In article <323630af.13980381@news>, dr_baud@ix.netcom.com says...
>robert.ribnitz@unifr.ch (Robert Ribnitz) wrote:

>>for my next purchase, I want to get a 35mm lens (35mm is the focal
>>length..)
>>Having the choice between the following Niokn lenses, which one should
>>I buy
>> Nikkor AI-S 35mm/1.4
>> AI-S 35mm/2
>> AF-D 35mm/2
>>I dont care about ofcussing manually, and my future body will suppport
>>AI-S lenses..

>I can only talk about the AI-S lenses as I don't have an autofocus
>camera. The 35 f2 was underwhelming, in my opinion. One of the
>reasons for buying a fast lens is to shoot wide open, and this lens
>just wasn't up to Nikon's standards for sharpness. You had to stop
>down to at least f8 before it got acceptable. (The other reason for
>buying a fast lens is so you can focus more precisely, especially in
>low light.) I seem to recall that there was a slight bit of barrel
>distortion, too, but it's been 10 years and I didn't keep that lens
>very long. At any rate, I'd say my Nikkor 35-105 zoom produces
>sharper images at the 35mm end of things than that turkey did.
>
>Now the 35 1.4 is an entirely different story. This lens is razor
>sharp... it's one of the sharpest lenses I own (the other killer
>lenses are the 85 1.4 and the 180 2.8 ED). This is truly something
>Nikon should be proud of. I ditched my 55 f1.4 and now use the 35
>f1.4 as my main lens.
>
>I don't know what your financial status is, but unless you're really
>strapped, I'd pass on the f2.0. Perhaps someone else can tell you
>about the autofocus lens.

Hmmmm, I have checked out several 35mm f2 AIS Nikkors recently, and
they all turned out to be first-class performers, even wide-open.
(I was not impressed with the one 35mm f2 AF I tried - not bad, not
outstanding, but I preferred the MF f2 and f1.4's.) It is a toss-up
between the different-but-equal-quality f2 and f1.4. The f2 illumination
is not as even as the f1.4's at f2, so at f2, the f1.4 is effectively
faster. Contrast at f2 is maybe a tad better with the f2 35mm than with
the f1.4. The f1.4 is useable wide-open, giving it some speed advantage.
Both are really excellent by f5.6, and very good at wider apertures. I
have both, and find the f2 easier to focus, and more pleasant to use,
but when I know the light level will be very low, I take the f1.4.
BTW, a good sample of the MF Nikkor 35-105 f3.5-4.5 at 35mm does
outperform the 35mm primes in the corners (!), but is slightly less snappy-crisp over most of the frame (it is a remarkably good 35mm lens).
The 35mm f2.8 PC Nikkor (latest version) beats them all, though, at
apertures wider than f5.6, so it could be considered the best of the
Nikkor speed 35's, in an odd sort of way.....;-)
Hope This Helps