The classic Nikkors: 28 mm f/2

[pluton]

Paco, that's a sunset worth shooting!...even though I rectified it to see it "better".

[golunvolo]

Sorry to hear about your copy. I hope in can be fixed.

 Keith, thanks. Sunsets in that area are gorgeous. There are several spots withing 15-30 mins drive from each other one more beautiful than the previous. Worth considering for a vacation -not August...- Did you flip it to see it better?  I had to rotate it because it strike me as a planet image from NASA. If something else, I´ll love to see it!

 

[pluton]

Did you flip it to see it better?  I had to rotate it because it strike me as a planet image from NASA. If something else, I´ll love to see it!

I just rotated it 90º counter-clockwise, but I like it as you presented it also.

[Bruno Schroder]

While the group finished picnic, playing with a dandelion, to bring back the thread.

[Per Inge Oestmoen]

Well, bad news. On the way back from a job site, someone stole my pickup truck, which also had my camera bag including D700, 28/2 Ai, 50/1.4G, and 180/2.8 Ais ED. The truck was recovered after a week but all my tools, equipment and camera were gone.

I've since replaced the D700 and the 180/2.8. I replaced the 50/1.4G with a 35/2D. While the first lens I bought was a replacement 28/2 Ai, the replacement isn't a good copy. Gorgeous on the outside, it has unreported haze on the inside. I took it to a local lens repair, and he didn't fix it. Oh, sure. He lubed the helicoid, but the interior lens surfaces are still hazy, the the pictorial results with this copy are disappointing, to say the least.

So now I'm stuck with a crappy copy of what should be a wonderful lens.

I have found that the Nikkor 28mm 2.0 AIS is seriously plagued with sample variation. I have one that is brilliant, and I have tried two others that performed dismally until stopped down to 4.0 or 5.6. None of these had any signs that they had been subjected to abuse or impacts. Other manual Nikkors have not showed this problem, they have all been uniformly good performers.

I do not know why this lens is problematic. It is said that it is vulnerable to impact, but I suspect that it is the bad old sample variation which shows. By the way, sample variation is much more widespread than many are aware of. This is particularly the case with zooms.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

My main hypothesis is the variability is due to vulnerability of the CRC system, which on the 28 mm Nikkors is conducted with the front group.

Another lens with huge variation in performance is the 24/2 Nikkor and I positively know from my own sample that the CRC components (in this lens, the rear lens cell) quite easily comes out of alignment.

[Per Inge Oestmoen]

My main hypothesis is the variability is due to vulnerability of the CRC system, which on the 28 mm Nikkors is conducted with the front group.

Another lens with huge variation in performance is the 24/2 Nikkor and I positively know from my own sample that the CRC components (in this lens, the rear lens cell) quite easily comes out of alignment.

That is possible, and if so the question is whether the damage might be repairable. According to the repair shop - which is known to be very competent with Nikon equipment - the fault of my 28mm 2.0 AIS is irrepairable although they did not diagnose it at the time.

[DanAa]

Autumn palette. Walkin' home after work this afternoon with D800 + AiS28/2.0 f/5,6 1/60 ISO200 Freehand.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Rosa rugosa and nice autumn colours. One is tempted to disregard this species being on the National Black Species list and campaigned against to eradicate in vulnerable ares.

[Per Inge Oestmoen]

One more with my Nikkor 28mm 2.0 AIS and the D750. 

[Wannabebetter]

Rosa rugosa and nice autumn colours. One is tempted to disregard this species being on the National Black Species list and campaigned against to eradicate in vulnerable ares.

Too late for me, I had the soup cold. Hated it!

[JKoerner007]

... I really like the perspective it give for the collections of Old Autos nearby ...
Lowell

Interesting. I use my 28mm f/2.8 AI-S for photographing autos a lot also, not for art though, but to document vehicle damage for my profession.

Have to agree that 28mm is the ideal focal length for this purpose. That and the fact the AI-S can get so close (for a ~1:4 reproduction ratio) allows me to document actual damage points precisely also.

Would like to try the pre-AI, f/2 version.

[JKoerner007]

Here is a shot taken with the 28mm f/2.8 on the D810:



Rainbow Falls by John A. Koerner II, on Flickr


I will be replacing it with the 28 f/2 soon ...

[Per Inge Oestmoen]

Here is a shot taken with the 28mm f/2.8 on the D810:

[...]

I will be replacing it with the 28 f/2 soon ...

Why would you replace the Nikkor 28mm 2.8 AIS with the Nikkor 28mm 2.0 AIS? Is the latter superior to the former in other ways than by virtue of its larger aperture?

[pluton]

I'd keep both.  They are different in their various strengths and weaknesses, and neither costs much.