{"id":2558,"date":"2016-10-08T20:06:36","date_gmt":"2016-10-08T19:06:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=2558"},"modified":"2026-03-24T13:39:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T12:39:19","slug":"review-nikon-ai-s-180mm-2-8-ed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-ai-s-180mm-2-8-ed\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Introduction<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2603\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2603\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2603 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_sony_a7s.jpg\" alt=\"Sony A7s with Metabones Nikon G -&gt; Sony E Adapter and Nikon AI-s 180mm 2.8 ED\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_sony_a7s.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_sony_a7s-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_sony_a7s-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2603\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7s with Metabones Nikon G -&gt; Sony E Adapter and Nikon AI-s 180mm 2.8 ED<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Nikon AI-s 180mm 2.8 ED is one of the most famous manual focus Nikkors and reknown for it&#8217;s beautiful bokeh, great CA correction and build quality. It was also one of the first &#8220;consumer&#8221; lenses featuring ED glass. I paired it with the A7rII and A7s to find out if it is still a viable option today.<\/p>\n<h1>Sample Images<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5336\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5336\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5336 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_goose.jpg\" alt=\"nikon nikkor manual focus ed 180mm ai ais ai-s tele lens fast sony a7r a7 a7ii a7s a7rii mark 2 series bokeh natur nature goose duck bird volgen\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_goose.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_goose-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_goose-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5336\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7s | Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED | f\/2.8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/140854680@N04\/30107438071\/sizes\/l\" target=\"blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5335\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5335\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5335 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_couple.jpg\" alt=\"nikon nikkor manual focus ed 180mm ai ais ai-s tele lens fast sony a7r a7 a7ii a7s a7rii mark 2 series\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_couple.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_couple-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_couple-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5335\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED | f\/2.8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/140854680@N04\/29563424703\/sizes\/l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5337\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5337\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5337 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_mushroom.jpg\" alt=\"bokeh natur nature macro makro close up pk-13 extension tube nikon nikkor manual focus ed 180mm ai ais ai-s tele lens fast sony a7r a7 a7ii a7s a7rii mark 2 series bokeh\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_mushroom.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_mushroom-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_mushroom-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5337\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7s | Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED + PK-13 extension tube | f\/2.8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/140854680@N04\/30077611032\/sizes\/l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h1>Specifications \/ Version History<\/h1>\n<p>Nikon has a long history in producing 180mm lenses but this is the <strong>only one featuring a gold ring<\/strong> and even though being a purely manual focus lens <strong>was produced until 2006<\/strong>.&nbsp; If you are interested in the history of Nikon&#8217;s 180mm lenses have a look at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kenrockwell.com\/nikon\/180mm-history.htm\">Ken Rockwell&#8217;s overview<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>I am reviewing the &#8220;AI-s ED&#8221; version here which has the following specifications:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Diameter: 78 mm<\/li>\n<li>Field of view: 13\u00b0 (diagonally)<\/li>\n<li>Length:&nbsp; 178 mm<\/li>\n<li>Weight: 800g (without adapter)<\/li>\n<li>Filter Diameter: 72 mm<\/li>\n<li>Number of Aperture Blades: 9 (straight)<\/li>\n<li>Elements\/Groups: 5\/5<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-50635 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_180mm_2.8_ED_Ai_diagram-300x185.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"185\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_180mm_2.8_ED_Ai_diagram-300x185.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_180mm_2.8_ED_Ai_diagram-800x493.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_180mm_2.8_ED_Ai_diagram-768x473.jpg 768w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_180mm_2.8_ED_Ai_diagram.jpg 1240w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Close Focusing Distance: 1.8 m<\/li>\n<li>Maximum Magnification: 1:7.5<\/li>\n<li>Mount: Nikon-F<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>This Ai-s ED version usually starts selling for <\/em><em><strong>$350\/350\u20ac<\/strong> at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?LH_CAds=&amp;_ex_kw=&amp;_fpos=&amp;_fspt=1&amp;_mPrRngCbx=1&amp;_nkw=nikon+180mm+2.8+ed+ais&amp;_sacat=&amp;_sadis=&amp;_sop=12&amp;_udhi=&amp;_udlo=&amp;_fosrp=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=10001&amp;customid=&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">ebay.com<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.de\/sch\/i.html?