Nikkor 28-50mm f/3.5 Ai-S

[richardHaw]

nice pics! i wonder how bad the reported flare problem is

Bill's pics all seem OK to me

[Erik Lund]

Not particular sharp IMHO

[David H. Hartman]

It depends. My copy of 28-85 AF was better than 28-70, and even better than 28-105. It is lottery, especially with old glass, so, you never know!  THX!   LZ

I believe one should do a careful lens test with an eye for decentering and spacing issue caused by impact. The I had one or two AF 28-70/3.5-4.5D Nikkors before getting two good one. I kept both. I reviewed two good AF 35-105/3.5-4.5D Nikkors and kept both. I had an AF 28-105/3.5-4.5D Nikkor that incorrectly reported it's zoom position. I sold the replacement as I preferred the smaller lenses. The lenses I kept cost $74.00 to $109.00 (USD). I keep a 28-70, 35-105 and AF 50/1.8 with my D300s. One of the 28-70(s) stays with my D800.

I probably decentered my AF 35-70/2.8D. I may have fumbled the bag my 35-70/2.8 was in. I had a rash of lenses with image smearing in one direction only at aperatures larger than f/6.3. None of the afflicted lenses showed signs of impact.

A lottery is a good description of my recently passed used lens buying experience.

Dave Hartman

[Bill De Jager]

Not particular sharp IMHO

I would hope that focusing on a Df might give better results than the focus dot I used.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I have had great results with my 28-50 on the Df.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

An image to indicate the current weather situation ... The lens is easy to focus on this camera in my experience. In fact, doing quite a bit better than the 25-50/4, which usually is my first choice for this kind of wide lens.

(Df, 28-50 Nikkor)

[Harald]

Hi Bjørn,

in which terms is it better? I want to try one...

Harald

[Bjørn Rørslett]

"Better" as in terms of handling and the manner it can be focused accurately with the Df. The 25-50 is much better for shooting into bright object like the sun, though, but I found it slightly difficult to focus with my Df and the stock screen. Must try with the K-3 screen now installed in the Df one of these days to learn whether it makes focusing easier with either lens.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Another scene too commonly seen these days. Df with the 28-50 AIS.

[richardHaw]

wow! and the leaves are still green over here

those pictures that you guys are posting are making me lust for this thing

[David H. Hartman]

The one down side for the 25-50/4.0 AIS for me is a short throw on the focus ring and light touch on same. I wonder how hard it would be to put heavier grease in that lens?

Dave Hartman

--;

I checked KEH.com and they don't have a 28-50/3.5 AIS. Are they hard to find?

Dave

[Bjørn Rørslett]

The 28-50 is neither very common nor very rare. Thus random fluctuations in the market decide whether you find a sample.

[richardHaw]

here in Japan it's seasonal. there are time when you get a lot of them and there are times when you don't. some shop owners aren't even aware that they exist

[JKoerner007]

thank you everybody. looks like a so-so performer. I was expecting something better since this lens seems like it was aimed for the pro.

i am intending to use this for street photography so the only problem i think is the ghosting that some people seem to have with since i love shooting contra-light.

such a pity because it looks like it's such a lovely lens. they do not come cheap here by the way. they cost from $6-$15 max.

i am actually intrigued by the the focusing stiffness that some people claim. does the front of this lens rotate? if it didn't then the only thing that can cause the stiffness is the macro mechanism.

I agree with Bjørn and John Geerts (who also showed how good the lens can be for wide to standard shots): the Zoom-Nikkor 28-50mm f/3.5 AI-S  is a very nice lens!

I think some of the attempted (unclear) macro examples on the previous pages are more reflective of poor technique than any problem with the lens. (Too many people give a half-hearted macro effort, don't get a good result, and then blame the lens.)

It is very hard to get small subjects razor-sharp, especially if you're cropping, and almost impossible if you're just hand-holding taking a casual snapshot.

If you use this lens as a precision tool, and actually try to take good macro shots, you can do so very easily as I demonstrate here.

The lens is far from being a Voigtländer, or other exemplary lens, so it's not going to break any records. Still, it is definitely capable ... and if you use good technique, you will get decent results ... and enjoy the fact that this lens is about as light, versatile, and handy as a lens can be in one package.

[David H. Hartman]

NIKKOR - The Thousand and One Nights - 25-50mm f/4.0 AIs

I thought this might be of interest.

Dave