Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AI-s

[Nikon 2]

I’ve shot with the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4, 50mm f2 AI and 35mm f/2 O.C. but none comes close to the 28mm f/2.8 AI-s in sharpness, contrast and color rendering…!

 

[Sal Santamaura]

Try a 55mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor.

 

[250swb]

I’ve shot with the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4, 50mm f2 AI and 35mm f/2 O.C. but none comes close to the 28mm f/2.8 AI-s in sharpness, contrast and color rendering…!

If this just a statement or the opportunity for a debate?

 

[Nikon 2]

If this just a statement or the opportunity for a debate?

I compared the lenses mentioned and preferred the Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AI-s. It’s my opinion but it’s also up for debate…!

 

[Nikon 2]

Try a 55mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor.

Heard that’s one of the sharpest Nikon Nikkor lens also…!

 

[Moose22]

The 55mm is ridiculous. If you're looking at sharpness, you'd be impressed.

And that 28mm ai-s is a high water mark. The 28mm AF-D version is far inferior, they definitely stepped backwards there. Assuming of course sharpness is your #1 thang...

I'm shaky handed enough when shooting street or concerts that half the time I can't tell the difference between it and the softer 35mm on my autofocus cameras, or the 50mm I use on the F3, but that's not the lens, that's the shooter and environment. In bright sun, or landscape with the tripod...

 

[Christiaan Phleger]

Just to add a few thoughts, yes the Ai-s 28mm f/2.8 is a stellar lens well deserving of its reputation, and it should; Nikon threw everything they had at the time (short of ground aspherical elements of the Noct 58mm). As I mentioned before regarding this lens, Nikon came kind of late to the 28mm consumer market, by the point that it was released other competitors had already had a lower cost/high performance 28mm in their lineups. Not to say Nikon was playing catch-up, the extra development of the front CRC was a worthwhile improvement that kicked the Ai-S version over any other 28mm.
However, the 28mm f/2.8 Ai version (no CRC) has a couple notable interesting aspects. It's very under rated and thus less expensive, obviously since it gets compared to the Ai-S version All The Time, but this lens was perhaps the last (still doing research) lens that was conceived with the 'thicker element' concept, this was dropped as the concept of more computer aided design using more but thinner elements became the direction Nikon would go. You can see this in one of the lenses that was updated at the time the 28mm f/2.8 Ai was released, the 24mm f/2.8 K/Ai, which kept the same element count but went to the thinner lens element concept, keeping the performance while allowing Nikon to use less glass. Any Nikon 28mm f/2.8 was always going to be a mid-range lens, not as expensive as the f/2 but priced higher than the aging (yet again an improved) 28mm f/3.5, so I surmise that any reduction in raw material would be welcome to a lens that would sell in the 100's of thousands of units.
Regardless, the 28mm Ai version remains a favorite of mine, I like the 'thick element' look, in bright light, at wider f-stops (perhaps with a N.D. filter) the strong color saturation and a touch of vignetting can create a distinctive '1970's' look.

 

[Nikon 2]

Just to add a few thoughts, yes the Ai-s 28mm f/2.8 is a stellar lens well deserving of its reputation, and it should; Nikon threw everything they had at the time (short of ground aspherical elements of the Noct 58mm). As I mentioned before regarding this lens, Nikon came kind of late to the 28mm consumer market, by the point that it was released other competitors had already had a lower cost/high performance 28mm in their lineups. Not to say Nikon was playing catch-up, the extra development of the front CRC was a worthwhile improvement that kicked the Ai-S version over any other 28mm.
However, the 28mm f/2.8 Ai version (no CRC) has a couple notable interesting aspects. It's very under rated and thus less expensive, obviously since it gets compared to the Ai-S version All The Time, but this lens was perhaps the last (still doing research) lens that was conceived with the 'thicker element' concept, this was dropped as the concept of more computer aided design using more but thinner elements became the direction Nikon would go. You can see this in one of the lenses that was updated at the time the 28mm f/2.8 Ai was released, the 24mm f/2.8 K/Ai, which kept the same element count but went to the thinner lens element concept, keeping the performance while allowing Nikon to use less glass. Any Nikon 28mm f/2.8 was always going to be a mid-range lens, not as expensive as the f/2 but priced higher than the aging (yet again an improved) 28mm f/3.5, so I surmise that any reduction in raw material would be welcome to a lens that would sell in the 100's of thousands of units.
Regardless, the 28mm Ai version remains a favorite of mine, I like the 'thick element' look, in bright light, at wider f-stops (perhaps with a N.D. filter) the strong color saturation and a touch of vignetting can create a distinctive '1970's' look.

Excellent history…!

 

[Melvin J Bramley]

Try a 55mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor.

I have to agree .
Giving this lens it's well deserved credit is bound to raise prices!

 

[brian steinberger]

Try a 55mm f/2.8 Micro-Nikkor.

I just ordered one of these from KEH. Looking forward to using it!

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I’ve shot with the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4, 50mm f2 AI and 35mm f/2 O.C. but none comes close to the 28mm f/2.8 AI-s in sharpness, contrast and color rendering…!

The 28 mm is a brilliant lens!

 

[Melvin J Bramley]

Just to add a few thoughts, yes the Ai-s 28mm f/2.8 is a stellar lens well deserving of its reputation, and it should; Nikon threw everything they had at the time (short of ground aspherical elements of the Noct 58mm). As I mentioned before regarding this lens, Nikon came kind of late to the 28mm consumer market, by the point that it was released other competitors had already had a lower cost/high performance 28mm in their lineups. Not to say Nikon was playing catch-up, the extra development of the front CRC was a worthwhile improvement that kicked the Ai-S version over any other 28mm.
However, the 28mm f/2.8 Ai version (no CRC) has a couple notable interesting aspects. It's very under rated and thus less expensive, obviously since it gets compared to the Ai-S version All The Time, but this lens was perhaps the last (still doing research) lens that was conceived with the 'thicker element' concept, this was dropped as the concept of more computer aided design using more but thinner elements became the direction Nikon would go. You can see this in one of the lenses that was updated at the time the 28mm f/2.8 Ai was released, the 24mm f/2.8 K/Ai, which kept the same element count but went to the thinner lens element concept, keeping the performance while allowing Nikon to use less glass. Any Nikon 28mm f/2.8 was always going to be a mid-range lens, not as expensive as the f/2 but priced higher than the aging (yet again an improved) 28mm f/3.5, so I surmise that any reduction in raw material would be welcome to a lens that would sell in the 100's of thousands of units.
Regardless, the 28mm Ai version remains a favorite of mine, I like the 'thick element' look, in bright light, at wider f-stops (perhaps with a N.D. filter) the strong color saturation and a touch of vignetting can create a distinctive '1970's' look.

The Nikon 28mm f3.5 is no slouch and available at bargain prices.