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28mm: what's people's favourite, and why?

Alon

Not Available
I just wanted to understand your statement.

You have now provided me with the explanation. Thank you.
 

VINCET

Member
How about the Nikon 28mm AI-s f2.0 ? I read somewhere that it is one of the better Nikon lens and was surprised that no one mentioned it here.
 

vieri

Well-known member
How about the Nikon 28mm AI-s f2.0 ? I read somewhere that it is one of the better Nikon lens and was surprised that no one mentioned it here.
Hello, Jorgen mentioned it in his post HERE, and I think it's a promising report - seems great at f5.6/f8 on the D700, however I'd love to hear from people who tried it on the D800 (or on the D3x at least).
 

Steen

Senior Subscriber Member

For what it is worth I showed a couple of test snaps with the one stop slower AI-S Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 in the 'decent wide for landscapes' thread:

http://www.getdpi.com/forum/nikon/41453-decent-wide-landscapes-2.html#post469365

I have had both the AI-S f/2 and the f/2.8 at the same time and I think my copies were pretty much equal in performance apart from the fast one being one stop faster than the other.

I sold the fast optic and kept the slow one as for me a wide angle lens doesn't need to be fast and I had a feeling that at the far edges the f/2 version showed a bit more lateral chromatic aberration than the slow one, even stopped down.

This may very well just go for the copies I happened to have at the same time.

As usual sample variation is a nasty variable that makes it very hard to say something really firm about the performance of a specific lens model.

So all we can do is show samples, show samples, show samples ... :)
 

neilvan

Well-known member
I like the character from my 28mm f2.8 AI-S so much that I ended up selling my 28mm G. I do regret selling my flawless OM 28mm f2 recently however...
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Hello, Jorgen mentioned it in his post HERE, and I think it's a promising report - seems great at f5.6/f8 on the D700, however I'd love to hear from people who tried it on the D800 (or on the D3x at least).
I will be going on a two day industrial assignment next week and will be using the 28/2.0 extensively. Unfortunately, I don't have anything more demanding than a D700, but it will be interesting to see how the lens behaves under harsh factory lighting.

Another lens that I will use is the AI 20mm f/3.5. I'll post photos taken with both lenses when I'm back next Wednesday.
 

vieri

Well-known member

For what it is worth I showed a couple of test snaps with the one stop slower AI-S Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 in the 'decent wide for landscapes' thread:

http://www.getdpi.com/forum/nikon/41453-decent-wide-landscapes-2.html#post469365

I have had both the AI-S f/2 and the f/2.8 at the same time and I think my copies were pretty much equal in performance apart from the fast one being one stop faster than the other.

I sold the fast optic and kept the slow one as for me a wide angle lens doesn't need to be fast and I had a feeling that at the far edges the f/2 version showed a bit more lateral chromatic aberration than the slow one, even stopped down.

This may very well just go for the copies I happened to have at the same time.

As usual sample variation is a nasty variable that makes it very hard to say something really firm about the performance of a specific lens model.

So all we can do is show samples, show samples, show samples ... :)
I like the character from my 28mm f2.8 AI-S so much that I ended up selling my 28mm G. I do regret selling my flawless OM 28mm f2 recently however...
I will be going on a two day industrial assignment next week and will be using the 28/2.0 extensively. Unfortunately, I don't have anything more demanding than a D700, but it will be interesting to see how the lens behaves under harsh factory lighting.

Another lens that I will use is the AI 20mm f/3.5. I'll post photos taken with both lenses when I'm back next Wednesday.
Thank you guys, it's good to see some love for the oldies :D

