Nikon (Nikkor) 28mm f/3.5 AI Manual Focus Lens. Near Mint

This is a near Mint example of one of Nikon's high quality AI from the early 1980's: when Nikon didn't make anything except high quality pro lenses

Key features

• Totally sharp at all apertures.
• Small and light. Just 242g. Ideal for travel photography.
• Close focus to 1ft.

See Hi res images on Dropbox:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vi7166g6kd79gfg/AADvv0AJ6W927G2t61vvvUhka?dl=0

This one: lens number 1764853, was number 42175 of a total run of some 83,227 of the 28mm f/3.5 AI lens manufactured by Nikon Japan between Feb 1975 and Mar 1977. We can, therefore, be fairly certain that this lens was made around Feb 1976. It offers the same optical quality as the more expensive and heavier f/2.8 and f/2 28mm Nikon AI lenses. See full review of this lens on Ken Rockwell's lens review page.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/28mm-f35-ai.htm

Lens compatibility

Use on Digital Cameras

On the D810, D800,D800E, D750,D700, D610, D600,D500, D300s,D300, D200,D7200, D7100,D7000 series cameras, it can give full matrix metering and aperture-preferred auto (A) and manual (M) modes, and encodes the shooting aperture and focal length in the EXIF.

The Nikon 28mm f/3.5 AI works on the lesser cameras like the D80, D70 and D40, but without any metering - you'll have to use an external meter or guess using the LCD.

Use on Film Cameras

The Nikon 28mm f/3.5 AI is ideal for manual focus cameras like the FA, FE, FM and F2AS.

The F100 and most film cameras offer centre-weighted metering with this lens, while the F4, F6 and FA are unique among film cameras in offering matrix metering with it.

For further reading on the subject, please visit Ken Rockwell's most instructive website on the subject.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm

Lens Condition: Near Mint

I have described this lens as in near Mint condition because it has no marks at all on the barrel or glass.

Mechanical: Near Mint

The aperture ring is smooth and 'clicky'. The focus ring is buttery smooth with zero play in the action. The mounting ring is in perfect condition. The Iris is oil free and snappy in action.

Optical: Near Mint

There are some very fine dust particles in the lens, but the optics are otherwise perfect. There is no balsam separation, haze or fungus.

Image quality

Image quality is excellent. The Ken Rockwell review explains the characteristics of this lens in some detail. The images attached attest to the quality he sees.

The lens tests at the Dropbox site and on the Ebay site were shot on a Nikon D7200. Used with a 28mm full frame lens like this, this DX camera renders the same image perspective that one would get from a 42mm lens in the 35mm world, making it ideal for landscape photography on a Nikon DX camera. I've taken a series of shots around the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham. There is a 100% crop image at f/5.6. That's equivalent to a print of about 5 X 3 feet. I don't see a difference between the sharpness of this lens wide open and stopped down. It's a tiny bit more contrasty at f/4 than at f/3.5, but it's a tiny difference. It's very sharp to the point where you can see individual pixels changing tone! This is a very good lens.

One of the flower pics is at f/3.5. Great Bokeh.

.(Note: I have uploaded a lower res image as Ebay won't let me upload 18MP files to the site. See Dropbox link below for the full res images.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vi7166g6kd79gfg/AADvv0AJ6W927G2t61vvvUhka?dl=0

Performance Summary

Brilliant! It's dead sharp at f/3.5. There's a tiny bit more contrast by f/4. From f/4 through to f/11 it's still superb, and there is a tiny bit of falloff from f/16 due to internal lens reflections (as you get with all lenses).

See all high res images shot from f3.5 to f22 at the following Dropbox site.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vi7166g6kd79gfg/AADvv0AJ6W927G2t61vvvUhka?dl=0

Overall, I would rate image quality as outstanding.

What's in the box?

Lens, front and rear lens cap.