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Nikon NIKKOR-H Auto 28mm f/3.5 Ai

By Nasim Mansurov 46 Comments
Last Updated On February 19, 2020

Thanks to your support, we will be publishing a lot more reviews of the old Nikkor classics that we either purchased on auction sites, or loaned from our readers. This is a review of a true classic, the Nikon NIKKOR-H Auto 28mm f/3.5 (Ai modified), which was manufactured way back in 1959. One of our readers, Joe Ridley, was kind enough to send a number of Nikkor classics, and this lens is the first one that we are reviewing. Please note that such reviews of classic lenses will be limited to one page, with a small number of image samples. Still, full lab measurements will be performed on each lens for thorough analysis and comparisons.

Nikon NIKKOR-H Auto 28mm f/3.5

Table of Contents

  • Nikon NIKKOR-H Auto 28mm f/3.5 Ai Overview
  • Handling and Build Quality
  • MTF Performance
  • Distortion
  • Chromatic Aberrations
  • Vignetting
  • Ghosting and Flare
  • Summary

Nikon NIKKOR-H Auto 28mm f/3.5 Ai Overview

The NIKKOR-H Auto 28mm f/3.5 is one of the earliest, Pre-Ai Nikkor manual focus wide-angle lenses for the F mount. Initially launched in 1959, this lens went through several iterations over time with slightly different optical designs. The lens is available in various auction sites including eBay, but an Ai-converted version is really hard to come by. If you do decide to purchase one, you have to get the lens Ai-converted to properly mount on modern DSLRs. If you do not do this, you risk damaging your DSLR, since the non-Ai version could either break the metering tab/lever on the lens mount, or could get stuck on the mount and potentially cause other damage.

If you get an Ai version of the lens, or get it properly converted, it will work on any modern DSLR. On lower-end bodies, metering will not work, but if you have anything above D7000, metering will work just like on any other manual focus lens. I used this lens on both the Nikon D600 and D800E camera bodies and the lens performed perfectly fine.

And by the way, if you have the new Nikon Df camera, you do not have to worry about converting lenses – even pre-Ai lenses will mount on the Df. The only thing you will have to do is manually change the aperture on the camera to match the one picked on the lens, since the camera would have no way of knowing it.

NIKKOR-H Auto 28mm f/3.5 Image Sample (2)
NIKON D700 + 0mm f/0 @ 28mm, ISO 800, 1/320, f/3.5

With a maximum aperture of f/3.5, the lens is obviously not a speed demon. However, despite its maximum aperture of f/3.5, the Nikon 28mm f/3.5 is designed to be very sharp wide open, as you will see below. Sadly, only its center shines in optical performance – due to its rather soft edges, the lens is not well-suited for landscape photography, where edge-to-edge sharpness is often desired. The lens would be a little better on a cropped sensor camera, but the edge performance would again suffer quite a bit, especially on high-resolution sensors. Still, this lens was very interesting to evaluate, because it shows the many problems that some of the older lens designs were plagued with.

I won’t bore you with specifications here, but if you want to check them out, see the NIKKOR-H Auto 23mm f/3.5 page in our Lens Database.

Handling and Build Quality

Despite its age, the lens handles very well. The focus ring is very smooth and comes to a hard stop at the minimum focus distance and the infinity focus mark. When focusing, the lens barrel slightly moves forward by about 2-3mm, but it is almost unnoticeable. Changing aperture through the ring on the lens is easy – not too loose or too stuff, with noticeable “clicks” between apertures. The sample I tested was heavily used, with marks on the lens body and even some slight scratches on the glass elements.

And yet it still performs great, which shows just how good the Japanese craftsmanship was back in the days. These lenses are literally built to last a lifetime, even with plenty of abuse – something that I unfortunately cannot really say about the modern plastic Nikkor lenses. With 6 elements in 6 groups and a small size, the lens feels relatively light compared to other Nikkor classics. But don’t be fooled to think that there are plastic parts in this lens – the lens is all metal, both inside and outside. It is basically just bare metal and glass.

NIKKOR-H Auto 28mm f/3.5 Image Sample (3)
NIKON D700 + 0mm f/0 @ 28mm, ISO 800, 1/13, f/3.5

MTF Performance

How is the Nikon 28mm f/3.5 optically? Let’s take a look at our lab results, measured by Imatest:

Right off the bat at the maximum aperture of f/3.5, this lens performs incredibly well in the center. Considering that the Nikon 28mm f/3.5 was measured on the high-resolution Nikon D800E, this is very impressive. Unfortunately, due to a severe case of field curvature, performance degrades sharply away from the center, even in the mid-frame. The performance improves very slightly at f/4, and the peak performance is reached at around f/5.6 mark in the center. Unfortunately, mid-frame and corner performance stay below average all the way to f/11 and even then it is not anywhere close to what the center can resolve. For best overall performance, the lens should be stopped down to f/11, as can be seen from the above chart.

