AF-S NIKKOR 14-24 mm f/2 lens test.8G ED

Nikon has been producing this lens since 2007, and it is still popular among professionals. And they are known to turn a blind eye to weight, price and anything else for the sake of excellent image quality. In my opinion this lens is without a doubt one of the best and optimal lenses for landscape photography.

Aperture – f/5.6

Shutter speed 1/200, ISO 250

Focal length – 14mm

Camera – Nikon D810

The lens is an AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

Aperture – f/8

Shutter speed 1/160, ISO 200

Focal length 14mm

The camera is a Nikon D810

The lens is an AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

Let’s take a look at the strengths of the AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2 lens.8G ED:

1. Angle.

Compared to a 16-35mm, for example, 2mm really means a lot. Also, the wider the angle, the closer you can shoot the foreground closer hyperfocal . 14mm is great for both the angle of view: landscapes appear three-dimensional and low-point shots at closed apertures to widen the DOF.

2. Luminosity.

Why, you may ask, do you need f/2.8 if you shoot landscapes with the aperture closed? What about astrophotography?! The brighter the lens, the more starlight you can catch. In combination with the 14mm focal length, the Milky Way and Northern Lights appear stunning.

Aperture – f/8

Shutter speed: 1/4, ISO 400

Focal length is 14mm

The camera is a Nikon D810

The lens is AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

Aperture – f/16

Shutter speed – 30, ISO 64

Focal length: 14 mm

The camera is a Nikon D810

Lens – AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

3. Sharpness.

The lens is perfectly sharp from the open aperture, also around the edges. This is quite important for printing photos at large sizes. Plus the perfect combination of lens with multi-megapixel sensors, such as the D810. Diffraction is noticeable from apertures on the order of 16-18, which is very flexible.

4. Filters.

Until recently, it was almost impossible to use 14mm and wider lenses for landscape photography. Landscape is first and foremost a good use of filters. They allow you to vary the shutter speed, this is very important for shooting water: sea, rivers, waterfalls, long exposures. Several filter systems for 14-24mm have appeared in recent years. I use the Lucroit system. There are also Lee and NiSi systems. They are bulky, flimsy and expensive, but they produce stunning results.

Aperture of f/7.1

Shutter speed 1/125, ISO 250

Focal length – 24 mm

Nikon D810

Lens – AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

Aperture – f/22

Shutter speed 1/100, ISO 320

Focal length – 16 mm

The camera is a Nikon D810

The lens is AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

5. Geometry.

Even with a major tilt of the camera the lens does not bend the horizon. Interesting use of perspective distortion vertically to zoom in on mountains and foreground spread. This lens has a low barrel distortion, which is also important for architecture.

6. Build.

Metal sealed body does not collect dust.

Now for a complete experience, let’s compare the AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED with other lenses similar in focal length.

14 mm

At open apertures image with AF NIKKOR 14mm f/2.The 8D ED is still a bit worse around the edges, but I take this lens for challenging hikes and expeditions, when every gram counts, as the AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.The 8G ED is pretty heavy. It’s hard to put filters on the 14mm, it has a different type of holder. From the creative point of view it is better to play with the composition, and the possibility to zoom in from 14 to 24 mm helps to find the right composition without excessive cropping.

16-35 and 17-35mm

I have to admit that the 14-24 for landscape photography without filters is very challenging to use. You can’t control the shutter speed, blur the waves beautifully and make thin strands of water on waterfalls, although in all other parameters – sharpness, geometry, etc.d. – It’s superior to other lenses.

If you actively use filters, but don’t have the budget for them in conjunction with the 14-24, you can choose the AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR lens, which is loaded with relatively inexpensive round filters, including a polarik. However, the aperture of f/4 will limit you when shooting at night. You would be better off with the AF-S NIKKOR 17-35mm f/2 in this regard.8D IF-ED, even though it’s a decade older. No point in using both lenses at the same time.

Aperture is f/18

Shutter speed 1/15, ISO 100

Focal length – 15 mm

Camera – Nikon D810

Lens – AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

Aperture – f/8

Shutter speed 1/125, ISO 320

The focal length is 14mm

Camera – Nikon D810

Lens – AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

With fichai lenses you can shoot a classic landscape only as an interesting experiment. And on lenses from 24 mm – very hard because of the small angle of view and the constant need for panoramas. Has a 24mm lens – AF-S NIKKOR 24mm f/1.4G ED, AF-S NIKKOR 24mm f/1.8G ED – but I have a hard time shooting with them at night because of the small angle of coverage.

Aperture f/14

Shutter speed 4, ISO 100

Focal length – 14 mm

My camera is a Nikon D850

The lens is AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

The aperture is f/3.5

Shutter speed 10, ISO 3200

You have a focal length of 14mm

The camera is a Nikon D850

The lens is AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED

Let’s draw a conclusion from all this. Yes, with the AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED is not easy to work with because of the large coverage and the special filters of the 150mm. But this is my main tool. It reflects my style of wide-angle landscapes with a pronounced foreground. I use it for about 80% of my shots.

“By “taming” it, you can get incredible results in the landscape. The lens is sharp also because of the aperture of 2.8 is great for astrophotography. If you don’t have the budget for it in conjunction with filters and don’t plan to shoot at night, choose the 16-35 or 17-35 if, like me, the stars don’t give you a hard time either.