Review on 📷 Nikon PC-E FX NIKKOR 24mm f/3.5D ED Fixed Zoom Lens for DSLR Cameras by Laura Ramos

First of all this lens is amazing as a straight 24mm lens. The colour, contrast, sharpness and most importantly the lack of any distortion are truly amazing. I have two other professional Nikon lenses in the focal range, 14-24 f/2.8 and 24-70 f/2.8, and this lens is significantly better than both. Especially in the absence of distortion, I noticed how the lines in the skyscrapers are perfectly straight, even to the edges of the frame. No rectification is required when processing my photos. However, if you think you want to replace the test camera with this lens, you will be in for a big disappointment. Vertical perspectives are not corrected as you might think. Tilt the lens to change the plane of focus, not perspective. The only way to capture architectural shots with perfectly straight lines is to hold the camera perfectly horizontal, unlike a view camera where you can tilt the camera and then tilt the back separately to make it parallel to the subject, and then tilt the lens to flatten the plane of focus with your back tilted. Instead, with this lens, you're using the shift to try and get the tops of the buildings in the frame, and that's the problem with this lens. The sensor's field of view is not particularly large when using this lens, so even a shift of about 2/3 of the available range will result in loss of sharpness and significant drop-off. The tilt function takes a little getting used to. In my use, I've found that tilting the aperture and keeping it open, rather than stopping down, helps. But small gradients also play a role, the difference between 2 and 3 degrees is noticeable, something works, something doesn't. The only use I've found for extreme tilt is to create a toy effect, but if you want to do that just buy a Lensbaby or even cheaper but just use the software. If you search Flickr for examples taken with this lens, you will see many of these and far fewer examples of this lens being angled the way it was designed. The mechanics are terrible. The buttons can hardly be hooked. I find myself adjusting the loose-lock switch myself, then rotating the lens to get a good grip to lock the shift. To my knowledge, Nikon will be replacing the buttons with larger ones, but since there is very little space under the pentaprism, I think it would be better to have a small lever that could be used to toggle between lock and unlock. The little lever to rotate the lens is also an issue, I keep looking for it, especially in the dark. The big problem is the inability to change the tilt orientation. With Canon lenses the owner can do that, but with Nikon you have to send them in to have it done as they have to replace the circuit board with one with a longer cable. If you have done this and decide to return it, you must return it to Nikon or doing so yourself will void your warranty. The change of orientation costs about $150. I've been using this lens almost every day for the past month and have discovered its strengths. My photos turn out better than with any of the above lenses. It's really cool with the panorama head. The biggest question is will my $2,000 photos get any better. I think it will differentiate me enough to eventually pay for itself, your mileage may vary.