Nikon 28mm f2.8 AI and Canon 28mm f2.8 new FD

Canon 28mm f2.8 new FD

Nikon 28mm f2.8 AI

I bought the 2 lenses recently. 28mm lenses are of course used in landscape photography. While they are of similar optical angle, the cost differs significant even though both are likely to be more than 30 years old. The Nikon 28mm costs US$128 while the Canon 28mm costs US$21.50, a difference of more than 5 times. These are market prices.

Physically, the Nikon has very attractive and colourful aperture ring and distance information, The Canon on the other hand is a sombre green and white. Currently, lenses from both firms are white and gold on black plastic. The Nikon AI lens design is certainly unnique and a representation of an era long gone. The colours reminded me of Frank Muller Colour Dreams watch.

The Canon new FD lens has a feature not commonly found in lens. The aperture can't be adjusted manually by pushing the lever on the rear. This, I found out after reading from the internet. The aperture can be adjusted when the lens is mounted on a FD body. This is different from Nikon and Yashica lenses. With the feature, I can only test the lens aperture when I use it with a film. I am not sure whether this feature will affect the functioning of the lens when it is mounted on a DSLR with an adaptor.

Canon and Nikon lenses have a different usage preference. For Nikon the smaller f number for aperture is on the right side to the photographer, while for Canon, the smaller f number is on the left side. Likewise the focus ring is also turning against each other in relation to the distance. This may confuse photographer especially so when habit is formed.