Nikon wide angle PC versus non-PC lens

[WJT]

I have a need for a wide angle lens (24mm) and was thinking of getting the Nikon 24mm f/3.5 PC-E instead of the 24mm f1.4G ED lens. Any thoughts on this? I know the PC lens is slower but I am more concerned about overall rez and image quality. I shoot mostly landscapes with some interiors and architectural shots. Regards.

[ShunCheung]

I have had the 24mm/f3.5 PC-E since 2008 or so. So far I am quite happy with it but I don't use it all that much. For landscape and architecture, having tile and shift is a major plus. However, for interiors, I think you are better off with the newer 19mm/f4 PC-E if its $3400 price tag is not an issue.

 

For a traditional lens, would you consider the 24mm/f1.8 AF-S? You don't need f1.4 for landscape and architecture work, right?

[WJT]

Shun, many thanks for the response. Would you know if the PC lens is compatible with the D850 body? Do any of the lens controls physically interfere with those on the body?

[ilkka_nissila]

I would expect the D850 prism front not to interfere with the movements of the D850 especially since there is no built-in flash. Even on the D810 you can do the most common things it's just that rotation when fully shifted may be obstructed by the pop-up flash housing. On the D3/D4/D5 and the Df there is no such obstruction and you can rotate the lens when shifted or unmount / mount it with any settings in place.

 

I think the 24mm PC is a good lens for near-to-far landscapes and this is the kind of image I would most often use it for. For architecture especially exteriors of large buildings I think the field curvature of the 24 PC makes it challenging to achieve good sharpness across the image when shifted a lot. I shot a vertical image of a medieval church some years ago and shifted quite a lot to get the tower in. To get the best sharpness in this case I found it best to focus not at the center but about half-way from the center towards the top of the tower and then stop down to f/8 - f/11. The 19 PC is said to be flatter field so you can achieve this kind of shot more easily. However the 24 PC focuses closer so for near to far landscape or close-up it may be more versatile (depending on how near you want to focus). If you can live with the fact that with the 24 PC you need to take great care to check the focus across the image and when necessary, stop down, and like the kind of slow approach to photography where you really take your time to get everything right you can find PC lenses very enjoyable, as I have.

 

I don't have personal experience with the 19mm but what I've read about it suggests it is an extremely high quality lens.

[JDMvW]

The existence of the PC-Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 was the reason I went to Nikon in 1971.

Later, its use on the EOS lens mount with an inexpensive adapter was part of my reason for going to Canon (eventually to full-frame).

 

I now also have the Canon TS-E shift\ tilt 17mm, and if the Nikkor is anywhere near as good, I'd recommend the 19mm over the 24mm. The extra range is really helpful.

[ShunCheung]

All tilt-shift functionalities from the 24mm/f3.5 PC-E work on the D800 and D810. There is a knob on the lens that can bump into the D800/D810's viewfinder, but you can rotate the PC lens by 180 degrees to avoid that problem while getting the same effect.

 

Using that particular lens on the D850 has yet to be fully tested, but I don't expect any compatibility issues.