Nikon 28mm f/1.8 AF-S G Review

[@twoblink]

This is my workhorse; and the lens I use most BY FAR. I love the bokeh and do a lot of close focus shots because of that. Great street lens and vacation lens.

[@khengteoh4318]

Apart from my 85mm 1.8G which i use sometimes for portraits, this lens is on my D810 about 90% of the time. I like the versatility of being able to take anything from street photography, architecture, animals to portraits !

[@henrike]

Great test with the AF focus. Straight to the point. Well done. Keep up

[@josh885]

The other nice thing about the 1.8G primes you didn't mention is it that they all have a rear gasket to protect the body from dust and moisture. It's a very nice touch considering how affordable these lenses are. IMO the 1.8G line which covers you from 20mm all the way to 85mm with, small, light weight primes that are affordable and good enough optically for any size prints even at f/1.8 is one of the biggest reasons to go with Nikon.

[@elboogie2324]

Agreed. Nikon owner here.

[@djl2407]

I agree completely. I have sold of all my heavy zooms and I shoot exclusively with the 1.8G series lenses with the exception of the Irix 15mm 2.4 and Sigma ART 35mm 1.4. The 1.8G series are an exceptional value and incredibly sharp, lightweight glass. I will be looking to add the 28mm to my collection next.

[@patricksmith2553]

@@@djl2407 You should you'll love it I bought one used two weeks ago and I love it. Plus a lot of people dismiss or dislike the 28mm focal length and buy the 24mm 1.8G, which is slightly a better lens but not by much. So the 28mm 1.8G used is very cheap, I paid $350 for mine. I don't buy anything new these days, I get used gear for often 1/3 of the price. It's a difficult time to sell Nikon gear, but boy it's a buyers market. I also got an 85mm 1.4G for $800 in mint condition and yes their US lenses. Try craigslist, it's the best!

[@richardhaw9757]

i am loving the 28mm focal length.

[@richsmith9063]

Excellent review & Excellent photo work !!!

[@joestephens7105]

Loved the piano music! I enjoy your videos recently discovered. About a year ago I got rid of all my Nikon D lenses, and kit zooms and bought the G 28 MM F 1.8, the 85 MM F 1.8 and the 50 MM F1.4 along with the D600, since replaced with the D750. I am in Nikon heaven, and it's easy to resist the rabid calls to get me to switch to Sony. I subscribed, looking forward to your other high quality presentations.

[@Pablohoma]

Thanks a lot for this video, and of course for the sample photos !

[@twoblink]

I own this lens and in the last 3 years; I would have to say this is my most used lens. In fact; on vacations, if I wanted to "go light" I just take this one lens with my D600 and that's it. Cropped to 1.5; You get 42mm; which is almost normal. Couple that with very good close focusing and you have almost a 50mm normal macro as a bonus. The reason however to buy this lens is the Bokeh.. most don't think there's much to a wide angle's bokeh; and I am surprised that Darren did not mention it; but this lens compared to pretty much every other 28mm I've used; has exceptional bokeh. Great lens; great for kids; focus is fast and accurate. It's light and easy to carry. Corner performance is better than then 24mm F1.4 I think.

[@AldermanFredCDavis]

Love the 28mm focal length. The black & white images look especially good. Wish you had shown the aperture, along with the images, as I find that the G-series lenses that I have used have horrible vignetting, that despite being sharp, often doesn't go away until around f/8. Due to the vignetting, at the price Nikon (or any manufacturer) is asking for these newer lenses, an amateur might just as well use legacy lenses. Pros are going to write off the cost of the equipment, so they don't care. Would love to see a sharpness and color rendition comparison between the 28mm f/1.8 G and the old 28mm f/2.8 ai-s with CRC, which is supposedly one of the best lenses Nikon has ever produced.

[@WylunCustoms]

beautiful, sunny NAPLES FLORIDA!

[@DarrenMiles]

WylunCustoms Indeed!

[@djrbfmbfm-woa]

darren, thx for crediting the music composer.........i'm sure you realise how much good music helps. j.

[@dianecrumbley90]

Thank you. I’m learning so much from you. A great review!

[@lorseyjones4807]

I've own this lens almost a year and it's one of my work horse lens also.

[@certoglenn4840]

I've not had a 28mm fixed lens since shooting film with my Canon SLR. So I went looking a little while ago. Your B&W images are gorgeous and I like the review. Thank you, Darren. One more thing. Would you say one of the ladies of the wedding had the foresight to know you were coming and had the six dresses made to complement the framed map above them? Ha! Thanks again.

[@DarrenMiles]

It never ceases to amaze me what some people are able to see in pictures - nice catch! Until this moment, I never noticed.

[@certoglenn4840]

@@DarrenMiles From now on it'll be the first thing you see in the image. Sorry about that. Thanks for the kickback.

[@josejimenezphotography]

You make amazing reviews, greeting from Nicaragua huge fan here

[@DarrenMiles]

What a kind thing to say, thank you very much!

[@peace4myheart]

Now I'm curious where Naples, Florida is and if it's a great place to visit. Hmmm...

[@DarrenMiles]

peace4myheart It's pretty amazing - but I'm a little biased...

[@jos3zavalar3cillas]

Almost for the same money, exists 24mm and 28mm ¿do you see a great difference of this use?

[@baronsilverton6504]

Do still shoot with Nikon - do you use the Z system - if so can you speak to how this lens does adapted with the FTZ adaptor in low light? I'd like to use a 28mm on one of my cameras for event work, and I have the 28mm 2.8 for Z mount. I find 2.8 to be too slow and that lens can have focusing difficulties in low light, so I am wondering how this lens might do adapted with the FTZ since it it is 1.34 stops faster. Thanks :)

[@DarrenMiles]

Yes, I can - however, I did switch to the 28mm f/1.4 because I got a killer deal on one. The reality is in my experience, the FTZ adapter has been essentially seamless with all of the Nikon G AF lenses - they act as if they're native glass, even in low light - that said AF is WAY BETTER on the Z6 and Z7 than the Z5 in low light.

[@baronsilverton6504]

@@DarrenMiles Yeah - I use Z6II and still have many of my F mount G lenses - I went with the 28mm 1.8 as I do not want to fork out much money for F mount lenses at this point - that said the only 28 prime Z mount is 2.8 and I did not find it fast enough for what I do. Also the 1.8 seems to have a closer focusing distance and larger magnification than the 1.4 so I thought it might actually be a little better for on the fly detail shots. I'm sure the 28mm 1.4 is a great lens though - like I said if a better Z mount 28mm is produced, I'll get that for sure. Hopefully the 1.8 on the FTZ with the Z6II will suffice until Nikon makes a faster 28mm prime for Z mount (if they ever do). Thanks for the response!

[@alfredorodriguezphoto]

Always great stuff Darren!

[@DarrenMiles]

Alfredo Rodriguez thank you very much!!

[@nursinggrad421]

Great review. Are you still using this glass now?

[@DarrenMiles]

I actually upgraded to the 28mm f/1.4 - it's one of my all time faves

[@Kprawl291986]

Awesome review sir..

[@DarrenMiles]

TeK RaVeN Thank you sir!

[@leeph2832]

Like your voice ! easy to listen ! Thanks for very simple but very detail review ! Answered what I am looking for...

[@DarrenMiles]

+Bảo Linh Phạm Thank you very much! Glad I could help, the 28 is a great lens!

[@jujagthemag]

I was thinking the same thing. Some people just have a way of communicating that's easy on your eyes. He has that naturally. No crazy music just chill video.

[@simplelife1892]

I enjoy watching all your video. I just brought this len nikon 28mm 1.8g. Love it so far. Awesome Review Video Thank you for sharing

[@DarrenMiles]

+Malay Maly Thank you very much!

[@PsikologiIndonesia]

Hello Sir!, I have 14mm, and have 50mm, on my FX body. Should I go to this Lens? My job is produce video as movie, also documentary. Thanks!

