This made-in-Japan lens was introduced in 1981 for SLR film cameras, such as the Nikon F3 and Nikon EM, and discontinued in 1986. Its most prominent feature is its constant aperture as it is zoomed. What's the most unappealing thing with this lens? It would have to be the 2× zoom which is very limited by today's standards, plus it is not very compact for a 2× normal zoom lens.
The size of this lens is constant as it is zoomed. Also, it is a parfocal design because it does not change focus as it is zoomed. This is convenient when manually focusing because it can be critically focused at f=70mm and then zoomed to f=35mm without losing focus.
This lens performs quite well at "macro" distances. The 35-105mm Ai-S also performed well at macro distances.
sunflower, macro to 0.26× magnification (detail)sunflower stem, macro to 0.26× magnification (detail)coins, macro to 0.26× magnification (detail)
This lens has some color fringing particularly in the corners but is still a usable lens. The performance is fairly consistent throughout the zoom. It is a hair soft on the short and long ends, mostly the long end.
Color fringing detail at 3-to-1:
almost no color fringing in the center at f=35mm/8almost no color fringing in the center at f=50mm/8very little color fringing in the center at f=70mm/8the corners at f=35mm/8the corners at f=50mm/8the corners at f=70mm/8
Again, this lens is softest at the long end, f=70mm. It is sharpest in the middle, f=50mm.
It is great for infrared photography at all focal lengths and stopped all the way down — very clear images without any hotspot.
infrared at f=35mm/22infrared at f=50mm/22infrared at f=70mm/22
It hardly flares at all, and it is a real improvement over the earlier Ai version of this lens.
flaring at f=35mm/22flaring at f=70mm/22
Bokeh is neutral to busy. Could not find much LoCA.
bokeh at f=35mm/4bokeh at f=50mm/4bokeh at f=70mm/4notice the shape of the specular highlights at 70mm/5.6
Diffraction has begun by f/11. Shoot at f/8 or even f/5.6 especially on a high-resolution Nikon DSLR.
Field of view is not totally flat like it usually is on most proper macro lenses, and some strong longitudinal chromatic aberration (LoCA) shows up when using a 2× teleconverter like the TC-300, which is not surprising as teleconverters reveal flaws in lenses.
Some Notes
This is an Ai-S lens meaning it will work in program and shutter priority mode on
some older model (film) cameras, such as the Nikon FA or Nikon F4. It takes 62mm
filters and the front element does indeed turn as it is focused making use of a
polarizer difficult. It has a macro function at f=70mm, but the focal length
shortens when focused to its minimum focusing distance of 0.35m. A reproduction
ratio of 1:3.9 can be achieved. There is an infrared focus index for 35mm and 70mm
focal lengths. The focus collar has a 200°55' throw which is long for an Ai-S
lenses as most Ai-S lenses have a very short focus collar throw. This was a
professional-caliber zoom lens in its day.
This is an older but nice lens even today. Its sharpness and contrast do not compare to a modern lens but its build quality is top notch.
Focal length: 35-70mm
Maximum aperture: f/3.5
Minimum aperture: f/22
Two-touch zoom
ø62mm filter ring
Lens construction: 10 elements in 9 groups
Picture angle: 62° - 34°20'
Distance scale: 1.4m/4.6ft to infinity with infrared focus index
Macro mode at f=70mm: 0.35m/1.2ft. - 1:3.9 (0.26×) reproduction ratio
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