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Thanks 🙏 I am very happy that my video was helpful - I'm sure you'll like the lens as much as I do! For which genre of photography did you purchase it?
@@ThomasEisl.Photography I wanted an everyday lens for mostly landscape photography and also something light I can travel with. I haven't tried it for portraits yet. for general purpose, I debated heavily between this and the Voigtländer 40mm f/2 and might still try that lens...between the 2 is there one you prefer?
That is a tough one! I personally like 28mm more as a focal length, also the 28mm Voigtländer is smaller than the 40mm (although not a lot). I personally would take the 28mm, but some are having troubles with such a wide lens for general purpose photography.
Bought a Nikkor 35mm f1.4 ais. That lens is very big comparing to my nikkor 50mm f1.2. Was looking for a pancake 35mm but no luck at all. The voigtlander seems to fit what I need for a compact travel companion for my FM3a. Def gonna give this lens a try.
Thanks for reviewing these lenses Thomas. I currently own 3 vintage lenses that I regularly use on my D810. The most used lens is the Nikkor Ai f/2.8 6 element version which I absolutely love especially for travel and street use. I would like to have a 28mm to test out and was wondering if you could share the shops you got your lenses from. I live in Europe so was hoping you got yours from EU to avoid duty and such.
Thank you for your great review (as always). Only one remark, the Voigtländer is actually a relaunch. It was made previously but discontinued in at least one design, an all black version without Photomic coupler in the exact same styling as the Voigtländer 20mm f/3.5 you reviewed here as well. The 40mm f/2 and 58mm f/1.4, which are the only F-mount lenses from this company made continuously from the start until now, were also made in this design. These lenses were also made for Canon (very rare) and Pentax (hyper rare).
Thank you for adding that! I've seen previous version 28mm Voigts for sale as second hand recently. Also, thank you very much for your kind words, much appreciated!
Love your reviews. The voigtlander 28 chipping allows me to turn my d850/70 or F 5,6, 100 cameras into an instant reacting point and shoot street camera with aperture priority, f/8, zone focus at 9' and the power winders. Point and shoot with stellar glass, great film and sensors. Unchipped nikon 28 doesn't allow aperture priority and adds that split second to miss a shot.
Excellent review, both of these lenses are exceptional manual focus lenses. People should be aware that not all Nikkor 28mm f2.8 manual focus lenses are created equal. Specifically, if you want quality on par with the Voigtlander, you will require the Ai-s model showcased in this review. The earlier pre Ai, Ai and later Series E versions are optically inferior. In many other Nikkor lenses, the Ai and Ai-s versions are optically identical and they differ only in aperture diaphragm design. Additionally, Ai-s lenses often have a shorter focus throw. However, the 28mm f2.8 Ai-s is an optically superior design to the other versions. That's not to say the other versions are bad, I also own the Ai version and used it for many years shooting mostly black and white film. In fact it is a lot better than many Nikkor lenses. It’s just that the Ai-s version is quite special and one of the best Nikkor manual focus lenses ever made.
I think you missed an important detail (this is not a criticism), that I’d like to point out to viewers as I discovered this for myself after owning the Nikkor 28mm AIS: while it has fantastic optics, if you’re looking to use this lens for street photography, the Voigtlander is the much better alternative, not just because of size, but because the focus throw is more manageable and precise for far distances. Instead of Infinity to 2m, it goes Infinity to 3m, then 1.5, etc. it might not seem like much, but that shift makes a huge difference in practice.
I have the Nikon 28mm F2.8 AIS and I use it mainly has my Ebay lens... and for that; it's great close up; near macro; and plenty of sharp; and the manual focus is smooth and precise. My other lens is the Nikkor 55mm F2.8 AIS Micro; these two lenses are my "ebay" lenses; I prefer the AIS lenses compared to all other lenses for ebay use; as I just zoom in and preciously focus on exactly where I want to focus; and the focus is quite smooth on all AIS lenses. Both are great lenses. I find the Voigt to have much heavier vignetting..
Thank you very much for sharing that - and yes, the Voigtländer has more vignetting, but it is also a bit wider if I recall correctly. Manual lenses are great to work with, especially if you have a studio scenario where the camera is on a tripod. Thanks for the comment!
A really useful review, thank you. As you know, your 20mm Color Skopar is an SL II (previous version), and you compared the 40mm Ultron SL II (previous and current versions). You might enjoy - if you come across them - the 75mm f/2.5 Color Skopar, 125mm f/2.5 Makro-Apo-Lanthar and 180mm f/4 Apo-Lanthar lenses - these were made only in the original (early 2000s) original "SL". (Your 40mm Ultron was also in the original SL line up). The 125mm focuses is a genuine (1:1) macro, and well colour-corrected. The 180mm offers a super compact and lightweight tele, with apo correction. Have you tried these?
Hi Thomas! Thanks for your nice review! I have moved from Nikon to Sony a couple of years ago primarily because Nikon's reluctance to keep its DSLR lenses up to date any more. Since I kept my D850 body with my favourite Nikon 300/4P lens, in my nostalgic moments I still use that body. Recently I bougth the new 28/40/90mm Voigtlander lenses for F-mont (simply because these are not available for E-mount) and both using them on D850 and adapted to Sony A7R4 body. They are optically truely remarkable and in my experience cannot even be compared to Nikon lenses in terms of image quality. I am not sure what focusing method you used for the comparision test, but I guess your Nikon body was not fine tuned to your Voigtlander lens (for AF assisted manual focusing), hence you did not see a significant difference between the Nikon and Voigtlander lens. 40 years of design difference cannot go unnoticed, regardless how brilliant the Nikon 28/2.8 used to be at its time of design. My copy of Voigtlander 28/2.8 works awsome on the D850 and optically beats any Nikor prime lenses.
Thank you for sharing your observations - I've focused all lenses via Live View. Of course, the optical development was pushed, but there is one important factor - the overal optical design. The Nikon 28 is much bigger with more elements while the 28 Voigt aims to be as compact as possible while still maintaining good image quality. It is also important to note that the 28 Voigt is not a completely new design but based on the previous 28mm SL-S. Apart from that, the Voigtländer is truly excellent. We are basically pixel peeping to see the difference, which has almost no relevance in real life photography. In any case, the 28 Nikkor is one of the optically best 28mm lenses ever made, a true legend. Everything that comes even close to it deserves praise. Regarding modern lens design in general - most of them achieve better results by adding more and bigger elements - the last 10% of performance require 90% of the effort. Thanks for the comment and keep the D850 running, it is one of the best stills cameras in the world, even today
One of my earliest Nikkor lenses was the 28mm f2.8 Ai, not Ais. I eventually sold it, since I could seldom get a sharp image on film. But now I look back, I'm beginning to wonder if the lens was registering (calibrated) correctly with my Nikon FE!? Much later, I calibrated (at 'infinity' ... actually at about 4 Km) my second hand (and partially marked) Nikkor 50mm f1.8 Ai using a borrowed Nikon D700. All is well now with the 50mm! Ideally, I should have calibrated the lens on the film camera, but that would mean that I would have to set up a robust calibrating system at the film plane. By the way Thomas, your command of the English language is superb!
Maybe your copy had some sort of production issue - with an SLR camera, the calibration should usually be ok as long as the focus screen is correctly aligned. Very strange! You can still send your Nikon film body to Nikon service, at least in Europe. Thank you very much for your comment, your continued support of the channel and the kind words regarding my language skills. I still feel like I make a ton of mistakes, so your comment is very much appreciated! Thanks a lot!
I think the purple cast on the Nikon is caused by the lack of additional coatings used on lenses designed for digital cameras which have reflective digital sensors ..... another video compared the AIS lens against the AF28mm F2.8D, the D lens did not suffer from it.
Thank you for the wonderful comparison. I have several Nikon AIS lenses, and most suffer from purple fringing when shooting bright/white subjects under harsh lighting. You have to stop down to f5/6, though in many cases it never disappears completely. The Nikon is noticeably sharper than the Voigtlander in the extreme corners at wider apertures, but at f8 they are indistinguishable. I would hesitate to use the Voigtlander for landscapes unless it is stopped down. I found the Voigtlander noticeably sharper and brighter in the center of the frame. On a DX camera, the Voigtlander probably performs better, as the extreme corners would be excluded. Thanks.
Slightly off topic Thomas, I have recently witnessed my manual Nikkor 50mm Ai f1.8 lens developing a fault - the diaphragm would either stick or only partially close. This resulted in either a severely over-exposed shot, or, more bizzarly a distorted image which resembles two images merged together! Infact, I noticed this now and then in the past which I could not explain, and put me off using the lens! But now I have solved the problem, and it was only thanks to the diaphragm blades actually fully sticking that allerted me to the cause of these strange double images I would sometimes experience. Having a background in Electrical/Electronic Engineering, I'm not afraid to open up and see if I can fix a problem. Thankfully, the Nikkor manual lenses are quite easy to access. So now, I've opened this Nikkor 50mm up (on several occasions) and 'cleaned' the diaphragm blades, which were sticking because of an oil which had seeped into the mechanism somehow!? Anyway, after several attempts, the lens is working just great!!! Might be a good idea to check your old Nikkor lenses to make sure that the blades do open and close with ease.
