I've had the pleasure of owning the Nikon 24mm f/1.8G ED for about a month and a half now. I had been meaning to get a decent-quality wide angle prime for the past four years or so, and I finally pulled the trigger at the end of January.

The 24mm f/1.8 is the third 24mm prime lens I've had, so I've had plenty of lenses to compare this new one to. The first 24mm I had was an old, manual focus 24mm f/2.8 that I purchased for pretty cheap right before our road trip to Moab in 2013. When the back of this lens ended up getting scratched, I didn't have enough to get the 20mm f./1.8 or 28mm f/1.8. I decided to get a used 24mm f/2.8D, with the plan to replace it with a better lens in the near future. Fast forward a couple of years, and I finally had enough to get the 20mm f/1.8 or the 24mm f.1.8.

I debated for a few weeks, and finally decided to get the 20mm f/1.8 even though it was more than the 24mm f/1.8. The plan was to wait for KEH.com to have a sale, and then make my move. Within a week or two of making up my mind, I received an email from KEH for 15% off on used Nikon lenses. When I went to add the 20mm f/1.8 to my cart though, both of the lenses KEH had in stock were sold out. I decided I didn't mind saving some money and going with the 24mm f/1.8 instead. 

As with any new camera gear, my first test subjects were the pets. I then had a video shoot and a handful of other shoots that I've used the 24mm on. Even if the new 24mm didn't perform better than my old 24, the extra light the new 24mm lets in would be worth the upgrade for me. However, the new 24mm focuses faster and more consistently, and is sharper than my old lens. Speaking of sharpness, according to DXOmark.com, my 24mm f/1.8G is now the sharpest lens I own. I also read a review, I think on photographylife.com, that said the 24mm f/1.8G performs pretty closely to the 24mm f/1.4, which costs at least three times as much. The 24mm f/1.8G also has a pretty close focusing distance, so getting all up in your subject's space and/or filling the frame is never a problem.

There are a few things I've noticed that may be worth mentioning. The first thing, and probably the most important, is the lens was front focusing quite a bit. Of all my lenses, the 24mm f/1.8 is the only lens that doesn't focus correctly on my D750. I had a handful of lenses that didn't focus correctly on my D7000, but didn't need to be adjusted at all on my D750. The focusing issue isn't a huge deal, since it's a pretty easy fix, but I though it was worth mentioning. 

Another thing that might be worth mentioning is there's a little bit of distortion, but I expect that from any wide angle lens. This is also easily fixed in post, but I normally leave it how it is. 

The only other thing I don't like about this lens is that the rear element moves when the lens focuses. I wish it was completely internal, like the 85mm f/1.8G. 

Overall, I'm incredibly happy with this lens. I'm not a hardcore reviewer by any means, and I don't sit and over-analyze photos. The things that are most important to me when it comes to a lens is if it's sharp enough that a client isn't going to say something, the focus is fast and consistent, and the colors look good. So far, the Nikon 24mm f/1.8G has met all of these criteria, and it's quickly becoming one of my favorite lenses. 

Here are a few photos I've taken with the 24mm f/1.8:

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