Wide angle prime lenses compared

The classic 28mm prime lens is a natural part of any lens lineup. Most kit zoom lenses include the 28mm equivalent in the wide end, but you can also get prime (non-zoom) lenses with the same field of view.

Below are three such lenses, for three different interchangeable lens systems. How do they compare?

From left to right: Sigma 19mm f/2.8 (old style) mounted to a Sony NEX-3N, Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 mounted to a Lumix GM1, and Nikon 1 10mm f/2.8 mounted to a Nikon 1 V3 with a user optional EVF.

Birds in flight with the CX 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6

When Nikon launched the Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 (my review), I thought the Nikon 1 system finally made sense. What they made was one of the most compact lens suitable for bird photography, combined with the very fast and capable PDAF technology and the fast frame rate. This makes the system well suited for photographing birds in flight.

The purpose of this article is to share my experience with using the lens in combination with the Nikon 1 V3 camera. People who consider to buy the lens can see my experience here. And seasoned users can help me improve my technique.

3D stereo images with Nikon 1 J1's

Some first generation Nikon 1 camera kits are available at fire sale prices, and I was tempted to pick up a pair of Nikon 1 J1's in kits with the Nikkor 10mm f/2.8 pancake wide angle lenses.

Mounting them to a Desmond Mini Dual Camera Bracket, it is easy to set them up for 3D stereo photography. The stereo distance becomes about 120mm here, which is a bit wide, but quite usable:

I chose a black and red camera. This makes it easy to remember to put the red camera on the left side.

Also note the Nikon ML-L3 IR remote in the foreground. It is crucial for the 3D photos, as it is important to trigger both cameras at the same time.

Pancake zoom lenses compared

Panasonic announced the Lumix X PZ 14-42mm pancake zoom lens (my review) in 2011. Since this time, a collapsible pancake zoom has become a must have kit lens for most mirrorless systems. I have previously compared it with the Sony 16-50mm pancake zoom lens, and this time, I am comparing it with some similar lenses from Nikon.

Below, I have the four lenses laid out:

From left to right: Lumix G 12-32mm (my review), Lumix X PZ 14-42mm (my review), Nikkor 11-27.5mm, and Nikkor 10-30mm PD