I've had a nice Nikon Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 Ai up for sale for quite some time now. The reason is that last year I decided to put together a full frame kit based on AF lenses. So I sold nearly all of my manual focus Nikkor glass. I'm getting old and focusing the MF optics, no matter how brilliant they are, present focusing challenges that I'd rather not spend my time dealing with. So, home came a Sigma 24mm f/3.5 DG DN to replace the Nikon 24mm.
Not having compared the two lenses I thought I ought to, just in case I discovered a "need" to hang onto the Nikkor. So using a couple lens test charts that I printed I set out to see whatever there was to see.
Mind you, I'm not measuring anything. Other people do a better job of such things than I. However, by comparing one lens against another using the exact same setup I should be able to illustrate any differences.
What I find is that the
- Nikon, without software intervention, is a little soft in the corners compared to the Sigma, but...
- Nikon appears to have just a hint of something sharper/contrastier in the center of the frame. Maybe.
- Sigma has software intervention correctable pincushion distortion
- There seems to be little to no impact on "resolution" in correcting the Sigma's distortion in software
- RawTherapee software sharpener intervention called Capture Sharpen pretty much levels the field
Recently I had a Wild Hair to try IR imaging and the Nikkor would be perfect for that. It has an IR focus mark, whereas with any AF lens I have would be a guessing game as to where critical focus is in the IR range. So, if I can't/don't sell/trade away the Nikkor perhaps I'll eventually be able to put it to good use.
Until something happens the old Nikkor rests peacefully in the toy closet.
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