Let's talk 28 mm Nikkor glass, imminent purchase!

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hrstrat57

Senior Member
Considering the following for immediate purchase. Pricing research indicates KEH and eBay about the same so will likely source via KEH.

Nikon 28mm MF Ai-s f2.8
Nikon 28mm MF ai f2.8
Nikon 28mm AF D f2.8

I have owned the 28mm Ai-s in the past and loved it on my F and F2's it had huge DOF and produced great images with awesome colors. Unfortunately it commands the highest price thus stretching my budget as the holiday season approaches. I also am not a big fan of wide, the lens would be used mostly for group photos tho the D700 is so good I may get more into landscapes to expand my eye. You can see from my sig I have the 35-70 f2.8 AF D which is stellar so I have no interest in any of the fast 24-70 Nikon zooms - prefer portability of the little primes to cover the range in unison with my 35/70. I am a bit surprised at the poor reviews of the Nikon 28 f2.8 D AF - my 50 mm AF D 1.4 is amazing.

Not interested in any third party glass.

Random thoughts observations and comment/suggestions?

Thank you so much in advance
 
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480sparky

Senior Member
I own three 28/2.8s. My Nikkor 28/2.8 AF-D is the worst lens I own (of all my lenses, not just these 3!) in terms of IQ. I've tried 4 copies and they were all the same..... so-so in the middle and utterly useless in the corners.

My Sigma 28/2.8 Mini-Wide II is whole lot better, but just not AF. It's on par with my 28/2.8 Nikkor pre-Ai (complete with semi-botched DIY Ai conversion).

If AF is not a concern, forget the AF-D. It's a pig, and you can't put lipstick on it. Consider it ONLY if having AF is a huge factor.

I'll probably sell my pre-Ai 28 if the Siggy ends up out-performing it.
 
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moony16

Senior Member
hrstrat57 said:
Considering the following for immediate purchase. Pricing research indicates KEH and eBay about the same so will likely source via KEH.

Nikon 28mm MF Ai-s f2.8
Nikon 28mm MF ai f2.8
Nikon 28mm AF D f2.8

I have owned the 28mm Ai-s in the past and loved it on my F and F2's it had huge DOF and produced great images with awesome colors. Unfortunately it commands the highest price thus stretching my budget as the holiday season approaches. I also am not a big fan of wide, the lens would be used mostly for group photos tho the D700 is so good I may get more into landscapes to expand my eye. You can see from my sig I have the 35-70 f2.8 AF D which is stellar so I have no interest in any of the fast 24-70 Nikon zooms - prefer portability of the little primes to cover the range in unison with my 35/70. I am a bit surprised at the poor reviews of the Nikon 28 f2.8 D AF - my 50 mm AF D 1.4 is amazing.

Not interested in any third party glass.

Random thoughts observations and comment/suggestions?

Thank you so much in advance
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I owned the 28mm Ai-s lens. While it has impressive close-focus ability, there is nothing special about its infinity performance IMO. If you do not need the close-focus, consider another MF option (perhaps slower glass even) and you'll get equal or better performance for less $$. jt
 
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STM

Senior Member
The AI and AIS manual focus Nikkors are both outstanding glass. Mine is an AI. The way to most easily distinguish the two (apart from the orange smallest aperture number on the AIS) is the AI has the engraving around the front edge of the focusing ring and the AIS has it around the ring around the front element). I have compared a friend's AIS to my AI and can find essentially no discernable difference in the center or corners at 200% crops. The AIS tended to ghost a little more than the AI though not significantly so. The AIS version also has one more element than the AI (8 in 8 instead of 7 in 7) and has the CRC (close range correction).
 
S

STM

Senior Member
hrstrat57 said:
@STM Ai is about $100 less at KEH.com. Not super concerned re close focus is the $100 well saved for me?
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My 28mm f/2.8 AI is VERY sharp and you sure can't pass up a C-note in savings. They both focus to around a foot, it is just the AIS has a shifting element to improve sharpness a little close up. Certainly not a deal maker or breaker in my opinion.
 
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hrstrat57

Senior Member
Took your advice @STM picked up a near mint 28mm Ai and it is positively brilliant on D700! A quick shot of my front steps is attached....

.
Pumkin test_00001.jpg
 
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hrstrat57

Senior Member
I'll post some scapes in this thread perhaps as time goes along and I develop my current narrow field of vision to a wider view......

Only one lens purchase remains and it will require savings and patience, a Nikkor AF 300 F4 and a 1.4 TC.....

This time around I plan a much smaller kit than my previous Maxxum/ Sony kit and plan to learn and master just a few bits of glass vs. feeding the G.A.S.
Back in my previous Nikon days I cruised with a 135 2.8, 50 1.4 and 28 2.8 and was very happy and knew exactly what each lens would do.....I think this current kit covers all the bases.....1 more bit and done!

Thanks to all here for the guidance and encouragement!
 
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moony16

Senior Member
hrstrat57 said:
Bump for more thoughts....Leaning 28 f2.8 Ai

Further comments please?
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That is a good way to lean. No sense spending $$ unless you must do so to get what you need. You could probably save even more $$ if you move to a 28mm f/3.5, but, again, this only makes sense if you have no need for the f/2.8. Also, Vivitar makes some excellent 28mms from this era w MF. The Komine versions (ones with serial number starting with 28) are excellent. They also make close-focus versions and even an f/2 version, for far less $$ than the Nikkors. You will not lose anything in IQ either. I picked up a 28mm Vivitar (Komine) f/2,8 for $20 once, though that is a lucky hit. However, you can easily get one for twice that price these days with a little patience. I'll post a shot with the $20 Vivitar when I have access to my stuff. My advice here is late, but you can always make adjustments if you need to. jt
 
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