Nikon 24/2.8 AIs - broken?

[nyoung]

I have a new (to me) Nikon 24/2.8 AIs that appears broken to me.
On a test roll it is only sharp in a circular area in the center of the frame.
Gets softer and softer as you get near the edges of the frame. These are frames shot at 5.6, 8, and 11.
Has anyone else seen anything like this?
Is it something to to do with the CRC?
Where would you send it for repair other than Nikon USA?
I would post the offending pics but since I was just blowing off a short roll to test a new camera and lens I didn't pay the $2 for a CD.
Thanks for donating your experience.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

I have a new (to me) Nikon 24/2.8 AIs that appears broken to me.... only sharp in a circular area in the center of the frame.
Gets softer and softer as you get near the edges of the frame.

People pay top-dollar for that behavior in a Petzval Portrait Lens.

But it does sound quite screwey. The usual reason for this fault is someone took the lens apart and put it back together with an element in backwards.

 

[nyoung]

I hadn't thought of the lens being assembled wrong. That Petzval portrait look is exactly what this thing does.