Nikkor 20mm AF D

[sam_ginger]

I want to buy new Nikkor AF 20mm D lens. Is it made in Japan?

[ilkka_nissila]

Yes, it is. And what's really surprising it's got fabulous manual focusing feel and overall it's a very nice lens.

[sam_ginger]

Based on your experience, what you can say about this lens.

[bryan_lardizabal]

I've had this lens for 5 years and its excellent for both my N90s & D70. It focuses very

close (12 inches or so) and has been my favorite landscape lens. If you like wide

prime lenses this is a must have.

[erik_loza]

Ditto what the rest of the guys said. The '20 was my main wide-angle for five years before switching to a 17-35 (due only to lack of space in the camera backpack for several primes) and it's wonderful. I don't know how other photographers use theirs, but mine was primarily for close-up work when I wanted to include as much background as posssible. It's close-focusing distance is very handy. Pick up a used one if you can -"D" doesn't matter. Good luck.

[bill_kleimen]

Great lens. Bought mine through Cameta as a factory demo at a very good price.

[eye-of-searle]

It's a great lens. It can be a little to get good compositions when you first start using it but half the fun I found with this lens is mastering it. Once you have mastered it, you will love it.

[eye-of-searle]

I meant to say it can be a little "tricky" to get good compositions.......

[alex_lofquist]

Unless you already have a 24mm (or about) lens, going to a 20mm can be a bit extreme. The 20 is a great lens but, as mentioned, it can be tricky! On the other hand it will do things that anything longer cannot.

 

Perspective distortion can be a godsend or an anathema. The lens is best used with full-frame viewing such as on the F-series (F-F6 Nikons).

 

It is better than a zoom Nikkor in regards to flare and ghosting, but not immune to them. Any sort of a hood is probably better than none. Be prepared to use your hand or hat to block extraneous light.

[ilkka_nissila]

It gives great results on the D70 as well as film bodies. I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be used on DX format bodies - in fact, I originally bought it for that purpose although I love to use it on film as well. I never liked my 24 mm much (not the kind of "look" that I like) and today I finally sold it.<div></div>

[sam_ginger]

"The 20 is a great lens but, as mentioned, it can be tricky!"

 

What "tricks" are you talking about?

[eye-of-searle]

Tricky in that the 20mm focal length pushes everything back in terms of perspective. When I first started using it, I found everything was really far away and very small in my images even though the objects in question may have only been a couple of feet away in reality. You have to be creative and find ways to fill the frame with a subject. This can be tricky but also fun to deal with. For big landscapes it's not really an issue. It's hard to explain but the best way to see what I am talking about is to try one out and look through the viewfinder. One thing to try is to sit down with your feet out in front of you and focus on your feet with the 20mm. They will look like they are 10 feet away and ten feet below you and small.

[georges_pelpel]

I like landscape and this lens is my favorite, by far. Flare is very controllable, I do a lot of

sun in the frame shots with it, much better than any zoom I have tried. Yet the 17-35 is

supposed to be good at that.

As others mentioned it takes time to learn it, nothing too difficult. You will see what we

mean after looking at your first shots. One advice, don't put the film plan vertical. Lean the

camera forward, and slighly off the ground (1 to 2'). That will bring better proportions to

the backgrounds and increase DOF.

[yuriy y. vilin]

Experience? This is great predictable tool for photography. Can't say anything bad about it. They get quite cheap used these days, I got my from KEH for $330 Ex+

[sam_ginger]

What about sharpness?

[ilkka_nissila]

It is a very sharp lens, great prints can be made on either film or D70 (I comment on that because I haven't used other DSLRs with this lens). I get more detail out of it on Velvia 100F than D70 though. If properly focused, the images from the D70 and the 20 mm are great.

 

If you use film, it can't be beat for quality vs. price, and if you take flare into account, it can't be beat period. If you use digital, a 12-24 may be slightly better in quality if you can live with the f/4 aperture. I can't, and love the small size of the 20. Look at Philip Greenspun's review of the 20 mm AF (same optic) in the equipment section of this site (from the top menu, Equipment->35mm->Nikon->lens reviews->20 mm).

[alex_lofquist]

I primarily use the 20mm as a "foreground" lens on my film cameras. I bring near objects to fill a large portion of the frame and allow the background to trail off into the distance, giving it dramatic perspective. Of course with the "crop factor" this is nowhere near as effective when used on a digital camera.