[@satyayaya14]

which one better this one or 24mm f1.8G for wedding photography? I'm looking for wide but not too wide such as 20mm (too wide).. im planning to have sigma 35mm 1.4 art too..so which one should i choose 24mm or 28mm ?

[@vincenterwinphotography4224]

is this good for dx?sorry which one is the best and sharpest between 20 f1.8 nano or 28 f1.8 yours?

[@ΓιώργοςΜπουντάς]

can I use it on a dx body or it will affect the quality of the image or sth like that??

[@Jaytee1o4]

Awesome video. I'll check this out!

[@miladkhoshnoodi6244]

Hi Darren. Thanks for the nice informative video. I have a Nikon d7500 and I use nikkor 50mm f/1.8, nikkor 70-200 and 18-140. According to the lenses I mentioned above and also the fact that dx cameras have a smaller angle, which one do you think is a better feet as my next lens to buy, a nikkor 28mm f/1.8 or a nikkor 24mm f/1.4?

[@XAVIZZIO]

buen video, casualmente me estare comprando ese mismo lente para mi Fx

[@jujagthemag]

Great review

[@DarrenMiles]

Thank you very much!

[@TheMoviesVG]

Hi I'm from Germany . My English is not very good , the videos of Darren are very good and understandable . have a request . how about a video on the 85 mm objective ? Nikon , Canon and Sigma .. which of the three is the best ? if you consider the price . and thanks for the great videos .. Kind regards from Germany

[@DarrenMiles]

+TheMoviesVG Perhaps down the road I will do some comparisons - I have about 5 reviews in progress and am working full time, but I'll see what I can do. Thank you for the kind words!

[@dublin579]

Great review!

[@ChickOnRadio]

I watched another review on this lens that was completely confusing. At the end of the review I had no idea whether or not I might want to purchase this lens. Your review by contrast was very organized and took me step by step. I subscribed. You did not mention my entry level DSLR Nikon D5200, so not sure if this lens will fit my camera or not. So far I have the 2 kit lenses and a 50mm f/1.8G which I love. I'm trying to work on being a better photographer.

[@sakissk]

+ChickOnRadio this lens can fit your d5200 camera BUT, you won't take an image of 28mm, your image will be a cropped 28mm image which means like seeing an 35mm image but wont be a 35mm image...this is because of the sensor that its not a full frame sensor, but a cropped sensor..otherwise it fits ok :)

[@ChickOnRadio]

+koouts K. I wish I were technical enough to understand what you just said, but I don't.

[@sakissk]

ok sorry, i'll try to explain much easier and hope to understand...there are 2 type of dslr cameras...the one with full frame sensor (FX format sensor-36x24mm) and the smaller one which is crop sensor (DX format sensor-24x16mm)...what is that mean? first of all the first category is more expesnive cameras than the second one..from the other hand is the crop factor, which means if you take this lens for example (28mm), with a full frame camera you'll see a 28mm picture BUT with a crop sensor dslr camera you'll see approximate 42mm image because of the crop factor, which is 1,5x of the 28mm (28mm+14mm)...thats why lenses write FX or DX format...FX lens is a full frame lens, and DX lens is a crop lens...FX lens can fit ANY dslr camera even the one with crop sensor, but DX lens fits ONLY in crop sensor camera...SOOO just remember that with this lens, you'll get a wider image with a full frame camera and narrower image with a crop sensor....hope to understand, and if you have any questions i will reply to you as soon as possible.. :)

[@jujagthemag]

50 is really a nice intimate lens. Just got mine. Love it madly.

[@tijmen.j6360]

Do anybody know, if you used this lens on a dx body, is the quality the same as a full frame body

[@DarrenMiles]

You'll lose a little depth of field, and the field of view will be more like 42mm full frame equivalent. If anything, the quality might be better as the edge performance will improve with a smaller camera sensor.

[@HammerofThor00]

I really appreciate your great reviews! I agree with the nominal difference between the 1.8 and 1.4. It really makes me wonder why someone would even bother paying so much more but it is always nice to have choices I guess.

[@DarrenMiles]

+D Mp Thank you for the kind words!

