through the Nikon F-Mount - Nikon Nikkor 20mm f/3.5 review and recommendations for accessories

Nikon Nikkor 20mm f/3.5 review and recommendations for accessories

June 2, 2013

My father bought this lens in 1979, mostly for using it reversed on the bellows. I often borrowed it for travel and landscape photography. I realised that this lens is unique for shooting into the sun. Thus I have shot a lot of images with the centre of our solar system in the background.

For about two decades it was my only super wide-angle lens. At the beginning of this century I replaced it with the AF-S 17-35mm. But the 20mm f/3.5 is still in my lens line because it has its niches...

The Nikkor 20mm f/3.5 including the HK-6 hood mounted on my D700.

The 20mm f/3.5 is a small and lightweight alternative to my AF-S 17-35mm.

Specifications:

11 elements in 8 groups.
Closest focus is 30cm. Maximum magnification is 1:10.
The working distance at closest focus is approx. 19cm.
This is a manual focus lens.
Weight including rear cap and 52mm front cap is 260 grams (295g with rear cap, hood HK-6 and 77mm front cap).
Filter size is 52mm (non-rotating).
Length from the camera's lens mount at infinity is about 41mm (54mm with hood).
Diameter is about 62mm (79mm with hood).
Hood: HK-6, not included in delivery.

Positives:

Pro-built quality.
Compact and lightweight.
Smooth focussing (even after more than thirty years of use without any service).
Very good optical performance at closer distances, even on short tubes.
One of the greatest lenses for shooting into the sun.
No CA.

Drawbacks:

A little bit soft at infinity.

Alternatives:

(AF) Nikkor 20mm f/2.8:

I tried the AF version in analogue times. In terms of sharpness and contrast it is a bit better than the f/3.5, especially at F4 and F5.6. But if the sun is in the image the f/3.5 is the clear winner.
Nikkor 20mm f/4:

The f/4 is the predecessor of the f/3.5. I've never tried it, but it has a good reputation, too.
(AF) Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 (D):

I tried two samples of this lens on my D700: an old one from the first series from the end of the 60s and the current AF-D version. The newer version has a much better performance in backlight situations, probably due to the improved coatings. The AF-D is suited for shooting into the sun and has a good close-up performance (even in conjunction with the PK-11A), too.
AF-S Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8:

The 17-35 at 20mm is overall the better lens. But the 20mm f/3.5 has still some advantages: the corners at infinity look better, the sun stars are real stars, it is usable in conjunction with the K1 or PK-11A tube (which is not possible with an AF-S lens) and - of course - it is much smaller and lighter.

Recommended accessories:

Protection of the front element:

Optically a hood is not required for this lens. But the HK-6 hood is a very good mechanical protection for the front element. And in rainy weather it keeps rain drops - that would decrease image quality - away from the front element. Tip: a 77mm front cap fits perfectly into the HK-6. Most of the times it is therefore not necessary to remove the hood, which makes lens swapping much easier.
In critical environments - for instance at the seaside in stormy weather - I would use a protection filter, too.

Using the 20mm in conjunction with a K1 ring or a PK-11A (shown here) implies that you have to go really close to your subject.

But the resulting images show an extraordinary perspective.

Nikon K1 ring:

The K1 ring is the thinnest tube Nikon ever produced, the extension is 5.8mm. It doesn't have any coupling elements, thus you have to control the aperture manually. If the lens is set to infinity you will get a magnification of 1:3.8 at a free working distance of 6.3cm. Set to closest focus it is 1:2.8 at 4.7cm.
Nikon PK-11A tube:

Nikon's shortest automatic tube is more comfortable than the K1 ring. The extension is 8mm. The combination of the PK-11A and the 20mm f/3.5 delivers a magnification of 1:2.7 to 1:2.2 at a free working distance between 4.3cm and 3.3cm.
Using the lens reversed:

The Nikkor 20mm f/3.5 works fine reversed. More information about using lenses reversed and the required accessories can be found in my article Microphotography for a small budget.

Sample images:

On the beach. Captured in Summer 1986 in Hvalba, Suðuroy, Faroe Islands with my Nikon FM2 on Fujichrome RD (Sensia) at F16.

Autumn 2009 in Buskerud, Norway. Nikon D700, F11.

Bee at work. The Nikkor 20mm f/3.5 at closest focus. Nikon D700, F11.

Ripe lingonberries in Norway in Autumn 2009. Nikon D700 + K1 ring + Nikkor 20mm, F16.

At the banks of the river Ems.
This image was just raw converted by Nikon Capture NX2 for evaluating sharpness, see 100% crops below. The focus was set to infinity.

100% crop from the centre of the frame.

100% crop from the lower right corner.