image samples and comparisons against other Nikon wide-angle lenses such as Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G, Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G, Nikon 16-35mm f/4.0G VR and Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8D.
1) Lens Specifications
Main Features:
- Prime wide-angle perspective and ultra-fast f/1.4 aperture delivers great low-light performance.
- Nano Crystal Coat effectively reduces ghost and flare.
- 2 Extra-low Dispersion (ED) elements offer superior sharpness and color correction by effectively minimizing chromatic aberration.
- 2 Aspherical Lens Elements virtually eliminate coma and other types of aberration.
- Rear Focus (RF) provides smooth and fast autofocus while eliminating front barrel rotation and lens length changes.
- Quiet focusing with built-in Silent Wave Motor (SWM).
- Two focus modes selectable – M/A and M
- Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm renders more natural appearance of out-of-focus image elements.
Technical Specifications:
- Mount Type: Nikon F-Bayonet
- Focal Length: 24mm
- Maximum Aperture: 1.4
- Minimum Aperture: 16
- Maximum Angle of View (DX-format): 61°
- Maximum Angle of View (FX-format): 84°
- Maximum Reproduction Ratio: 0.179x
- Lens (Elements): 12
- Lens (Groups): 10
- Compatible Format(s): FX, DX, FX in DX Crop Mode, 35mm Film
- Diaphragm Blades: 9
- Distance Information: Yes
- Nano Crystal Coat: Yes
- Aspherical (Elements): 2
- Autofocus: Yes
- AF-S (Silent Wave Motor): Yes
- Minimum Focus Distance: 0.82ft.(0.25m)
- Rear Focusing: Yes
- Filter Size: 77mm
- Accepts Filter Type: Screw-on
- Dimensions: (Approx.)3.3×3.5 in. (Diameter x Length), 83×88.5mm (Diameter x Length)
- Weight: (Approx.)21.9 oz. (620g)
- Supplied Accessories: HB-51 Bayonet Lens Hood, LC-77 Snap-On Front Lens Cap, LF-1 Rear Lens Cap, CL-1118 Soft Case
2) Lens handling
Just like all Nikon professional lenses, the new Nikon 24mm f/1.4 lens is built to last a lifetime. The outer barrel is made of plastic, but feels just like the expensive Nikon metal lenses, most likely due to the weight. It is designed to withstand tough weather and is well-protected on the outside against dust and moisture. I took it out to temperatures below zero and the lens performed flawlessly. It has a total of 12 optical elements within the lens and weighs a total of 620 grams, making it very easy to carry and handle. Compared to other Nikon ultra wide-angle zoom lenses such as Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G and Nikon 16-35mm f/4.0 VR, the lens is shorter in size. The Nikon 24mm f/1.4 feels very solid in hands and the focus ring is conveniently located in the front of the barrel, making it easy to manually focus with a thumb and index fingers while shooting images or video. Thanks to Rear Focus, the lens barrel does not rotate or extend, making it an ideal candidate to be used with various filters. The lens comes with the “HB-51″ lens hood.
3) Focus acquisition speed and accuracy
Although the lens snaps into focus in even the most challenging low-light situations, the autofocus performance is not as fast as I was hoping it would be, given the price tag of this lens. It is very comparable to the speed of the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G and it takes about 50% more time to go from close focus to infinity when compared to the legendary Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G. When the lens focuses, it virtually produces no noise, due to the Silent Wave Motor (SWM) technology in the lens. I tested this lens in both daylight and low-light situations on multiple FX cameras (Nikon D700 and Nikon D3s) and autofocus was very accurate, even at maximum aperture of f/1.4. Here is a good example of how the lens focuses in a low-light environment:
Nikon 24mm Autofocus Test, f/1.4, 1/80 @ ISO 200
Click here to see the full JPEG version of the shot (80% Quality @ 2,1 MB).
As can be seen from the above image, the focus is accurate at maximum aperture of f/1.4, 1/80th of a second at ISO 200.
4) Lens sharpness and contrast
The Nikon 24mm f/1.4G sets a new standard in sharpness, as can be seen from the second page of this review. The center frame is always sharp at all apertures, while corners are acceptably sharp at f/1.4 (much sharper than any other f/1.4 lens) and get very sharp at f/2.8 and beyond. This lens is so good at f/1.4, that you wouldn’t want to shoot at higher apertures, unless you need to increase the depth of field. Color and contrast are truly amazing and top of the class.
5) Bokeh
Despite the fact that the Nikon 24mm f/1.4 is a wide-angle lens, the shallow depth of field of f/1.4 yields good looking bokeh. Although the quality of bokeh is not as great as in some Nikon portrait lenses, it is still very good:
Spring Blooms, f/1.4, 1/250 @ ISO 200
Kebabs, f/1.4, 1/2000 @ ISO 200
6) Vignetting
There is a considerable amount of vignetting present when shooting wide open @ f/1.4, but it is almost completely gone by f/4.0. Here is an extreme example of vignetting at f/1.4:
Vignetting at f/1.4
The vignetting issues can be quickly corrected in Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom, so it is not a big problem.
7) Ghosting and Flare
The Nano-Coating glass inside the lens definitely reduces ghosting and flare. Here is an extreme example with the sun in the top right corner:
Sun in the center with sun-stars:
Against the Sun
8) Distortion
There is a slight amount of barrel distortion on the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G, which varies by how far away you are from the subject. The closer you stand, the more barrel distortion you will see. It is really nothing to worry about and the problem can be easily fixed in Photoshop using the Lens Correction Filter.