Yes, the risk of sticky diaphragm blades are the reason why I bring my lenses to a service technician (or Nikon Service) for maintenance - contrary to you, I don't have an engineering background and the risk of me messing something up is quite high :-). Thank you very much for sharing that - it is a great tip! Many people forget that even well made items need maintenance from time to time!
I have the newer Voigtlander 40mm which works well with all the Nikon FA and F6 functions as well as my other manual Nikons. Beautiful lens, planning on the 58mm.
Thank you very much for the video! I would be very grateful i could ask you a question about your Voigtlander 28mm color skopar. I recently bought one first hand and it is very hard to mount on my D750. There's a lot more friction than any Nikon lens I've ever used - I have to twist it bit by bit with a lot of force. Is that something you found with your copy? Many thanks in advance :)
Thank you for your kind words! My Voigtländers were all very tight in the beginning - after changing lenses 50-100 times, things "soften up" a bit. I had the same phenomenon with my new Nikon Micro 60mm f/2.8 AF-D. It just seems that the new F-mount bayonets are really tight when new. I think it is a sign of quality
Thank you for making this very thorough comparison video. I have the Nikon 28mm f/2.8 AI-S with SIC coating and I am very happy to own it. But I am always interested in hearing what other people have to say about lenses I own. Based on your video, I think that the Voigtlander is slightly sharper with the close-up shots. I say that by comparing the texture of the black portion of the Leica camera. I don't see the purple cast on the infinity shot. Or at least I think that both the Nikon and Voigtlander have the same look. It seems to me that both lenses are equally sharp at medium and infinity distances. By the way, I just subscribed to your channel.
Thanks for your extensive comment! Yes, you might be right. I cannot test it again, as I've sold the Nikkor and only have the Voigtländer. One thing for sure: both lenses are very good!
Voigtlander and Zeiss lenses are overrated, and I have owned both in F Mount and sold them. The Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS is probably Nikons finest wide manual, prime lens and its reflected in the prices good ones achieve. It has it all. Sharpness, colour rendition, nice contrast and overall image clarity. Even the sensor of a D850 will not out-resolve it. Leica fan boys hate this lens because its better than the Leica equivalent at 10% of the price.
Thanks for the comment and sharing of your experiences! I definitely agree that the 28mm Nikon is outstanding - one has to use this lens to believe how good it is. I cannot make an educated statement regarding Zeiss lenses as I only owned three in the past. However, the Voigtländer designs have their own magic and I really like them for many reasons. Can't go wrong with either of those 28mm lenses.
I sort of agree. In my testing, the performance in the edge is terrible with the Voigt 28mm. Having used intensively Voigts and starting to challenge them recently with Nikkors, in my experience, I get reliably better images with Nikkors, in terms of sharpness. In general, better corner sharpness, much less comma and more natural colors. No scientific comparison, just my feedback.
Saying Zeiss and Voigtländer are overrated is just factually wrong. The best performing (measured) lenses are Zeiss. Facts don’t care about your feelings.
Simple lesson: Pick lenses not brands! The 2.8/28 mm AIs is one of the best Nikkor lenses from the AIs lineup and which breaks the common rule: It's better than its Zeiss counterpart. Otoh, the Nikkor 2/35 (had several) is no match for the wonderfull Distagon. The Voigtländer 1.4/58 mm SLII is just lovely, better than Nikons 1.4/35 mm in my book but so is the humble Nikkor 2/50 AI at a stop slower which is my personal choice. And the list goes on with nobody taking the whole cake.
It's good to control aperture from the camera body, I have a Nikkor 28 ais and was happy to use it on a D7200 (besides on FX). I have a Voigtländer 58.
Yes, the two command dial operation is very handy. I like that the Voigts have aperture rings, though - for use with old Nikon film bodies. Both the 28 and the 58 are great lenses. I'll share a review of the 58mm at some point! Thanks for the comment, Steven!
Thank you very much for the review. I'm very interested in Voigtländer lenses (the optically superior opo series) and I have ais lenses as well. From the video, the 28 mm ais is significantly sharper edge to edge (by my subjective opinion :D )
O.K., fair compair. The Nikkor currently costs 250 - 350 EUR (Germany/Ebay), Voigtlaender 500 - 650. This would be my crucial decision argument. But my Nikkor portfolio is posed in another way: 17-24-35-55-85-105 and then only zooms until 300.
Thanks for asking! I'm actually planning to do this comparison in the future! From what I assume judging from the optical design and other reviewers, the af should not be as good optically. From my experience, the 28 AF is good enough to get the job done. So it might be a pixel peeping difference 🙃
Thanks for the lens comparison. The Nikon 28mm f/2.8 AIS lens that I own and use produces great images. In an attempt to obtain even better image quality, I purchased a Zeiss 28mm f/2 ZF Distagon. However, the Zeiss and Nikon lenses were equal in image quality. Even though I did not really need two 28mm lenses for my Nikon bodies, I kept them both.
Thomas I have one question. Is hard infinity stop at infinity? I need Voightländer for film body and need to have hard stop exactly on infinity. My Zeiss Milvus 50mm 1.4 focuses past infinity and is only good for Live View usage. Thank you, and greetings out Hamburg.
Hello Danijel, I just ran a couple of tests and yes, mine has a hard stop exactly at infinity. I've taken shots of objects over 2km away, and ran some tests with adjusting the focus (also in LV), I am now certain that my copy has an exact hard stop at infinity.
Just got the Voigt 28mm. Center sharpness is amazing wide open but the corners are another story. From f5.6 it is very good but for real tack sharp corners f9 or so.
So congratulations regarding the purchase - there are some compromises, probably because it is so compact. I think field curvature also impacts the corner sharpness negatively. But really, it is a great lens overall!
@@ThomasEisl.Photography Indeed I think that the compact pancake design results in field curvature. I have seen it with other compact lenses also and with the Fujifilm x100. But the center sharpness exceeds my expectation. The 90mm version is ordered so when I have that lens I have all four of them. So 28, 40, 58 and 90. Using manual lenses is really refreshing and they have this classic look. And the best thing is that I can use them also on my 1975 Nikkormat FT2😁
Ive had 4 of the 28ai-s and for sure the new sic coating on the front element improves iq and that purple cast at 2.8-f4 So i would say for sure the newer nikon starting with serial number 9 is the real deal.
My father had a voitlander camera, it dated from 1930s it foled flat and had a bellows mount had a zeiss lens fitted. All manual operation no batteries.
That was a real Voigtlander versus the modern Cosina lenses that use the brand name. Cosina also makes the modern Zeiss ZF and ZE lenses, they are a quality manufacturer.
Thank you for your excellent review. This has resulted in me seriously consider Voigtländer glass. I have a couple of questions, which maybe is unfair to ask you! I approach 28 mm, etc., from a different prospective and would therefore appreciate your comment with regards to;- A. Using these lens on say, a Nikon Z7ii with it’s vignetting reduction for example. I guess it would result in no optical difference whatsoever between these lenses, so any further differences (bokeh, rendering) would be a matter of taste, or in the case of distortion -insignificant? B. Given that I have a Z7ii, I have already bought the Z 28/2.8 SE and understand that Voigtländer have just released a Z mount series of lenses in the Far East. Is Voigtländer’s Z mount licensed roadmap of interest to you; would you consider reviewing Z glass from both companies? Intuitively I would expect the new Z Voigtländer glass to be better than that from Nikon in the traditional sense but also because Nikon will simply allow them to be better, given their partnership however I note that the plastic “weather proof” Z 28/2.8 is well accepted by a Pro Z9 Facebook group that I joined. So a comparison between Nikon and Voigtländer Z might yield complex results. Perhaps the above is of interest to you but of course I understand if this is not within your interest on RUclips. Thank you again for a marvellous review that has set me thinking.
A - I agree, there won't be a difference. Also, if you don't shoot JPEGs, you can perform the said corrections in the raw editor anyways, as long as it has an appropriate profile for the 28mm SL-IIS
B - I would be interested in reviewing Z lenses in general and also the Voigtländer lenses for Z mount. However, I've sold my Z7II quite some time ago and I do not own a Z body at the moment.
I agree that a comparison between the plastic Z 28mm and the metal Voigtländer would yield very interesting results. From my experience, all Z lenses I've worked with so far were very good optically, to a point where any improvement would be insignificant in practice. I believe that it would again be a matter of taste choosing the Nikkor over the Voigtländer or vice versa.