_ex_kw=&amp;_mPrRngCbx=1&amp;_nkw=nikon+180mm+2.8+ed+ais&amp;_sacat=625&amp;_sop=12&amp;_udhi=&amp;_udlo=&amp;_fosrp=1&amp;mkrid=707-53477-19255-0&amp;siteid=77&amp;mkcid=1&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=10001&amp;customid=&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">ebay.de<\/a> (advertisement\/affiliate links)<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<h1>Handling \/ Build Quality<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2602\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2602\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2602 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed.jpg\" alt=\"Sony A7s with Metabones Nikon G -&gt; Sony E Adapter and Nikon AI-s 180mm 2.8 ED\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2602\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nikon AI-s 180mm 2.8 ED<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The manual focus Nikkors are <strong>reknown for<\/strong> their <strong>great build quality<\/strong> and the Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED is no exception here. The tolerances are very tight, the lens is mostly<strong> made of metal<\/strong> and all markings are engraved. The focus ring has just the right resistance (and it takes ~250\u00b0 from infinity to 1.8 m), the aperture ring has half-stop click-stops and the integrated&nbsp;<strong>hood is retractable<\/strong> but is just a tiny bit wobbly (not as nice as Leica&#8217;s retractable hoods).<br \/>\nOn the A7 cameras this lens is quite<strong> front heavy<\/strong> though and as it does not feature an internal focus design the center of gravity changes substantially on focusing which is something I don&#8217;t really like.<\/p>\n<h1>Vignetting<\/h1>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-5341 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/vignetting_Nikon_180mm.jpg\" alt=\"nikon nikkor manual focus ed 180mm ai ais ai-s tele lens fast sony a7r a7 a7ii a7s a7rii mark 2 vignetting shading\" width=\"800\" height=\"651\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/vignetting_Nikon_180mm.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/vignetting_Nikon_180mm-300x244.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/vignetting_Nikon_180mm-768x625.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><br \/>\nThe <strong>vignetting is quite low<\/strong> wide open with 1.6 EV in the corners and from f\/4.0 (only 0.5 EV) onwards <strong>rarely noticeable<\/strong> in real world shots.<\/p>\n<h1>Sharpness<\/h1>\n<p><em>infinity<\/em><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-5368 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Sharpness_nikon180.jpg\" alt=\"nikon nikkor manual focus ed 180mm ai ais ai-s tele lens fast sony a7r a7 a7ii a7s a7rii mark 2 sharpness resolution\" width=\"800\" height=\"1982\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Sharpness_nikon180.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Sharpness_nikon180-121x300.jpg 121w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Sharpness_nikon180-768x1903.jpg 768w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Sharpness_nikon180-517x1280.jpg 517w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><br \/>\nThe <strong>sharpness in the center<\/strong> is already quite good wide open. The <strong>midframe reaches very good resolution at f5.6,<\/strong> for the <strong>corners to look best use f11<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><em>close focus<\/em><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-5367 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Sharpness_close_nikon_180mm_2.8.jpg\" alt=\"nikon nikkor manual focus ed 180mm ai ais ai-s tele lens fast sony a7r a7 a7ii a7s a7rii mark 2 sharpness resolution\" width=\"800\" height=\"1734\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Sharpness_close_nikon_180mm_2.8.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Sharpness_close_nikon_180mm_2.8-138x300.jpg 138w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Sharpness_close_nikon_180mm_2.8-768x1665.jpg 768w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Sharpness_close_nikon_180mm_2.8-591x1280.jpg 591w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><br \/>\nThis <strong>lens <\/strong>does not incorporate a floating elements design, which explains the <strong>mediocre performance wide open<\/strong> (simliar to the behaviour of the <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-carl-zeiss-planar-1450-cy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Zeiss 50mm 1.4 Planar C\/Y<\/a>). But <strong>stopped down to just f4.0<\/strong> the performance increases substantially.<\/p>\n<h1>Flare resistance<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5361\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5361\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5361 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_flare_resistance.jpg\" alt=\"nikon nikkor manual focus ed 180mm ai ais ai-s tele lens fast sony a7r a7 a7ii a7s a7rii mark 2 flare resistance bright light work against ghost ghosts flaring ghosting\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_flare_resistance.