Example of distortion at close focus:
Standing a little further away:
9) Lens Focus Issues
Some owners of the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G have reported focusing issues at various distances from a subject, suggesting that it could be a design problem with the lens. I personally have not had a single problem with focusing on this lens and almost every single image that I have shot (and I shot over 2,000 images by now) came out tack sharp with no focusing problems. Having shot with f/1.4 primes before, I know how to focus with these lenses very well by now and I am suspecting that some of the complaints could be coming from people who just do not know how to use fast glass, although I am not necessarily suggesting that it is a user issue in all cases, since some of the complaints are coming from advanced photographers as well. Just like with any other lens, there might be some copies out there that have a focusing defect, in which case you can either return it back to the seller/exchange it, or send it to Nikon for repair. Nikon is very good at fixing focusing problems on their lenses and I am sure they will take care of the problem right away.
Let’s now move on to the good stuff – Sharpness tests. Select the next page below.
Sharpness Test
Sharpness Test
Some technical junk:
- White Balance: Auto
- ISO: 200
- EXIF information is preserved in the images
- Lens was mounted on Nikon D3s FX Camera and Gitzo tripod
- Focusing was performed through Live-View Contrast Detect. After each successful focus acquisition, focus was switched to manual to prevent camera refocusing
- Mirror Lock-Up mode with Exposure Delay set to “On” and remote cable release to completely eliminate camera shake
- Long exposure NR: Off
- Image Format: RAW & JPEG
- Lightroom settings: Default settings, but exposure had to be slightly adjusted for some images
- Lightroom export: sRGB JPEG Quality 80
- Testing was performed at f/1.4, f/2.0, f/2.8, f/4.0, f/5.6 and f/8.0 apertures
- Nothing was moved during testing
10) Sharpness Test – Nikon 24mm Center Frame
The Nikon 24mm f/1.4G lens performs INCREDIBLY well at all apertures in the center of the frame.
11) Sharpness Test – Nikon 24mm Corner Frame
As I have pointed out above, the corners wide open @ f/1.4 are a little soft compared to the center, but this goes away at f/2.8 and beyond. I had to increase the exposure a little at maximum aperture, due to vignetting.
Lens Comparisons
Compared to Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G
12) Nikon 24mm f/1.4G vs Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G
How does the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G compare to the legendary Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G? Let’s take a look at the image samples taken at 24mm (corner):
The image on the left is Nikon 24mm f/1.4 and the image on the right is Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8. As expected, the Nikon 24mm f/1.4 wins because it is stopped down to f/2.8.
Let’s compare performance at f/8.0:
Both look identical and extremely sharp. I’m not going to bother putting center sharpness comparison, because both lenses are super sharp in the center.
Compared to Nikon 16-35mm f/4.0G VR
13) Nikon 24mm f/1.4G vs Nikon 16-35mm f/4.0G VR
What about my favorite Nikon 16-35mm f/4.0G VR? Let’s take a look at the corners at f/4.0:
Again, as expected, the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G crushes the Nikon 16-35mm f/4.0G because it is much sharper when it is stopped down to f/4.0.
Corner performance at f/8.0:
Same story as with the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G – the lenses perform equally well at f/8.0 in the corners.
I did not bother providing image samples from the Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8D lens, because it is worse than the 16-35mm f/4.0 VR in the corners.
Summary and Image Samples
13) Summary
Nikon once again set a new record in image sharpness and contrast with the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G lens, which has unbelievable performance at all apertures. No current Nikon lens, whether prime or zoom, can deliver this much sharpness at a maximum aperture of f/1.4, putting this lens in the lead. It’s superb optical performance make the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G an ideal candidate for portrait photographers, where subjects are beautifully isolated from the backgrounds and maximum sharpness of the subject is preserved. At the same time, the impressive performance from center to corner also make the Nikon 24mm f/1.4 a superb lens for landscape photography for apertures between f/4 and f/16.
24mm is an ideal focal length for landscape photography on an FX sensor – I use it more than any other focal length, because it is wide enough for most situations. The only annoyance that I found with this lens, was the fact that it is a prime lens and I had to move back and forth to frame my landscape shots, while I can simply zoom in and out with a wide-angle zoom lens. This is not a problem if you can easily move around, but certainly presents a limitation if you cannot move around for whatever reason.
Although I have not had a chance to fully test the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G lens yet (due to wind and snow that we have been getting lately), I am still extremely pleased with the results that I have gotten so far. I have taken a few portraits and landscape photographs and all images came out in-focus, sharp and colorful, as can be seen from the image samples below. The lens does have a few issues such as distortion and vignetting, but I do not look at them as problems, but rather as “features”. And if those features need to be fixed for whatever reason, it can be easily done in Lightroom and Photoshop.
Nikon once again proved that it is capable of producing lenses with unbelievable performance. Another Bravo to Nikon!
14) Where to buy and availability
You can order your copy of the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G ED lens at B&H when they have it in stock. The lens is currently selling for approximately $2,199, and it is currently the most expensive wide-angle prime lens by Nikon.
15) More image samples
Click here to download the full version of the file in JPEG format.
Click here to download the full version of the file in JPEG format.
Click here to download the full version of the file in JPEG format.
Click here to download the full version of the file in JPEG format.
Click here to download the full version of the file in JPEG format.
More image samples are available here.
All Images Copyright © Nasim Mansurov, All Rights Reserved. Copying or reproduction is not permitted without written permission from the author.
About Nasim Mansurov
Насим, добрый день. Большое спасибо за обзор и сэмплы. Кстати, чего то Ллойд Чамберс очень сильно не хвалил новый 300/2.8. Может экземпляр у него не очень попался?
