20mm f/2.8D AF Nikkor
by Bo Stahlbrandt


Username bgs
Nikonian in Slovakia

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OVERVIEW

The 20mm/2.8D AF lens is interesting. With it you can go out taking landscape shots without getting fish-eyed while still getting more or less the whole view at 94 degrees. You can also use it for "environmental portraits", having a humble object somewhere in the middle of the frame and all of the interesting surroundings too.

May 1999 - caught the sun rising at 05:30. It had been raining heavily in the night, hence the interesting clouds. Nikon F5, Nikkor AF 20mm/2.8D on Fujichrome Velvia.

I don't have a whole batch of lenses, but I have some good ones. I consider the small 20mm AF Nikkor being one of the most useful. I use it a lot, both for landscape and when I want to have a compact combo on the shoulder.

Due to the construction of this lens, you achieve a total depth of field (DOF) at F22 - from your feet to the horizon. Some say that this lens is a tad sensitive - I guess the complex construction in a small, physical package is the reason.

The 20mm weights only 270g and is 52mm long. Overall very compact.

The lens takes 62mm filters, which are definitely cheaper than the 77mm ones you need to use for its wider sister, the Nikkor AF 18mm/2.8D. The 18mm costs more than double compared to this lens, yet you don't have to be afraid that you're saving on image quality - you're not.