Nikon NIKKOR-S Auto 1:2.8 f=35mm Mark II Non-Ai Lens (f/2.8)
Overall Rating:
In 1959, just two months after the release of the Nikon F System, the Nikkor-S Auto 3.5cm f/2.8 lens was released. It was a seven element in five group design, and an early retrofocus-type design. It had less than stellar performance, and presented manufacturing problems for Nikon. So Nikon decided to redesign the lens and, after eight years, they finally had a solution: the NIKKOR-S Auto 1:2.8 f=35mm [Mark II] — the lens of this review.
This is a Nikkor-S which means it has seven elements, and these elements are in six groups. The focus ring has lost its fluid feel after all these years, unfortunately. The construction of this lens is excellent. There's nothing like it today.
This lens is made in Japan. It has distance markers in feet and meters and has an infrared focus index. It has depth of field and focus scales and it stops down to f/16 with a six-bladed diaphragm. This is a pre-Ai lens meaning it will not fully work on most modern Nikon cameras, except that this particular copy has been Ai converted by Nikon using Ai kit #36, and as such it works on many Nikon DSLR cameras. It is single-coated so its images are not as contrasty as those from a multicoated lens.
To identify this lens, check the serial number and markings. First, the focal length should be marked in millimeters, not centimeters, and the focus collar should have distance markers in both meters and feet. It is not marked Nippon Kogaku and this is probably the most significant detail when identifying. Make sure it's marked Nikon. The serial numbers begin with 231011 and end around 390000. Here is a picture of the Ai-converted lens of this review:
The performance of this lens is better than its predecessor the NIKKOR-S Auto 1:2.8 f=35mm "Nippon Kogaku". It exhibits less spherical aberrations and coma. Distortion is only fairly well controlled as there is some barrel distortion from this early retrofocus design.
There's not a lot of color fringing but the corners are not too sharp; detail below is at 3-to-1:
The infrared images are nice and clear even at f/16.
The bokeh is nice particularly wide open. When stopping down the bokeh will suffer if there are out-of-focus points of light because the diaphragm is polygonal.
Diffraction begins around f/8. This lens is sharpest across the frame at f/8.
Using Teleconverters
The teleconverters used with this lens are all Ai/Ai-S teleconverters because, though this lens was originally Pre-Ai, the one being reviewed as been Ai-converted using a Nikon Ai-kit.
Because the focal length is only 35mm, using the TC-300 and extension ring is not easy because the working distance is so small. The TC-300 requires approximately 30mm of extension tube to clear its protruding front elements, and this give very little working room once focused on the subject.
This semi-wide angle lens works well for macro work because its center is fairly sharp! It seems the TC-14 produced a little more detail with this lens.
- Focal length: 35mm
- Maximum aperture: f/2.8
- Minimum aperture: f/16
- ø52mm filter ring
- Lens construction: 7 lens elements in 6 groups
- Picture angle: 62° (Full Frame)
- Distance scale: 0.3m/1ft. (1:5.8 reproduction ratio) to infinity with infrared focus index
- Price: $120 (USD) (1971)
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