Я очень доволен вашим обзором 24/1.4.
Алексей, возможно экземпляр плохой на самом деле, так как не верится что новый 300мм у Никона может быть хуже старого. Оптически, 300мм лучше чем все остальные линзы и сам Никон всегда говорит что 2x TC сделан именно для него…
Я на этой неделе верну 24мм и хочу попросить B&H послать мне 300mm f/2.8G VR. Посмотрим что получится, хотя могут и не согласиться, так как перевозка им обойдется очень дорого.
Хотелось бы посмотреть, так как я тоже вообще не верю. Ллойд уже не первый раз облажался со своими обзорами. Кстати, если вам это важно, то буду через БиХу товар заказывать, так как мне все равно. Не понятно, как делать заказ через вас. Просто на Адораме как то попроще в поиском. Сейчас думаю об аккумуляторном или генераторном свете для выездов, в том числе и на природу.
Yes, it’s true – Nikon set a new standard with sharpness when this lens is wide open! I want it! :)
Thank you for nice lens review!
P.S. Weather in UK is horrible today too – i can’t test my new Nikkor 105mm f2.8 VR Micro!
Michael, thanks for stopping by and dropping a comment! Congratulations with your new 105mm f/2.8 – I love mine!
Nasim is there any chance of you sharing the full size version of your photo “RMNP Sunset”? I would love to set that as my desktop wallpaper.
Kindest regards.
Jonathan, sure, once I get home from Puerto Rico :)
Nasim, thanks for the informative review – very helpful.
This lens seems to be a real winner – Moose offers an interesting YouTube summary: http://moosepeterson.com/blog/
Seems like there will be a really bad case of NAS this year….!
At the moment, I’m still totally enamored with m 16-35mm AFS VR:
http://pasquierphoto.blogspot.com/2010/05/wide-angle-daffodils.html
Pasquier, you are most welcome! I couldn’t find a link to the video on Moose’s blog though…
Yes, the 16-35mm is excellent! I will be posting some more reviews of lenses next week. Need to put out everything I have when I have some extra time :)
Hi Nasim
Here is the link to Moose Peterson’s review and clip: http://moosepeterson.com/blog/?p=14276
Joe McNally is also enamored with this lens: http://www.joemcnally.com/blog/2010/03/29/ybor-at-one-four/
Best, P :)
Impressive with the sharpness. Nikon new products are just getting better each time.
Thanks for sharing.
Dennis, yes they are :) Nikon is doing a really good job lately!
hi Nasim,
Do you have any recommendations for a wide angle prime lens for DX NIkon cameras? Is there a lightweight walk around wide prime which I can use for street photography, travel and maybe low light night photos?
Thanks,
SM, there are three wide-angle prime lenses under $600 that work both on DX and FX cameras, but they all require camera AF motor to autofocus, since they are not AF-S.
Here is the list:
1) Nikon 28mm f/2.8D
2) Nikon 24mm f/2.8D
3) Nikon 20mm f/2.8D
All three are good lenses in general, but are not as sharp as the 24mm f/1.4 wide open and in the corners, which is expected.
Bear in mind that the equivalent focal length on DX would be higher due to crop factor, so the 20mm would be more like 30mm.
Thanks Nasim. Btw, if I understand correctly, wouldn’t a 20 mm be like a 30 mm on DX ( 1.5 times)? Or I am mistaken?
I am leaning towards the 20 mm.
SM, absolutely! Yes, for a DX body, multiple the above focal lengths by 1.5 to get an equivalent field of view of an FX sensor. I screwed up the numbers, I meant to say 30mm, not 25 :)
For street photography, travel and maybe low light night photos, visit David Beckerman’s blog: http://www.beckermanphoto.com/blog/
Dave specializes in NYC street photos and uses only fixed prime lenses.
Thank you for the link Pasquier, great photos there!
Hi,
Thank you for your great review… I have used 12-24mm DX in the past, coupled with a polarizer that has given me many great landscapes… however, since I have upgraded to the legendary 14-24mm f/2.8.. I realize that I tend to shy away from many landscape shots because of the lack of filter…
How would you advise if I were to get this lens for the sharpness and quality or the 16-35mm f/4 for flexibility to let me recover landscape shots with polarizer?
thanks!
I am really keen on this lens
Robby, you are most welcome!
What camera are you shooting with, FX or DX?
Hi Nasim,
I am shooting on D3, FX format.
How would you advice also if I could have the option to purchase 24mm f1/.4?
Thanks lots!
Robby, the 24mm f/1.4G lens is excellent in every regard. The only problem is flexibility (you have to be able to move back and forth) and lack of ultra-wide focal lengths below 24mm. Since you shoot with the 14-24mm, you probably know what focal lengths you use the most. I personally find 24mm to be sufficient and I like that focal length a lot, but if you find yourself shooting ultra-wides more, then you might want to consider the 16-35mm instead.
Performance-wise though, the 24mm f/1.4 is much sharper than the 16-35mm in the corners…
Hope this helps.
I have been considering the 14-24mm zoom as a new lens but now I am more seriously considering the 24mm 1.4 and when I want to go wider use stitching for my landscapes. Then it gives me the extra 2 stops in aperture when required in low light. Any comment.
Geoff, take a look at this panorama – it was stitched from images that were taken with the 24mm f/1.4G.
The 24mm f/1.4G is great for landscape photography, but the faster aperture is only useful when you do not have any foreground objects in your scene. If you do, then the objects will appear out of focus due to shallow depth of field.
