Classic Manual Focus 28mm Lens Comparison - Battle of 5 Common Vintage 28mm Primes

Hey everybody, I’m so happy that I finally figured out audio levels, so hopefully this will be MUCH better! Today, we’re going to compare some great vintage 28mm lens options. These manual focus wide angle lenses are everywhere! We’re going to answer a few questions for you, like is it true when some say the best vintage 28mm lens is the Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS? How does the Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AIS compare to an older ,but well-regarded regarded Nikkor-H 28mm 3.5. And how does an M42 Soligor many are using for video stack up? Especially against the well-regarded Tamron 28mm F/2.5 Adaptall 2? And perhaps most interestingly, how does a cheap, $5 Albinar compare to them all?
I’m shooting full-frame on a 24 Megapixel Sony A72. All images straight out of camera – raw. I’ll show what each scene can look like with 30 seconds’ worth of processing too in Adobe Lightroom.
The most common manual focus lens focal length is the normal lens around 50mm or 55mm. But the most common wide angle focal length is 28mm. In the 70’s and 80’s the 28’s really reigned supreme as the wide-angle perspective of choice for landscape photography. There are wider vintage primes, but there are a bunch of reasons why vintage 28’s are a great lens to add to your bag.
First off, classic, manual focus wide angle 28mm lenses are cheap. This isn’t called “cheap shots” for nothing, and 28mm lenses are, the most inexpensive vintage wide-angle lenses available.
Classic 28mm lenses are great for landscape.
Thes primes are faster than zooms that cover this focal view. Most are f/2.8, but some are faster at f2 and since they are often used for landscapes, F/3.5 or F/4 variants abound.
They can be a great substitute for a wider “normal” lens on APS-C cropped sensor cameras, giving about a 42mm field of view. A great field of view for street photography.
Often, you can focus really close up, with a minimum focus distance of about a foot or sometimes, even less. So they’re nice for product photography, or what some call environmental macro.
They are a great lens for group shots, family shots, group portraits.
And as I’ve mentioned before, vintage manual focus 28mm lenses are easy to find.
Interestingly, I’ve shot some strange off-brands and some more common versions from the big names. There was a Star-D 28mm f/2.8 that was an amazing performer. And the Sigma Mini-Wide 28mm f2.8 isn’t terrible either. My favorite in this range has remained the venerable Nikkor 2.8mm AIS. Nikkors are expensive, and this one is so well regarded that the Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AIS can fetch $150 or more.
That lens has a great reputation, but is it worth it compared to my latest group of contenders? We’ll see.
First, we’ll look at a scenic landscape, an architectural photography shot a product shot of food photography from near minimum focus distance. It’ll give us a chance to see how bokeh renders and how close we can really get. Finally, we’ll shoot some video. Do these give that “vintage look” when the subject’s in motion?
Remember, individual lens variation, and even the quality of the adapter you’re using can have a substantial impact on outcomes, so take these results with a grain of salt. T
While none of these lenses really over-throws my current champion, the Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AIS, but each has their own merits. And considering the price, you might prefer an older Nikkor, or even one of these third parties if you can find an inexpensive example in good condition. As I’ve said, I’ve tried 28mm from Canon FD mount, Pentax-M 2.8 and 3.5 and Minolta 2.8. Even when looking at first-party lenses, my Nikkor lands on top.
The Nikkor AIS is the lens you want if you need great sharpness wide open, are shooting close up, and have the money to spend.
The Nikkor-H is a great alternative if you’re looking for a landscape lens and can stop down just a tad to get rid of the vignette.
The Tamron is just as good stopped down, and is a much better option than the Nikkor H if you need to shoot close up from time to time. It’s wins if the Adaptall 2 mount is a benefit to you, or size is really important.
The Soligor is really cool – cheap, M42 and way sharper than I expected. I think it’s a Tokina? But not sure. It’s sharp indoors without that glare, but the sawtooth bokeh is something you should consider.
And the cheapy Albinar? Well, it wouldn’t be my first choice, but you know what, for a few bucks you can get some nice results and it isn’t a terrible option if that’s all you can afford.
However you slice it though, you’d be very hard pressed to find a 28mm prime in good condition that isn’t usable. So grab whatever one you’ve got, and make some great, cheap, shots.

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