www.juanparmenides.com
The Nikkor 17-50mm f/2.8G AF-S DX ED-IF is a professional quality zoom (golden ring) from Nikon with high end glasses and it has been and it is the professional’s workhorse from all over the world, being profusely used by the photojournalists in Nikon D2X, D200 and D300 cameras. It was presented by Nikon in July, 2003. This lens could be used in the Nikon D3 making use of the cropping factor that this camera incorporates for DX lens, as Nikon announces, although, for common sense, the Nikon D3 users would feel more sensitive for new Nikkor 24-70mm. As lately is the lens standard, it has no manual aperture ring, but you can manage those functions from the camera with fingers without moving away your eyes from the viewfinder. The optical architecture is formed by 14 optical elements in 10 groups, with 3 ED glasses and 3 aspherical to provide an excellent image quality. The filter diameter is 77mm. It has a 9 rounded leaves diaphragm that provides a pleasant bokeh, being also capable for portraits. Because it not uses internal focus the front element does not rotate with focus, so the use of polarizers is not a problem. It is a zoom with a 3,2x multiplication factor and, with the DX Nikon cameras, the covering angle varies from 79º to 28º 50' being its equivalence in 35mm as if it was a 25,5 - 82,5mm. The minimum focusing distance is 0,36m. The lens dimensions are 86 x 111mm and it weighs about 755 gr. The focus can be Automatic or Manual, with an override for Automatic, that is to say, although it is in Automatic, you can readjust the focus by hand. The focus speed is very high and silent thanks to its SWM motor and it is an absolute precision focus. The lens is not too big for its category and it is very comfortable to use.. The distortion is the typical from these zooms at 17mm, nor better or worse than its rivals and the corrections that Photoshop CS has needed are the following:
The vigneting is not one of its strong points because this lens doesn't benefit of the full frame lens advantages used in a DX format. The values are the following:
The chromatic aberrations are very well achieved in the Nikkor 17-55 f:2 ,8 and we can assure that they are below the stocking in this zooms type. To measure resolution I have used Quick MTF software and the appropriate charts for it. The results are not able to have, of course, the precision and accuracy of tests made in laboratory, but sure I can bet very strong to that would be very similar obtained in reality in the fieldwork. The data for MTF50 is:
Nikon 17-55mm f:2,8 MTF50 Chart
To see the 30 lines MTF chart, the real resolution lens, Nikon Japan has the charts here
Some images, taken with a Nikon D300 and saved for web only:
: The conclusion is that it is a professional grade lens, with more virtues than defects and it is an excellent lens for landscapes, architecture, some portrait and it is very capable for the graphic reporters daily due to its hardness and construction quality. The psychological barrier of 1.000 Euros makes doubt us a little in its acquisition, but it is really worthwhile to have it. A very serious competitor, the Tamron 17-50 f: 2,8, is optically as good as Nikon is, even in one or two situations, the Tamron is superior to Nikon, but Nikon in average is better, better built and it will surely last more.
© 2008 Juan Parménides. Derechos Reservados. All Rights Reserved |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