Thanks for your review and comments. As I see it, the 24mm 1.4 is much much more than a landscape lens, great for selective focus. Also can be used easily with ND filters for long exposures of streams and waterfalls whereas the 14-24mm is far more difficult, thanks.
Geoff, absolutely! The 24mm f/1.4 produces beautiful portraits and is very good for video as well.
I have used filters with the 24mm f/1.4 and the results are outstanding. You can see some of the images from the 24mm from my recent trip to Puerto Rico.
Hello Nasim Mansurov,
I have read most of your Nikon Equipment reviews, and appreciate your review documentations for all of us.
I have decided to have my first DLSR: Nikon D600 and 24mm f/1.4 lens. I also like 24mm-70mm f/2.8 lens too. Based on my budget, I only afford to have either one of the two lens mentioned above. Most of my friends suggest me to get 24mm-70mm f/2.8 instead (for my first lens). After I have read your review on 24mm f/1.4 lens, my mind has more tendency to get 24mm f/1.4 (sharper & less distortion than 24-70mm) instead. My primary to shoot on landscape, portrait, family/group photos on my vacation trip. Could you please help me to decide which lens to get?
Best Regards,
Win
Hi Nasim,
I forget to add one more lens, which is 24-120mm f/4G ED VR over 24-70mm f/2.8.
Thanks,
Win
Nice Review. I’ve really been wanting this lens for dark wedding receptions, but have been scared off by reports of many bad copies of the lens. Some reports are by very experienced photographers, and I trust it is not user error. Have you still had no focusing issues?
Steve, I have no issues with focusing on the 24mm f/1.4G, so the ones with problems could be from a bad sample batch…
Get it if you can find it, it is the best wide-angle lens ever produced by Nikon!
I have been waiting 3 months for it to come in stock. Where are you getting them? thanks
Ryan, I pre-ordered mine and I believe there is a long wait at the moment. Who did you place your order through? I might be able to get one for you through B&H, but I need to find out first.
Thanks Nasim for responding. I haven’t preordered yet i got on the email list when they become available. I have seen them on amazon but people are trying to sell them for much more than list. Any help you could give would be awesome!
Nasim, I got this lens 2 weeks ago.. All I can say is WOw… I have not touch the others since.
Perhaps the best lens I’ve used since 24mm PC-E & 300mm 2.8 vrII.
What is your opinion about the benchmark of 24mm 1.4 with 24mm pc-e? Which is sharper and suitable for landscapes?
Thanks
Ahmed, you are looking at 2 fantastic lenses that are mainly used for 2 specific purposes. Even though 24mm f1.4 is wide enough for landscape, but it is probably not the best for it. FIRSTLY, the minimum aperture for 24mm f1.4 is only 16.. this is definitely not the best aperture to shut light away. Whereas the PC-E has minimum aperture of 32, double of the f1.4.
SECONDLY, the perspective control ability from PC-E is a plus point for landscape or architectural shots (doh!). This create dramatic feel to your images that the f1.4 can’t do.
Having said all that, 24mm f1.4 is a lens you can use on different occasions such as, indoor events and modeling shots. f1.4 lenses are just not the best for landscape as you don’t need the fast aperture anyway as you will be shooting with all the available light you can get. Unless you shoot your landscape at night that is!
AH, I agree with almost everything you’ve said. The only thing I wanted to add, is that the 24mm f/1.4G does work great for landscapes. I typically don’t shoot landscapes at higher apertures than f/16 anyway, due to diffraction problems at apertures smaller than f/11. Smaller apertures are only useful for situations when you are standing very close to the subject, such as when photographing a flower field from a low position. For everything else like waterfalls, I would use an ND filter instead of bumping up the aperture.
Thank you for visiting our site and have a great day!
Ahmed, just like AH pointed out below, the two lenses should not be compared, because they serve different purposes.
AH, thank you for your feedback. I agree, the lens is superb and I also use it quite a bit :)
Hİ,
Great review and i bought the lens:)It is even sharper than my zeiss 21mm and now i am selling it.I mostly use 24mm for landscapes with d3x and seems that it is great but i am a little confiused.Most of my friends are saying if you are using it for landscapes you dont need AF most of the time and 1.4 is not a necessity.So 24mm pc-e 3.5 would be a better choice.
What do you think about it?
Thanks
Ahmed, congratulations with your purchase! The 24mm f/1.4 is super sharp on the D3x.
In terms of landscapes, the reason why your friends are saying that you do not need AF, is because you would typically focus the lens at infinity and have the time to sit, focus and compose the shot. I personally find AF to be beneficial, because I can take a quick shot without messing with manual focus… the f/1.4 aperture is not a necessity for landscapes, but certainly a nice to have ;-) I have had situations when I could not carry a tripod with me and I shot the 24mm at large apertures such as f/2.0 when the light conditions were poor. You have to be careful about DoF, but if you know what you are doing, you can get some great shots even at f/1.4!
Hi Nasim,
Do you recommend this lens for street? I think will be option to shoot street at night, what you think? I have 14-24 but I didn’t use for this proporse because its too heavy.
thanks
Richard, if you already have the 14-24mm, then I would think twice before investing in 24mm f/1.4G, unless you shoot portraits and want to use it at f/1.4…
I was thinking to sell mine 14-24 and use ony 24mm for Street Photography, my most working in on the streets.
Hi Richard,
I have 24 1.4G (as well as 16-35 VR), but you should note that it too is not a lightweight lens. And like you, I like to do street photography (especially low light condition), and for that I want to buy myself a featherweight lens, either one or two of these: 24 2.8D, 28 2.8D, 35 2D, 50 1.4G to bring when I feel like not wanting a heavy bag. But the sure thing is, 24 1.4G will paint each of your night time photos like a grand canvas of beautiful paintings.
