Hi--

> Thanks for the great website! I've found it quite interesting and

> informative in evaluating Nikkor lenses.

> I am a Nikon user, going on about 10 years. I've owned the 28-70mm

> AF 3.5-4.5D zoom for most of this period, and have always been very

> satisfied with it, and had relied on it for my wide-angle shots at the

> 28mm setting (although my experience was limited, of course, because I

> had never tried anything else). I am an aspiring professional photographer.

> Recently, I used it at the 28mm setting for a beach image, with the

> sea and sky directly in the background. I really like the image; the

> problem is some slight barrel (?) distortion, in which the horizon line

> (where the sky meets the sea), is slightly higher in the center, and

> tapers off slightly (goes downwards) to the left and right. I've shown

> this image to 2 different professionals, and both made very positive

> comments about the image (upon somewhat cursory examinations), but

> neither seemed to notice the distortion. I can definitely see it though,

> and am attracted to these type of images, and would like to do more.

> For situations like these where the horizon is critical, would

> switching to a 28mm f2.8 AIS Nikkor, or, the AF 28 f2.8D Nikkor (the

> current 6 element, 6 group edition) solve this problem? (I don't think

> that I would be in the market for the 28mm PC lens, because of the high

> cost, in case that is a good solution.)

> Any thoughts, or comments would be very much appreciatied. Thanks!

> Best Regards,

> Joe Zogorski

All the lenses you mention have linear distortion.

Almost all reflex lenses have linear distortion, with the zooms having more

than most others. Barrel distortion is the least offensive (and mimics the

fisheye perspective type of our own sight - see the perspective articles on

my web page for more). Most SLR wide-angles have the worse "moustache"

distortion. The 28-105 is particularly low in distortion for a zoom, but it

is not "0", and I have yet to see a good sample. The only WAs without linear

distortion (Nikkors...) are the old 15mm f5.6 and non-reflex 21mm f4.

I would learn to like simple barrel distortion - and it has advantages for

reducing WA "distortion" in the corners with rounded subjects...

David Ruether

d_ruether@hotmail.com

http://www.David-Ruether-Photography.com