Question about Nikkor AI-S 35-105mm

[unkn0wn]

Sorry if this is a stupid question. Is it possible to use Nikon Zoom-Nikkor AI-S 35-105mm F/3.5-4.5 lens in low light? I'm using Nikon D3200 camera with this lens and It's not possible to take photos in night time/low light. I can't see anything through Live viewfinder. It's all pretty dark. Do I have to change any settings? 

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Lots of stuff you could do. A camera & lens can capture an image even when subject to extremely low light levels. Exposure times will be long, thus use a remote release. The ML-L3 can be used and it is often necessary to set the camera to 'B' or 'T' exposure mode (these are as far as I recall, available through the menus with the ML-L3 attached).

Ensure the lens is set more or less wide open. Put the camera on a tripod. Use the viewfinder for a preliminary focus assessment. If necessary, fine-tune with Live View. Use the remote to initiate a long-time exposure. You might have to set the camera to long-exposure noise reduction as well.

[Matthew Currie]

The Nikon D3200, among others, uses the existing aperture setting for Live View.  It will, in other words, start with whatever your aperture setting is when you shift to LV, even though you can adjust it once you're in.  The adjustments will not show in Live View, which uses its own exposure meter for viewing only, and begins at the aperture if first sees. 

So always make sure the aperture ring is set to 3.5 before you switch into Live View, and you will have a visible display. 

I presume you know that this lens does not meter at all on the D3200, so once in LV you must be in manual mode, using the aperture ring for aperture, the camera wheel for shutter speed, and guessing the exposure, which you can check afterwards with the histogram.

I see Bjorn beat me to this.  I will mention, though, that the D3200 does not offer a "T" setting.  Instead, the ML-L3 remote makes the "B" setting operate as "T."  With the remote, the first push of the button opens the shutter, and the second closes it, and on the D3200 this is the only way to achieve a true time exposure.  The remote is very inexpensive and very handy anyway.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

With a CPU implanted, this lens will behave like any modern Nikkor and  meters also on the humble D3200.

You still need to ensure the lens is set to its wide open aperture before engaging LiveView.

[richardHaw]

it's a surprisingly good lens. 

[Bjørn Rørslett]

A good sample might be good, however, such might be surprisingly hard to locate. None of the 5-6 samples I have tested reached anywhere near acceptable quality.

[Matthew Currie]

I have one, and mine has always seemed optically pretty good - it was a nice walking around lens for 35 mm film.  Apparently I lucked out in the sample variation lottery.  It's decently sharp, but for numerous reasons it's not what I use for digital very often except to try out when threads like this come up. 

It's varifocal in the extreme, which means you must refocus when you zoom, and because it is a push-pull zoom that is often loose, it is annoyingly useless for tripod work when not level. For tripod macros, I always had to carry a piece of tape to hold it in place.  It is not IF, so its turning front element makes polarizer use very clumsy.  It is not close focusing without engaging the macro mode, which works completely only at short focal lengths.  And though faster than the kit lens at 35 mm., it's not exactly a fast lens.   

If you have one, you might as well use it.  But I would seek any number of other alternatives if looking for a lens in that range.

I threw mine on and went spider chasing.    This was using the closeup setting, hand held, ISO 200, I think, and a nominal aperture of something around 5.6.  Straight from the camera, downsized to smaller JPG with no added sharpening.  Neither really macro nor really great, but not terrible, I think.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Interestingly, the few units of the AFD 35-105/3.5-4.5 Nikkor used by me have shown less variability. I regularly use one for IR in which area it is doing excellent service.

[David H. Hartman]

As I understand the AF-D 35-105/3.5-4.5 and only the AF-D has a single aspheric element. The lens small and seem quite well built for an AF lens of the era. It focuses to 0.85m which is good for 105mm and not so good for 35mm lens. It's a nice walk around lens for daylight. I use an HN-3 lens hood and no filter unless I have a specific need. I think I paid $84.00 (USD) for mine.

Dave

[Matthew Currie]

The HN3 is right for the AIS as well, but I stole it from mine because it's also just right for the 18-55 kit lens on DX.