To sum it up, it might take a while until I will record Z mount reviews as I would have to get a Z camera first. However, I would welcome you sticking around!
Thanks for the well done review and comparison. To be honest I was hoping for more out of the Voigtländer (especially for it's price)... Nice to have options, and I'm glad there are still new manual focus lenses being made for the Nikon f-mount, but it seems a bit overpriced for me.
I know exactly what you mean. It might be important to keep in mind that the Nikkor was designed as a high performance lens, while the Voigtländer was designed as a compact lens first. The price comes from the craftsmanship/build quality, not necessarily because it is the best 28mm optically. Although it is good. Many thanks for the very valid remarks and kind feedback!
It appears in the close-up example that the Voigtlander displayed the subject, cameras leatherette and lens cap, sharper than the Nikon. (I wonder if there was a focus error). However, in the mid ground and background the voigtländer displayed more vignetting wide open. I very much appreciate the review because I have the Nikon 28mm f/2.0 and contemplating selling it and buying the Voigtländer for the same reasons as yours. Although, I find mixed posts comparing the Nikons, I prefer the faster aperture for focusing and dim light especially since I have +3 diopter eyepieces on my cameras.
As you've pointed out, comparing lenses this good is really difficult as the differences are very small. I'm still under the impression that the Nikkor might be a bit sharper (negligible) - and yes, the Voigtländer has a stronger vignette, which is very nice, at least to my eye. I would not hesitate getting the Voigtländer, it is an optically excellent lens with a lot of character - if you feel like getting a new lens, this one won't disappoint. Thank you very much for the comment, I very much appreciate it!
I've had the 28mm Nikkor, but had a nasty blurry left plane, everything going out of focus at the edges on the left side of the frame. Quite annoying, probably just a bad batch. Happy yours is a good copy. Thank you for the great content and look forward to more videos.
Oh yes, it sounds like your copy was decentered! Thank you for the kind feedback, I very much appreciate that you follow along! Hope to read from you soon!
@@ThomasEisl.Photography well actually i am still undecided if i should get 1 or buy a nikkor equivalent like the 85mm f1.4d or Ais right now i have a preference for the Ais but i havent seen many pictures from this voigtlander i know they are usualy very high quality
Great review, I've been waiting to see some comparisons, as I own the Nikkor. I'd be very curious to see how the Zeiss 28 f/2 ZF.2 compared to these, as the 35 f/2 is jaw dropping, and exceptionally easy to manually focus, and the results are phenomenal frankly.. Nice job..
Thank you very much for the kind words! Now you've got me very excited about these two lenses - maybe I can find some copies and compare them in the future! Thank you!
If I recall correctly I'm referring to the exact version I'm testing in this video. There is an even newer one (again, if I recall correctly). Thanks for watching and contributing! Best, Thomas 📸
In that case I stand corrected! Beautiful lens either way and a great in-depth comparison. I do love the feel of those f-mount Voigtlanders. I have the 40mm & 58mm.
You don't have to, as I don't remember exactly haha - it's been a while since I uploaded this video haha. Thank you very much for watching! I also have those two, or to be more precise, at this point I only have the 58. Voigtländer has an excellent lineup for F mount. Thanks again for the comments!
Based on your results, I would’ve picked the Voigtlander as well. It’s lighter, smaller and has better contrast than the Nikon. I’m also considering a 28mm lens for my DF mostly for street photography. I’m leaning more towards the Zeiss Distagon 28mm f/2 ZF.2 but it has been discontinued unfortunately. It may have a slight edge in image quality but will not be as compact and light as the Voigtlander.
@@ThomasEisl.PhotographyI just came back from Japan. Found a used Zeiss 28mm f/2 ZF.2 from MapCamera in Shinjuku but the price is about $600 USD. I ended up buying a brand new Voigtlander 28mm f2.8 Color-Skopar SLIIs instead from Katsumido Camera in Ginza for $328 USD. It’s lighter and more compact compared to the Zeiss and has similar rendering I hope. I got the one with the silver ring which complements my black DF.
Hey very informative Video. I have a question; I have Nikon D200, and I bought Voigtlander 40mm Ultron F2, however when I trying to Control my Lens Aperture except f22 it gives me F E E error, lens let me just over on Camera control but I want to use Aperture control over on lens. Any idea on this? Thanks.
@@ThomasEisl.Photography Hey Thomas I sent Mail to Nikon Support and learned about this Model (Nikon D200) let us aperture Control only by Camera. Howeever I will continue to use because love that lens. Have a great day.
At f2.8, f4, Nikon is a bit sharper at corner, Voigtlander catch up at f5.6. For the close up and portrait distance, i like the voigtlander being more dimensional while nikon renders the subject flatter. Thank you for your in depth review. I think I would prefer the Voigtlander over nikon due to more compact size and better build quality, however a new Voigtlander twice more expensive than the 2nd hand nikon. I had the Zeiss distagon 28 f2, which is quite heavy mount on my dslr. The voigtlander is definitely an compact alternative as a super light weight travel lens.
Thank you for the comment! I agree, the Voigtländer is more dimensional - maybe due to a more pronounced field curvature. The slight loss of corner sharpness is neglible as you stated. I prefer the Voigtländer as well - it is just beautiful in many ways. Having never used the Zeiss for F-Mount, I appreciate your sharing of experiences!
@@ThomasEisl.Photography Distagon 28mm f2.0 is my favorite lens for many years, although it is my only 28mm, so i can't directly compare with Voight 28 and AIS 28 for sharpness stuff. The distagon produces very dimensional image (reviewer claims it is due to field curvature but i have no idea). It has very nice contrast and colors. The weak point being purple fringing (longitudinal abberation) wide open but greatly improve when 1 stop down. It focus down to 24cm compare to 20cm on AIS and 15cm on Voight. I found it very great for all purpose shooting, my only concern is it weight 510g, it cause front heavy mounting on dslr. I have a few images from flick you see for your reference. www.flickr.com/photos/36959027@N02/albums/72157719640873002
The Voigtländer never catches up in the corners with the Nikkor. The dimensional look comes from the higher contrast/deeper blacks of the Voigt. Add a different contrast curve to the AIS and you will see immediate difference. I had all 3 coating generations of the AIS and currently own the newest SIC coated Nikkor and the Voigt. I also had the Zeiss Distagon 28, which is optically the best of the 3, but not with a huge lead.
@@Zlaja192 thanks for your comment, you are right, the Voigt 28 has darker black. A more difficult question myself is, should I get a Voigt 28mm if i already own the Distagon 28mm. Its compactness is unmatched for a great walk around lens.
@@ngterry9653 Judge by the size/weight and edge/corner performance. On the Nikon DF both resolve equaly nice and the straight out of camera look can be very similar, as their default rendering is not too far away from each other. Or actually just decide for yourself if the Distagon is too big and heavy or not😄 if yes, grab the Voigt, if not, enjoy one of the best 28mm you can get for Nikon.
Yes, I'm quite sure it will. I have no Z camera at the moment to test it, though. However, the quality and rendering of these lenses is for sure excellent and it is worth the investment.
@@HopefulForever-ln5xm I have used, tested all and still own some of the nikon 28mm lenses. 28mm 2.8 AF and 28mm 2.8 ai-s are not same. 2.8 ai-s has 8/8 optical formula with CRC. The AF is same as the cheap E version lens with very basic 5/5 optical formula. Even the ai version is different with 7/7 optical formula without CRC. Nikon has very different 28mm lenses from old times. They worked hard on 28mm. Because 28mm was the begining of the wide angle back on those days and it was technically hard to produce good lenses with those times technology. So nikon put everything they had on 28mm 2.8ai-s and the 28mm 2.0 lenses. To sum up, for 28mm old lenses; - 28mm f/2.8 (ai-s) = best for close-up and fine performer for landscape. (CRC and 8/8 optical formula. Most sophisticated because it was packed every single technology in a small package) -28mm f/2.0 (K,ai, ai-s) = It's very good performer for close-up and landscape. (better balanced then the 2.8 ai-s) This one has 9/8 optical formula with very sophisticated CRC implemention. -28mm f2.8 (ai and older) = an average 28mm lens with very nothing very special about it. (average for nikon standarts, better than most of the other brands back in those days) not a bad performer. It has nikon's best coatings but no CRC. -28mm 2.8 AF = The most basic 28mm optical formula with 5/5 desing. Nikon had cheap plastic E-series 28mm 2.8 lens (it doesnt even have the nikon coatings) back on those days and they used that formula with the 28mm 2.8 AF because they didnt have alotof room for optics after they put autofocus system in the lens case. After all this lens was no compare for other vintage 28mm lenses of nikon. Very basic desing.
@@ThomasEisl.Photography They are different. 28 2.8 AIS has the floating CRC elements in the front, all other NIKKOR 28 2.8 lenses have them in the rear.