[@OPStudiosOnline]

hello, Please i will like to know Nikon 28mm and 35mm which one is better

[@DarrenMiles]

+adisa olanrewaju Are you referring to the 35 f/1.8? Which camera are you using?

[@kopitejake87]

Great review mate

[@DarrenMiles]

jakejft96 thank you very much!

[@moSahl]

Hi Darren. Excellent review. I find that I have to stand about 5 feet away from my subjects to avoid facial distortions when using a 35mm lens. Do you keep a minimum distance from your subjects when using the 28mm lens?

[@powertothemusic87]

are you able to do a review on the tamron 15-30 f2.8 also you deserve more views top quality thought out vids you have

[@DarrenMiles]

Christopher P Thanks Chris - that lens is on my list and I will get to it eventually.

[@DarrenMiles]

Darren Miles And thank you for the kind words about the channel!

[@tlukasiewicz6433]

Liked your reviews; thank you. I'm interested in your thoughts around video use on this lens. I'm just getting started in photography and videography. I bought a D810 and 70-200VR II and have been enjoying it for portrait and wildlife shots, but I'm interested in video too. Do you feel the 28mm lens can be a good contender for KZbin videos for consumers that invested in a Nikon FX and are interested in posting DIY videos, or is there any other lens out there that is below $900 that is better suited? (Possibly the Sigma 35mm 1.4) I want to stay away from the heavy zooms and shoot videos with two cameras like pairing my D810 with a secondary point-and-shoot RX100IV.

[@tlukasiewicz6433]

+T Lukasiewicz I also wanted to mention, I purchased the nifty 50 1.4g to try it out. I'm just wondering if the 28 or a 35mm might be even better for good video quality in DIY videos done in a small apartment and also double for great photography.

[@banliyö]

hi Darren, i am a sony dslt shooter and want to switch canon 6d or nikon d610/750 full frame set for street and architecture photography. Which side is do you recommend for me in this case, also in wide angle lenses area quality. Likewise nikon 28 f/1.8 or 20 mm f/1.8 lenses are more expensive than the canon equal lenses also canon 16-35 f/4 is more cheaper than nikon 16-35 f/4, so is the nikon worth to investmest a set for architecture and wide angle are? Thanks for all your enlightment us.

[@DarrenMiles]

+emir At this point I can say that the D750 does a much better job with Shadow recovery than the canon 6D - and the 6D is no slouch. The Canon 16-35 f/4 IS L is also a great lens and I think Canon's color rendition straight out of camera is better. But if you're doing night shoots, I'd have to give the nod to the D750 and the 14-24 - likewise if most of your shoots are during the day, then I'd push for the 6D... Hope that helps!

[@banliyö]

+Darren Miles thank you so much, you're so kind.. im wondering is for example nikon 20mm 1.8, 28mm 1.8 lenses are only cut down on f/16, while canon 28mm 2.8 is f/22. is this a issue for nikon side?

[@evanauer3673]

What camera was it used on in this video?

[@elijahbautista2830]

It was mounted on a D750!

[@Sami_Alblehe]

You review like pro you have covered every thing

[@DarrenMiles]

+renegadegroup Thank you very much!!

[@vincenterwinphotography4224]

nice video

[@pranavdubey7690]

Which is better 28 mm or the new 24mm in in 1.8 AF-S ???

[@DarrenMiles]

+Pranav Dubey Really depends on which focal length you prefer, to me, there isn't that much difference, I haven't used the 24, but I hear good things....

[@dennisogden1546]

Great Job for an interesting review I am giving this video 10 out of 10.LOL I loved the compositions of the 28 mm interesting the cheap as chips 35 G 1.8 is one of the sharpest Nikon G range.but that extra width is amazing. for composition so for that reason I am giving you a 11 out of 10 ...

[@DarrenMiles]

dennis ogden Thanks Dennis, it's a great lens - ESPECIALLY for the money!

[@jcff1961]

Tolle Bilder, Grüße aus Deutschland 🇩🇪

[@helgividar]

Excellent review!