Nikon af nikkor 35 70mm – Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm, a lens that embodies versatility, has earned its place in the hearts of photographers seeking a reliable companion for a wide range of shooting scenarios. Its moderate zoom range, spanning from wide-angle to portrait perspectives, makes it an ideal choice for capturing everyday moments, landscapes, and even portraits.
This lens, a product of Nikon’s renowned optical engineering, has a rich history, having been introduced in the late 1980s and continuing to be a popular choice for photographers seeking a blend of affordability and quality.
The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens, with its versatile zoom range, has found its niche in a variety of photographic genres. Its compact size and lightweight design make it an attractive option for travel and street photography, while its ability to capture sharp images with pleasing bokeh makes it suitable for portraits and everyday shots.
However, its aperture range, with a maximum of f/3.5, might limit its low-light performance compared to more modern lenses with wider apertures.
Overview of the Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm Lens
The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm f/3.3-4.5 lens, introduced in 1986, was a versatile standard zoom lens designed for use with Nikon’s popular film SLR cameras. It offered a practical focal length range, making it suitable for a variety of photographic applications.
The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens, a versatile companion for photographers, captures a wide range of scenes with its adaptable focal length. But just as a photographer might use a teleconverter to extend the reach of their lens, a musician might employ techniques like looping or layering to extend the duration of a musical track.
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This lens was known for its compact size and lightweight design, making it a popular choice for photographers who desired portability without sacrificing image quality.
Technical Specifications
The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens boasted a maximum aperture of f/3.3 at the wide end and f/4.5 at the telephoto end. It featured a 7-element design in 6 groups, with a minimum focusing distance of 1.5 feet (0.45 meters).
The lens was equipped with an autofocus system that allowed for quick and accurate focusing.
Intended Use Cases
This lens was designed for general-purpose photography, including landscapes, portraits, and everyday snapshots. Its versatility made it suitable for a wide range of subjects and shooting conditions.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- Compact and lightweight design:The lens’s compact size and lightweight design made it easy to carry and use, making it ideal for travel photography.
- Versatile focal length range:The 35-70mm focal length range provided a good balance between wide-angle and telephoto perspectives, allowing for a variety of shooting styles.
- Sharp image quality:The lens produced sharp and detailed images, especially in the center of the frame.
- Affordable price:The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens was a relatively affordable option compared to other lenses in its class.
Weaknesses
- Variable aperture:The variable aperture, which changes with the focal length, can make it challenging to control depth of field in certain situations.
- Softness at the edges:While the lens produced sharp images in the center of the frame, it exhibited some softness at the edges, particularly at wider apertures.
- Limited light gathering ability:The maximum aperture of f/3.3-4.5 was relatively slow, limiting the lens’s ability to shoot in low-light conditions.
Historical Significance
The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens played a significant role in the development of Nikon’s lens lineup. It was one of the first autofocus lenses to be released by Nikon, and its success helped to pave the way for the company’s future autofocus lens offerings.
This lens represented a significant shift in the industry, as it allowed photographers to capture sharp and detailed images without having to manually focus.
Technical Specifications and Features
The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens, a versatile workhorse in the world of photography, boasts a range of technical specifications and features that contribute to its overall performance and appeal. This section delves into the technical aspects of the lens, providing a comprehensive overview of its design, capabilities, and functionalities.
Lens Construction
The lens construction plays a crucial role in determining the optical quality and overall performance of a lens. The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens comprises 11 elements in 8 groups, including a special aspherical element. This intricate design allows for the reduction of aberrations, such as distortion and coma, enhancing the sharpness and clarity of images produced.
Minimum Focusing Distance
The minimum focusing distance of a lens dictates how close the lens can focus on a subject. The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens has a minimum focusing distance of 1.5 feet (0.45 meters), allowing for close-up shots and creative perspectives.
This relatively short minimum focusing distance provides photographers with the flexibility to capture details and textures with greater emphasis.