Richard,
The 24 1.4G is a sweet lens for street photography especially at night. I shoot fixed fluorescent tungsten at night and when you combine this lens with a high ISO capable camera look out, you will produce some of the most beautiful images. The power of the fast primes with their optical superior quality is just priceless especially when focusing in low light. f2.8 just isn’t fast enough for me in the street at night.
I shot my first wedding with my 24 1.4G yesterday. I am completely pleased. I first calibrated with LensAlign, and it was +3/+2 adjustment on my 2 d700s, which is very good compared to other lenses. Like most lenses, there is an improvement in contrast and color fringing on black/white text from f1.4 to f2.0.
In practice, the lens is quite sharp wide open, and much of the lens imperfections wide open are not noticeable. I was able to focus accurately and reliably using all focus points, even the outer ones.
With a wide angle lens, the depth of field increases very quickly as you stop down. I’m really liking the look of the 24 shot wide open. The isolation of subject with the shallow DOF looks great.
Steve, thank you for your review! I’m glad that you are enjoying the 24mm – it is a beautiful lens!
Hi Nasim
I use a d90 with 17-55 2.8 & 85 1.4d as a kit. I have upgrade the 85d to the 85g, and I’m considering replacing the 17-55 with the 16-35 or the 24 1.4. I would like to know if you feel there will be a large improvement with the 16-35, (I have a 50 1.4 so the limit in range isn’t an issue.) Also your views on using the 24 1.4 for landscape on dx. Thanks
Daniel,
I don’t know if you would see that much of an improvement by upgrading from 17-55 to 16-35…are you planning to switch to FX, or continue shooting with DX? If it is the latter, then I would not bother, since the 17-55mm is an excellent piece of glass.
The Nikon 24mm f/1.4G, on the other hand, is a whole different beast…and yes, it works very well on a DX sensor. You might find the focal length a little limiting on the DX sensor due to crop factor though.
hi!
nice review, complete and very pro. first time on your website. I was just looking for a simple reviews on the new G lenses, instead there is plenty of them for nikon enthusiast! I used to shoot with a Panasonic L1 before and I just got my D90 last summer with a nikon 12-24mm lens, simply beautiful. but i suprised myself to use only the 12mm or 24mm… so i was thinking to change for a prime lens. do you prefer the 24mm 1.4g or the 35mm 1.4g?
my field of use is mostly architecture, and im looking to upgrade to a Fx body too…
again, very nice review.
Y
Thank you Yien!
Upgrading to a 24mm lens from 12-24mm would be a huge step-up in terms of performance and low-light capabilities. If you like to shoot wide angles, I would certainly recommend the 24mm f/1.4G over 35mm f/1.4G. For architecture photography, the wider the lens, the better, so I would go for the 24mm if the choice was between 24mm and 35mm. However, one important thing to keep in mind, is that 24mm might be a little too long on a DX body – you will most likely miss the wider angles. Are you going to buy another wide lens to go with the 24mm?
Hi Nasim;
So many thanks for your very nice and usefull reviews.I’m not professional but interested in photography ,especially portrait of friends , group of friends and also sometimes landscape in my trips and love nice boke!(taking photo indoor and outdoor).I have Nikon f100 and 50mm 1.4D and now want to upgrade with D700 and lens.I love primes for weight and quality(Or maybe my idea is not logical!),whats your suggestion for me?
1.The set 24 1.4g + 85 1.4g + something for tele(?) or..
2. the set 24-70+70-200 VRII?Or..
3. maybe neither and something else in your idea?
Can you please help me to solve this problem?
again nice reviews and waiting for 24-120
Saeed, I love prime lenses as well, so I would certainly go for the 24mm f/1.4G + 85mm f/1.4G for my photography needs. The only problem with primes is flexibility. When I shoot landscapes, sometimes it is just not possible to move around from one spot to another. With the 24mm f/1.4G, you are pretty locked, so you have to be able to move or crop later. In that regard, I prefer to work with the 24-70mm lens more.
For all other types of photography, 24mm + 85mm would be my preference.
i would go with that combo too! but a d700+24 mm1.4g +85 mm 1.4g = lots of money there.. :)
and beside, how many time you change your lens on shooting?
for me, if its only for work (architectural photo) i woul just grab the 24mm. but for fun hobby and street shot, i would prefer a zoom lens.
i prefer to have only ONE lens at a time, instead having a bag full of lenses, so that force me to be more constraint and be more creative.
Y
Yien, yes, the pro primes are unfortunately very expensive…
If I take one lens outside, it is typically the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G.
Salam Nasim,
one more question..which zoom would be usefull to me if i choose the primes :70-200 or 24-70 or 24-120? ofcource pro zooms are so expensive today..(27-70)+(70-200)=about 4000$! and 2.600kg and with more flexiblity as you said.
Many thanks for yore responding dear Nasim :) (and dear yien)
Saeed, on a full-frame body, I would say the Nikon 24-70mm or the Nikon 24-120mm would be more useful for general photography. If budget is an issue, the new Nikon 24-120mm is superb.
Dear Nasim,
thanks for your review.
Unfortunately I am one of the unlucky users who tried out two very bad samples of this lens. Last Friday I bought this lens on a trip to NYC at B&H and could not believe what I saw: the problems with the autofocus are not a minor issue but a severe problem. I was not able to produce even one sharp image at distances beyond let´s say 100 ft and f1.4. At infinity the autofocus did not work at all! I have never seen such problems with any other lens I have owned in the last 20 years. The only way to produce sharp images is to use liveview and contrast based autofocus on the display (or try end error with manual focus). Then the results are simply stunning as the are at close distances.