Angeblich gab es gegen Ende der Produktionszeit des Nikkor 2.8/28 CRC eine 'chipped version'. Der Vorteil des Nikkor auch heute: man bekommt er preisgünstiger, nämlich ab ca. 200 EUR. Für mich ist ein 28er zwischen dem 24mm und dem 35mm entbehrlich.
Sehr interessant! Dieses Objektiv kenne ich nicht bzw. habe ich es noch nie gesehen. Ja, ich verstehe das mit 24er und 35er. Irgendwie bin ich seit ein paar Jahren ein 28er Fan, früher wollte ich eigentlich so gut wie nie mehr als 35 nutzen. Es ist wohl eine ständige Veränderung der subjektiven Sehgewohnheiten, durch die man immer wieder mal zu anderen Objektiven greift. Vielen Dank für den Kommentar und den Hinweis auf das Objektiv!
@@ThomasEisl.Photography Bei mir wechseln die Präferenzen ja auch: Neben einem unsäglich schlechten Sigma-Rechteckbild-'Fisheye' der 1970er habe ich zwischen 15 und 200mm alles ausprobiert - auch die unterschiedlichsten Lichtstärken (aber keine 1:1,2!), und "rein theoretisch" hätte ich sie alle behalten sollen. Doch was soll's, wenn manche Linse nur herumsteht, und so habe ich auf das reduziert, was ich tatsächlich brauche. Ich bin kein Weitwinkel-Mensch, also reichen mir die 84 Grad Bildwinkel des 24ers. Und Tele muss ich aus der Hand können (ohne elektronische Stütze;-)). Für Ausnahmefälle nehme ich den TC200-Konverter (2x) und konnte so vom Stativ aus mit dem Zoom-Nikkor 80-200/4.5 mit 400mm Brennweite ein Elsterpaar beim Nestbau in überzeugender Qualität fotografieren.
Hi Thomas! I have also noticed a comparative review on the Nikon 28mm f2 vs Nikon 28mm f2.8, concluding that the f2 version is significantly sharper, especially in the edge of the frame @f2.8. This is a bit surprising to me as normally this is the other way round. Can you share any experience with the f2 version? Also what is the practical drawback of having no CPU contact on the Nikon 28/2.8?
Full disclosure: I've never had the f2 version. Be that as it may, I find it very unlikely that the f2 is sharper than the f2.8, especially as the 2.8 is one of the sharpest 2.8 lenses in existence. Regarding the lack of CPU, the main drawback is that you have certain limitations regarding flash metering and exposure metering. The latter are of course negligible when working in M with an external meter (which I do for my fashion work). In any case, I would always try to get a CPU lens if possible, as it is just more convenient overall. Hope this helped!
@@danc2014Nikon digital cameras only apply lens corrections to JPEG images. I shoot raw with my 28mm f/2.8 AiS lens and apply lens corrections using Adobe Lightroom Classic. Having said that the corrections required are minimal.
Thank you for the exciting review. If I may ask you a question: Have you ever compared the Voigtländer 28mm against the Zeiss 28mm ZF2? I would be very interested to know.
Thank you very much! Unfortunately, I have not. But judging from the "spec sheet" and lens design, the Zeiss should outperform the Voigtländer or be at least on par. Take that with a grain of salt, but maybe it is helpful nonetheless. Best, Thomas 📸
I have the 28mm AIS and just never shoot it. Not my kind of focal Length my 35mm gets all the action. I think I want the 20mm AIS added to the kit. I shoot them on my F3 and D850. Such great lenses so sharp and small.
35 vs 28 is quite a subjective choice, agree! The other lenses on your list should be really great performers! Nikon made - and still makes - excellent optics with sturdy build quality!
@@ThomasEisl.Photography I was considering buying on or the other. B&H has the Nikon 28 f2.8 manual available, I don’t know if it’s the same version as your Nikon 28 f2.8 manual. I have two Nikon N90s bodies that are lonely. 28 is a good focal length for 35mm format. Your can still use it for portraiture, architecture,and nature. However the downside is it’s only a 35mm size frame. Large format is where the real magic starts in color photography in particular. It’s a shame we lost Cibachrome two decades ago. I’m matting some of my old Cibachrome prints made from 4x5 transparency and they look amazing twenty years later
I have the 28mm ais and I really don't like this focal length. For me 24mm and 35mm fit my needs much better. 35mm getting the majority of my shots by far. Especially for street shooting
Why did you show a nikkor 28mm 1:2.8 which is what I have but you did not review it? No one on you tube is review it??? Only the 2.8 . Do you have a review on nikkor 28mm 1:2.8 ? You showed one. Im i missing something ? lol
Sorry, now I'm confused - the video shows a comparison between the 28mm Nikkor and the Voigtländer. However, I did not review the 28mm Nikkor in a separate video.
Your comment is over a year old but if you're still on RUclips then maybe I can be of help. 1:2.8 and 2.8 are the same thing. They both mean the maximum aperture of the lens is f/2.8. In 1:2.8, f-stop is represented as a ratio. In 2.8, the fraction/ratio symbols disappear completely, since it can be safely assumed that it is a fraction and not a whole number. 28mm 1:2.8 and 28mm 2.8 are one and the same. Don't worry about it.
Are your examples all shot at same aperture and exposure time? A lens like the Voigt with such strong Vignette will never appear brighter than the AIS under same exposure.
That surprised me as well - of course the images are shot with the same exposure settings under the same lighting conditions. Interestingly, the differences in brightness are most pronounced in the close-up shots. Take a look at the link, there are some of the test shots.
@@ThomasEisl.Photography I hope you did not take it the wrong way on the other video. If I sounded too direct or rude I apologise… In the end I am happy someone is putting a bit more light on niche products like the Voigtländers 👍🏼
With auto exposure the camera may make a slightly longer exposure to compensate for the vignetting - which could result in the centre being a bit brighter
Voigtländer 28mm f/2.8 SLII-S is more than double the price of the Nikon. You didn't mention that. Its less expensive you mentioned and that's a major factor. I will stick with the Nikon.
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Fantastic review! My Nikkor 28mm 2.8mm AIS is permanently glued on my Nikon FM3A :) - Also, the close focus of the Nikon is fantastic.
Thank you for the comment! As I've started with the Voigtlander, I was surprised by the performance of the Nikkor. It is truly an outstanding lens!
thank you for the comprehensive review. I purchased the Voigtländer for my FM3a based on this video. keep it coming!
Thanks 🙏 I am very happy that my video was helpful - I'm sure you'll like the lens as much as I do! For which genre of photography did you purchase it?
@@ThomasEisl.Photography I wanted an everyday lens for mostly landscape photography and also something light I can travel with. I haven't tried it for portraits yet. for general purpose, I debated heavily between this and the Voigtländer 40mm f/2 and might still try that lens...between the 2 is there one you prefer?
That is a tough one!
I personally like 28mm more as a focal length, also the 28mm Voigtländer is smaller than the 40mm (although not a lot). I personally would take the 28mm, but some are having troubles with such a wide lens for general purpose photography.
Bought a Nikkor 35mm f1.4 ais. That lens is very big comparing to my nikkor 50mm f1.2. Was looking for a pancake 35mm but no luck at all. The voigtlander seems to fit what I need for a compact travel companion for my FM3a. Def gonna give this lens a try.
Thanks for reviewing these lenses Thomas. I currently own 3 vintage lenses that I regularly use on my D810. The most used lens is the Nikkor Ai f/2.8 6 element version which I absolutely love especially for travel and street use. I would like to have a 28mm to test out and was wondering if you could share the shops you got your lenses from. I live in Europe so was hoping you got yours from EU to avoid duty and such.
Thank you for your great review (as always). Only one remark, the Voigtländer is actually a relaunch. It was made previously but discontinued in at least one design, an all black version without Photomic coupler in the exact same styling as the Voigtländer 20mm f/3.5 you reviewed here as well. The 40mm f/2 and 58mm f/1.4, which are the only F-mount lenses from this company made continuously from the start until now, were also made in this design. These lenses were also made for Canon (very rare) and Pentax (hyper rare).
Thank you for adding that! I've seen previous version 28mm Voigts for sale as second hand recently.
Also, thank you very much for your kind words, much appreciated!
Love your reviews. The voigtlander 28 chipping allows me to turn my d850/70 or F 5,6, 100 cameras into an instant reacting point and shoot street camera with aperture priority, f/8, zone focus at 9' and the power winders. Point and shoot with stellar glass, great film and sensors. Unchipped nikon 28 doesn't allow aperture priority and adds that split second to miss a shot.
