PC NIKKOR 19mm f/4E ED

[ben730]

The new PC NIKKOR 19mm f/4E ED looks good but not world-shaking and it's expensive...
Until now there is no hood announced.

http://www.cameraegg.org/pc-nikkor-19mm-f4e-ed-tilt-shift-lens-sample-images/

Regards,
Ben

[alan_b]

Hard to tell much from those samples - look good, but not pushed very far.  No CA, distortion, but perhaps corrected in post?

MTF looks good, and with a healthy grain of salt - better than the Canon 17.  Price is higher as well - worth it to me if the performance is there.  Tilt/shift axes are now independent.  I see the knobs are larger than the 24, thankful for that!  Also looks like a new shift mechanism - maybe a worm/screw mechanism rather than the rack & pinion of the other PC-Es?

Congratulations Nikon, hope it's a hit!  Now keep the momentum going and update the 24 to match.  And how about a 35 while you're at it?

[ben730]

I'm also not happy with the knobs of the 24 PC. But if the knobs are larger,
won't it be more difficult and clumsy to rotate and handle the lens with a D8xx?
The included flash is really disturbing and I never used it.

But when the performance in the extreme corners is good and it handles
back light situations well, it will be worth the money for me,
also in the clumsy combination with a D8xx.

[Torbjörn Tapani]

Looks encouraging. Will be interesting to see some actual reviews. Some mechanical interferance with D800, not a show stopper but unfortunate.

[Alan Klein]

It seems that the indoor pictures have the camera about half way between the floor and ceiling or higher.  Am I right?  If so, what does that mean from a shooting standpoint?

[ben730]

Also looks like a new shift mechanism - maybe a worm/screw mechanism rather than the rack & pinion of the other PC-Es?

Thanks Alan for the hint, it really looks like a new mechanism. The knob has moved 90 degrees.
That must be a more comfortable transmission. That's great! 

[ben730]

It seems that the indoor pictures have the camera about half way between the floor and ceiling or higher.  Am I right?  If so, what does that mean from a shooting standpoint?

Yes, I also think the camera position is "half way between the floor and ceiling or higher". I normally try to avoid this angle, if it's not needed to see for example into something like a very special washbasin etc., because the rooms appear lower than they are...
Maybe the photographer did it, to have a reason to shift down.

[lhodaniel]

I'm really angry at Nikon over the 19mm. The lens is at least $1000 over priced. Oh, and I have to add a D810 to fully use it? It won't fully work with the D800E! Might as well buy a 5DMk4. The excellent Canon 17mm TS-E is wider, has independent tilt shift orientation (all ts's should have this...much more important than electronics) and costs $2150. Nikon is thinking they are Leica and they soon will have Leica's market share.

I've shot Nikon since 1983 and it's too expensive for me to switch to Canon right now. But, the minute I can work that out, I'm gone.

Lloyd

[alan_b]

I'm really angry at Nikon over the 19mm. The lens is at least $1000 over priced. Oh, and I have to add a D810 to fully use it? It won't fully work with the D800E! Might as well buy a 5DMk4. The excellent Canon 17mm TS-E is wider, has independent tilt shift orientation (all ts's should have this...much more important than electronics) and costs $2150. Nikon is thinking they are Leica and they soon will have Leica's market share.

I've shot Nikon since 1983 and it's too expensive for me to switch to Canon right now. But, the minute I can work that out, I'm gone.

Lloyd

If it makes you feel better to be angry, so be it.  I doubt the pricing is a personal attack or attempt to gouge.  Are you angry that the 5D4 is $1000 more than the D810 with lower resolution & dynamic range?

The Canon 17mm was first in this case, but the Nikon 19mm will be better optically.  If the Canon works for you, great - one can find good deals on them used!

Do you have the 24 PCE?  If so, you should be familiar with the "limitations" on D800 bodies: mainly a minor inconvenience in rotation flexibility.  The new 19 looks to improve on that situation.

[lhodaniel]

I just read that the 19 might have geared movements a la Schneider. That mitigates my price/value feelings a bit.

[Ghibby]

From the positions of the adjustment knobs it looks like the shift mechanism is on a worm gear but the tilt looks like it is still most likely to be rack and pinion. On the Canons it is the tilt movements that are more prone to wear and loosening over time than the shift which is very solid.  They are easily tightened at servicing or you can even do this yourself if you are brave, just a pair of spring loaded clamps with 4  screws to adjust friction.

