Test results for two Nikon lenses today, a fantastic tele macro, and a more average wide-angle prime:
After more than a month's hiatus, we're back with a couple of lens tests today, and hopefully a couple more by sometime next week. The holidays themselves, and the pre-holiday panic over on Imaging-Resource.com really cut into our test schedule, not to mention a significant chunk of time I spent constructing the "yellow submarine," test tech Jim's name for our new mobile optical bench setup. It was a bit of a pain to build, but it should be a huge help for Jim, making our focus-bracketing test methodology a lot easier to execute in practice.
The two lenses we have up today come close to bracketing Nikon's line in terms of image quality. The Nikkor 200mm f/4D ED-IF AF Micro is just a fantastically sharp lens, with chromatic aberration, distortion, and shading characteristics to match its incredible sharpness. All in all, this is one of the best lenses we've tested to date, by any maker. On the other hand, the Nikkor 24mm f/2.8D AF is much more average in its characteristics. As we note though, there's not a lot else out there for the Nikon platform that matches its specific focal length, maximum aperture, compact size and build quality, so perhaps it deserves a little slack in the IQ department.
On other fronts, the User Review Sweepstakes is in its final weeks, scheduled to end at midnight (US Eastern time) January 15, so now's the time to write some user reviews, if you've been putting it off. Remember, the more reviews you post, the better your chances of winning the ~$1,700 value prize. And remember too, that you can review any piece of photo gear that's listed on this site, not just lenses! Thanks to all who are participating, good luck to one and all when the time comes for the drawing!
- Dave E.
Two more lens tests posted on SLRgear!