I returned the lens, got a new copy, tried it again and got the same bad results. There are no problems with my camera (D300s). In fact this camera has the best autofocus system I have ever used and it works perfectly with the 50mm f1.4, the 85mm f1.4 and the 35mm f 1.8.
I think that Nikon really has some problems with this lens and should fix this first. Otherwise the exceptional optical performance of this lens is worth nothing.
Kind regards,
Peter
Peter, I am very sorry to hear about your bad experience with the 24mm f/1.4G. I have not used the 24mm f/1.4G extensively on a DX camera, but I had no problems with focusing subjects at infinity with the lens on an FX body, even at f/1.4. It is unfortunate that Nikon has such manufacturing defects and you might have looked at two samples from the same bad batch…but you are not the only person who have seen these kinds of problems for sure.
Recently, I have heard that Nikon actually did something to fix this issue, but I bet those units will be on new shipments…I would wait for several months until the stock clears up a little and try again.
Mine was from the first shipments of the 24mm f/1.4G in US.
Hi Nasim,
thanks for your answer. Actually I will wait to next year. Back in Germany I tried two more samples of this lens and got almost the same horrible results. Even at distances of 15ft. and very ‘simple’ objects (like a house in front of me with a lot of contrast and under good light conditions) the rate of sharp images was less than 30%. I noticed that pressing the shutter button several times to the focus point was important for getting better results. The lens always corrected the focus point and sometimes I got a sharp image. But this is no solution. And I tried it now with two different cameras.
So I will wait and look jealous on all who own a working sample of this wonderful lens ;-)
Peter
Peter, waiting might be a good idea. As more and more people send their samples back to Nikon, hopefully Nikon will find a permanent fix to this problem…
Hey Nasim,
I’m speechless about the sharpness of this lens! But I’m wondering if it is better than the Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 or 25mm f/2.8. Have you considered a comparision review with one of those german lenses?
Greetings from Brazil.
Tiago, I have not done any comparisons with Zeiss glass yet, but don’t forget that there is a difference in speed/depth of field between the two (f/1.4 vs f/2.8) and also autofocus vs manual focus. If you shoot landscapes/architecture, none of that matters obviously, but still something worth considering.
I agree with you, Nasim. But, considering the use only for landscape or architecture photography, would be the Nikkor 1.4/24 sharper than any of those Zeiss lenses? Hope to see your review and your opinion soon.
Congratulatios to your website! Very informative and hepful.
Tiago.
Tiago, stopped down to f/8.0, I don’t think there will be a major difference in sharpness between these lenses.
Today I tried this lens with a friend, that’s why you see me like a crazy fetching the internet for reviews, and I saw the results at F1.4 and I was really impressed.
Yet the hefty price tag sat me back :(
Also, I was thinking … how practical is to use it?
Ahmed, this lens is simply stunning. I know the price is high, but it is the sharpest Nikon lens and the colors are outstanding.
Hi Nasim;
what about of focus problem in this lens?(ofcource in some copies) is there any new news about solving this problem by nikon?and still is there any report about owners that have pb?I loveeeee to have this lens but very scared of bad chance!!
Saeed, I have played with two different copies of this lens and neither one had a problem with Autofocus. I guess I am lucky? :)
hi nasim,
great website, great reviews! you’re doing better than mr. rockwell :)
can you review the 35mm 1.4g? i’m very interested in its performance since i bought the 85mm and the 24mm last year.
florian
24 mm 1.4 look great. Before I was with D3 + 14-24 2.8 + 24-7O mm 2.8 + 105 M 2.5 + 50 mm 1.8 + 180 mm 2.8, BUT I often let lenses in safety box during travels because I am only a man not a horse available for carrying such WEIGHT. So I sold all, not the 180 mm because falling in love with that lens a long time ago, and buy a D7000 + 35 mm 1.8 (same 52,5 mm in FX) waiting a FX (may be D800),with 18 or 24 MP but not too heavy. 180 mm 2.8 in DX is a fantastic 270 mm 2.8 not far from 300 2.8 in FX and low price-weight lens, it works fine with D7000, I can send you pictures D7000/180 mm if you want to see that (if you give an e-mail adress). I am expecting the 85 mm 1.4, I ordered, and later with D800 I will work only with fast primes such as 24 or 35 1.4 G for low weight and high sharpness.
I discover today your site, very good, thank’s you for sharing your experience. Apologise for mistakes in english (me french, living in Reunion Island).
Thank you for your feedback Claude! I totally understand your frustration with heavy lenses. I agree, it can sometimes be too painful. That’s one of the reasons why I try not to take the 24-70mm and 70-200mm lenses to weddings anymore. They are just too heavy for my back :(
Looks like you know what you are doing and your choice of lenses is very good!
You can post links to your images here or you can send samples of your images through the case study form on the top of the page.
How do you think it compares with the (also) legendary 28mm f/1.4D Nikkor?
Raino, it is better, sharper and wider! The AF/M ring on the 28mm is pretty bad – I had two people complain that they had to replace theirs. I don’t think many photographers will be buying the 28mm anymore.
Hi, how do you think this compares to the 35 1.4G?
I’m trying to decide on either a wide zoom or prime at the moment, primarily for landscape and handheld low light shooting with a D700. Obviously this gives me the 16-35VR, 17-35 & 14-24 in the zoom category and these two primes as well.
Currently I only use the one lens, the Nikkor 50 1.8G which I’m very happy with, it’s just that there’s many shots where I wish I could go a wider.
