Nikon auto focus wide-angle lenses
Most of the lenses reviewed below have manual focus versions as well. Details about their construction and performance can be found in the relevant chapter on this web site. All lenses mentioned in this chapter can be used on nearly all Nikon SLR cameras, no matter what the size of the film or sensor format is. Using these lenses on a APS reflex camera or a digital reflex camera with a DX sensor a crop factor of ± 1.5 has to be respected. The wide-angle effect of lenses with a short focal length will be lost; on the other hand lenses with a focal length of 24 - 35 mm. can be used as a standard lens or/and for snapshots. All lenses have the famous F-mount, thus having an aperture ring with the aperture data visible in the viewfinders of the older manual Nikon SLR cameras. Although all lenses are featuring auto focus all lenses have a relatively wide focusing ring for easy manual focusing. Finally, all lenses mentioned here have the (´D´) distance data transfer, which makes them usable with all sophisticated Nikon flash programs.
AF-Nikkor 2.8/14 mm. ED
This beautiful lens was introduced early 2000. It is a very strong (nearly all metal) and relatively heavy (670 gram) lens with an optical construction of 14 elements in 12 groups. 2 elements are so called hybrid aspheric elements and one element is made of ED-glass. The lens features ´rear focusing´, super integrated coating, distance data transfer and has a 27mm.-filter ring at the back. The 35mm.-equivalent of this 114° lens is 21 mm. (= 92°); still a wide-angle. Needless to say that this lovely lens produces needle-sharp images at all apertures down to 20 cm.
AF-S Nikkor 1.4/24 mm. G ED
Early February 2010 Nikon surprises us with this very fast wide-angle lens. It has a highly sophisticated optical formula, consisting of 12 elements in 10 groups; two elements are made of ED-glass and two others are aspherical elements. On top of that some lens surfaces have nano-crystal coating. This very nice reporter's lens can be focused down to 25 cm. Its filter thread is 77 mm. and the lens is weighting in at 620 gram.
AF-Nikkor 2.8/18 mm.
Another beautiful ultra-wide-angle lens with a viewing angle of 100° (72° on DX), introduced back in 1993 as the fastest 18mm.-lens of its era. It has an optical construction of 13 elements (one is a molded aspheric lens) in 10 groups. This lens also features rear focusing and distance data transfer. It has a 77mm. filter ring and comes with the HB-8 hood. This all round wide-angle lens weights in at 380 gram.
AF-Nikkor 2.8/20 mm.
This lens inherited the reputation of its manual focus ´brother´, which was introduced in late 1984. The auto focus version - presented in March 1994 - has the unchanged optical design of 12 elements in 9 groups. To produce crisp images down to its shortest focusing distance of 25 cm. this lens features close range correction (CRC): a system where some lenses are moving separately from the rest. The lens has a viewing angle of 94° (± 70° on DX), a filter ring of 62 mm, is weighting in at 270 gram and may need the HB-4 hood.
AF-Nikkor 2.8/24 mm.
This lens is a slightly modified auto focus version of the manual focus version that was introduced back in 1967. The manual focus version had an optical construction of 9 elements in 7 groups, this AF version - presented in 1988 - has 9 individual elements and the close range correction system in order to produce sharp images down to 30 cm. This light (270 gram) all round lens has a viewing angle of 84° (± 64° on DX)
AF-Nikkor 2.8/28 mm.
Another wide-angle lens once born as a manual focus lens (anno 1974). The manual focus version is rated as one of the best 28mm.-lens ever build; the auto focus version may earn the same reputation, although the lens barrel isn´t as sturdy as the all metal body of its ancestors. The manual focus lens has an optical construction of 7 individual elements, while the first auto focus version - introduced in July 1986 - has a redesigned construction of 5 individual lenses. In September 1994 the present auto focus version came on the market, which has a renewed design with 6 individual elements. Its 74° wide-angle (±54° on DX) makes it a very nice reporter´s lens. It weights in at 205 gram, uses the well known 52 mm filters and the HN-2 hood.
AF-Nikkor 1.4/28 mm.
In 1993 Nikon surprised the world with this relatively fast wide-angle beauty. In those days it was the fastest 28 mm.-lens ever! It has an optical construction of 11 elements (one is a precision ground aspheric lens) in 8 groups, close range correction + rear focusing. For its size it is not too heavy (520 gram). The HK-7 hood has to be bought separately. An odd policy of Nikon for this relatively expensive lens.
AF-Nikkor 2/35 mm.
The last lens in this line is an auto focus version of a well known and popular reporter´s lens, which was born as manual focus lens in 1962 and underwent several optical changes. The auto focus version was put on the market in 1989. It has an optical construction of 6 elements in 5 groups and a viewing angle of 62° (±45° on DX). It has a minimum focusing distance of 25 cm., takes 52 mm. filters and the HN-3 hood. A very nice all round lens with (and that´s a pity) a plastic body, which isn´t as sturdy as the manual version.
AF-S DX Nikkor 1.8/35 mm. G
Early February 2009 Nikon introduced a fast wide-angle lens, especially for the use on DX-mount digital SLR cameras. This new lens will have a viewing angle equal to that of a standard lens with a focal length of approx. 52 mm. The optical construction consists of 8 elements in 6 groups, it has 7 aperture blades and a built-in silent wave motor for fast focusing. The filter mount is 52 mm., the lens weights in at 200 gram and will take hood HB-46. The lens has a G-mount, which limits its use to the latest camera bodies.