photo - Ken Gilbert

the guide * widE-AngLE PriMES
canon eF 14mm
F/2.8l ii usm fuLL-frAME
amateur pro
$2,150, street, with built-in
hood the widest canon L-series
prime, version II upgraded the
optics, added new coatings, and
more gaskets and seals. the
result? a heartier lens with better
distortion control, close-focusing,
and magnifying power.
standout spec close-focusing
leica tri-elmar-m
16–18–21mm F/4 asph
fuLL-frAME
amateur pro
$4,995, street, with hood
and case not a zoom, this
lens offers three discrete focal
lengths that each click-stop
into place. among its other
unusual amenities: red barrel
threading that alerts you to
screw on the hood.
standout spec three sharp
leica summicron-m
28mm F/2
1/2
fuLL-frAME
amateur pro
$3,995, street, with hood and
case Faster by a stop than the
“bargain-priced” Elmarit-m 28mm,
it’s slightly heavier, but otherwise
similar in dimensions. Superbly
finished and constructed.
standout spec Its f/2 speed
lets you take handheld shots
without flash at dusk or in other
nikon aF nikkor 28mm
F/2.8d
1/2
fuLL-frAME
amateur pro
$270, street Back in 1998,
when we tested this lens, we
called it one of the best of its
type. Sharp, with a 10-inch
close-focusing distance, its
magnification came in at a
notable 1:5.7.
standout spec that
price—it’s an f/2.8, after all.
pentaX 21mm F/3.2
da al limited APS-C
1/2
amateur pro
$510, street, with hood and
case all-metal construction,
engraved markings, and excellent
optics. ultra-compact, it’s perfect
for travelers. the close-focusing
distance of 7.25 inches and
magnification of 1:5.7 promise
great vacation close-ups.
standout spec Size—it’s
PRICEY
improved to 7.5 inches.
mounts canon EF
weiGht 1.4 pounds
lenGth 3.7 inches
Filter siZe rear slot
staBiliZation no
PRICEY
lenses in one housing.
mounts Leica m
weiGht 0.7 pound
lenGth 2.5 inches
Filter siZe 49mm
staBiliZation no
PRICEY
low-light situations.
mounts Leica m
weiGht 0.6 pound
lenGth 1.6 inches
Filter siZe 46mm
staBiliZation no
STEaL
mounts nikon aF
weiGht 0.5 pound
lenGth 1.8 inches
Filter siZe 52mm
staBiliZation no
1-inch deep and under 5 ounces.
mounts Pentax KaF2
weiGht 0.3 pound
lenGth 1.0 inch
Filter siZe 49mm
staBiliZation In the camera
96 popular photography January 2010
bESt in CLASS
In these pages, we rate all of the current DSLRs (and one
rangefinder), plus all of the current lenses within a given
focal range, that we’ve tested. The star ratings reflect:
LEnSES
optics: Includes sharpness,
distortion, and light falloff
Barrel design: Includes
focus and zoom rings,
markings, and aF motor
To match cameras and lenses,
look for the labels below.
APS-C four thirdS fuLL-frAME bESt in CLASS
gEtting oLd nEw ModEL STEaL PRICEY
canon eF 24mm
canon eF 28mm
F/1.4l ii usm fuLL-frAME
1/2
F/2.8
fuLL-frAME
amateur pro amateur pro
$1,700, street, with hood
and case Sharpness improved
considerably compared to
Version I due to new antireflective
coating. Light falloff to f/4.5
was a minor disappointment.
standout spec SQF
performance leapt to 93.4%
from 74.1% (at f/1.4) compared
leica elmarit-m 21mm
gEtting oLd leica elmarit-m 28mm
F/2.8 asph fuLL-frAME PRICEY
F/2.8
1/2
fuLL-frAME
amateur pro amateur pro
$4,295, street, with hood and
case Light and compact, the
lens offers Leica-perfect optics.
crescent-shaped focusing knob
(Leica calls it a thumb tab)
makes manual focusing
user-friendly. If only we could say
the same about the price.
standout spec outstanding
nikon aF nikkor 14mm
nikon aF nikkor 20mm
F/2.8d ed fuLL-frAME F/2.8d fuLL-frAME
$1,720, street, with case
and built-in hood the perfect
nikkor for architectural photo-
graphy because of its ultrawide
view and relatively strong
distortion control that keeps lines
straight. Well-constructed, with
attractive matte-black surfacing.