If you want a much more even sharpness distribution, check out the modern Nikon 28mm f/1.8G. While it might not be stellar in the center, its overall performance is much better in comparison, especially in the corners. Here is the MTF result for comparison:

Distortion

Overall, the distortion is controlled quite well for a wide angle lens. However, the NIKKOR-H Auto 28mm f/3.5 suffers from a slight “mustache distortion“, which is visible when looking at straight vertical or horizontal lines. Imatest measured barrel distortion at 0.22%, which is not bad. In comparison, the Nikon 28mm f/1.8G has more pronounced barrel distortion at 1.25%.

Chromatic Aberrations

Chromatic aberration levels are moderate, at over 1 pixel on average, as shown below:

Vignetting

Vignetting is quite strong wide open, reaching as much as 2 full stops of difference in the corners. As the lens is stopped down, vignetting is reduced considerably. By f/5.6 vignetting is reduced to less than a stop and is almost fully gone at f/11:

Here is an illustration of the worst case scenario, shot at f/3.5:

Nikon NIKKOR-H Auto 28mm f/3.5 Vignetting

Ghosting and Flare

The lens has a 5 blade diaphragm, which shows in pictures when a bright source of light is in the frame. Interestingly, the lens can produce sun stars even at the maximum aperture of f/3.5, and it handles ghosting and flare surprisingly well:

NIKKOR-H Auto 28mm f/3.5 Image Sample (1)
NIKON D700 + 0mm f/0 @ 28mm, ISO 200, 1/2000, f/3.5

Summary

The NIKKOR-H 28mm f/3.5 is a solid lens with an all-metal construction. While its performance is quite good in the center, with peak performance reached at f/5.6, the mid-frame and corners are very weak due to heavy field curvature. The effect of field curvature is so heavy, that the lens requires stopping down to f/11 to get average results throughout the frame. Focusing on the corners can yield sharper results, but it blurs the center and mid-frame severely. Hence, unless only center sharpness is desired, this is not a good candidate for modern digital cameras. If you want a good wide-angle lens for your DSLR, the Nikon 28mm f/1.8G (see our in-depth review) would be a much better choice.

Nikon NIKKOR-H Auto 28mm f/3.5 Ai
  • Optical Performance
  • Features
  • Bokeh Quality
  • Build Quality
  • Handling
  • Value
  • Size and Weight

Photography Life Overall Rating

3.6

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Filed Under: Cameras and Lenses Tagged With: Lens Reviews, Lenses, Nikkor, Nikon, Nikon Lens, Product Reviews, Wide Angle Lens

About Nasim Mansurov

Nasim Mansurov is the author and founder of Photography Life, based out of Denver, Colorado. He is recognized as one of the leading educators in the photography industry, conducting workshops, producing educational videos and frequently writing content for Photography Life. You can follow him on Instagram and Facebook. Read more about Nasim here.

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Peter Wong
Peter Wong
May 10, 2021 11:51 pm

I just received the Nikkor Auto 28mm f3.5 lens..I wanted to use it on the Nikon D700 but it seems it is not compatible…can you teach me how to modify it.

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Anne Fuller
Anne Fuller
June 29, 2019 2:57 pm

I recently purchased a new Nikon Df, with plans to use my dad’s old Nikon F pre AI lenses, including the NIKKOR-H Auto 2.8cm/3.5. However, on pg 320 of the manual, this lens is listed as incompatible with the Df if serial number is below 362000 – and mine is 338655. Can’t seem to get a straight answer from Nikon or B&H as to why this is! Any ideas on why it isn’t usable on my camera?

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David Murray
David Murray
November 17, 2017 12:47 pm

Thank you for reviewing and testing these old lenses. I have a few of them and use them on a Nikon F2 Photomic after my Nikkormat FTN bit the dust a couple of years back. They are quite heavy compared to modern digital gear. However, I just feel that I’ve spent my money wisely when I add another one to my collection. There is an unmistakeable feel and sense of quality about them. You can imagine the top guys from 1960-1977 (when the rubber grips came in with AI lenses) buying and using these all metal lenses. National Geographic guys, Magnum Photo Agency that didn’t use Leica or Contax.

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Matthew Currie
Matthew Currie
September 27, 2017 7:05 am

Here’s a pretty handy resource:

www.destoutz.ch/lense…_f3.5.html

you can mouse over the small illustrations and magnify them.

Here’s a another with serial numbers. There is one page for serial numbers, and another for specs:

www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon…ialno.html

It looks as if yours is from somewhere between 1968 and 72. It would appear to be similar to the other pre-AI versions, but convertible to AI, either with milling or a kit if that still exists.

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Jonathan
Jonathan
September 27, 2017 5:40 am

Is there a way to date or figure out which version I have of this lens? It does not have the chrome ring, but the black. Serial number is 689004. However it only says Nikkor H, not HC. Is it the earlier or later version? Thanks.