Excellent review, both of these lenses are exceptional manual focus lenses. People should be aware that not all Nikkor 28mm f2.8 manual focus lenses are created equal. Specifically, if you want quality on par with the Voigtlander, you will require the Ai-s model showcased in this review. The earlier pre Ai, Ai and later Series E versions are optically inferior. In many other Nikkor lenses, the Ai and Ai-s versions are optically identical and they differ only in aperture diaphragm design. Additionally, Ai-s lenses often have a shorter focus throw. However, the 28mm f2.8 Ai-s is an optically superior design to the other versions. That's not to say the other versions are bad, I also own the Ai version and used it for many years shooting mostly black and white film. In fact it is a lot better than many Nikkor lenses. It’s just that the Ai-s version is quite special and one of the best Nikkor manual focus lenses ever made.
Great video and review, thanks!
Is there a way to spot SIC version of these lenses?
Yes, if you google lens serial numbers and the lens, you find websites which list the production runs as well as the coatings used. Best, Thomas
I think you missed an important detail (this is not a criticism), that I’d like to point out to viewers as I discovered this for myself after owning the Nikkor 28mm AIS: while it has fantastic optics, if you’re looking to use this lens for street photography, the Voigtlander is the much better alternative, not just because of size, but because the focus throw is more manageable and precise for far distances. Instead of Infinity to 2m, it goes Infinity to 3m, then 1.5, etc. it might not seem like much, but that shift makes a huge difference in practice.
You are absolutely right! I did not realize this detail and I agree that this makes a difference!
Except if you own the Nikkor AI (older, same optics) version, which has a focus throw comparable to the Voigtlander.
Best part of this review...."as to the degree that matters."
Thanks 😉
I have the Nikon 28mm F2.8 AIS and I use it mainly has my Ebay lens... and for that; it's great close up; near macro; and plenty of sharp; and the manual focus is smooth and precise. My other lens is the Nikkor 55mm F2.8 AIS Micro; these two lenses are my "ebay" lenses; I prefer the AIS lenses compared to all other lenses for ebay use; as I just zoom in and preciously focus on exactly where I want to focus; and the focus is quite smooth on all AIS lenses. Both are great lenses. I find the Voigt to have much heavier vignetting..
Thank you very much for sharing that - and yes, the Voigtländer has more vignetting, but it is also a bit wider if I recall correctly.
Manual lenses are great to work with, especially if you have a studio scenario where the camera is on a tripod.
Thanks for the comment!
A really useful review, thank you. As you know, your 20mm Color Skopar is an SL II (previous version), and you compared the 40mm Ultron SL II (previous and current versions). You might enjoy - if you come across them - the 75mm f/2.5 Color Skopar, 125mm f/2.5 Makro-Apo-Lanthar and 180mm f/4 Apo-Lanthar lenses - these were made only in the original (early 2000s) original "SL". (Your 40mm Ultron was also in the original SL line up). The 125mm focuses is a genuine (1:1) macro, and well colour-corrected. The 180mm offers a super compact and lightweight tele, with apo correction. Have you tried these?
Thank you! So far I have not, but now that mention them, I'll look into those lenses. Best, Thomas
Hi Thomas! Thanks for your nice review! I have moved from Nikon to Sony a couple of years ago primarily because Nikon's reluctance to keep its DSLR lenses up to date any more. Since I kept my D850 body with my favourite Nikon 300/4P lens, in my nostalgic moments I still use that body. Recently I bougth the new 28/40/90mm Voigtlander lenses for F-mont (simply because these are not available for E-mount) and both using them on D850 and adapted to Sony A7R4 body. They are optically truely remarkable and in my experience cannot even be compared to Nikon lenses in terms of image quality. I am not sure what focusing method you used for the comparision test, but I guess your Nikon body was not fine tuned to your Voigtlander lens (for AF assisted manual focusing), hence you did not see a significant difference between the Nikon and Voigtlander lens. 40 years of design difference cannot go unnoticed, regardless how brilliant the Nikon 28/2.8 used to be at its time of design. My copy of Voigtlander 28/2.8 works awsome on the D850 and optically beats any Nikor prime lenses.
Thank you for sharing your observations - I've focused all lenses via Live View. Of course, the optical development was pushed, but there is one important factor - the overal optical design. The Nikon 28 is much bigger with more elements while the 28 Voigt aims to be as compact as possible while still maintaining good image quality. It is also important to note that the 28 Voigt is not a completely new design but based on the previous 28mm SL-S. Apart from that, the Voigtländer is truly excellent. We are basically pixel peeping to see the difference, which has almost no relevance in real life photography. In any case, the 28 Nikkor is one of the optically best 28mm lenses ever made, a true legend. Everything that comes even close to it deserves praise.
Regarding modern lens design in general - most of them achieve better results by adding more and bigger elements - the last 10% of performance require 90% of the effort.
Thanks for the comment and keep the D850 running, it is one of the best stills cameras in the world, even today
One of my earliest Nikkor lenses was the 28mm f2.8 Ai, not Ais. I eventually sold it, since I could seldom get a sharp image on film. But now I look back, I'm beginning to wonder if the lens was registering (calibrated) correctly with my Nikon FE!? Much later, I calibrated (at 'infinity' ... actually at about 4 Km) my second hand (and partially marked) Nikkor 50mm f1.8 Ai using a borrowed Nikon D700. All is well now with the 50mm! Ideally, I should have calibrated the lens on the film camera, but that would mean that I would have to set up a robust calibrating system at the film plane.
By the way Thomas, your command of the English language is superb!
Maybe your copy had some sort of production issue - with an SLR camera, the calibration should usually be ok as long as the focus screen is correctly aligned. Very strange!
You can still send your Nikon film body to Nikon service, at least in Europe.
Thank you very much for your comment, your continued support of the channel and the kind words regarding my language skills. I still feel like I make a ton of mistakes, so your comment is very much appreciated! Thanks a lot!
I think the purple cast on the Nikon is caused by the lack of additional coatings used on lenses designed for digital cameras which have reflective digital sensors ..... another video compared the AIS lens against the AF28mm F2.8D, the D lens did not suffer from it.
Thank you for the wonderful comparison.
I have several Nikon AIS lenses, and most suffer from purple fringing when shooting bright/white subjects under harsh lighting. You have to stop down to f5/6, though in many cases it never disappears completely.
The Nikon is noticeably sharper than the Voigtlander in the extreme corners at wider apertures, but at f8 they are indistinguishable. I would hesitate to use the Voigtlander for landscapes unless it is stopped down. I found the Voigtlander noticeably sharper and brighter in the center of the frame.
On a DX camera, the Voigtlander probably performs better, as the extreme corners would be excluded.
Thanks.
Thank you very much for sharing!
Slightly off topic Thomas, I have recently witnessed my manual Nikkor 50mm Ai f1.8 lens developing a fault - the diaphragm would either stick or only partially close. This resulted in either a severely over-exposed shot, or, more bizzarly a distorted image which resembles two images merged together!
Infact, I noticed this now and then in the past which I could not explain, and put me off using the lens! But now I have solved the problem, and it was only thanks to the diaphragm blades actually fully sticking that allerted me to the cause of these strange double images I would sometimes experience.
Having a background in Electrical/Electronic Engineering, I'm not afraid to open up and see if I can fix a problem. Thankfully, the Nikkor manual lenses are quite easy to access. So now, I've opened this Nikkor 50mm up (on several occasions) and 'cleaned' the diaphragm blades, which were sticking because of an oil which had seeped into the mechanism somehow!? Anyway, after several attempts, the lens is working just great!!!
Might be a good idea to check your old Nikkor lenses to make sure that the blades do open and close with ease.
Yes, the risk of sticky diaphragm blades are the reason why I bring my lenses to a service technician (or Nikon Service) for maintenance - contrary to you, I don't have an engineering background and the risk of me messing something up is quite high :-).
Thank you very much for sharing that - it is a great tip! Many people forget that even well made items need maintenance from time to time!
I have the newer Voigtlander 40mm which works well with all the Nikon FA and F6 functions as well as my other manual Nikons. Beautiful lens, planning on the 58mm.
As a fellow Nikon F6 shooter, I wholeheartedly agree! The 58mm is worth the money for sure. Love mine.
Very enjoyable video. Thank you.
Thank you very much for the kind words!
Thank you very much for the video! I would be very grateful i could ask you a question about your Voigtlander 28mm color skopar. I recently bought one first hand and it is very hard to mount on my D750. There's a lot more friction than any Nikon lens I've ever used - I have to twist it bit by bit with a lot of force. Is that something you found with your copy? Many thanks in advance :)
Thank you for your kind words!