Filter Size, Nikon af nikkor 35 70mm
The filter size of a lens determines the size of filters that can be attached to the front of the lens. The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens has a filter size of 52mm, making it compatible with a wide range of filters, including UV, polarizing, and neutral density filters.
This compatibility allows photographers to enhance their images by manipulating light and color, or by reducing glare and reflections.
Weight
The weight of a lens is an important consideration for photographers, especially those who frequently travel or shoot for extended periods. The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens weighs approximately 14.1 ounces (400 grams), making it relatively lightweight and portable. This lightweight design makes it comfortable to carry and use for various shooting scenarios.
Autofocus System
The autofocus system is a critical component of a lens, enabling fast and accurate focusing on subjects. The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens utilizes a silent wave motor (SWM) autofocus system, known for its speed and precision. The SWM system provides quick and quiet focusing, making it suitable for both still and video photography.
The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens, a versatile workhorse for photographers, often captures moments with remarkable clarity. Its autofocus system, a marvel of engineering, relies on precise mechanical movements to adjust the lens elements. However, like any intricate mechanism, it can occasionally encounter glitches, such as a hand tool becoming stuck in the lens barrel.
Fortunately, resources like hand tool stuck photyoshop offer troubleshooting advice and repair tips for photographers facing such challenges. Understanding the mechanics behind the lens’s operation can help users better diagnose and address any issues, ensuring continued performance of their Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm.
The autofocus system is known for its accuracy and ability to track moving subjects effectively.
Optical Design
The optical design of a lens significantly influences its image quality and performance. The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens incorporates a multi-coated lens system that minimizes reflections and enhances light transmission. This multi-coating technology contributes to the lens’s ability to produce images with high contrast and reduced flare.
The aspherical element in the lens design further helps to minimize aberrations, resulting in sharper and more detailed images.
Image Quality and Performance
The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens, while considered a budget-friendly option, delivers surprisingly good image quality, particularly for its price range. Its performance varies across different focal lengths and apertures, showcasing both strengths and limitations.
The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm f/3.3-4.5 lens, a staple of the 1980s and 90s, offers a versatile focal range for everyday photography. While it might not be the sharpest lens in the world, its compact size and affordability make it a popular choice for those seeking a lightweight and versatile option.
If you’re looking for a more modern lens with sharper optics and faster aperture, exploring the best Canon EF mount lenses might be a worthwhile endeavor. However, for casual photography and those seeking a nostalgic experience, the Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm remains a reliable and affordable choice.
Sharpness and Contrast
The lens generally exhibits decent sharpness, particularly in the center of the frame, especially at wider apertures. However, sharpness may slightly decrease towards the edges, especially at longer focal lengths. This is a common characteristic of budget lenses, and the level of sharpness is still acceptable for many photographic applications.
The lens also produces good contrast, resulting in images with well-defined details and a pleasing depth. This is further enhanced by the lens’s ability to minimize flare and ghosting, even in challenging lighting conditions.
Color Rendition
The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens exhibits a natural and pleasing color rendition, with accurate skin tones and vibrant hues. It may not be as accurate as some higher-end lenses, but the overall color balance is generally satisfactory.
Comparison with Other Lenses
When compared to other lenses in the same class, the Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens performs reasonably well. While it may not match the sharpness or optical quality of more expensive lenses, it offers a compelling value proposition for photographers on a budget.
For instance, the Canon EF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, a direct competitor, offers comparable image quality at a similar price point. However, the Nikon lens has a slightly wider aperture range, making it more versatile in low-light situations.
Examples of Images Captured with the Lens
- Images captured at the wider end of the focal range (35mm) often showcase excellent sharpness and detail, particularly in the center of the frame. This is evident in landscapes, architecture, and street photography, where the lens can capture a wide field of view.
- At longer focal lengths (around 70mm), the lens may exhibit slightly reduced sharpness towards the edges, especially when shooting at wider apertures. This can be observed in portraits, where the background may appear slightly softer than the subject.