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_flare_resistance-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_flare_resistance-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5361\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED | f\/8.0 |<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Taking into account this is a rather old design the <strong>flare resistance is remarkable<\/strong>. The rather hidden <strong>small green ghost<\/strong> in the photo below (on the left side) <strong>was the worst I could produce<\/strong>. Even the contrast stays on a high level.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5362\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5362\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5362 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_ghost.jpg\" alt=\"nikon nikkor manual focus ed 180mm ai ais ai-s tele lens fast sony a7r a7 a7ii a7s a7rii mark 2 flare resistance bright light work against ghost ghosts flaring ghosting\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_ghost.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_ghost-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_ghost-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5362\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED | f\/8.0 |<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h1>Coma<\/h1>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-5348 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Coma_Nikon180_2.8.jpg\" alt=\"nikon nikkor manual focus ed 180mm ai ais ai-s tele lens fast sony a7r a7 a7ii a7s a7rii mark 2 coma star stars astro astrophotography\" width=\"800\" height=\"2212\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Coma_Nikon180_2.8.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Coma_Nikon180_2.8-108x300.jpg 108w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Coma_Nikon180_2.8-768x2124.jpg 768w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Coma_Nikon180_2.8-463x1280.jpg 463w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This lens is also quite <strong>famous as being a great lens for astrophotography<\/strong>. I am no expert on astrophotography with guidance systems and deep sky but the <strong>performance<\/strong> here is actually quite<strong> impressive<\/strong>. Even wide open the deteoriation of points of light is kept to a minimum.<\/p>\n<h1>Distortion<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5342\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5342\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5342 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_distortion.jpg\" alt=\"nikon nikkor manual focus ed 180mm ai ais ai-s tele lens fast sony a7r a7 a7ii a7s a7rii mark 2 vignetting shading distortion\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_distortion.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_distortion-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_distortion-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5342\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Distorion characteristics of Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Distortion <\/strong>is acutally a<strong> non issue <\/strong>with this lens.<\/p>\n<h1>Bokeh<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5345\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5345\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5345 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_bokeh_flower.jpg\" alt=\"bokeh natur nature macro makro close up pk-13 extension tube nikon nikkor manual focus ed 180mm ai ais ai-s tele lens fast sony a7r a7 a7ii a7s a7rii mark 2 series bokeh\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_bokeh_flower.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_bokeh_flower-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_bokeh_flower-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5345\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED | f\/2.8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/140854680@N04\/30157511406\/sizes\/l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The general quality of the<strong> bokeh is very good<\/strong>, <strong>no onion rings, no outlining<\/strong>. But on stopping down the shape of highlights changes: at f2.8 they are perfectly round (except for the border regions, where mechanical vignetting occurs) but on <strong>stopping down to f4 and furhter<\/strong> they <strong>become 9-sided-figures<\/strong> (take a look at the example below) because of the 9 straight aperture blades.<br \/>\nFortunately sharpness and resolution are already very good wide open so I don&#8217;t stop down in case I want some nice bokeh in the background.<\/p>\n<p><div class=\"twentytwenty\" class=\"twentytwenty-container\" style=\"display: none; max-width: 100%; width: 800px; height: 534px\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_bokeh_close_2.8.jpg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_bokeh_close_5.6.jpg\"\/><\/div><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #666666;\">Bokeh, f2.8 (before) \/ f5.6 (after)<br \/>\n<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h1>Sunstars<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5346\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5346\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5346 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_sunstars.jpg\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_sunstars.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_sunstars-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_sunstars-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5346\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7s | Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED | f\/5.6 | 100% crop<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This lens will produce <strong>18-pointed sunstars <\/strong>on stopping down, which are actually quite<strong> well defined and very nice<\/strong>. I do still prefer the 10-pointed sunstars of the <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-voigtlander-ultron-28mm-2-0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">28mm 2.0 Ultron<\/a><\/strong> and the <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-voigtlander-nokton-50mm-1-5\/\">50mm 1.5 Nokton<\/a><\/strong>, but these are not bad either.