This is Nikon's sharpest manual-focus wide angle lens.

Nikon let their designers go wild on this one. Instead of a simple 5 element design that every other 28mm f/2.8 lens uses, including the original AF version, this lens has EIGHT elements in EIGHT groups. This allows it a level of correction seen in no other Nikon wide angle.

No other Nikon 28mm lens performs this well: the 28mm f/1.4D AF has some barrel distortion and really is optimized for night photography, and every other 28mm lens just isn't designed as thoroughly.

This AI-s lens (1981-present) is completely different from the older AI lens. Nikon made a big upgrade to the optics when they upgraded it to AI-s, and they really pulled out all the stops.

Not only does this Nikkor uses 8 elements, it also uses floating elements to optimize its performance as it is focused at every distance.

This is also Nikon's closest-focusing lens, with a close-focus distance of 7 inches (0.6 ft), or 20 cm.

There is no sharper manual-focus wide angle lens made by Nikon, and it is the only Nikon wide angle, along with the 15mm f/3.5, that is completely free from barrel distortion at ordinary distances.

Optically this is an almost perfect lens, and one of the most perfect lenses you can get to fit a Nikon camera.

Optics 8 elements in 8 groups.

Close range correction (CRC).

Multicoated.

Diaphragm Seven conventional blades

Stops down to f/22

The 28mm f/2.8 focuses more closely than any other Nikkor.

It focuses down to 7 inches or 0.2 meters, which is closer than any of the macro/micro lenses. It does have some barrel distortion this close and remains sharp.

Maximum Reproduction Ratio 1:3.9

Hard Infinity Focus Stop? Yes

This is great for astronomy; just turn to the stop and you have fixed laboratory-perfect focus all night.

Focus Scale Yes

Depth-of-Field Scale Yes

Infra-Red Focus Index Yes: red dot in depth-of-field scale

Aperture Ring Yes, Metal

Full-stop clicks.

Filter Thread 52mm, metal

2.5" (63mm) in diameter by 2.3" (59mm) long

9 oz. (250g)