Nikkor 35mm f2.8 photos

[Birna Rørslett]

I'm mainly using the SE Nikon 35 for IR, for which purpose it serves admirably.

If your expectations aren't set sky-high, the lens won't disappoint you.

[Bent Hjarbo]

I have a rough example of the 35mm E-series, one of the last of the first series, from 1980-81,  serial nr. 1863710, the focus don't go very smooth.
I put it on my D500 and took some picture, you can judge for yourself if it is worth the effort, I was surprised.
The files are straight from LR, no PP except the lR default.

[Hermann]

Thanks Birna, and especially Bent. I think those photos look pretty good, even wide open. Not bad at all for a lens that age. My friend's lens is a bit older than yours actually, serial nr. 1859128. The focussing is apparently quite smooth, albeit a bit loose. Anyhow, I asked him to mail it to me.

Now I've got to find a nice, not too expensive 20mm or 24mm for my kit. That won't be quite so easy, I suppose ... :-)

Hermann

[Bent Hjarbo]

You are welcome, I was surprised too

[Zang]

Some really beautiful pictures produced by that 'infamous' Nikon 35 mm! Bjorn's ratting kept me away from owning this lens for years, until I found no alternative for an inexpensive 35 mm. My sample is incredibly sharp and easily beats 17-55 mm at 35 mm in overall picture rendering.

Cheers,
Zang

[Ian R]

When I first picked up a Nikon in 2006, the 35mm f/2.8 was one of my first lenses. Mine was the final iteration. I read online how poor it was, how it was a waste of time, how the zoom did EVERYTHING better, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Excellent colour, clean and open look and even in dull weather the photos had bite.

Absolutely nothing wrong with it at all.

In fact I will go further. I bought the 17-35mm f/2.8 and found I used it less as it was heavy and in my opinion, not so good. Of course it zoomed and had AF but I still picked up the 35mm f/2.8 in preference. I did have a SE, but sold it as it always looked a bit washed out and soft, but that may have been the processing of course.

[Matthew Currie]

I have two 35/2.8 lenses, each of which has its virtues.

The first is an early-70's version of the 35/2.8 PC, with the collar milled so it clears an AI tab.  This is, simply, one of my favorite lenses.  Aside from the usefulness of the shifting, it just seems to do its job well, sharp and with colors that look right.  Some of that may be gearhead placebo effect, as I find it such a beautiful machine.  On Photo.net there's a "fixed focal length friday" thread, and I usually go out on a thursday with this lens and grab whatever looks nice that day.  The first shot was made in December, of Neshobe Island on Lake Bomoseen in Vermont.
The second, bought some time ago for nearly nothing, is a 35/2.8K, milled to AI.  When I got this I found it pretty blah on full frame, not bad but not great.  On DX it comes into its own, decently sharp, easy to focus, tough as nails. The second shot is one I just took in the back yard. I like the PC lens so much I rarely use this one except when traveling.  (edit to add:  both these are taken with a D7100)

[Jack Dahlgren]

I have two 35/2.8 lenses, each of which has its virtues.

The first is an early-70's version of the 35/2.8 PC, with the collar milled so it clears an AI tab.  This is, simply, one of my favorite lenses.

Your effusiveness has impacted my paypal account. Hopefully the sting will be forgotten by the time the new lens shows up next week.

[Gil Aegerter]

The Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8 was one of my first two Nikkor lenses. The other was 85mm f1.8 K, which I still have 40 years later. The original 35mm got beat to death on trips around the world. But it did great on film (first image, ship captain on Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe, F2, Kodachrome) and digital (surface of a coin,D300, extension tube). I've since replaced the 35mm with a mint copy, and it's on my F2 right now.

[Gil Aegerter]

 Second image.

[Gil Aegerter]

I took this image of my 90-year-old mother at her kitchen table in Alaska. Nikkor-S 35mm f2.8, Nikon F2, Fuji Superia 400.

[Airy]

As usual, when I see good shots I forget about lenses... lots of good ones above!

Concerning the 35/2.8 PC lens, I got a late version. I did not use it for years - sure an interesting and versatile lens, but as a 35mm it got in the shadow of the Zeiss 35/2, and as a PC lens it got in the shadow of the 28/3.5 because PC is simply more useful at that focal length.

Indeed, when stopped down, the Zeiss is distinctly sharper, and at large apertures, the Zeiss has much more contrast.

But now that the subject is open - I'll put that 35/2.8 PC (late version) back on the Df and see what happens.