Reading mode: Light Dark

:( Nikon 60mm f2.8 VS newly announced 20mm f1.8

Go to last post
L

lordcho

Well-known member
Messages
117
Reaction score
9
Location
London, UK
So I'm not sure if this is buyer's remorse but I literally purchased the 60mm f2.8 for macro stuff and general walk-around. The min focusing distance was a big advantage for me over my 50mm 1.8 for food and general exploration around town.

Now I hear about the 20mm f1.8 and it also claims a 7.x" min focusing distance. Should I just return the 60mm and go for the 20mm?

Planning on getting an FX body in the future but am shooting DX now.

Thoughts?
 
bencho said:
So I'm not sure if this is buyer's remorse but I literally purchased the 60mm f2.8 for macro stuff and general walk-around. The min focusing distance was a big advantage for me over my 50mm 1.8 for food and general exploration around town.

Now I hear about the 20mm f1.8 and it also claims a 7.x" min focusing distance. Should I just return the 60mm and go for the 20mm?

Planning on getting an FX body in the future but am shooting DX now.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
 
turbsy said:
bencho said:
So I'm not sure if this is buyer's remorse but I literally purchased the 60mm f2.8 for macro stuff and general walk-around. The min focusing distance was a big advantage for me over my 50mm 1.8 for food and general exploration around town.

Now I hear about the 20mm f1.8 and it also claims a 7.x" min focusing distance. Should I just return the 60mm and go for the 20mm?

Planning on getting an FX body in the future but am shooting DX now.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
I assume you've got a kit lens?

On DX that will do pretty much what the 20mm lens will do. The micro lens will enable you to take close ups that the kit lens will not.

Just take a load of snaps with the lenses you've got. Find someone who offers tuition and walk round with them. Without wishing to seem rude the question betrays a level of knowledge that means you need to learn an awful lot of basic stuff before you spend anything more. Honestly.

--
Andrew Skinner
 
Last edited:
The difference between the lenses is in getting the same magnification at differing distances. For example, to get a 1:2 magnification with the 20mm may require a distance to the subject of 4" while the 60mm will get the same magnification at a working distance of let's say 12".
 
bencho said:
So I'm not sure if this is buyer's remorse but I literally purchased the 60mm f2.8 for macro stuff and general walk-around. The min focusing distance was a big advantage for me over my 50mm 1.8 for food and general exploration around town.

Now I hear about the 20mm f1.8 and it also claims a 7.x" min focusing distance. Should I just return the 60mm and go for the 20mm?

Planning on getting an FX body in the future but am shooting DX now.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
The minimum focus distance is meaningless. What's important is the magnification. The 60mm will magnify 1:1 at its minimum focusing distance, so a 1" long object will fill the frame on the long side.

The 20mm magnifies 0.23X at its minimum focusing distance, so you will cover 4" at minimum focus.

And why are you planning on getting an FX body? Have you reached the limits of your D7000? That's pretty impressive.
 
You may regret selling your 60 mm Macro. That should be a very sharp lens. I always try to throw my 105 Macro in the bag. A 20 mm is a lens for near-far compositions in landscapes. It is also useful for environmental portraits where you want a bit more context for the main subject.

Eduardo
http://www.andaremos.com
 
bencho said:
So I'm not sure if this is buyer's remorse but I literally purchased the 60mm f2.8 for macro stuff and general walk-around. The min focusing distance was a big advantage for me over my 50mm 1.8 for food and general exploration around town.
Click to expand...
The 60mm 2.8G is quite nice, an excellent lens!
lordcho said:
Now I hear about the 20mm f1.8 and it also claims a 7.x" min focusing distance. Should I just return the 60mm and go for the 20mm?
Click to expand...
No! At MFD, (minimum focusing distance,) these two lenses will "see" a vastly different image! An ultra-wide angle lens helps the shooter compose interesting images, by having something of interest in the foreground, in focus, along with objects in the background being in fairly clear focus. (These can be reversed, of course.) Or, a fairly close subject, and the background, can both be in sharp focus. This is possible because ultra-wide lenses have such deep depth of field. (All else being equal, longer-focal-length lenses have progressively shallower depth-of-field.)
lordcho said:
Planning on getting an FX body in the future but am shooting DX now.
Click to expand...
A 20mm lens is ultra-wide on FX, and on the wide side of normal on DX, an a 30mm-equivalent angle of view.
lordcho said:
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
A 20mm lens has, if I remember correctly, a 70-degree angle of view on DX, and 94-degrees on FX. If you have a kit lens that starts at 18mm, you can test the 20mm focal length, and see if you like it on DX. This new 20mm 1.8G should have less distortion along the borders than your kit lens at 20mm, though how much less remains to be seen, when reviews and images are posted.
lordcho said:
--
noobie armed with a d7000. LEARNING!
Click to expand...
The D7000 is a quite capable camera!

