New AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED
Nikon announced the new AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED a few days ago. Because I shoot the full-frame (“FX”) Nikon D3x, it is of minor interest to me. However, it looks like a great new option for those shooting DX-frame cameras like the D2x, D300, D90, D5000, etc. It’s a lens I might take a look at for DAP if interest is there.
I have some concerns with ultra wide angle designs, brought to the fore with recent experience. When I was shooting my Nikon D2x (DX sensor) a few years ago, I had trouble obtaining a 12-24 zoom without issues. I finally settled for the 3rd replacement sample (4th copy), which wasn't perfect; all the samples showed some asymmetry (the first sample actually had a double image in one corner!).
So the 10-24mm zoom means that precision has to be even higher at 10mm than at 12mm. Seems doubtful to me, so watch your copy of this lens carefully, especially at the wide end. At the long end, the f/5.6 aperture will hide some of any error that is present, so if something looks bad there, it’s really off.
