Nikkor-H Auto 28mm f/3.5. Introduced in 1960, this wide-angle lens was made for the Nikon F. By today’s standards, f/3.5 may seem rather slow, but at the time it appeared as a high-spec wide-angle lens for SLR cameras, developed with the full technical expertise of Nippon Kogaku.
Because an SLR body has a mirror box, it requires a much longer back focus than cameras such as the Leica or Nikon S. At the time, however, there were still no high-performance lenses capable of properly meeting this requirement.
Introduced in 1959, the Nikon F was created as an all-purpose camera capable of handling virtually any shooting situation. In order to surpass the Leica and Nikon S, the development of a high-performance wide-angle lens was an essential mission. Nikon aimed to create a lens that would exceed the performance of the renowned W-Nikkor 28mm f/3.5 for the Nikon S, and developed a new optical formula for this purpose.
Further advancing the retrofocus design pioneered by Angénieux, Nikon completed this newly designed lens. It is said to have made a major contribution to the later realization of ultra-wide-angle and fast wide-angle lenses.
This lens laid the foundation for the high-performance wide-angle lens lineup that would enhance the very significance of the Nikon F system.
There are no signs of use, and it retains its original new-old-stock condition from the period. The semi-gloss texture of the black paint is truly beautiful, making this an excellent piece for a collection.
The helicoid grease feels somewhat dry, though servicing is available separately for an additional fee. All functions operate properly. Operation and focusing have been checked on a Nikon F body.
The glass shows only very slight coating deterioration, visible only when inspected under a strong LED light, along with a small trace of fungus at the edge of the rear element. Neither is expected to have any noticeable effect on images.
Comes with the matching-number original box, genuine screw-in hood, filter, and front and rear caps.
