Nikon 28mm AIS (CRC) still viable?

<p>I was just out and about with a couple others over dinner. One area I don't have is a wide angle prime. Looking at the prices for a 28mm AIS CRC F2.8 as they are far better than the AF-D versions. Due to the price they are going for and it is a 2nd hand lens wouldn't it make more sense to go with the 28mm F1.8 AF-S? Some have also mentioned about flaring with the AIS. There is the 28mm AIS F2.0 but I gather that would be even more than the F2.8 AIS ...</p>

<p>OTOH if I needed a lens for my FM2 maybe a 35mm F2.0 AIS would be better ... </p>

<p>I have it crystal clear. For an AF camera, an AF lens will give me way more keepers than any MF lens.</p>

<p>I`m owner of a 28/2.8AiS sample, bought new decades ago. I find it to be a very good lens, but I use it only with MF cameras. On a DSLR, I usually look for working speed and accuracy, so IMHO, nothing like an AFS lens. Although I never used it, it seems that the 28/1.8AFS is a no brainer solution.</p>

<p>The AF version is a "downgrade", economy lens, so no interesting to my taste. So I`d get an specific lens for for the FM2 and anther AF (zoom or prime), for your digital.</p>

<p>BTW, the images I`ll be posting on the next Matt`s Nikon Wednesday thread has been taken with the 28/2.8AiS (but sadly, on TX! -I`d have preferred to have a roll of FP4+ instead-). I feel good with this lens.</p>

<p>Nikon still makes 28mm f2.8. It tells something. In here the old model 28/2.8 CRC MF sells higher than the AF f1.8 version. Image rendering in 28/2.8 CRC MF lens is generally good.<br>

Jose summarizes the situatuation well.<br>

Af is af and if you need af, then it may be the f1.8 lens. But that lens does not work well with older film cameras. </p>

 

<p>The 28/2.8 AI(s) varies from specimen to specimen, with the best specimens being top performers that are sharp from corner to corner. I use the 28/2 AI regularly, and keep it alongside the 28/1.8G. It has a refined look in my opinion.</p>

<p>http://www.16-9.net/lens_tests/28mm_2.html</p>

 

<p>I use my 28mm/f2 AI all of the time. It is not great but usable at f2, and very good at 2.8. They can be found for about the same price as the 2.8 MF version, which is also a very good lens. Focusing using the RF dots or ground glass is OK in practice.</p>

<p>The new 28/1.8AFS is better than the older lenses, but larger. I was able to use one for a few months. Another candidate is the 24/2.8AF, a pretty good lens if your camera has the screw drive focus system.</p>

<p>I am not a great fan of the 35/f2 lenses. What I find funny is that the 35/2AF is generally pretty well thought of, but nobody likes the 28/2.8AF. I have had both, and thought that they were about the same (not great at more open settings). The newly announced 35/1.8AFS should be a big improvement here.</p>

<p> </p>

The 28/2.8 AIS is fantastic and definitely good enough for high res FX cameras, so long as you like manually focusing. As

you probably know, the AIS has an optical formula that's not the same as the AI, E or AF ones. I've used all of those and

they're all useful lenses but the AIS is the best of the group. Newer serial numbers have a coating update, and of course

with all used lenses you have to check them for optical problems, hazy glass etc.

<p>+1 for the 28/2.0, you can shoot with the sun in the image without flares.</p>

<p>+ another 1 for the f/2.0 Ai-S version. Slightly better corner definition at a distance IMHO than the f/2.8, plus having that extra stop doesn't hurt.</p>

<p>When people start talking about lens sharpness, I always wonder if they need sharpness, or if they just need to feel like they have the best. I have the 28/2.8 AF-D, a 28/2.0 AI, a Leica Elmarit 28/2.8 V2, and a 28/1.9 Voigtlander. They all do fine. The only 28mm I've been sorry I got was the supposed "legendary" 28/2.0 Kiron, which was almost as sharp as the others, but had visibly lower contrast, even through the finder, and mostly fell apart at f2. I think if you buy any of the various Nikon choices you will not be disappointed, if your intention is to use it to take pictures.</p>

Maybe it was just me but I found the 28mm f/2.8 AI-S Nikkor to be tremendously over-hyped and I tried two or three

different mint conditioned ones.

<p>I found that with musical instruments, saxophones anyway, that the beautiful mint condition horns were the horns that, most often, nobody /wanted/ to play. I had a 1946 Selmer balanced action alto that I struggled with for years. I sold it for a beat-up horn that obviously was well loved, and it played like a dream.</p>

<p>In the 16-9.net review above, the beat-up 28/2.8 wins hands down. I realize this is a sample of small numbers, but the story is often true.</p>

<p>I always liked and still use the 28mm F2.0 AIS for the way the images are rendered.<br>

The lens has a certain personality that one can see in the images. :-)<br>

Resolution and contrast are good enough for a D3 but not top notch for todays pro lenses.<br>

Flare is well under control and including the sun in the frame gives pleasing results.<br>

For me it is a small, fast, low profile lens that lets me go close to a face and still get a lot of the location included in the image.<br>

I prefer it over the F2.8 that is not bad in any way but did not seem any special to me.<br>

For fast action and need of AF I prefer the 24mm-70mm F2.8 zoom.<br>

Cheers<br>

Walter</p>