<\/p>\n<h1>Chromatic aberrations<\/h1>\n<p><em>longitudinal<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5349\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5349\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5349 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_180mm_ais_ed_2.8_loca.jpg\" alt=\"nikon nikkor manual focus ed 180mm ai ais ai-s tele lens fast sony a7r a7 a7ii a7s a7rii mark 2 loca longitudinal ca chromatic abberations aberation\" width=\"800\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_180mm_ais_ed_2.8_loca.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_180mm_ais_ed_2.8_loca-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_180mm_ais_ed_2.8_loca-768x431.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5349\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7s | Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED | f\/2.8 | 50% crop minimum focus distance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In the shot above loCA are rarely noticeable, but I also did some <strong>stress test<\/strong> which clearly shows we are <strong>not<\/strong> dealing with <strong>an apochromatic lens<\/strong> here. To get a better perspective on this topic and to see how this lens compares to some rivals take a look at the <a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/180mm200mm-prime-comparison\/\">180\/200mm comparison<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5350\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5350\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5350 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_loca_stress_test.jpg\" alt=\"nikon nikkor manual focus ed 180mm ai ais ai-s tele lens fast sony a7r a7 a7ii a7s a7rii mark 2 loca longitudinal ca chromatic abberations aberation\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_loca_stress_test.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_loca_stress_test-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_loca_stress_test-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5350\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED | f\/2.8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/140854680@N04\/29896334600\/sizes\/l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>lateral<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Towards the borders and corners you can spot <strong>some<\/strong> <strong>lateral&nbsp;CAs <\/strong>which can be easily corrected in post, as can be seen in the example below (100% crop).<br \/>\n<div class=\"twentytwenty\" class=\"twentytwenty-container\" style=\"display: none; max-width: 100%; width: 799px; height: 533px\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_ca_uncorrected.jpg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_ca_corrected.jpg\"\/><\/div><br \/>\n<em><span style=\"color: #666666;\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED | f\/8.0 | CA 100% crop before\/after border<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h1>Alternatives<\/h1>\n<p>It might be worthwhile taking a look at our <em><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/180mm200mm-prime-comparison\/\">180\/200mm comparison <\/a><\/strong><\/em>first. A good alternative could be the:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-minolta-af-apo-tele-200mm-12-8\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>Minolta AF 200mm 2.8 APO<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/a><br \/>\nThe APO tag is not justified in my opinion (the loCA performance is quite similar to the Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED reviewed here) but sharpness across frame is astonishing even wide open and you can also get very fast (yet noisy) autofocus with an LA-EA 4 adapter. Prices on the used market are unfortunately quite high nowadays.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore <strong>telezoom lenses have become quite good<\/strong> over the last decades so most manufacturers don&#8217;t bother updating their 180\/200mm primes and instead offer zoom lenses like:<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>Sony SEL 70-200mm 4.0 OSS<\/strong><\/em><\/span><br \/>\nThis is your <strong>native option with AF and OSS<\/strong>. It is a stop slower but of course much more versatile and offers internal focusing and a dedicated tripod mount. It is a tad heavier and <strong>way more expensive<\/strong>. If you need reliable AF(-C) and won&#8217;t pay the premium for the newer f\/2.8 version this is your lens.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-canon-ef-70-200m-4-0l-usm\/\">Canon EF 70-200mm 4.0L USM<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/span><br \/>\nThis is a tough call for me. The Canon is a stop slower and &#8211; taking into account the adapter &#8211; a bit longer, but it features an<strong> IF design,<\/strong> usable <strong>AF with some of the adapters<\/strong> around and in the end I preferred handling with this lens.&nbsp; Minimum focus distance is better as well.<\/p>\n<p>With a <strong>high megapixel body<\/strong> such as the A7r or A7rII another possibilty is using a shorter lens and cropping:<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-canon-ef-135mm-2-0l\/\">Canon EF 135mm 2.0L USM<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/span><br \/>\nThis is what I am using right now instead of a 180\/200mm lens actually. It is <strong>optically and mechanically superb<\/strong>, offers <strong>wonderful bokeh<\/strong> and I wouldn&#8217;t hesitate cropping out a 24mp porition of the 42mp A7rII files to get the same field of view as I would using a 180mm lens in the first place. Furthermore I get all this in a package smaller and more portable than any of the 180mm lenses.