Nikon 28-80 f/3.5-5.6, unbelievable!

[greybeard]

For Christmas this year, the wife bought me a D750 with 24-120 f/4. Great camera and really nice but heavy lens. Years ago I had a Nikon n80 35mm with 28-80 f/3.5-5.6. I never used that camera all that much because I got into digital shortly after I got it. 2 years ago I dug out the n80 with lens and sold it. Fast forward to today. I was reading Ken Rockwell's review of the POS 28-80 f/3.5-5.6 that had came with my n80. Nikon 28-80mm AF-D when it dawned on me that I had sold that very lens a couple of years ago. So, I looked on ebay and found one for $40.00. It came today and WOW! It is light as a feather and sharp edge to edge from f/3.5 on. Sorry 24-120, but you are spending your time in the drawer.

 

[greybeard]

Some pics from it
The banding in the sky is from the lightroom conversion to a 20% JPG

Washington Street 28-80 f-3.5-5.6 @ 28mm f-3.5 by TOM STRAIGHT, on Flickr

Davids Bush 28-80 f-3.5-5.6 @ 80mm f-5.6 by TOM STRAIGHT, on Flickr

 

[Derrel]

YES....I have one and will actually use it now and again. Small, light, and at f/8 for most uses of digitial files, about as good as any other zoom lens, due to diffraction at f/8 being a limiting factor with almost any modern lens. I shot a good part of an indoor session with it February 1, in fact. Here's a reduced-size frame, shot at f/10 at 70mm on the lowly 28-80mm f/3.5~5.6 AF-D zoom. My feeling is that this small, diminutive zoom makes people feel more at ease in front of the camera than the massive AF zooms of this current era. I prefer a smaller lens profile much of the time, and that's where the 28-80 really shines.

 

[Peeb]

Similarly, the "old fashioned" 28-105 that I had was stellar with my modern nikon.

I recently sold it as I was using the 24-85 more, but it still shot great. Virtually zero distortion and pretty easy to tote!

 

[greybeard]

This little guy is so much smaller and lighter than the 24-120 I was using. The camera is just easier to tote around.
Anyone who shoots FF Nikon owes it to themselves to get one of these little gems if for nothing more than backup.

 

[480sparky]

I still dig out the Lens Across America glass: A 35-105 AF. That lens is a real trooper too!

 

[astroNikon]

I love the older AF/AF-D glass. The 28-80 I think did one version of the Lens Across America a few years back, but it got jammed and broke during the trips.

The newer AF-S lens are so large and bulky compared to the older lenses.

 

[JTPhotography]

On crop the cheapo 18-55vr is stellar too. It is famous for being awesome for infrared.

 

[greybeard]

Nobody can make cheap rattley plastic lenses that are tack sharp like Nikon.

 

[480sparky]

Nobody can make cheap rattley plastic lenses that are tack sharp like Nikon.

Remember this?

 

[greybeard]

Nobody can make cheap rattley plastic lenses that are tack sharp like Nikon.

Remember this?

Yes, but in it's day, that 35-70 f/2.8 was a Pro lens. I'm talking about the el-cheapo plastic mount wonders. The ones I've owned have had amazing IQ for the money.