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... and the eBay prices will do a deep dive now ....
Considering the fact that the lens was designed about 20 years ago, the results are very inpressive.
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Yeah, wonder how the new 28/1.8 stacks up against it.
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What makes this lens the "cult lens" it is is how it renders... not really how it performs in sharpness tests. And I have to say, I do like how it renders images.
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[quote name='Brightcolours' timestamp='1336125542' post='18008']
What makes this lens the "cult lens" it is is how it renders... not really how it performs in sharpness tests. And I have to say, I do like how it renders images.
[/quote]
It was a cult lens because it came from an era where Nikon didn't really offer fast wide-angles. That's it I think.
It has been rumored that this lens contains a hand-made glass element,which is also rare for modern Nikon/Canon lenses.
[quote name='Frank' timestamp='1336134071' post='18012']
It has been rumored that this lens contains a hand-made glass element,which is also rare for modern Nikon/Canon lenses.
[/quote]
I think you are referring to the 'hand polished' aspherical lens element. Nowadays aspherical glas lens elements are precision molded, a technik that was not available in the days the 28/1.4D was designd. Or at least not available for lens elements of the required diameter. I can't say if the aspherical element of the 28/1.4D (or the 58/1.2 Noct) where 'hand polished'. Even if they where there was no guy rubbing a lens element between his fingers. The lens was mounted in a polishing machine and the worker was operating the machine by hand.
Today they would use CNC controlled polishing machines.