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-samyang\/\">Samyang 135mm 2.0<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/span><br \/>\nExcept I don&#8217;t have one what I have written about the Canon 135mm 2.0L USM above applies here, too.<\/p>\n<h1>Conclusion<\/h1>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>good<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">bokeh<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">very good center sharpness already at f\/2.8<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">build quality<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">coma correction<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">distortion<br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">sunstars<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">flare resistance<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #339966;\">price (used)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td><strong>average<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>weight\/size<\/li>\n<li>correction of CA<\/li>\n<li>minimum focus distance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<td><strong>not good<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">handling (front heavy)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">soft corners at wider apertures<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">sharpness at minimum focus distance wide open<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Fast <strong>prime lenses in the 180-200mm range are not really popular anymore nowadays<\/strong>. This is understandable, as zooms in this range have become quite good (to say the least) and many people therefore prefer the added bonus of <strong>flexibility<\/strong> over a little less bulk (personally I hope some manufacturer of E-mount lenses will adapt DO\/PF technology to create smaller tele lenses, but this is a whole different story).<\/p>\n<p>The Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED is nevertheless a <strong>very nice instrument<\/strong>. <strong>For portraiture it is fully usable wide open<\/strong> (for landscapes stop down to f\/8.0 to f\/11)&nbsp; and the <strong>bokeh is very pleasant<\/strong> as well. CA correction is quite good and the<strong> build quality is on a high level<\/strong>, too.<br \/>\nStill, <strong>this lens is not for me<\/strong>. I personally think <strong>handheld shooting<\/strong> <strong>with manual lenses longer than 135mm<\/strong> with long focus throws becomes<strong> quite the challenge<\/strong>, even with IBIS. Furthermore<strong> 180mm is a bit in no man&#8217;s land for me<\/strong>: for portraiture I prefer lenses in the 50-135mm range, for animals on the other hand it is a little short and the minimum focus distance is not really pushing into macro territories either.<br \/>\nWe all have different needs and preferences, so your mileage may vary here of course .<\/p>\n<p><strong>So, who is this lens for?<\/strong> If you want the rendering of a <strong>180mm<\/strong> lens with a maximum aperture of <strong>f\/2.8<\/strong> and <strong>beautiful bokeh<\/strong> and you want to save some size and weight (and especially money) over the 70\/80-200mm 2.8 zooms this lens is definetly worth a look. If your intention is to<strong> mainly shoot sports<\/strong> <strong>I would rather explore<\/strong> the (adapted EF-mount) <strong>AF options<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><em>This Ai-s ED version usually starts selling for <\/em><em><strong>$350\/350\u20ac<\/strong> at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.com\/sch\/i.html?LH_CAds=&amp;_ex_kw=&amp;_fpos=&amp;_fspt=1&amp;_mPrRngCbx=1&amp;_nkw=nikon+180mm+2.8+ed+ais&amp;_sacat=&amp;_sadis=&amp;_sop=12&amp;_udhi=&amp;_udlo=&amp;_fosrp=1&amp;mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&amp;siteid=0&amp;mkcid=1&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=10001&amp;customid=&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">ebay.com<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebay.de\/sch\/i.html?_ex_kw=&amp;_mPrRngCbx=1&amp;_nkw=nikon+180mm+2.8+ed+ais&amp;_sacat=625&amp;_sop=12&amp;_udhi=&amp;_udlo=&amp;_fosrp=1&amp;mkrid=707-53477-19255-0&amp;siteid=77&amp;mkcid=1&amp;campid=5337820268&amp;toolid=10001&amp;customid=&amp;mkevt=1\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\">ebay.de<\/a> (advertisement\/affiliate links)<\/em><\/p>\n<h1>Sample Images<\/h1>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5355\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5355\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5355 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_octopus.jpg\" alt=\"nikon nikkor manual focus ed 180mm ai ais ai-s tele lens fast sony a7r a7 a7ii a7s a7rii mark 2 series wasen stuttgart bad cannstatt volksfest wiesen vasen\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_octopus.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_octopus-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_octopus-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5355\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED | f\/2.8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/140854680@N04\/30107571001\/sizes\/l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5360\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5360\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5360 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_reh.jpg\" alt=\"nikon nikkor manual focus ed 180mm ai ais ai-s tele lens fast sony a7r a7 a7ii a7s a7rii mark 2 series wasen stuttgart bad cannstatt volksfest wiesen vasen\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_reh.