My collection.
From left to right. I've put samples in for the AI stuff.
16mm f2.8 fisheye - AF
20mm f1.8 G - AF
24mm f2.8 Pre AI - Been converted properly. Superb performance, later AI-s model is optically different, may be slightly superior. Far corners poor until f8, close performance is great as it is the first nikkor to feature CRC. Made a 30x20 canvas from an image taken with this and it looked spectacular.
Sample.
28mm f2 AI-s - My favourite AI-s prime. Great at virtually any aperture, though it does suffer from coma flare wide open and the extreme corners are a tad soft unless stopped down. Fantastic up close. Seven blade aperture makes very sharply defined 14 point sun stars.
Sample.
35mm f1.4 AI-s - A Jekyl & Hyde lens, can be superb and can be terrible. I find it better working at sub 10m subject distances, the closer the better. Extreme coma flare wide open. Very low contrast wide open.
Sample.
50mm f1.2 AI-s - Another gem. Bokeh can be a tad busy at f1.2 depending on subject - background distances, seems to improve as stopped down. Extreme coma flare again, like the 35, stop down past f4 and its gone. Same low contrast wide open. Done another 30x20 canvas from this one shot at f1.4, again looked great.
Sample.
50mm f1.8 AI-s - Not as good as the f1.2 in some respects but doesn't suffer from coma, so much better wide open at night. Past f4 there is nothing between them. (except the f1.2 costs nearly 10 times as much)
Sample. (off old canon 20D so not really comparable)
55mm f2.8 Micro - This is the AF version of the old AI-s lens. Same optics, but AF and able to reach 1:1 magnification. (wasn't made for long) I can say with some certainty that this is without a doubt the sharpest lens I own. Beats the other 50's at f2.8.
Sample.
135mm f2.8 AI - A good lens, compact for it's focal length/aperture. Doesn't get a lot of use any more as I prefer to use an adapted mamiya 150mm f2.8 . Seven straight aperture blades makes very defined heptagonal bokeh when stopped down. Also suffers from strong longitudinal CA. (Which my mamiya doesn't suffer)
Sample. (from kodachrome film)
300mm f2.8 AI-s - This was my first nikkor lens and what got me to move from canon. It was a bargain at ~£400 that I couldn't miss. It's a very heavy lens, but not as bad as the modern versions. It is very sharp even wide open, though suffers some slight purple fringing on strong contrast areas. The corners don't perform quite as well as the centre.
Sample.
The only other AI-s lens I want is the 105mm f2.5 which is legendary for good reason. It has lovely smooth bokeh and is very sharp. (I borrowed one once and didn't want to give it back) The 500mm f4 AI-P I'd have in a heartbeat and the 200mm f2 is another I'd consider but they are quite expensive still.