- Despite the slight softness at the edges, the lens still produces images with good overall detail and a pleasing aesthetic. This is especially noticeable in close-up shots, where the lens can capture intricate details with good sharpness.
Usability and Ergonomics
The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens is a classic example of a well-designed and user-friendly lens. Its size, weight, and build quality contribute to a comfortable and enjoyable shooting experience. This lens is known for its ease of use, making it an excellent choice for photographers of all skill levels.
Size, Weight, and Build Quality
The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens is relatively compact and lightweight, measuring approximately 76mm in length and weighing around 350 grams. This makes it easy to carry around and use for extended periods. The lens is constructed with a robust metal and plastic build, providing durability and a professional feel.
The lens barrel features a textured grip, enhancing its grip and stability during use. The lens is weather-sealed, offering protection against dust and moisture, ensuring its longevity and reliability in various shooting conditions.
Handling and Ease of Use
The lens’s handling is smooth and intuitive. The focus ring is wide and textured, providing a secure grip and precise focusing control. The aperture ring is located on the lens barrel, allowing for quick and easy aperture adjustments. The zoom ring is smooth and responsive, enabling effortless transitions between focal lengths.
The lens features a manual focus override, allowing photographers to fine-tune their focus when necessary. The lens’s lightweight and well-balanced design makes it comfortable to use on a variety of camera bodies.
Experience on Different Camera Bodies
The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens is compatible with a wide range of Nikon film and digital SLR cameras. Its versatility makes it an ideal choice for various photographic applications, including landscape, portrait, street, and travel photography. The lens performs exceptionally well on both full-frame and APS-C sensor cameras, offering excellent image quality and performance.
The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm, a versatile lens often found on the Nikon F-mount cameras of the 1980s and 1990s, is a classic example of the evolution of zoom lens technology. It offered a convenient range for everyday photography, capturing a variety of subjects from portraits to landscapes.
While its performance was commendable for its time, the introduction of lenses like the Minolta Freedom Zoom 90ex showcased advancements in autofocus speed and image quality, ultimately influencing the development of future Nikon lenses, like the AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D.
The lens’s compact size and lightweight design make it particularly suitable for use with smaller camera bodies, ensuring a balanced and comfortable shooting experience.
Comparisons and Alternatives: Nikon Af Nikkor 35 70mm
The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens, while a versatile and affordable option, sits in a crowded field of lenses offering similar focal lengths. Understanding its strengths and weaknesses compared to its competitors helps make an informed decision.
Comparison with Other Lenses
This section examines the Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens against popular alternatives, highlighting their key differences in image quality, features, and price.
Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
This lens is a popular choice for its wide zoom range and image stabilization.
- Image Quality:The AF-S DX Nikkor 18-140mm offers sharper images across the zoom range, especially at the longer end, due to its superior optical design. However, it exhibits more noticeable chromatic aberration and distortion compared to the 35-70mm.
- Features:It features a wider zoom range, covering a broader spectrum of subjects, and incorporates image stabilization (VR), beneficial for shooting handheld in low light or with slower shutter speeds.
- Price:It is typically priced higher than the 35-70mm, reflecting its advanced features and wider zoom range.
Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
Another popular choice for its versatile zoom range and image stabilization.
- Image Quality:The AF-S DX Nikkor 16-85mm offers similar image quality to the 18-140mm, with sharper images and less distortion, especially at the longer end. It also boasts better color rendition.
- Features:It offers a slightly wider zoom range than the 35-70mm, covering a wider spectrum of subjects, and incorporates image stabilization (VR) for improved stability in low light or with slower shutter speeds.
- Price:It is generally priced higher than the 35-70mm, reflecting its advanced features and wider zoom range.
Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM Contemporary
A popular third-party lens offering a wide zoom range and fast aperture.
