Nikon 28mm f/2.8D versus Nikon 35mm f/1.8 G

[nick herbert]

<p>I'm looking to buy a general purpose, decent quality prime lens to fix permanently onto my D70. My ideal focal length is either 28mm or 35mm. My main criteria is image quality - sharpness in particular. I have narrowed my choice down to the 28mm f2.8D or the 35mm 1.8G. As far as focal length, price and speed are concerned, the two are very similar. Does anyone have any experience with regards to the image quality of either or both of these two lenses.</p>

 

[dcphotography]

<p>I would not say that f/2.8 and f/1.8 are similar. A stop and a third can make a big difference in some situations. I would go with the 35mm if you are shooting DX only for that reason.</p>

[bmm]

<p>If you're 'fixing permanently' on a DX camera then I agree go the newer 35mm. f/.18 will give you better flexibility in depth of field and also the extra stop and a bit is helpful with a model like D70 which has a relatively low useable ISO 'ceiling' by today's standards.<br>

I also happen to love the 35mm focal length on DX... classic normal FL.</p>

[nick herbert]

<p>Thanks for the advice so far. However, I'm not too concerned about the difference in stops between the two lenses, or the focal lengths, or the depth of field etc. I am really only interested in the image quality - the sharpness in particular, when comparing these two lenses.</p>

[penwaggener]

<p>I've got a 28mm 2.8 (non-D) and a 35 1.8, and I think if sharpness is your ONLY concern, I'd recommend the newer 35mm 1.8. I like some of the other image qualities of the 28 better, and the color rendition is just <i>different</i>, which I'd say is a matter of preference or art. Both lenses are capable of terrific output, and both make wonderful DX walkaround lenses.</p>

[mars790]

<p>If image quality is your main concern, forget about the 28mm 2.8D. Look for a 28mm 2.8 AI-s (avoid the cheaper E series).</p>

<p>It has an 8 element design with very close focusing capability and is sharp and contrasty. You lose AF but will have a nice piece of glass. On DX, it's not that wide and performs more like a "normal" lens.</p>

[ramon_v__california_]

<p>i have both and i prefer the new 35mm for my D70s for image quality and low light capability; and the slight difference in weight.</p>