[kers]

looking at the images of the lens it seems it has 12mm of shift.
That is a lot.
If it still can deal with a 36MP in the corner fully shifted @ f8 it is certainly worth the money.
In that case you have to compare the price with a 19mm MF lens. One that does not exist.

[shadowblade]

Hoping for an adapter that allows aperture control, to use it on E-mount bodies.

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

Check this page: http://briansmith.com/where-are-the-nikon-af-lens-adapters/

Best regards
Erik

Hoping for an adapter that allows aperture control, to use it on E-mount bodies.

[alan_b]

Pic of the new shift mechanism here:
https://www.dpreview.com/news/2699183163/hands-on-with-nikon-af-s-nikkor-70-200mm-f2-8e-and-pc-nikkor-19mm?slide=11

[BernardLanguillier]

Mine is scheduled to be delivered on Friday and I may have the chance to use it for landscape work this weekend.

Cheers,
Bernard

[kers]

Mine is scheduled to be delivered on Friday and I may have the chance to use it for landscape work this weekend.

Cheers,
Bernard

I hope it is a very good lens, clearly standing out from the other PCE's that came out in the 12MP era.
I still hold on to the 85mm and 45mm PCE, especially for tilt. I like the character of the 45mm PCE.
How much in enjoyed my 24mm 1.4G and the 24mm PCE nikkor- They were complicated lenses to work with.
I replaced both for the 24mm 1.8G ; a lens that is uncomplicated and delivers very good image quality.
For really wide angle photography i rely on stitching and my good old 14-24mm.
The 14-24's main problem is flare. Hope the 19mm does a better job.

[BernardLanguillier]

I hope it is a very good lens, clearly standing out from the other PCE's that came out in the 12MP era.
I still hold on to the 85mm and 45mm PCE, especially for tilt. I like the character of the 45mm PCE.
How much in enjoyed my 24mm 1.4G and the 24mm PCE nikkor- They were complicated lenses to work with.
I replaced both for the 24mm 1.8G ; a lens that is uncomplicated and delivers very good image quality.
For really wide angle photography i rely on stitching and my good old 14-24mm.
The 14-24's main problem is flare. Hope the 19mm does a better job.

Indeed. I also replaced my 24mm f1.4 and 24mm T/S by the 24mm f1.8.

I stitch a lot also but have been using a Sigma 20mm f1.4 for cases when stitching doesn't work. The sigma is great as a MF lens, pretty useless as an AF lens on the bodies I own. I intend to sell the Sigma and replace it by the 19mm T/S.

Cheers,
Bernard

[kers]

Indeed. I also replaced my 24mm f1.4 and 24mm T/S by the 24mm f1.8.
I stitch a lot also but have been using a Sigma 20mm f1.4 for cases when stitching doesn't work. The sigma is great as a MF lens, pretty useless as an AF lens on the bodies I own. I intend to sell the Sigma and replace it by the 19mm T/S.
Cheers,
Bernard

I do not understand your choice completely;
you replace the 20mm Sigma with the 19mm Nikkor.
If the AF of Sigma does not work well let us say it is a manual focuslens as is the Nikkor.
The Nikkor has to be good even shifted so possibly is not as sharp as the Sigma in the central area.
The Nikkor has probably better flare control than the Sigma...
(The Sigma is much cheaper than the nikkor)

From your posts i get the impression that you enjoy absolute lens quality.
It is not likely that you are going to find that on a shifted 19mm image... or Nikon has produced a miracle...
(Also it is more work to correct the distortion of a shifted image)
can you explain?

[BernardLanguillier]

I do not understand your choice completely;
you replace the 20mm Sigma with the 19mm Nikkor.
If the AF of Sigma does not work well let us say it is a manual focuslens as is the Nikkor.
The Nikkor has to be good even shifted so possibly is not as sharp as the Sigma in the central area.
The Nikkor has probably better flare control than the Sigma...
(The Sigma is much cheaper than the nikkor)

From your posts i get the impression that you enjoy absolute lens quality.
It is not likely that you are going to find that on a shifted 19mm image... or Nikon has produced a miracle...
(Also it is more work to correct the distortion of a shifted image)
can you explain?

With great pleasure.

It is quite simple in fact, I just try to avoid as much as possible owning 2 lenses in the same focal length.

I won't sell the Sigma until I test the Nikkor of course, but I expect the Nikkor to be in the same ballpark non shifted considering its modest maxim aperture. My copy of the 24mm T/S non shifted was outstanding.

When maximum image quality is needed, I do stitch anyway.

Cheers,
Bernard