Nikon 12-24mm lens review

Nikon 12-24mm lens review - not another traditional tech review, you can find those anywhere.

This is my "intuitive photographer" "zen & the art of the 12-24mm lens" review.

In short: I love it. It's now my favorite walk around lens. It hasn't been put to the big tests (competition prints) but the Nikon 12-12mm wide angle zoom is clearly a winner.

It's been around for a while and was the first lens Nikon developed specifically for digital cameras and their smaller sensors. But I needed something sharper than the D70 kit lens, as the D2x was too much camera for an otherwise steady performer. And I'm anticipating the arrival of my new D300 which will need a much more "dynamic" lens.

Ok, I know - where are the sample pics? Hang on a sec....These are the first shots I've taken with this lens, so let me explain.

Each photo represents the extreme end of the lens scale, either 12 mm, super wide or 24 mm.

The first set are buildings about 150 yards from my office window. The window was closed and has not been cleaned since about 1895! it seems the dirt is actually of some historic significance as the owner won't ever clean the windows.

In the shot of the bridge, there's a shot for context with people walking. About 20 feet closer to the pinnacle thingy is approximately where I took the full frame shot of the spire, and the next one is a 100% crop from that image of the detail that this camera lens combo give you. These are low res jpgs, but if you want the hi-res versions to compare send me an email.

The one with the people is just a spontaneous shot of me and my "boyfriends" at lunch one day last week. We're sitting at a small burger joint table, with very contrasty light. Try that with any other old lens!!!

So, based on my own personal criteria (sharpness on the D2x, attractivenesses of the image, purple fringing - chromatic aberration {which is pretty well fixed if you shoot RAW}, and adaptability to my type of photography {nature, landscapes, architecture, street shots}, I say this lens is a fantastic addition to my kit and will be to yours too.

And if you are considering a Nikon D3, I've read that this one will work on a full size sensor except at the wides of wide angles.

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See the Nikon 12-24 mm wide angle zoom lens sample shots here (low res jpgs).