16 replies to this topic

[Dallas]

What is your experience with this lens? This topic will be indexed on our LENSES page. Please keep your comments centered on your experiences with this lens so that others may draw value from them.

[dpowell]

This is a great little lens!  That it has CRC and can focus as close as .20m gives it a special kind of versatility, and it's performance in terms of IQ is top notch.  Capable of very sharp images, with very little distortion - it's a great lens to throw on your camera, and just see what you can come up with.

dpowell

[bobfriedman]

just a macro shot using the 28/2.8 AIS.. such a nice lens.


Nikon D2x ,Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AI-S 1/250s f/5.6 at 28.0mm iso100

[pluton]

On Nikon D3, average(= needs a bit of stopping down) at large object distances, but amazingly good in the close up range. Worth owning if you like lenses that focus close. Extremely low barrel distortion. Can develop looseness in focus mech resulting in side-to-side image judder while racking the focus in and out ; don't know if that can be 'adjusted out'.

Edited by pluton, 29 April 2011 - 17:55 .

[Richard_D]

Exceptionally sharp with very low distortion and negligable CA on a D200. Close focusing superb.

[sako]

Very, very sharp, especially at close distances. Lacks a little contrast (in comparison to the new Nano coated lenses) as do many older lenses but this can be added PP. A real bargain if you get a good one.

[Akira]

A "must have" or at least "worth having" lens for DX (my experience is only with DX).  On DX, it behaves as "true" standard lens (the focal length corresponds to the diagonal length of the format) and superb closeup capability.  It renders great color, the latest super integrated coating version is quite resistant to flare and ghost.  As Richard noted, this lens is almost distortion-free.

[ChrisLilley]

I find this an excellent lens, sharp, vivid colours, very close focus 0f 0.2m. Note that this applies only to the AIS version; AI and older versions are a very different design. On DX, its a handy 'normal' lens. I have not used it on FX so can't speak to edge and corner sharpness there.

I find that I tend to use this lens stopped down, rarely wide open. While I use my 24mm pre-AI wide open more often. Maybe I can characterize the difference as 'crisp, clinical, deep' vs 'characterful, warm, smooth'.

Some samples (I don't have anything handy that shows off the close focus, unfortunately). Photos link to flickr page with larger sizes available.

Saint Hospice chapel at St Jean Cap Ferrat
D90, ISO 320, 1/160s, f/4 (from memory)


Roman baths, Cemenelum
D90, ISO 200, 1/500s, f/8


Rooftop view, Nice
D40, ISO 200, 1/1000s f/8


The big wheel
D40, ISO 200, 1/250s f/8

[smok53]

This is very very good lens indeed.

[Jason Ross]

If you have a Nikon SLR what ever it is get a Nikon 28mm f/2.8 AIS Lens, Very good Lens indeed.

[nfoto]

One of the classic, "must-have" Nikkors.

Not the best for landscapes due to corners can go a little soft, but wonderful in the close range. A pity it is the only one amongst the 28 Nikkors to have an IR hot spot, though.

[Fred Nirque]

(Hey, Steinar, this experiences thread concerns the f/2.8 28mm, not the f/2  )

Only having had mine a relatively short while, I've been really impressed with this lens' closeup performance as has been pointed out by others. Carrying this lens and 12mm & 20mm extension tubes when travelling light gives both a sharp moderate wide-angle and a perfectly serviceable macro lens on FX that weighs in total less than 400 grams.


(multi-shot hand-held focus stack, focus shifted by slightly advancing camera between shots)

The thing I really like as I build my AI/AIS collection is the consistent colour and slightly subdued contrast of these lenses, plus that ever-so-slight greenish-yellow "vintage" Nikon image look that they provide as standard. I can see the day when modern zooms are no longer in my bag at all, in fact. Maybe it's the clear Tasmanian air and depleted ozone layer UV rich light, but the modern zooms and primes that I've used always have me battling with excessive contrast in outdoor scenes on the D3 which the AIS series lenses don't seem to be nearly as badly afflicted with.

[otoien]

The Nikon 28mm f/2.8 AIS with 0.2 m close focus is the one of my lenses with the most consistent performance across the aperture range, both with respect to resolution and contrast. Performance is excellent at f/2.8, and already improves at f/3.2. (My lens is chipped and registers as a 45mm). The lens has very good micro contrast. I use it on DX, where it an excellent all-rounder: a normal lens, a macro lens rivaling the micro Nikkors in resolution (although not flat field), and a quite decent landscape lens. There is a slight reduction in resolution towards the very edge at infinity, but not enough to worry about compared to what alternatives are doing in this range. I use it a lot for documenting my scientific work, often on a D40x, a very nice little compact package. The small size allows use of the on-camera flash. It is also the lens I use reversed for higher magnification macro. Further it is great for night shots near wide open:

D200  ISO 800 20s, 28mm f/2.8 AIS at f/3.2

[stm]

My 28mm f/2.8 AIS is my favorite of my four wide angles (20mm f/2.8, 24mm f/2.8, 28mm f/2.8 and 35mm f/2.8) by a good measure. It is wide enough for most situations and it beats the other three not only in resolving power (not to say the others are slouches, not by a long shot), but of the four it is has the best protection from ghosts and flare. The sun in the corner of the frame is no sweat for the 28mm f/2.8.

[afoton]

This is my favorite, and one of my most used lenses. Thanks to the great close-up capability, both near limit and IQ, its a great lens for flower-in-landscape type shots.

[Luc de Schepper]

I just bought one of these on eBay to complete my prime lenses set; 28mm f2.8, 50mm f1.2/f1.4, 105mm f2/f2.5 and 180mm f2.8.
The 28mm will be used mainly for car photography. Looking forward to using this lens as I've read it's a Nikkor classic.

[Luc de Schepper]

Lens has finally arrived. Delayed because of import issue so I had to pay additional to the customs

But the lens is ok, almost as new.

First tests show this lens is a great perfromer, sharp already at f2.8 on and a lot of contrast.

f2.8 iso 320



f2.8 iso 2.000