Camera Labs

Hi Gordon,

Happy New Year! I would like to ask for your expert advice as I am planning to get a "USED NIKON 35-70mm f/2.8D to compliment my current set up: Nikon D7000; Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8 AF-ED and Nikkor 35mm 1.8g.

Would the 35-70 be wise to get? I feel a little handicapped in certain situations using the prime 35mm zooming wise.

Please advice. Much obliged.

Kind regards,

Jason

Depends what you shoot. Myself, I wouldn't feel limited by the gap between 35 and 80, particularly as the 35/1.8 is so good. And it is 1 1/3 stops brighter.

The setup still doesn't give you a wide angle view. You may not want one, and stitching is always possible.

Of course, the 35-70 has a good, bright aperture over a zooming range.

For my style of shooting, I like being able to go to 16 easily, but if you're happy with 35 and the lens is reasonably priced, it may be just what you need.

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HCC
Nikon DSLRs, film cameras from Leica to Linhof

Found this comment from nature photog Bjørn Rørslett:
"This bulky and impressively sharp 'normal' lens was released in the late 80's to attract the attention of photojournalists. It is a nice handling lens on an F4 or F5, although the rotating front end is a little annoying when a polariser is used. Barrel distortion and corner fall-off are kept at negligible levels. At f/5.6 to f/11 it delivers excellent images at all focal settings. It flares visibly under adverse light conditions but ghosting, although plainly visible, rarely is detrimental to image quality. There is a 'macro' setting for people wanting to get a little closer with a concomitant loss of sharpness, particularly in the corners. Reversing this lens to get high magnification yields mediocre quality so is not recommended."
But I'd go for something that is wider, like a AF 24-85mm 2.8-4.0D or even a AF-S VR DX 18-55mm 3.5-5.6G kit lens. It's much more versatile.

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Thomas (beware: Nikon-fanboy and moderator!) My Lens Reviews, My Pictures, My Photography Blog
D800+assorted lenses