Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AI - vintage lens review

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Nikkor lenses seem to have a bit of a cult following, with many people swearing by their amazing quality, so I was curious to try them myself. A few months ago I finally found two of them, the 28mm we’re checking out today and the 50mm 1.4 that I’m still testing out.
Right off the bat, I have to say that Nikkor lenses are kind of confusing; while they all share the same F-mount introduced in 1959, there a number of different variations, often almost indistinguishable one from the other.
Luckily for me, none of that matters when adapting to a mirroless camera.

This lens is made out of metal, it weights 220g, it is 45mm long when focused to infinity and 50mm when fully extended, with a 52mm front thread.
The iris has 7 blades, the aperture is clicked and it goes from f2.8 to f22.
The focusing ring is rubberized, it turns 180 degrees and minimum focusing distance is 30cm. When focusing the front element turns as well.
Flange distance for the Nikon F mount is 46,5mm, here' an adapter to use it on digital cameras.
 
Center sharpness is great even wide open, only getting softer on the edges. By f8 some fuzziness can still be spotted on the edges of the frame.
Chromatic aberration is present wide open, but it is organic and not distracting, and it is gone by f8.
Colors are pleasant and a bit warm, with good contrast and saturation.
Specular highlights show some onion rings and out of focus areas can feel a bit nervous at times, as it is common for this focal length.
Flares are big and pleasant wide open, but only appear when shooting directly towards a source of light and stopping down they get much smaller. Ghosting has never been a problem in my time using the lens.
 
You know, some times you try a new lens and you immediately know if it is good or bad. It only took me a couple pictures to realize that this Nikkor is good.
Sure, it may lack in character, but it is reliable and predictable; very sharp, but also smoother in the backgrounds than other 28mm lenses. Build quality and ergonomics are also great, which means that it gets my seal of approval on every aspect.
Well, that is all for today, let me know if you have any experience with Nikkor lenses and don't forget to check the full video for all the samples.



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