My Voigtländers were all very tight in the beginning - after changing lenses 50-100 times, things "soften up" a bit. I had the same phenomenon with my new Nikon Micro 60mm f/2.8 AF-D. It just seems that the new F-mount bayonets are really tight when new. I think it is a sign of quality
@@ThomasEisl.Photography Thank you! That's a big relief! Greatly appreciated 🙏
@@ABassOdyssey most welcome
Thank you for making this very thorough comparison video. I have the Nikon 28mm f/2.8 AI-S with SIC coating and I am very happy to own it. But I am always interested in hearing what other people have to say about lenses I own. Based on your video, I think that the Voigtlander is slightly sharper with the close-up shots. I say that by comparing the texture of the black portion of the Leica camera. I don't see the purple cast on the infinity shot. Or at least I think that both the Nikon and Voigtlander have the same look. It seems to me that both lenses are equally sharp at medium and infinity distances. By the way, I just subscribed to your channel.
Thanks for your extensive comment!
Yes, you might be right. I cannot test it again, as I've sold the Nikkor and only have the Voigtländer. One thing for sure: both lenses are very good!
Thanks for subscribing - that's great! Welcome to the channel!
Voigtlander and Zeiss lenses are overrated, and I have owned both in F Mount and sold them. The Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS is probably Nikons finest wide manual, prime lens and its reflected in the prices good ones achieve. It has it all. Sharpness, colour rendition, nice contrast and overall image clarity. Even the sensor of a D850 will not out-resolve it. Leica fan boys hate this lens because its better than the Leica equivalent at 10% of the price.
Thanks for the comment and sharing of your experiences! I definitely agree that the 28mm Nikon is outstanding - one has to use this lens to believe how good it is. I cannot make an educated statement regarding Zeiss lenses as I only owned three in the past. However, the Voigtländer designs have their own magic and I really like them for many reasons. Can't go wrong with either of those 28mm lenses.
I sort of agree. In my testing, the performance in the edge is terrible with the Voigt 28mm.
Having used intensively Voigts and starting to challenge them recently with Nikkors, in my experience, I get reliably better images with Nikkors, in terms of sharpness. In general, better corner sharpness, much less comma and more natural colors.
No scientific comparison, just my feedback.
i got one the 35 mm is good to
Saying Zeiss and Voigtländer are overrated is just factually wrong. The best performing (measured) lenses are Zeiss. Facts don’t care about your feelings.
Simple lesson: Pick lenses not brands! The 2.8/28 mm AIs is one of the best Nikkor lenses from the AIs lineup and which breaks the common rule: It's better than its Zeiss counterpart. Otoh, the Nikkor 2/35 (had several) is no match for the wonderfull Distagon. The Voigtländer 1.4/58 mm SLII is just lovely, better than Nikons 1.4/35 mm in my book but so is the humble Nikkor 2/50 AI at a stop slower which is my personal choice. And the list goes on with nobody taking the whole cake.
It's good to control aperture from the camera body, I have a Nikkor 28 ais and was happy to use it on a D7200 (besides on FX). I have a Voigtländer 58.
Yes, the two command dial operation is very handy. I like that the Voigts have aperture rings, though - for use with old Nikon film bodies.
Both the 28 and the 58 are great lenses. I'll share a review of the 58mm at some point!
Thanks for the comment, Steven!
Thank you very much for the review. I'm very interested in Voigtländer lenses (the optically superior opo series) and I have ais lenses as well. From the video, the 28 mm ais is significantly sharper edge to edge (by my subjective opinion :D )
O.K., fair compair. The Nikkor currently costs 250 - 350 EUR (Germany/Ebay), Voigtlaender 500 - 650. This would be my crucial decision argument. But my Nikkor portfolio is posed in another way: 17-24-35-55-85-105 and then only zooms until 300.
How does the Nikkor AF 28mm F/2.8 compare to the AIS version?
Thanks for asking!
I'm actually planning to do this comparison in the future! From what I assume judging from the optical design and other reviewers, the af should not be as good optically. From my experience, the 28 AF is good enough to get the job done. So it might be a pixel peeping difference 🙃
Thanks for the lens comparison.
The Nikon 28mm f/2.8 AIS lens that I own and use produces great images.
In an attempt to obtain even better image quality, I purchased a Zeiss 28mm f/2 ZF Distagon.
However, the Zeiss and Nikon lenses were equal in image quality.
Even though I did not really need two 28mm lenses for my Nikon bodies, I kept them both.
Yes, the 28 f/2.8 Nikkor is one of the best in terms of imaging performance, hard to beat!
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Thomas I have one question.
Is hard infinity stop at infinity?
I need Voightländer for film body and need to have hard stop exactly on infinity.
My Zeiss Milvus 50mm 1.4 focuses past infinity and is only good for Live View usage.
Thank you, and greetings out Hamburg.
Hello Danijel,
I just ran a couple of tests and yes, mine has a hard stop exactly at infinity.
I've taken shots of objects over 2km away, and ran some tests with adjusting the focus (also in LV), I am now certain that my copy has an exact hard stop at infinity.
@@ThomasEisl.Photography Vielen Dank. Grüßen.
Gerne 😊😊
Great review!
Thank you so much!
Just got the Voigt 28mm. Center sharpness is amazing wide open but the corners are another story. From f5.6 it is very good but for real tack sharp corners f9 or so.
So congratulations regarding the purchase - there are some compromises, probably because it is so compact. I think field curvature also impacts the corner sharpness negatively. But really, it is a great lens overall!
I'm sure you'll love this lens - keep me updated 🙏 🙂
@@ThomasEisl.Photography Indeed I think that the compact pancake design results in field curvature. I have seen it with other compact lenses also and with the Fujifilm x100. But the center sharpness exceeds my expectation. The 90mm version is ordered so when I have that lens I have all four of them. So 28, 40, 58 and 90. Using manual lenses is really refreshing and they have this classic look. And the best thing is that I can use them also on my 1975 Nikkormat FT2😁
Ahhh now I'm jealous - the 90mm is on my wish list! And yes, the compatibility is just too awesome
Ive had 4 of the 28ai-s and for sure the new sic coating on the front element improves iq and that purple cast at 2.8-f4 So i would say for sure the newer nikon starting with serial number 9 is the real deal.
Great video, thank you.
Thank you!
My father had a voitlander camera, it dated from 1930s it foled flat and had a bellows mount had a zeiss lens fitted. All manual operation no batteries.
Even back then, Voigtländer was renowned for its excellent lenses!
That was a real Voigtlander versus the modern Cosina lenses that use the brand name. Cosina also makes the modern Zeiss ZF and ZE lenses, they are a quality manufacturer.
Absolutely!
Thank you for your excellent review. This has resulted in me seriously consider Voigtländer glass. I have a couple of questions, which maybe is unfair to ask you!
I approach 28 mm, etc., from a different prospective and would therefore appreciate your comment with regards to;-
A. Using these lens on say, a Nikon Z7ii with it’s vignetting reduction for example. I guess it would result in no optical difference whatsoever between these lenses, so any further differences (bokeh, rendering) would be a matter of taste, or in the case of distortion -insignificant?
B. Given that I have a Z7ii, I have already bought the Z 28/2.8 SE and understand that Voigtländer have just released a Z mount series of lenses in the Far East. Is Voigtländer’s Z mount licensed roadmap of interest to you; would you consider reviewing Z glass from both companies?
Intuitively I would expect the new Z Voigtländer glass to be better than that from Nikon in the traditional sense but also because Nikon will simply allow them to be better, given their partnership however I note that the plastic “weather proof” Z 28/2.8 is well accepted by a Pro Z9 Facebook group that I joined. So a comparison between Nikon and Voigtländer Z might yield complex results.
Perhaps the above is of interest to you but of course I understand if this is not within your interest on RUclips. Thank you again for a marvellous review that has set me thinking.
Thank you for your kind words and your questions - I will try to answer them as good as possible:
A - I agree, there won't be a difference. Also, if you don't shoot JPEGs, you can perform the said corrections in the raw editor anyways, as long as it has an appropriate profile for the 28mm SL-IIS
B - I would be interested in reviewing Z lenses in general and also the Voigtländer lenses for Z mount. However, I've sold my Z7II quite some time ago and I do not own a Z body at the moment.
I agree that a comparison between the plastic Z 28mm and the metal Voigtländer would yield very interesting results. From my experience, all Z lenses I've worked with so far were very good optically, to a point where any improvement would be insignificant in practice. I believe that it would again be a matter of taste choosing the Nikkor over the Voigtländer or vice versa.
To sum it up, it might take a while until I will record Z mount reviews as I would have to get a Z camera first. However, I would welcome you sticking around!
Would love to see your take of the often derided Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6 D AF
Thank you for the suggestion - I will try to get one and test it!
Do you own one?
@@ThomasEisl.Photography I have one in the mail, very affordable given its huge range/versatility.
Now I'll definitely be looking for one! Thanks 👍👍
@@ThomasEisl.Photography looking fwd to your thoughts!
Thanks for the well done review and comparison. To be honest I was hoping for more out of the Voigtländer (especially for it's price)... Nice to have options, and I'm glad there are still new manual focus lenses being made for the Nikon f-mount, but it seems a bit overpriced for me.
