Lille, daytime, 35/2.8 PC

[Airy]

The slight problem with that lens is, barrel distortion, while low, is sometimes visible due to the very nature of the shots: the more the photographer wants to get those verticals right, the more apparent their bending.
Here, the shots were processed with CNX-D, which does not allow manual correction of distortion.

[Airy]

Of course, when the subjects are more "normal", distortion is less apparent. In both cases, the lens was used with zero shift. In the second case, I foolishly chose f/4, resulting in insufficient subject separation: I forgot that the resolution of that lens is already quite good at f/2.8 (some other forum member even wrote "best of Nikkor 35's", or did I read that in a review?).

[Roland Vink]

Of course, when the subjects are more "normal", distortion is less apparent. In both cases, the lens was used with zero shift. In the second case, I foolishly chose f/4, resulting in insufficient subject separation: I forgot that the resolution of that lens is already quite good at f/2.8 (some other forum member even wrote "best of Nikkor 35's", or did I read that in a review?).

Maybe from David Ruether's and Grover Larkins' Subjective Lens Evaluations:
http://www.verwoerd.info/nikon/short.html -- 35mm f2.8 PC AIS latest "it has the best performance of all the Nikkor 35's at f2.8"

[Airy]

Yes, indeed ! that's where I read it.

[Airy]

Overshifting the lens, here at 11-12mm where the recommended maximum is 8mm along the long axis. On the original photo and, to a lesser extent, on this re-sampled view, sharpness drops steeply but only in the very extreme corners at the top. The fish is still sharp enough.
Also, there is some significant vignetting (not corrected).

Df, 35/2.8PC at f/8. Very bad light grazing the lens front, while the wall was in the shadow. Processed in NX Studio (slight increase of contrast and saturation; white balance warmed up a bit; 5:4 with bottom cropped away).
A darn good lens, even though in "normal" usage (unshifted) the Zeiss 35/2 ZF2 is superior. But that's comparing emeralds with diamonds.