An economical wide alternative: 28mm f/3.5 AI

The 28mm f/3.5 has a long history reaching back to 1960, with the Auto-H, and cumulating in the Nikkor 28mm f/3.5 AI/AIS of the late 70s/early 80s. All variations had a 6/6 design although the Auto-H and the AI/AI-S having different optical formula. By the time the AI/AI-S was released in 1977/1981, it was already seen as the economical 28mm with its slower f/3.5 max aperture with the f/2 K and f/2.8 K/AI making its debuts in 1975 and 1974 respectively.

The f/3.5 AI-S was sunset in 1983 by which time the very well regarded 28mm f/2.8 AI-S had been released. Over time, the 28mm f/2.8 AI-S reputation (and its long production run) keeps it in conversations but if you were to consider a manual 28mm, is the slower f/3.5 worth considering?

Widely Regarded: Nikkor 20mm f/4 AI

The Nikkor 20mm f/4 AI (and its near identical predecessor, the K) was the optical successor to the very well regarded Nikkor-UD 20mm f/3.5 Auto. The K was produced from 1974 to 1977 and the AI released for a short period after til the start of 1978, at which point the Nikkor 20mm f/3.5 AI had been released. Both the f/4 AI and f/3.5 AI lenses had good reputations - with the f/4 AI lens' reputation enhanced by well respected nature photographer Galen Rowell's recommenation - but how good are they really?


^{Nikkor 20mm f/4 K with factory AI conversion aperture ring}

Nikkor 20mm f/3.5 AI repair / service

I've loved this lens for a while now for its a ability to resist flare like no other vintage Nikkor I've used, but I've put off servicing this lens since theres been NO online repair resources/service manuals available, not even from the usual places that may have alerted us to identified gotchas. In the end, I decide to attempt the service regardless given recent successes in servicing other Nikkor AI/AI-S lenses.

Commodity old school 35mms

The 35mm focal length was a classic "candid" lens, for street photography/photojournalism etc but for me it was always a compromise: neither wide enough or long enough, preferring either a 28mm or a 50mm/85mm/105mm. These 35mm still command a decent price on the used market and I was able to obtain a 5/5 element/group 35mm f/2.8 AI-S and a 8/6 35mm f/2 AI for a short evaluation.

Hel(icoids) and back: regreasing a Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AI-S

Maintaining older Nikkor lenses has become easier with resources such as Richard Haw's website and also Kenneth Olsen's YouTube channel. However servicing details for my Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AI-S at this point are still not as widespread as some other lenses and with a lens thats approaching 40 years old, its in need of helicoid servicing as observed by a dry and gritty focus tactile feedback.

Unfortunately, even with the previously mentioend resources above (I don't believe there exists a specific YouTube tutorial), there were some admenents that would help those new to the 28mm. Here's my notes for seperating the helicoids of my Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AI-S in order to regrease.

Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 AI-S Disassembly

The Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 AI-S is a lens from the late 70s but shares its optical formula with its predecesors (pre-AI and AI) and successor (AF-D). The AI-S is also quite common and as such appears on ebay frequently in various conditions.



The 24mm f/2.8 AI-S lens is reasonably simple to disassemble and teardown with the only complication being the CRC unit at the rear.

Another Well Regarded Legacy: Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AI-S

The 28mm f/2.8 AI-S is a well regarded lens from the early 1980s that is still available new today. But what's the point of this compared to, say a 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom? And how does it fair for use as a walk-about or an environmental portrait lenses at/near wide open (f/2.8..f/5.6) apertures?


^{28mm f/2.8 AI-S}

Going Wide(ish): Nikkor 20mm f/3.5 AI

The circa 1980 Nikkor 20mm f/3.5 AI lens comes with a reputation for being flare resistant and reasonably sharp as well as being very lightweight.



Nikon have failed to produce a (effective) wide and lightweight prime for their DX systems and the 20mm f/3.5 AI can potentially fill this gap (giving a 35mm equivalent FOV of 30mm) with the added benefit that the lens would not overlap with any 24-70mm focal lengths.