Cheers
Steve, have you see my Nikon 35mm f/1.4G review? Both lenses are very sharp and have very similar performance characteristics. The 35mm f/1.4G is great for portraits and group shots on FX. For landscape photography, the Zeiss f/2 is a great alternative at a lower price point. Both focal lengths (24mm and 35mm) are perfect for landscapes, although I personally prefer to be able to go wider with the 24mm f/1.4G.
Hi my husband bought me this lense as I kept saying I love sharp pictures of the kids witha blurred background. I have a Nikon d5000 and am a total amateur but I cannot use the lens at all. What am I doing wrong? I think I have o ly managed one sharp picture. Do I have to stand a specific distance away from my subject each time?? Everything is blurred!
Sir, how do you feel about the Nikon 16mm fisheye lens? I use it for landscapes and then correct it in DXO Optics. Thanks, WEJ.
Hi Nasim, I’ve just gotten this lens after reading your review.
I have a question regarding this lens, my lens has more noise (high pitch) when focusing compared to my 35 1.4G.
Is this normal?
Hi Nasim, I have been doing some test shots of this lens with a D7000. For the sake of testing, I shot landscape pictures in bright light and compared the 1.4 and 2.8 at its center. I was surprised that the 1.4 appeared less sharp. I noticed that you mentioned some exposure correction had to be done in your sharpness comparison section. Could over- exposure at 1.4 shutter at 1/8000 limit of my D7000 be a cause of this apparent loss of sharpness… ie over-exposure giving the picture a washed out look. This problem is a lot less apparent in most other situations in my test. Thanks!
Dear Nasim,
http://digital-photography-school.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=63107&stc=1&d=1335161939
I tested the lens with my D5100, and I found that
a) When i shoot near (<4 feet), it looks sharp
b) When I shoot more than 4 feet, back focus problem happens (subject extremely blur with very sharp background).
What is happening? How come the lens behaves very different from other lens ?
Ty
Hi, I spent a few months with a copy of this lens that have me this grief while shooting. I was going crazy trying to find all sorts of excuse, blaming myself for lack of skills initially. After it was finally rectified by Nikon, all shots are crazy razor sharp. I use it with D800 now. There should be no compromise in quality as expected and definately no focus problems at all.
Dear Nasim,
Please do advise should I get this 24mm lens or 28mm f/1.8 lens or 35mm f/1.8?
Ty.
Nasim,
Great review. I recently purchased this lens and love the look, as long as I can get it to focus properly. I’m not having the problems many others were having when the lens first came out in 2010 though. I get perfect focus using the 15 center cross-type sensors on my D300s, but if I use any of the side sensors, I get obvious mis-focus (it’s not just soft because it’s on the side of frame, I can improve the situation by manually focusing) and it’s repeatable. My other lenses don’t seem to have this problem, although I don’t have another lens that’s this wide and this fast. Was wondering if you noticed any difference between focusing on using the center sensors and the ones on the side in your testing.
Thanks!
Hi Nasim,
thanks for your thorough review of Nikkor 24 1.4G, I’m actually consider selling my 24-70 2.8G and with the proceed buying this lens. I also own the 14-24 2.8G, 35 1.4 Zeiss, 50 1.4G, 85 1.4G and 70-200 VRII and use them on a D3. My question is would you spare your 24-70 with the 24 1.4? My idea is to go further but your tip as well as your experience on this matter is greatly appreciated.
Thanks and regards.
Max Cremascoli
Milan, Italy
Dear Nasim,
Your website is an amazing resource, As always. Thank you.
Did you (or anyone here) had any experience with Samyang 24 f/1.4?
I know your prefer Nikon brand gear, but given many people are quite satisfied with Samyang’s optical quality, and pricing. I’d love to hear your opinion about that lens, too..
Regards,
Mustafa
Dear Nasim,
Love to hear from the big differents between Nikkor 24 1.4G and Nikkor 85 1.4G for portrait n street photography on my Nikon D7k ?
Regards,
Oky
Hi Nasim,
I’m quite new to photography and only started to take photos 2 years ago. My first camera was Nikon D3000 and I was very happy with my 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 standard kit lens. Year after I’ve realized that this is not enough and I wanted to expand my borders and go further by purchasing Nikon D300s and adding couple more lenses to my collection such as 50mm f/1.8D, and 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6. I didn’t know much about lenses that time and though that teleport zoom lenses are the best ones. Its shame I was wrong as I don’t even use it these days. I normally use 50mm on my cropped sensor which gives me perfect portrait photos. I’ve recently became a father and taking photos of my new born son Teymur with 50mm f/1.8D was such a please. He is growing up quickly and I understand that 50mm is not going to be enough soon especially when we get back home to Baku as I’m pretty sure I’m going to have indoor issues with the whole family in the scene where 50mm will force to knock the wall down or 18-200mm f/3.5 is simply going to be too dark and blurry (as I hate to use anything above ISO 200). So, I’ve been saving money for past year for my new purchase and I’m looking at something that can do landscape, portrait, close-up shots. I’ve been researching on the web lately and got 2 lenses in my mind that I need to choose between of 1st) Nikon 24mm f/1.4 and 2nd) Nikon 24-70mm f2.8. I’m totally lost now after so many reviews and comments on different web sites from all over the world. Some say 24-70mm is not useful for cropped sensor cameras because it becomes 35-80, another say 24mm will give you distortion at aperture f1.4. I can pretty much afford D800 right now but won’t be able to buy the lenses, besides I don’t fill like I had enough time with my Nikon D300s yet and I want to enjoy and master it before I jump onto full frame one. This might be too much to ask but I would appreciate your advice regarding what lens would be the best to cover above mentioned needs with my Nikon D300s.