--
I wear a badge and pistol, and make evidentiary images at night, which incorporates elements of portrait, macro, still life, landscape, architecture, and PJ. I enjoy using both Canons and Nikons.
 
Last edited:
Perhaps I was unclear with my initial post - I have the 18-105 kit and ended up getting the 50mm and it's been quite amazing. I have to back up a lot but its super crisp. My only issue with the 50mm was the MFD cause I take pictures of my food when I go out. Not very convenient to back up a lot in a restaurant so I hunted around and decided the 60mm would be my next purchase due to combined macro ability (which I want to start playing with) and small MFD. I'd give up an extra 10mm but I wouldn't have to stand up to grab shots of my food.

I figured the new 20mm would serve as an all-around better lens on my DX body for general use around town. It would also be great for group shots. Coupled with its small MFD, I could take the photos of my food without backing up tremendously.

Macro is not a dire necessity for me at the moment*

No I haven't reached the limits of the d7000.

No I don't feed trolls.

--

noobie armed with a d7000. LEARNING!
 
bencho said:
Perhaps I was unclear with my initial post - I have the 18-105 kit and ended up getting the 50mm and it's been quite amazing. I have to back up a lot but its super crisp. My only issue with the 50mm was the MFD cause I take pictures of my food when I go out. Not very convenient to back up a lot in a restaurant so I hunted around and decided the 60mm would be my next purchase due to combined macro ability (which I want to start playing with) and small MFD. I'd give up an extra 10mm but I wouldn't have to stand up to grab shots of my food.

I figured the new 20mm would serve as an all-around better lens on my DX body for general use around town. It would also be great for group shots. Coupled with its small MFD, I could take the photos of my food without backing up tremendously.
Click to expand...
But the 20mm is a wide angle lens; even at its MFD, it will cover a lot of area. You may be better served by the 40mm Micro Nikkor. This gives good magnification at short distances.
 
bencho said:
Perhaps I was unclear with my initial post - I have the 18-105 kit and ended up getting the 50mm and it's been quite amazing. I have to back up a lot but its super crisp. My only issue with the 50mm was the MFD cause I take pictures of my food when I go out. Not very convenient to back up a lot in a restaurant so I hunted around and decided the 60mm would be my next purchase due to combined macro ability (which I want to start playing with) and small MFD. I'd give up an extra 10mm but I wouldn't have to stand up to grab shots of my food.

I figured the new 20mm would serve as an all-around better lens on my DX body for general use around town. It would also be great for group shots. Coupled with its small MFD, I could take the photos of my food without backing up tremendously.

Macro is not a dire necessity for me at the moment*

No I haven't reached the limits of the d7000.

No I don't feed trolls.

--

noobie armed with a d7000. LEARNING!
Click to expand...
I really don't think a 20mm lens would be the best for what you want. on Dx it might be ok but on fx its ultra wide. this is not really a lens I would use for food. at that distance it will give an exaggerated and distorted view.

Try to put your kit lens at 20mm and then at 60 and see the difference in perspective. now understand that on FX it will be even bigger.

The new 20mm is a lens i have been waiting for for a long time but it will be a hard lens to use right. great for landscape and getting a lot in.
 
Moving closer to my subjects is easier than moving back though.

I considered the 40mm but ultimately was steered towards the 60mm~

I guess it is kind of silly to ask this sort of question without dumping a full understanding of what I shoot; and then expect non-incredulous responses.
 
bencho said:
Moving closer to my subjects is easier than moving back though.

I considered the 40mm but ultimately was steered towards the 60mm~

I guess it is kind of silly to ask this sort of question without dumping a full understanding of what I shoot; and then expect non-incredulous responses.
Click to expand...
From your post, you already have a 60mm Micro Nikkor. How does this lens work for you? If it's OK, then you're set. If it's not OK, what's wrong with it?
 
But to get the same view you'd have to stand even further away with a 60mm than a 50mm, so even more curious looks when dining out.

Rent or borrow and see the results directly.
 
I just ordered it last week. Should be arriving today.

50mm is fine, just the MFD is holding me back. An extra 10mm is doable.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top