standout spec the 8-inch
pentaX 14mm F/2.8
pentaX 15mm F/4 da
da ed APS-C
1/2
ed al limited
1/2
APS-C
amateur pro amateur pro
$715, street, with hood all-metal
barrel and lensmount, wide
aperture, and excellent SQF deem
this lens pro-ready without the pro at 1/3-stop down from wide open.
price. close-focusing distance of mounts Pentax KaF2
6.7 inches and magnification of weiGht 1.1 pounds
1:4.6 reinforce the claim. lenGth 2.7 inches
standout spec Excellent Filter siZe 77mm
light-falloff control—vignetting gone staBiliZation In the camera
siGma 20mm F/1.8 eX dG
fuLL-frAME
amateur pro
$570, street, with hood
and case Favored by pros
for its speed, this 20mm lens
was considered a “super”
ultrawide back in 2002 when
we tested it. not so much, now.
standout spec Speed,
its f/1.8 aperture is very fast
for this focal length.
mounts canon, nikon, Pentax,
with the first version of this lens.
mounts canon EF
weiGht 1.5 pounds
lenGth 3.4 inches
Filter siZe 77mm
staBiliZation no
SQF, minimal barrel distortion.
mounts Leica m
weiGht 0.7 pound
lenGth 1.8 inches
Filter siZe 55mm
staBiliZation no
close-focusing distance and
bright f/2.8 maximum aperture.
mounts nikon aF
weiGht 1.5 pounds
lenGth 3.4 inches
Filter siZe rear slot
staBiliZation no
Sigma, Sony
weiGht 1.1 pounds
lenGth 3.4 inches
Filter siZe 82mm
staBiliZation no
$260, street this lens has
been around for more than 15
years and is still as useful and
affordable as the day it
appeared. the SQF table
shows excellent sharpness,
and you can’t beat that weight.
standout spec Price, low
for a wide-angle with little
$1,795, street, with hood and
case this traditional, manual-
focus lens has an all-metal barrel
with engraved scales and six
elliptical contacts on its mount to
engage the advanced features of
the new m9 digital rangefinder,
though it works on older bodies.
standout spec Practically
amateur pro amateur pro
siGma 28mm F/1.8 eX dG
macro fuLL-frAME
1/2
amateur pro
$380, street, with hood and
case With all the good qualities
of the 24mm f/1.8, this offers
an even lower price and better
distortion numbers. aF was
slightly noisy, but a newer
(untested) version fixes that.
standout spec Price—less
than $400 for an f/1.8.
STEaL
mounts canon, nikon,
Pentax, Sigma, Sony
weiGht 1 pound
lenGth 3.2 inches
Filter siZe 77mm
staBiliZation no
www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com
$565, street If you can’t
afford the nikon 14mm, or
want something lighter and
more compact, the next best
thing is the nikon 20mm. It still
covers a fairly wide angle and
its performance is pro-worthy.
standout spec Small size
and 94-degree angle of view.
$550, street, with built-in hood
and case tested in this issue (see
page 88), this lens boasts the
elegant design and durable
nEw ModEL
construction that distinguish all mounts Pentax KaF2
of Pentax’s Limited series lenses. weiGht 0.4 pound
standout spec Its distortion lenGth 2.4 inches
control—only 0.17% barreling— Filter siZe 49mm
in a 22.5mm equivalent staBiliZation In the camera
siGma 24mm F/1.8 eX dG
macro fuLL-frAME
1/2
amateur pro
$480, street, with hood and
case Fast, wide, close-focusing,
sharp, and inexpensive —what
more do you want in a
wide-angle? only distortion
control (0.63% barrel) is lacking.
standout spec
magnification: 1:2.7, cool. real
macro in a wide angle!
STEaL
distortion and lots of sharpness.
mounts canon EF
weiGht 0.4 pound
lenGth 1.7 inches
Filter siZe 52mm
staBiliZation no
distortion-free (in our tests,
Imperceptible 0.05% pincushion).
mounts Leica m
weiGht 0.4 pound
lenGth 1.2 inches
Filter siZe 39mm
staBiliZation no
mounts nikon aF
weiGht 0.6 pound
lenGth 1.7 inches
Filter siZe 62mm
staBiliZation no
STEaL
mounts canon, nikon, olympus
four-thirds, Pentax, Sigma, Sony
weiGht 1.1 pounds
lenGth 3.3 inches
Filter siZe 77mm
staBiliZation no
Our Star ratingS
summa cum laude
phi Beta kappa
dean’s list
Gentleman’s c
attendance medal
gEtting oLd
cameras and lenses—tested and rated
For Full test reports and inFo
on how we test and rate cameras and
lenses, visit popphoto.com/reviews.