24mm or 28mm nikon prime ??

[RIPP_n_WIPE]

Alright so I am beginning to head towards the end of my deployment (95 days to go!) and I am starting to buy some shit so it'll be ready when I come home. I am starting to get lenses for my camera and right now I've got two options.

The two lenses I am looking at are the Nikkor 24mm f/2 and the 28mm f/2 MF AI lenses. They will be going on a 5d mk2 body. I can find both for about the same price ($<400) and they're both fast and have really great optics. The thing that's getting me is I only need one wide-angle and I want something that's as versatile as possible.

The two things that differentiates these lenses is flare and focal length. The 24mm is flare prone according to reviews though I can't find any pictures of it flaring up. I've looked at hundreds upon hundreds of photos taken by both lenses and both look really stellar. I've seen some street and portrait shots taken with both and they both look great. If anyone has some photos of the flare on these lenses or can show and tell me the differences between the two focal lengths as far as perspective with a given subject please do. I've seen only six with the same composition simply taken with a different lens and the only thing that that's proven is that the 24mm is wider (obviously)/

[Marcus Aurelius]

Alright so I am beginning to head towards the end of my deployment (95 days to go!) and I am starting to buy some shit so it'll be ready when I come home. I am starting to get lenses for my camera and right now I've got two options.

The two lenses I am looking at are the Nikkor 24mm f/2 and the 28mm f/2 MF AI lenses. They will be going on a 5d mk2 body. I can find both for about the same price ($<400) and they're both fast and have really great optics. The thing that's getting me is I only need one wide-angle and I want something that's as versatile as possible.

What do you mean by "only one wide angle"? Does it mean that the next focal length you're going to have is 40 mm or more? This is a pretty important question, since if you already have something that can do 35 mm, you should definitely go for the 24 mm, but if this is going to be your only wide angle in the original and only correct meaning of the term (i.e. anything wider than normal), the 28 mm is going to be more versatile. 24 mm is pretty wide and great for that wide angle "in your face" perspective, since it allows you to get close to your main subject, but in many situations it is also too wide, unless you don't mind cropping. On the other hand, with a 5D mk2 you certainly can afford some cropping resolution-wise. I wouldn't worry too much about the flare, unless you really like backlighted pictures. The 28 mm is not going to be immune to flare, either.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Isn't a 5D MK II a Canon, and aren't Nikkor lenses Nikon products?

[Marcus Aurelius]

Isn't a 5D MK II a Canon, and aren't Nikkor lenses Nikon products?

Yes, but Nikon F mount lenses can be used in Canon EF mount cameras with an adapter, although you only get stop down metering, if I remember correctly (not a Canon user myself), and of course no AF. However, the lenses in question are manual focus in any case. It's actually fairly common for Canon users to use Nikkor wide angles, since they tend to be somewhat better in many cases than Canon wides, and wide angles are often used in a manner that does not require autofocus or full Program exposure.

Both of these lenses are older designs and modern Canon wideangles would be better optically, but they would also be much more expensive. There are some reasonably inexpensive EF mount lenses from the late 1980s and early 1990s, but in general Canon EF does not have the as many old lenses available as Nikon F, because it has been around "only" for 23 years, whereas Nikon F AI is a decade older, and in addition many pre-AI lenses going back to 1959 have been converted to AI.

[RIPP_n_WIPE]

Isn't a 5D MK II a Canon, and aren't Nikkor lenses Nikon products?

Yes, but Nikon F mount lenses can be used in Canon EF mount cameras with an adapter, although you only get stop down metering, if I remember correctly (not a Canon user myself), and of course no AF. However, the lenses in question are manual focus in any case. It's actually fairly common for Canon users to use Nikkor wide angles, since they tend to be somewhat better in many cases than Canon wides, and wide angles are often used in a manner that does not require autofocus or full Program exposure.

Both of these lenses are older designs and modern Canon wideangles would be better optically, but they would also be much more expensive. There are some reasonably inexpensive EF mount lenses from the late 1980s and early 1990s, but in general Canon EF does not have the as many old lenses available as Nikon F, because it has been around "only" for 23 years, whereas Nikon F AI is a decade older, and in addition many pre-AI lenses going back to 1959 have been converted to AI.

Correct and I will be purchasing a 50mm lens and a telephoto zoom. I wasn't really impressed with 35mm as a focal length. I felt 50mm was more natural (obviously it's closer to our eyes perspective). 35mm really isn't wide enough, 24mm is good but distortion get a little crazy and it's not quite wide enough for certain landscape and interior shots which is why I was flipping between it and 28mm.

But upon your suggestion and a little more lens searching I will go with 28mm as a focal length. Thanks.