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Mark sturtz
Mark sturtz
Reply to  Jonathan
February 4, 2022 4:59 pm

I think that some of the older lens had a longer skirt. The barrel of the lens hit a newer body before fully mounted.

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M. Currie (bruto here)
M. Currie (bruto here)
Reply to  Mark sturtz
February 4, 2022 6:28 pm

Yes they have a longer skirt, and most will hit (and damage) the meter follower on an AI compatible camera, Judging from the serial number, this would be the second generation pre-AI version. The HC comes later, the “C” referring to additional coating. There are actually six iterations of this lens, of which four are pre-AI. This one would not be compatible with an AI metering camera unless converted.

Since there was the possibility of converting this lens, look at the back edge of the aperture ring. If it is a uniform depth and smooth all around, it’s an unconverted pre-AI lens. If a part of it is milled away, it is likely a converted one done by a third party. If it is stepped neatly, clearly not milled, and if the pre-AI metering “rabbit ears” have holes in them and the screws face toward the front of the lens, it’s a factory conversion. Although the kits are now mostly gone, and the few left scarce, once upon a time, Nikon made conversions for older lenses which included a completely new aperture ring.

Refer to the Photosynthesis link I mention above for further information on which one you have, as it shows the serial numbers.

If you have one of the lower end cameras that do not meter with any manual lens (the D3x00, D5x00 series, and the D7500) you can safely mount any pre-AI lens withoud damage, but it will never meter. Some earlier models have a minimum aperture switch that operates sideways instead of up and down, and that can be damaged, though.

John White does conversions, and his site includes a compatibility page to explain just what safely fits what: aiconversions.com/

Mine is the first 2.8 CM version, deemed not convertible (but it turns out it is). Its aperture ring actually is safe to mount on an AI camera, because it doesn’t touch the follower at all. To work with an AI meter no milling is required, but instead an added tab to contact the follower.

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Johanna
Johanna
November 11, 2016 9:14 am

Thanks for your review. I owe the 28/3,5 in its latest Non-AI version, and I can confirm your results: Quite sharp in the centre, but to the borders it gets disappointing. There are definitively better lenses than this one, even from the sixties.

But if you ever should use this 28/3,5 for infrared photography on an APS camera, then you know what a perfect lens is! OK, I exaggerate a bit, but this lens is the best one below 50mm for infrared which I’ve ever tried. It is surprisingly sharp here, even thought it never was made for infrared; retricted to the APS sensor size its border weakness doesn’t matter a lot, and it is completely free of hotspots (a common infrared nuisance) at all apertures.

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Martin Graglia
Martin Graglia
September 20, 2014 9:22 am

Thanks for this review!
I bought one (Ai’d) from Cameta a few years ago, and reading your review help me to finally understand why the pictures taked with this lens have such a distinct look.

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Matthew Currie
Matthew Currie
August 7, 2014 11:04 pm

By the way, I forgot to mention that certain serial numbers of the pre-AI 28/3.5 are listed as incompatible with the Nikon F4. The F4 is notable for being able to work with almost any lens. It is not specified exactly why this problem exists, but as far as I can find out, some versions of this lens had a longer skirt than even standard pre-AI lenses, and present a clearance problem, but I have not seen one to figure out how the problem occurs or what to do about it, or even for sure whether I’ve identified the problem correctly.

The incompatible serial number range given is 625611 to 999999

My earlier 311691 version is not listed, and seems to fit anything that takes a pre-AI lens, so I’m left uncertain what the problem really is or what the solution might be, but you should be cautious, as some of those old lenses went through numerous small changes and success with one may not guarantee success with another that looks like it.

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Matthew Currie
Matthew Currie
August 7, 2014 9:38 pm

Just as a heads-up, I own the same very early version that Toby Madrigal above has. It is fine as a pre-AI lens, but on this early version the mounting bayonet is attached without visible screws, and it is officially considered “non convertible” to AI. I have milled the aperture rings on a couple of pre-AI lenses to good effect, but I would not attempt this one, as some serious unscrewing must be done to get the aperture ring off.

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Randle P. McMurphy
Randle P. McMurphy
July 15, 2014 6:22 am

Wo-ho-hooo this happens when the field hits the labs !

Probably Nikon made some superior optical performer but on the other side who cares
about when you are satisfied with the real world pictures ?

As a student I collect all my money to buy a brand new Nikon F3 HP.
It need to be that camera so I have only few coins to afford a lens for it.
This was a well used Nikkor E 1,8/50mm plastic fantastic !

A guy walks along and lought about this while I take my first pictures.
Some portraits of my younger sister after her convalescense from cancer.
Her hair were just grown again a little after the chemo therapy.
These are my most favourite portraits ever and I dont think that they
would have been better even if I used a more expensive lens……..

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