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One of the sharpest lenses ever made by Nikon, probably the sharpest wide open, puts at shame many big tele lenses and other modern macro units. Image is clean and as good or better than my Sigma 135mm f/1.8 art at f/4! It is a joy to use and built to last with a butter smooth long throw focus ring and a very precise scales. This is a fully metal constructed lens, however it isn't a chorme barrel as the old non ai f/3.5 versions, rather it is a black colored heavier metal barrel which may be tougher but it is a little heavier. The lens is very compact when set to infinity so there isn't much to be worried about it being front heavy or something like that. Sharpness is evident from wide open f/2.8 till around f/16-22 when diffraction kicks in. the bocca is also not bad at all when close focusing or stacking images. it is very comfortable to use as a daily standard at infinity, and capable of 1:1 with the PK M2 extension tube which usually for products and big bugs is more than enough. Be sure to check the aperture mech' and blades - I got in the past a bad copy on Bay and even the seller honestly didn't notice that one blade was not properly closing as the rest of them. After some searching I found a brand new one boxed and it is truely a magnificent piece of kit. I also have the non ai f/3.5 version with the chrome barrel diamond shaped focus ring p.c version from the early 70s which I use from time to time. The ai-s 2.8 55mm is a hair sharper than its cousin and focus is a bit smoother but a bit on the tighter side. All in all it is very recommended for those who adore manual focus and want a good infinity lens which is capable of close focusing deeply when not needing a long working distance.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Fantastic lens if you don't mind manual focus. On the plus side, it may last forever since there are no electronics and motor. Also, sensational sharpness at all distances, a beautiful bokeh and a very smooth focusing ring. On the downside, well, no autofocus, so a little inconvenient in non-macro use and no electronic contact with the digital SLR, as the focal length and speed will have to be entered manually.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
The review is written by one who did use the lens on both film (F2 and FM2) and digital (D2Xs) cameras. It works well with both. One of the best Nikkor lenses. Tough build, relatively compact in size, in most cases it doesn't need a hood on it because of its construction. Detailed and saturated picture, perfect for macro, subject, advertizing and still life photography. Not the best lens for portraits due to sharpness and small front lens diameter (180 /2.8 ED is the best portrait Nikkor), though fully open aperture helps. Worth trying.
Verified purchase: No
Very nice nikon lens ever. Everything is clean like new one. The focus ring is quite heavy and sticky but it's not a problem. It's very fantastic lens.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I am amazed at the sharpness of this lens for both macro use and for landscape photography. The colored f-stop markings are useful for estimating depth of field. This is one of my favorite Nikon lenses, along with my 28mm f2.8 and my 75-150 f3.5 zoom, on both my D300 and my D3100.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned