The 24mm f1.4 is one of the newest Nikon FX lenses around, having only been released earlier this year. It truly is an amazing lens. Previous attempts have been made to manufacture a fast wide angle lens, but with little success to be honest. The predecessor to this lens, the 28mm f1.4, maybe the only one to mention, whose huge maximum aperture made it a favourite for gigs or live music photography. The light gathering properties of this lens are equally impressive. Amazingly, with the combination of this lens and new high ISO settings it has been proven it is possible to shoot handheld in the moonlight alone!
As the focal length of this lens is quite short, it shows ‘hand shake’ much less than the 50mm equivalent, meaning you can either shoot faster shutter speeds or stop down and still get the same results. A 50mm equivalent would also have a DOF that is four times shallower, making the 24mm much easier to use and focus correctly. The new Nikon lenses also feature new focusing systems whereby only internal elements move, meaning that this lens is one of the best at keeping bits of dust and dirt out. At nearly £2,000, the 24mm f1.4 is far from cheap, but this pro spec lens produces images that are better than anything on the market currently. At any aperture it produces distortion free, bright, sharp images. This top end lens is designed for FX, but will work fine on DX. However, if you shoot DX, then a much better alternative would be the 35mm f1.8, at a fraction of the cost.
Verdict: This is a stunning pro-spec lens, sharp throughout and able to work in pretty much any conditions. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough, especially if you do landscape or interior architectural photography.

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