28-70 wide open

I recently moved from the 17-55 DX to the 28-70, and I am getting very happy results from this lens. I had heard things like it wasn't great wide open, etc.

I also have been practicing using the D2X hand held at variable ISOs in natural light. Whoever it was that suggested auto ISO in manual mode hit on something wonderful. I use this all of the time now. Thanks!

Here is one from today that caught my attention. 48mm, 1/50, hand held, ISO 720, f2.8. Couldn't ask for more sharpness IMO. Also a cute pose.



NC processed RAW, noise reduction at the normal setting. Tiny bit of USM on the final sized and cropped image.

I think this lens is at least as good as my 17-55 was wide open.

Ed

 

Well, maybe a shot of a test target. I've used both of these lenses now, the 17-55 for some 6,000 shots, and I much prefer this lens.

I like how this lens transitions from defocused areas more than the DX, and I think it captures detail in a more natural way. The 17-55 had a bit more contrast perhaps.

Keep in mind the shot above is 1/50 hand held and ISO 720. At that point the D2X is beginning to lose detail to noise reduction.

Best of all, it does not have the focus problems I had with the DX.

 

This is a full res unsharpened D2X crop, f3.5, ISO 200. The fisheye distorted man you see is me.

 

I will do that. I have one and it grumbles that I do not use it often enough.

The problem appears to be that the 85 1.4 leaps in front of the line when I go to use a lens.

I also have the 35 f2, which I haven't used for weeks.

 

Question related to the move to the 28-70...

I am left with only the 10.5 for a really wide lens. I am considering the 20 f2.8 and the Tokina 12-24 I read about often on DPR.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? I would prefer the prime if it is actually good on the D2X. I've been told it is not. They are about the same price.

 

For shots that have any shadow, like this one, I leave it at the normal setting. Turn on "better quality" using the popup in the NR panel.

The above, when viewed on a different gamma screen (such as Macs) has a fair bit of noise in the shadow to the right of him.

I tried reprocessing it and got better results.

Larger reprocessed image

 

Didn't mess with exposure. Actually turned down the NR settings, then cheated.

Or should I say used a touch of Neat Image.