There is not so much light in Norway at this time of the year so fast primes (in addition to push processing) are pretty much needed any time no flash is used. I have typically been using 50mm lenses (f/1.8 or f/1.4) but I often feel that I would like a slightly wider field of view so these days I am using my 35mm lenses as my default daily lens and I quite like it. I have both the Nikon Nikkor 35mm f/1.4 AI-s and the Nikon 35mm f/2 AI-s, lets compare them a bit to see which I should use. The pictures bellow show the f/1.4 on the left and the f/2 on the right.
The size and weight difference between the two is quite significant since the f/1.4 had significantly more glass. Both are quite old and in used condition but the glass is nice and clean.
The f/1.4 has a few specks of dust inside but probably not anything which could affect the pictures. I did some quick tests when I got the lens and confirmed the general opinion that it is not so good at f/1.4. The sharpness is poor across the frame and it has a lot of vignetting. From f/2 it is much better so in practice I almost never shoot it at f/1.4.
The f/2 is in marginally better condition but has also seen some use. It is much lighter and easier to use. It is about the same size at a 50mm which makes it very convinient to carry around. It is the challenger, if it perfoms, I am considering using it instead of the f/1.4.
Here are some simple test shots with both lenses at different apertures. I am not really looking for what lens is the sharpest here but more at the overall contrast and image quality they provide in a challenging backlit scene.
The f/1.4 has a few specks of dust inside but probably not anything which could affect the pictures. I did some quick tests when I got the lens and confirmed the general opinion that it is not so good at f/1.4. The sharpness is poor across the frame and it has a lot of vignetting. From f/2 it is much better so in practice I almost never shoot it at f/1.4.
The f/2 is in marginally better condition but has also seen some use. It is much lighter and easier to use. It is about the same size at a 50mm which makes it very convinient to carry around. It is the challenger, if it perfoms, I am considering using it instead of the f/1.4.
Here are some simple test shots with both lenses at different apertures. I am not really looking for what lens is the sharpest here but more at the overall contrast and image quality they provide in a challenging backlit scene.
Conclusion
On the simple test above, the 35mm f/2 seem to give better contrast were the images from the 35mm f/1.4 is a bit washed out. I do not know how this translate when it come to 'real' images since this test is quite special and has a lot of flare which can explain the lost of contrast. I'll have to test with other images. The size difference between the two is quite significant and since the 35mm f/1.4 is not that good at f/1.4, I am considering getting rid of it if the f/2 is on par from f/2 and up. Bellow are a few pictures shot with the 35mm f/2.