I know exactly what you mean. It might be important to keep in mind that the Nikkor was designed as a high performance lens, while the Voigtländer was designed as a compact lens first. The price comes from the craftsmanship/build quality, not necessarily because it is the best 28mm optically. Although it is good.
Many thanks for the very valid remarks and kind feedback!
It appears in the close-up example that the Voigtlander displayed the subject, cameras leatherette and lens cap, sharper than the Nikon. (I wonder if there was a focus error). However, in the mid ground and background the voigtländer displayed more vignetting wide open. I very much appreciate the review because I have the Nikon 28mm f/2.0 and contemplating selling it and buying the Voigtländer for the same reasons as yours. Although, I find mixed posts comparing the Nikons, I prefer the faster aperture for focusing and dim light especially since I have +3 diopter eyepieces on my cameras.
As you've pointed out, comparing lenses this good is really difficult as the differences are very small. I'm still under the impression that the Nikkor might be a bit sharper (negligible) - and yes, the Voigtländer has a stronger vignette, which is very nice, at least to my eye. I would not hesitate getting the Voigtländer, it is an optically excellent lens with a lot of character - if you feel like getting a new lens, this one won't disappoint. Thank you very much for the comment, I very much appreciate it!
found it! great work dude!
Awesome! Thanks for watching and the comments, mate!
I've had the 28mm Nikkor, but had a nasty blurry left plane, everything going out of focus at the edges on the left side of the frame. Quite annoying, probably just a bad batch. Happy yours is a good copy. Thank you for the great content and look forward to more videos.
Oh yes, it sounds like your copy was decentered!
Thank you for the kind feedback, I very much appreciate that you follow along! Hope to read from you soon!
Have you tested the Voigtländer on a film camera too?
Yes, I'd say it performs even better on a film camera.
have you tried the voigtlander 90mm f2.8 Apo skopar ...
No, unfortunately not yet. But it is on my bucket list. Do you have one?
@@ThomasEisl.Photography well actually i am still undecided if i should get 1 or buy a nikkor equivalent like the 85mm f1.4d or Ais right now i have a preference for the Ais but i havent seen many pictures from this voigtlander i know they are usualy very high quality
Great review, I've been waiting to see some comparisons, as I own the Nikkor. I'd be very curious to see how the Zeiss 28 f/2 ZF.2 compared to these, as the 35 f/2 is jaw dropping, and exceptionally easy to manually focus, and the results are phenomenal frankly.. Nice job..
Thank you very much for the kind words! Now you've got me very excited about these two lenses - maybe I can find some copies and compare them in the future! Thank you!
Spotted a little mistake: the Nikkor 28mm 2.8 AIS was actually manufactured right up until 2020. I bought mine new in 2014.
If I recall correctly I'm referring to the exact version I'm testing in this video. There is an even newer one (again, if I recall correctly).
Thanks for watching and contributing! Best, Thomas 📸
In that case I stand corrected! Beautiful lens either way and a great in-depth comparison. I do love the feel of those f-mount Voigtlanders. I have the 40mm & 58mm.
You don't have to, as I don't remember exactly haha - it's been a while since I uploaded this video haha.
Thank you very much for watching!
I also have those two, or to be more precise, at this point I only have the 58. Voigtländer has an excellent lineup for F mount. Thanks again for the comments!
Based on your results, I would’ve picked the Voigtlander as well. It’s lighter, smaller and has better contrast than the Nikon. I’m also considering a 28mm lens for my DF mostly for street photography. I’m leaning more towards the Zeiss Distagon 28mm f/2 ZF.2 but it has been discontinued unfortunately. It may have a slight edge in image quality but will not be as compact and light as the Voigtlander.
I've also considered the Zeiss - but ended up with the Voigtländer and I'm very happy with it.
It is a very good lens with a nice character!
@@ThomasEisl.PhotographyI just came back from Japan. Found a used Zeiss 28mm f/2 ZF.2 from MapCamera in Shinjuku but the price is about $600 USD. I ended up buying a brand new Voigtlander 28mm f2.8 Color-Skopar SLIIs instead from Katsumido Camera in Ginza for $328 USD. It’s lighter and more compact compared to the Zeiss and has similar rendering I hope. I got the one with the silver ring which complements my black DF.
Hey very informative Video. I have a question; I have Nikon D200, and I bought Voigtlander 40mm Ultron F2, however when I trying to Control my Lens Aperture except f22 it gives me F E E error, lens let me just over on Camera control but I want to use Aperture control over on lens. Any idea on this? Thanks.
Yes, you have to enable the aperture ring via the menu.
@@ThomasEisl.Photography Hey Thomas I sent Mail to Nikon Support and learned about this Model (Nikon D200) let us aperture Control only by Camera. Howeever I will continue to use because love that lens.
Have a great day.
Ah ok! Did not use a D200 for a long time, but the control dials are ok as well. Best, Thomas 📸
how is the focus breathing on these lenses?
I no longer have the Nikon, but the Voigtlander seems to exhibit some, I'd say.
At f2.8, f4, Nikon is a bit sharper at corner, Voigtlander catch up at f5.6. For the close up and portrait distance, i like the voigtlander being more dimensional while nikon renders the subject flatter. Thank you for your in depth review. I think I would prefer the Voigtlander over nikon due to more compact size and better build quality, however a new Voigtlander twice more expensive than the 2nd hand nikon. I had the Zeiss distagon 28 f2, which is quite heavy mount on my dslr. The voigtlander is definitely an compact alternative as a super light weight travel lens.
Thank you for the comment!
I agree, the Voigtländer is more dimensional - maybe due to a more pronounced field curvature. The slight loss of corner sharpness is neglible as you stated. I prefer the Voigtländer as well - it is just beautiful in many ways. Having never used the Zeiss for F-Mount, I appreciate your sharing of experiences!
@@ThomasEisl.Photography Distagon 28mm f2.0 is my favorite lens for many years, although it is my only 28mm, so i can't directly compare with Voight 28 and AIS 28 for sharpness stuff. The distagon produces very dimensional image (reviewer claims it is due to field curvature but i have no idea). It has very nice contrast and colors. The weak point being purple fringing (longitudinal abberation) wide open but greatly improve when 1 stop down. It focus down to 24cm compare to 20cm on AIS and 15cm on Voight. I found it very great for all purpose shooting, my only concern is it weight 510g, it cause front heavy mounting on dslr. I have a few images from flick you see for your reference. www.flickr.com/photos/36959027@N02/albums/72157719640873002
The Voigtländer never catches up in the corners with the Nikkor. The dimensional look comes from the higher contrast/deeper blacks of the Voigt. Add a different contrast curve to the AIS and you will see immediate difference.
I had all 3 coating generations of the AIS and currently own the newest SIC coated Nikkor and the Voigt. I also had the Zeiss Distagon 28, which is optically the best of the 3, but not with a huge lead.
@@Zlaja192 thanks for your comment, you are right, the Voigt 28 has darker black. A more difficult question myself is, should I get a Voigt 28mm if i already own the Distagon 28mm. Its compactness is unmatched for a great walk around lens.
@@ngterry9653 Judge by the size/weight and edge/corner performance. On the Nikon DF both resolve equaly nice and the straight out of camera look can be very similar, as their default rendering is not too far away from each other.
Or actually just decide for yourself if the Distagon is too big and heavy or not😄 if yes, grab the Voigt, if not, enjoy one of the best 28mm you can get for Nikon.
Voigtlander lens should give a focus confirmation while using with new Nikon Z cameras + FTZ adapter. I'm tempted to buy it.
Yes, I'm quite sure it will. I have no Z camera at the moment to test it, though. However, the quality and rendering of these lenses is for sure excellent and it is worth the investment.
@@ThomasEisl.Photography it’s confirmed that it works. Voigtlander F mount + ftz adapter gives focus confirmation with Nikon z cameras.
Ah cool! Thanks for sharing that 👍
The best choice is the auto focus Nikon 28mm f2.8. It’s the same as the manual focus AiS lens but will work with autofocus Nikons.
Which one do you mean exactly? The regular AF?
@@ThomasEisl.Photography Yes the standard Nikon AF lens from the 90s.
Ah, I thought it had a different optical formula!
@@HopefulForever-ln5xm
I have used, tested all and still own some of the nikon 28mm lenses.
28mm 2.8 AF and 28mm 2.8 ai-s are not same. 2.8 ai-s has 8/8 optical formula with CRC. The AF is same as the cheap E version lens with very basic 5/5 optical formula.
Even the ai version is different with 7/7 optical formula without CRC.
Nikon has very different 28mm lenses from old times. They worked hard on 28mm. Because 28mm was the begining of the wide angle back on those days and it was technically hard to produce good lenses with those times technology. So nikon put everything they had on 28mm 2.8ai-s and the 28mm 2.0 lenses.