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_reh-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_reh-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5360\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7s | Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED | f\/2.8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/140854680@N04\/30107465521\/sizes\/l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5356\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5356\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5356 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_sign.jpg\" alt=\"nikon nikkor manual focus ed 180mm ai ais ai-s tele lens fast sony a7r a7 a7ii a7s a7rii mark 2 series wasen stuttgart bad cannstatt volksfest wiesen vasen\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_sign.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_sign-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_sign-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5356\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED | f\/2.8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/140854680@N04\/29563378203\/sizes\/l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5358\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5358\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5358 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_tree.jpg\" alt=\"nikon nikkor manual focus ed 180mm ai ais ai-s tele lens fast sony a7r a7 a7ii a7s a7rii mark 2 series wasen stuttgart bad cannstatt volksfest wiesen vasen\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_tree.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_tree-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_tree-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5358\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED | f\/2.8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/140854680@N04\/30077582372\/sizes\/l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5357\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5357\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5357 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_slide.jpg\" alt=\"nikon nikkor manual focus ed 180mm ai ais ai-s tele lens fast sony a7r a7 a7ii a7s a7rii mark 2 series wasen stuttgart bad cannstatt volksfest wiesen vasen\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_slide.jpg 800w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_slide-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/nikon_ais_180mm_2.8_ed_slide-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5357\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sony A7rII | Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED | f\/2.8 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/140854680@N04\/29563155024\/sizes\/l\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full resolution<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h1>Further Reading<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wideangle-lenses-for-the-sony-alpha-7-series\/\">User guide to wide angle lenses for the Sony a7 series<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/canon-fd-300mm-4-l-review\/\">Canon 300mm 4.0L review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/tripods-mirrorless-cameras\/\">Tripods for mirrorless cameras<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>Support Us<\/h1>\n<p>Did you find this article useful or just liked reading it? Treat us to a coffee!<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=3K9EJRRQVXT4J\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-40345 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/donate2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"103\" height=\"29\"><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/en_SE\/i\/scr\/pixel.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\"> <span style=\"color: #999999;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/en_SE\/i\/scr\/pixel.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\"><em>via Paypal<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>This site contains advertisement\/affiliate links. If you make a purchase using any of the links marked as advertisement\/affiliate links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support the creation of future content.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction The Nikon AI-s 180mm 2.8 ED is one of the most famous manual focus Nikkors and reknown for it&#8217;s beautiful bokeh, great CA correction and build quality. It was also one of the first &#8220;consumer&#8221; lenses featuring ED glass. I paired it with the A7rII and A7s to find out if it is still &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-ai-s-180mm-2-8-ed\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Review: Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4708,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,51,18,419],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lenses","category-nikon","category-review","category-vintage"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Review: Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED - phillipreeve.net<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED is a legend among manual Nikkor lenses, but is it still up to today&#039;s standards on Sony&#039;s A7 cameras...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-nikon-ai-s-180mm-2-8-ed\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Review: Nikon Ai-s 180mm 2.8 ED - 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