One thing I'll never regret...
Written: Sep 15 '02
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Outstanding optics, razor sharp photos
Cons: Weight
The Bottom Line: I recommend this lens without reservation. You get what you pay for with this one...very expensive but results justify the price.
|
|
|
| fishendan's Full Review: Nikon AF Nikkor 35-70mm f/2.8D Lens |
I recently moved up to a Nikon F100 and bought the Nikon AF 35-70mm f/2.8D Zoom as my primary lens. Ordinarily I would stay away from zoom lenses, but after extensive research I decided that this one would be worth trying.
The first thing you notice when unpacking this lens is the superior construction quality. This lens is made in Japan and is built to professional standards. It is completely unlike the 'consumer series' lenses that Nikon builds in China, Argentina, and other countries (other than Japan). The lens is heavier than I expected, but then again so is the F100 body. However, these are constructed of superior materials and with much higher craftsmanship than typical cameras and lenses. You won't find this one at WalMart or Taget, but only at pro dealers. I got mine at Ritz Camera Online (cameraworld.com) and was very happy with their customer service (not the cheapest, but you get US warranties and they don't play stupid games with the prices like most of the so-called 'discount' mail order companies).
I shot my first couple roles of film through the camera with this lens, and unfortunately the results were quite disappointing. I had just moved up from a manual focus Olympus OM-2s (which I bought in 1985) to the Nikon F100, and I wasn't experienced with using this type of high-end camera.
After going back to the drawing board and reviewing the instructions, I didn't have any more time for testing before I had to leave to go on vacation. I hesitated to bring the valuable camera system with me, especially since I didn't feel that I knew how to use it to full advantage. In the end though, I took it with me on vacation to Alaska.
I was hoping to get a few good pictures of the fish I caught and some landscape scenes. What I got back exceeded my expecations beyond anything I could have hoped for. Nearly 6 out of every 10 pictures I got back were nothing less than outstanding (this is an incredible ratio; usually I'm happy if I get two-four *really* good pictures per roll). The sharpness and detail was beyond anything I had every seen, much less produced on my own. The color quality was remarkable. I started laughing as I thumbed through the prints because I was so amazed at the picture quality.
I have been to Alaska several times and have taken many pictures up there. The pictures I got back with this camera and lens made the one from previous trips look like something taken with a throwaway point-and-shoot, and one which had the lens covered with plastic wrap, no less!
I cannot overemphasize the incredible detail. In many pictures you can clearly read the letters on a patch on my baseball hat (very small patch), and you can easily discern the tiny "Orvis" logo on my fishing vest. I used various aperature settings because I usually like to blur the background by using very shallow DOF. The subjects are always crystal clear.
It's worth noting that I use a Heliopan UV filter, and also a Heliopan circular polarizer in bright sun and around water. The polarizer makes a remarkable difference even though it "slows" the lens by two stops. Around water or in heavy glare situations (especially when taking pictures that include sunlit vegetation), use the polarizer. These are expensive filters but worth every penny when you see the results. If you get this lens, there's no point to "cheap out" just before you cross the finish line.
Nikon makes cheaper consumer-series lenses, but this one is definitely one of the best pro-series lenses.
Good luck.
Dan
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
fishendan
|
|
Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.