To sum up, for 28mm old lenses;
- 28mm f/2.8 (ai-s) = best for close-up and fine performer for landscape. (CRC and 8/8 optical formula. Most sophisticated because it was packed every single technology in a small package)
-28mm f/2.0 (K,ai, ai-s) = It's very good performer for close-up and landscape. (better balanced then the 2.8 ai-s) This one has 9/8 optical formula with very sophisticated CRC implemention.
-28mm f2.8 (ai and older) = an average 28mm lens with very nothing very special about it. (average for nikon standarts, better than most of the other brands back in those days) not a bad performer. It has nikon's best coatings but no CRC.
-28mm 2.8 AF = The most basic 28mm optical formula with 5/5 desing. Nikon had cheap plastic E-series 28mm 2.8 lens (it doesnt even have the nikon coatings) back on those days and they used that formula with the 28mm 2.8 AF because they didnt have alotof room for optics after they put autofocus system in the lens case. After all this lens was no compare for other vintage 28mm lenses of nikon. Very basic desing.
@@ThomasEisl.Photography They are different. 28 2.8 AIS has the floating CRC elements in the front, all other NIKKOR 28 2.8 lenses have them in the rear.
Good review.
Thanks!
Nikon 28mm ❤ the best!!!
Angeblich gab es gegen Ende der Produktionszeit des Nikkor 2.8/28 CRC eine 'chipped version'. Der Vorteil des Nikkor auch heute: man bekommt er preisgünstiger, nämlich ab ca. 200 EUR. Für mich ist ein 28er zwischen dem 24mm und dem 35mm entbehrlich.
Sehr interessant! Dieses Objektiv kenne ich nicht bzw. habe ich es noch nie gesehen.
Ja, ich verstehe das mit 24er und 35er. Irgendwie bin ich seit ein paar Jahren ein 28er Fan, früher wollte ich eigentlich so gut wie nie mehr als 35 nutzen. Es ist wohl eine ständige Veränderung der subjektiven Sehgewohnheiten, durch die man immer wieder mal zu anderen Objektiven greift.
Vielen Dank für den Kommentar und den Hinweis auf das Objektiv!
@@ThomasEisl.Photography Bei mir wechseln die Präferenzen ja auch: Neben einem unsäglich schlechten Sigma-Rechteckbild-'Fisheye' der 1970er habe ich zwischen 15 und 200mm alles ausprobiert - auch die unterschiedlichsten Lichtstärken (aber keine 1:1,2!), und "rein theoretisch" hätte ich sie alle behalten sollen. Doch was soll's, wenn manche Linse nur herumsteht, und so habe ich auf das reduziert, was ich tatsächlich brauche. Ich bin kein Weitwinkel-Mensch, also reichen mir die 84 Grad Bildwinkel des 24ers. Und Tele muss ich aus der Hand können (ohne elektronische Stütze;-)). Für Ausnahmefälle nehme ich den TC200-Konverter (2x) und konnte so vom Stativ aus mit dem Zoom-Nikkor 80-200/4.5 mit 400mm Brennweite ein Elsterpaar beim Nestbau in überzeugender Qualität fotografieren.
Ja, ich habe auch schon einiges verkauft und mir danach gedacht - das hätte behalten sollen!
Hi Thomas! I have also noticed a comparative review on the Nikon 28mm f2 vs Nikon 28mm f2.8, concluding that the f2 version is significantly sharper, especially in the edge of the frame @f2.8. This is a bit surprising to me as normally this is the other way round. Can you share any experience with the f2 version? Also what is the practical drawback of having no CPU contact on the Nikon 28/2.8?
Full disclosure: I've never had the f2 version. Be that as it may, I find it very unlikely that the f2 is sharper than the f2.8, especially as the 2.8 is one of the sharpest 2.8 lenses in existence.
Regarding the lack of CPU, the main drawback is that you have certain limitations regarding flash metering and exposure metering. The latter are of course negligible when working in M with an external meter (which I do for my fashion work). In any case, I would always try to get a CPU lens if possible, as it is just more convenient overall. Hope this helped!
Nikon digital cameras can do image corrections if it knows what Nikon lens is being used. It may not be in the data base for other brands.
@@danc2014Nikon digital cameras only apply lens corrections to JPEG images. I shoot raw with my 28mm f/2.8 AiS lens and apply lens corrections using Adobe Lightroom Classic. Having said that the corrections required are minimal.
Thank you for the exciting review. If I may ask you a question: Have you ever compared the Voigtländer 28mm against the Zeiss 28mm ZF2? I would be very interested to know.
I mean the 28mm Distagon, not the Otus 28mm.
Thank you very much! Unfortunately, I have not. But judging from the "spec sheet" and lens design, the Zeiss should outperform the Voigtländer or be at least on par. Take that with a grain of salt, but maybe it is helpful nonetheless. Best, Thomas 📸
I have the 28mm AIS and just never shoot it. Not my kind of focal
Length my 35mm gets all the action. I think I want the 20mm AIS added to the kit. I shoot them on my F3 and D850. Such great lenses so sharp and small.
35 vs 28 is quite a subjective choice, agree!
The other lenses on your list should be really great performers! Nikon made - and still makes - excellent optics with sturdy build quality!
19:14 both your samples look clean internally. You should keep both!
Yes, both are mint - which one of these lenses do you have?
@@ThomasEisl.Photography I was considering buying on or the other. B&H has the Nikon 28 f2.8 manual available, I don’t know if it’s the same version as your Nikon 28 f2.8 manual. I have two Nikon N90s bodies that are lonely. 28 is a good focal length for 35mm format. Your can still use it for portraiture, architecture,and nature. However the downside is it’s only a 35mm size frame. Large format is where the real magic starts in color photography in particular. It’s a shame we lost Cibachrome two decades ago. I’m matting some of my old Cibachrome prints made from 4x5 transparency and they look amazing twenty years later
Yes, so true! Large format is where the magic is for color!
Thank You
Glad that it was useful for you, thank you!
I have the 28mm ais and I really don't like this focal length. For me 24mm and 35mm fit my needs much better. 35mm getting the majority of my shots by far. Especially for street shooting
Thanks for sharing!
The Nikon is a CRC design, THUS foccuses a little bit ‘heavier’. That’s logical.
Yep!
Why did you show a nikkor 28mm 1:2.8 which is what I have but you did not review it? No one on you tube is review it??? Only the 2.8 . Do you have a review on nikkor 28mm 1:2.8 ? You showed one. Im i missing something ? lol
Sorry, now I'm confused - the video shows a comparison between the 28mm Nikkor and the Voigtländer. However, I did not review the 28mm Nikkor in a separate video.
Your comment is over a year old but if you're still on RUclips then maybe I can be of help. 1:2.8 and 2.8 are the same thing. They both mean the maximum aperture of the lens is f/2.8. In 1:2.8, f-stop is represented as a ratio. In 2.8, the fraction/ratio symbols disappear completely, since it can be safely assumed that it is a fraction and not a whole number.
28mm 1:2.8 and 28mm 2.8 are one and the same. Don't worry about it.
Are your examples all shot at same aperture and exposure time? A lens like the Voigt with such strong Vignette will never appear brighter than the AIS under same exposure.
That surprised me as well - of course the images are shot with the same exposure settings under the same lighting conditions. Interestingly, the differences in brightness are most pronounced in the close-up shots. Take a look at the link, there are some of the test shots.
@@ThomasEisl.Photography Alright, thanks👍🏼
@@Zlaja192 thanks also for your comment pointing that out, also thanks for your contributions on the other video about the 40mm lenses! Cheers, Thomas
@@ThomasEisl.Photography I hope you did not take it the wrong way on the other video. If I sounded too direct or rude I apologise…
In the end I am happy someone is putting a bit more light on niche products like the Voigtländers 👍🏼
With auto exposure the camera may make a slightly longer exposure to compensate for the vignetting - which could result in the centre being a bit brighter
Voigtländer 28mm f/2.8 SLII-S is more than double the price of the Nikon. You didn't mention that. Its less expensive you mentioned and that's a major factor. I will stick with the Nikon.
Yes, true! Price-wise, the Nikkor is the clear winner. It is a great lens, can't go wrong with that.
So the takeaway is that they are both nice lenses.
Yes!
10:17 not the greatest test subject for resolution. On rest of shots, the Nikon looks sharper to me. You will notice this if you print in the darkroom
It is more of a sharpness / microcontrast test than resolution - and I agree, the Nikkor is a bit sharper
Ok, you can send me Nikon lens then, because I can't find it anywhere in my region 😭
(and I prefer Nikon lens more for my two Nikon film bodies)
Oh no - I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe you can get the Voigtlander more easily?
The price of Voigtländer = 3 X Nikon
Depends on the offer you are able to find
Непонятно нифига
Please elaborate.