Nikkor 28 f/2 NAI: I think I'm in love.

adamr1699

adamr1699

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I bought the Nikkor 28 f/2 pre AI lens two days ago and it is already one of my favorite lenses I've ever used. Sharp, saturated, plenty of contrast I LOVE IT. :D I have never been a huge fan of wide angle lenses, in fact I don't like any lenses wider than 35mm, or so I thought.
More or less this is me just doting on a lens.
Does anyone else have this lens? Are there any 28mm m mount or LTM lenses that have similar characteristics?
Thanks all,
Adam R.
 
Love my ai version as well. Everyone seemed to have churned out a good 28f2- the Zeiss one is amazing, as is the Minolta af one
 
adamr1699 said:
I bought the Nikkor 28 f/2 pre AI lens two days ago and it is already one of my favorite lenses I've ever used. Sharp, saturated, plenty of contrast I LOVE IT. :D I have never been a huge fan of wide angle lenses, in fact I don't like any lenses wider than 35mm, or so I thought.
More or less this is me just doting on a lens.
Does anyone else have this lens? Are there any 28mm m mount or LTM lenses that have similar characteristics?
Thanks all,
Adam R.
Click to expand...

I am very much the same as you with regard to my approach to wide angle lenses. I do not generally appreciate anything wider than 35mm simply because it does not suit my style of photography - where I much prefer short tele lenses as a rule. But I too bought a 28mm f2 a year or so back - mine has the scalloped focusing ring but is AI or perhaps factory converted and it is every bit as good as its reputation says it should be. In fact as you might expect from its relatively fast aperture it was regarded as the pro 28mm in the Nikkor line up for this focal length and from the start has close range correction (CRC) to enhance its close focus capabilities. It is a keeper.

From an earlier post on this subject, the various versions of this lens appear to be pretty similar from the earliest model to the late ones with 9 elements in 8 groups, 7 blades, 120 deg focus throw although it may have been tweaked with changes to glass in some elements. I have not investigated this issue further. But of course it also definitely was improved somewhat by changes to lens coating over the years with the adoption of the Nikon Integrated Coating (NIC) system. But this has never stopped me from using any pre AI or early AI lenses as coatings have a larger impact when shooting into the light and to the extent that older coating does affect images in other situations (in the form of lower contrast) this usually can be corrected in digital post processing.

Have a read of this http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126051

and this

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/nikon/nikkoresources/28mmnikkor/index.htm
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Nikon F2SB - Nikkor-N 28mm f2.0 pre Ai - Kodak TMY2 400

I really like my Pre Ai Nikkor-N 28mm f2.0 and it is my go to wide lens when shooting Nikon. It renders beautifully in my opinion. Sometimes it can flare a bit
in extreme situations as can be seen in the photograph below...


Le Pont du Gard. Nimes, France. by Flat Twin, on Flickr

Regards

Simon
 
Yes.
I've shot my two N and N.C Ai'd 28mm f/2's for at least 15+ years most of them at weddings. I've long gravitated to the 28mm focal length even though I shoot much wider and much tighter; I like to think of it as a 'loose' 35mm. The rendering of this lens is exceptional and side by side the only Nikkor that equals is the f/2.8 Ais although I've not tested the AF f/1.4. I have shot with Otus 28mm f/1.4 for Nikon on a D810 and it was amazing of course but huge. And Heavy. My f/2 was *tiny* compared to it and only one stop slower.
 
Fantastic shots of Pont du Gard - my interest in this lens is really getting stoked by this thread! NAI glass is just wonderful in my view.
 
In the late 70ies I bought Nikkor 3.5/28. Did not use it very much as wide-angle lens turn out not to be my favourite, but boy was it sharp. Regret selling it as lots of other gear.
 
Yeah, I really love the early Nikon glass in general. Another one of my favorites is the 105 f/2.5 NAI, I also have that lens in ltm and love them both very, very much. Someday I will get my hands on a Nikkor 35 f/2.5 ltm lens, someday...
 
I understand you completely!

When I bought my AI 2.0/28, I wanted to have it as a wider complement to the AI 1.4/35.
I expected a good lens, but what I got was an excellent one!

The 2/28 quickly became one of my favourite lenses.
 
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