- Image Quality:The Sigma 17-70mm boasts sharper images, particularly at the wider end, and offers better contrast and color rendition than the 35-70mm. It also exhibits less distortion and chromatic aberration.
- Features:It features a wider zoom range, covering a broader spectrum of subjects, and a faster maximum aperture, enabling shallow depth of field and better low-light performance. It also includes optical stabilization (OS) and a Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) for faster and quieter autofocus.
- Price:It is typically priced higher than the 35-70mm, reflecting its advanced features and better image quality.
Alternatives for Specific Needs
Depending on your budget and photographic requirements, other lenses might be better suited.
Budget-Friendly Options
For photographers on a tight budget, the Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens offers a decent balance of image quality and features. However, if cost is a major concern, the Nikon AF-P DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens might be a better option.
It offers a slightly wider zoom range, image stabilization, and a lower price point.
Advanced Options
For professional photographers or enthusiasts seeking top-tier image quality and features, lenses like the Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR or the Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III VC are excellent choices. They offer impressive zoom ranges, image stabilization, and superior image quality, albeit at a higher price point.
Macro Photography
For photographers interested in macro photography, the Nikon AF-S DX Micro Nikkor 40mm f/2.8G lens is a popular choice. It offers a dedicated macro lens design, enabling close-up photography with exceptional detail and sharpness.
Fixed Focal Length Lenses
For photographers who prioritize image quality and sharpness, fixed focal length lenses are a superior option. For example, the Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G lens offers excellent image quality and a fast aperture, enabling shallow depth of field and better low-light performance.
Applications and Use Cases
The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens is a versatile tool that can be used for a variety of photographic applications. Its moderate zoom range and compact size make it an excellent choice for everyday photography, while its performance in various lighting conditions allows for creative exploration.
Portrait Photography
This lens is a good choice for portrait photography. The 35mm end of the zoom range provides a wide-angle perspective that can be used to capture environmental portraits, while the 70mm end provides a more traditional portrait focal length that flatters the subject.
The lens’s ability to produce a pleasing bokeh (background blur) can help to isolate the subject from the background.
The 35-70mm focal length range is considered a good choice for portraits, offering a balance between a wider perspective and a more traditional portrait look.
Landscape Photography
The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens can also be used for landscape photography. The 35mm end of the zoom range is ideal for capturing wide-angle landscapes, while the 70mm end can be used to isolate specific elements within the scene.
The lens’s sharpness and contrast can help to produce stunning landscape images.
The 35mm end of the lens allows for capturing sweeping vistas, while the 70mm end enables focusing on specific elements within the landscape.
Street Photography
This lens is also well-suited for street photography. Its compact size and moderate zoom range make it easy to carry and use discreetly. The lens’s fast aperture allows for capturing images in low-light conditions, and its ability to focus quickly makes it possible to capture candid moments.
The lens’s size and speed make it ideal for capturing spontaneous moments in street photography.
Travel Photography
The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens is a great choice for travel photography. Its versatile focal length range allows for capturing a variety of subjects, from wide-angle landscapes to close-up portraits. The lens’s compact size and lightweight design make it easy to pack and carry.
The lens’s versatility and portability make it a great companion for travel photography.
Limitations and Workarounds
While the Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens is a versatile tool, it does have some limitations. For example, its maximum aperture of f/3.5-4.5 is not as fast as some other lenses, which can limit its ability to capture images in low-light conditions.
The lens’s autofocus performance can also be slow in some situations.
To compensate for the lens’s slower aperture, photographers can use a higher ISO setting or a tripod. For situations requiring faster autofocus, using the lens’s center focusing point can be helpful.
Final Summary
The Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm lens, despite its age, remains a compelling choice for photographers seeking a versatile and affordable lens. Its image quality, especially in the center of the frame, is commendable, and its compact size makes it an ideal travel companion.
While its performance in low-light situations may be limited, its strengths in other areas make it a worthwhile option for photographers of various skill levels and shooting styles.