@ Jorgen: I am also very interested in your opinions on the 20 f3.5, if you care to share. It would be great to have a small, sharp, MF 20mm that does't cost an arm and a leg... :D
 

jsf

Active member
I like the 28mm and the 20mm angle of view a lot, the 28mm for PR or events shooting and the 20mm for more general use. Saying that when I shoot PR or events I use an ancient 28mm f/3.5. At f/8 it is as sharp as a lens needs to be in the center and borders and is good in the corners. The lens is small and light weight has very good flare resistance and is so lowly regarded that one can buy one in LN- or EX+ for about $70. For an industrial assignment I would use my 17-35 in a heartbeat, it is practically glued on to my d800e. So it depends a lot on what is being photographed. I used a 20mm f/3.5 for years and it was quite a nice lens as I remember. I do not believe we worried about the extreme corners much back then so I can't say if it was good or bad. Joe
 

vieri

Well-known member
I like the 28mm and the 20mm angle of view a lot, the 28mm for PR or events shooting and the 20mm for more general use. Saying that when I shoot PR or events I use an ancient 28mm f/3.5. At f/8 it is as sharp as a lens needs to be in the center and borders and is good in the corners. The lens is small and light weight has very good flare resistance and is so lowly regarded that one can buy one in LN- or EX+ for about $70. For an industrial assignment I would use my 17-35 in a heartbeat, it is practically glued on to my d800e. So it depends a lot on what is being photographed. I used a 20mm f/3.5 for years and it was quite a nice lens as I remember. I do not believe we worried about the extreme corners much back then so I can't say if it was good or bad. Joe
Hey Joe,

this is precisely the point... lenses that were very good back in the day, aren't considered even passable today with these super-Mp new sensors :rolleyes: The good side to it is that these oldies can be picked up pretty much for a song and if you don't like them resold for just about the same few coins, which led itself to experimentation... :D
 
I just spoke to Schneider and got news about the PC-TS Super Angulon.

The good: lenses are on order and could arrive any day now.

The bad: list price $10,000!

We can probably assume it will be very good. I look forward to reading about it from a distance.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
This one was just $350 :D

D700 with Nikkor 28mm f/2.0 AI-S @ f/4



and a 100% crop:



another 100%, left edge this time:

 
Another $9650 gets you a 72mm image circle, movements, and allegedly state of the art MF digital quality optics.

I suppose there's a chance the guy was misinformed. Maybe he meant 10,000 pesos.
 
I've been snooping around, trying to get more information on the Schneider. It appears similar to the 28mm LS lens for Phase One, which unfortunately hasn't gotten a whole lotta love around here.

I asked Schneider and got the following:

yes, indeed, basically it is, the lens design of Mamiya 4,5/28mm medium format lens.

But, and this is very important, Mrs. Ebbesmeier did recalculate the optic design and we get a slightly different version in a three cell unit for better centering for an excellent performance.
So, now it's really wait and see. But how can you not want a lens at least a little, knowing it was calculated by Mrs. Ebbesmeier?
 

vieri

Well-known member
I've been snooping around, trying to get more information on the Schneider. It appears similar to the 28mm LS lens for Phase One, which unfortunately hasn't gotten a whole lotta love around here.

I asked Schneider and got the following:

yes, indeed, basically it is, the lens design of Mamiya 4,5/28mm medium format lens.

But, and this is very important, Mrs. Ebbesmeier did recalculate the optic design and we get a slightly different version in a three cell unit for better centering for an excellent performance.
So, now it's really wait and see. But how can you not want a lens at least a little, knowing it was calculated by Mrs. Ebbesmeier?
Of course! Mrs. Ebbesmeier's recalculation MUST be trusted... except... who is she? :ROTFL:
 
I looked her up ... she's been there a long time and holds a bunch of patents.

No more lenses for me unless they're Mrs. Ebbesmeier Signature models.
 

vieri

Well-known member
Are there any older WA lenses for medium format that would be interesting to try on a 35mm DSLR?
Jorgen, I think it depends on what you value in a lens. Technically (sharpness, etc) MF lenses aren't generally as good as 35mm, and especially the thing is that on MF WA lenses use longer focal lengths than on 35mm - the 28mm on MF is very very wide (about 15-17mm equivalent), but on 35mm is... just a 28mm. :D If you look for character, then all bets are off - whatever you find appealing is worth pursuing, when it comes to lens character!
 

LKaven

New member
I kept the 28/2AI even after I bought a 28/1.8G. I like both of these lenses. But the 28/2 has a cinematic character, a kind of "rounded" tonal rendering that is very pleasing, and excellent bokeh. Make no mistake, it is plenty sharp, resolving hairs on my D800 at a distance. It's my favorite street lens.
 
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