Brain Meltdown Recovery Program Part III
From the Other Direction. Nikon Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 A-is
Once again with the weird title, I know. This time it is for two different reasons. In the previous two installments, I have reviewed the lenses that were acquired to replace the 80-200mm f/2.8 tele zoom. A good lens to be sure, but too big and heavy. This time around the lens in question is really more of a addition rather then a replacement. The second difference is that this lens is as the title infers a manual focus A-is model, so kind of like going back in time, a trip down memory lane so to speak.
Why more of an addition rather then replacement? The fact is I am very happy with the 17-35mm f/2.8 AF-S lens. It does everything I need for my work as a wedding photographer. Sharp, fast focusing and an excellent zoom range all in one package. Though it is nowhere near as big or heavy as the 80-200, it stills fills up one’s camera bag significantly. In my present mode of trying to lighten up, I decided to do a little research. This research was not only for myself, but also for some of my students asking for my opinion. Having had and been very happy with a 24mm f/2.8 Ai-s lens, it became my first recommendation to someone looking for an inexpensive and small wide angle lens to fill their kit. It’s a great lens and can be bought on e-bay for a very reasonable price, as Nikon made a lot of them and still do.
During my research however I kept reading about another Nikon wide angle A-is lens. Which of course is the topic of this review. It can also be found for a good price on e-bay and in fact, I did find a used one there. Luck shined on me, as my copy is in perfect shape and working order. They are however still made and can be purchased new from vendors like B&H and Adorama.
Build
The 28mm f/2.8 A-is lens, like the rest of the A-is line, is simply a beautiful mechanical instrument. All metal, glass and rubber. There is a black enamel finish over the metal, which adds so much to the look and feel. All marking are engraved not just painted on. It really reeks of quality and looks like it will last forever or at least my life time. With today’s use of plastic in the construction it is a real joy to just hold one of these A-is lenses. Really I had forgotten how beautifully made these lenses are, and can appreciate them so much more today then before. Compared to today’s lenses it seems smaller (most likely due to the absence of an AF system), but far more solid . The length of the lens 59mm (2.3 inches) and weighs a mere 250 grams (9 ounces).
Performance
Since this is after all a manual focus lens, let me mention this first. The focus ring is made of rubber and about 15mm wide (5/8’s inch). The throw is about 2/3’s of a complete rotation and has a really silky smooth feel to it. Though the viewfinders in today’s DSLR’s are not optimized for manual focus lenses, I have not experienced any problems while focusing with the D3. In operating and experimenting the lens / camera combo, I have found that I can use the “green dot” or just focus to where it looks sharp, either way I have gotten good results. One can of course use “live view” for the most critical focusing situations, but thus far I have not found a need for that. The other feature that Nikon added to the A-is version was CRC or “close range correction”. Nikon’s way of saying it has a floating elements that move in conjunction with the other elements to enable much closer focusing. It really works on this lens as the minimum focus distance is 20 cm or 7 inches. This adds a lot to the practical use of this lens, as it gives a reproduction ratio of 1:3.9. It was never indented to be a macro lens, but does make for some rather interesting perspectives in it’s use. This is a non CPU lens, thus it will not work on some consumer level cameras and of course does not allow for most automatic operation. You can however use the aperture preferred mode, but must change the f stops on the lens itself. It has 1/2 stop clicks. Neither the aperture changing nor manual focusing have presented me with any problems on the D3. Then I was of course brought up with manual focus only cameras and lenses. You do have to go into the menu, select the “non-cpu lens” and fill in the focal length and maximum aperture.
“Wait there’s more”!!! Always wanted to use that line, in this case however it is true. The Nikon designers really went to work on this lens. Not only is it super sharp, but seems clear of CA’s and distortion. Maybe close up there is a little distortion, but in general you get very straight lines. Of course depending on one’s style and intent, this could be a blessing or a deficit. Wide open the lens does exhibit some vignetting, but since I have my vignetting control turned off and usually end up adding some in post this not a problem for me. Actually as you may imagine I prefer it. All in all I have to this point encountered no problems and am more then very pleased with the performance. That is as earlier mentioned while using it with the D3, how well it would fare on a camera like the D3X will at least for me remain a mystery (at least until that time one falls into my eager and sweating palms). Though I feel confident in saying it will most likely perform admirably.
Recommendations
Yes I highly recommend this lens. There are others to be sure that are worth looking into. For instance if your budget allows the 28mm f/1.4 AF-D lens would be a winner as would the 28mm f/2 A-is lens and of course the new 24mm f/1.4 G lens. Though I cannot believe that they could be any sharper then this lens, only faster and costlier and . . . . Zeiss also makes an exceptional 28mm f/2 lens, that would be worth a look. Though once again it is much bigger and more money (like four times as much). Notice I keep mentioning size. It is where I am at these days, so you the reader must take that into consideration. However if size and cost, not to mention razor sharpness and close focusing capabilities are important to you, then this lens should be highly considered.
Before we get into the examples, some last thoughts. The first shot I took with this lens (the photo of the lens cap below) reminded me of looking at a Kodachrome slide, when I viewed it on the monitor of my D3. Maybe it was the nostalgia that the lens evoked in me, but be your own judge. Most of my first shots were close-ups as you might imagine (you know the new toy syndrome), then later on I went out and shot more conventional wide angle scenes. At first I was missing the wider focal lengths provided by the 17-35mm zoom and my earlier prime WA’s (20mm f/4 & 24mm f/2.8). Over the time that I have spent with this lens I have started to adjust to it’s focal length and really not missing those wider perspectives.
