Best Nikkor 20mm?

[Dirk]

I had the 20mm 3.5 UD, the 20mm f/4 AI'd, and now the AF 20mm 2.8D. The UD was overall a great lens for B&W, but not as great for color. It had flare/ghosting issues. The "Galen Rowell 20" was just so so in regards to sharpness and contrast. The AF 20/2.8D is my favorite so far. Great color, contrast and pretty compact in spite of the 62mm filter size.

 

[sparrow6224]

I love my 20/3.5 AIS but have done no color work with it. I'm about to sell my UD Nikkor 20/3.5 with original screw-in Nikon lens cap..... watch the classifieds here next few days.

 

[bigeye]

I agree. An old Time/Life photog acquaintance buys 4 lenses and tests each, picks the best and returns the rest. I've found large variation between lenses and test each one. Most recently, a used 24mm 2.8 AF-D - couldn't get a good image from it but it looked perfectly good.

I honestly believe lenses vary in quality (sometimes greatly) from lens to lens, especially when evaluating older used lenses.