Thanks in advance
Ulvi Karimov
Hi Ulvi Karimov,
I think i can answer your query since i was pretty much in the same situation as you are. I had a 50mm F/1.4D and a Carl Zeiss 85mm f/1.4ZF.2 before i ventured into the Nikon 24mmF/1.4 just 1 week back. I haven’t yet tried this lens to its full potential but, by far my experience with this has been truly fulfilling.
You can find some of my samples shot with this lens in the below link
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vivam/tags/24mmf14/
I will be adding more as and when i take them. We need to understand that this is a very special lens that Nikon has produced. The subject-background differentiation that this lens gives at such wide angles and wide apertures is truly remarkable and i think Nikon has done a very good job. One problem that i see with this lens is its inability to acquire focus quickly in low lit situations. And if you turn to manual focusing, i must say the focal throw is not as good as the Zeiss 85mm or the Zeiss 35mm f/2 ZF. Having said that, in situations when you could nail the focus and get a shot, there is always that “awe” factor you could associate to each of those images. I m yet to try to use it as a Landscape lens so i would limit my comments only to portraits.
Assuming that i haven’t confused you more i would like to conclude that
If you want to play safe and want to have that flexibility of a zoom and can compromise on the wide aperture, you can stick to 24-70 but, if you are ‘Ok’ to shell some more money and ‘OK’ to pass through some learning curve and want a special lens added to your kitty[which in turn means some real good portraits with amazing results ]…I would say you have pretty much made the correct choice. :)
Note: 24-70 on DX would give you 36-105 and not 80.
Hi Nasim,
Is there anything you need to know(focussing) while using fast glass?
Regards
Sudhir
Dear Nasim,
what protection filter would you suggest to use with this lens (Nikkor 24mm). I saw you reference to B+W F-Pro.. I am currently thinking about XS-Pro (since it is wide-range lens..). Which one to take? Any other suggestion? Thanks in advance!
I really like the B+W 77mm XS-Pro Digital Nano MRC Clear (007) filters and have them on all my lenses, including the 24/1.4G.
I saw “B+W 77mm XS-Pro Clear UV Haze with Multi-Resistant Nano Coating (010M)”.. so 010M or 007? XS-Pro vs F-Pro? :)
by the way, I see filters 007M and 007, seems like the only difference is that 007 has nano coating, am I right? does it make a big difference between them?
anked B+W about 007 and 007M, according to them they are the same..
Hello Nasim,
I am just a hobbyist and i wanted to know if the 24mm f2.8D is a good alternative for the 24mm 1.4G.
Thanks and I enjoyed your reviews. Helps me a lot as a beginner.
Cheers
Hi,
I’m needing a ultra wide lens for my Nikon D-90. I like taking portraits, groups & landscape photography. Which lens could you recommend for my Nikon D-90: 14-24, 24mm f1/4 or 35mm f1/4?
Thank you!
I wouldn’t recommend any of those lenses if you’re looking for ultra wide on a cropped sensor. I used the Tokina 11-16/2.8 on a cropped body and loved it. The 12-24/4 is another good, slightly cheaper option with a bit more range. I usually only buy Nikon lenses for my Nikon cameras, but the Tokina 11-16 and 12-24 got such great reviews that I made an exception for my wide angle.
If you’re looking for something around 35mm for a cropped sensor (~50mm on full frame), get the 35mm f/1.8 DX for $200. It’s an amazing lens for the price and does a fantastic job on a cropped sensor camera. It’s no where near ultra wide angle though.
Thank you! Yes, it’s so difficult to decide when it comes to buying my lenses. I only own all Nikon lenses for my Nikon D-90, never tried any others brands But, I have read alot of reviews on some of the others.
WHY is it, that the Nikon 14-24 or 24mm f1/4 is not a good lens for my NIKON D-90?
So, your suggesting a Tokina?
Which will give me the BEST: Tokina 11-16 or 12-24?
What about the Nikon 35mm F1.4 for my Nikon D-90?
Disregard the last ? about this Nikon 35 F1/4, I see your suggestion now! But, Would it be a NIKON 35mm f1.8? or Tokina?
Thank you again!
The 14-24, 24/1.4, and 35/1.4 are all excellent lenses. I used the 24/1.4 on a D300s (same sensor size as your D90) and really liked the ~36mm full frame equivalent focal length. You asked about an ultra-wide angle lens though, and 35mm on DX is no where close to ultra wide angle. 24mm is wide-ish on DX, but still not ultra-wide. The 14-24 is an awesome lens, but it was made for a full frame sensor so you’re going to be carrying around a lot of weight for no reason on the D90.
If you want ultra wide, go with the Tokina 11-16/2.8 or 12-24/4. Both are excellent, the 11-16 maybe marginally better, but choose the lens you want based on how you’ll use it. 11-16 isn’t much range, but you get f/2.8 (twice as fast for low light). 12-24 is a more comfortable range, but it’s slower. Personally, I had the 12-24 but traded it for the 11-16 when it came out as it was just a hair wider and faster.
If you’re going to upgrade to a full frame camera anytime soon, keep in mind that you’ll have to upgrade your DX lenses too. Regardless, I’d say the Tokina 11-16/2.8 and Nikon 35/1.8 are no-brainers for a Nikon DX camera. You can get both for less than the cost of any of the other lenses you mention.
Thank you again so much for going into a little more detail. I’m completely understanding the lenses now!