Lens "porn" with the Df: 35-70 mm f/3.5 Zoom-Nikkor AIS #62 mm

[Bjørn Rørslett]

[ Posted 20 January 2014 - 22:04 Edited and reposted by agreement ]

Next in the long lens queue is the successor to the 35-70 mm f/3.5 Zoom-Nikkor. In 1981, a new lens with the same specification appeared, this time with a longer and slimmer lens barrel using 62 mm filter threads. It also introduced the so-called ""macro"" feature in which you could push a button and force the lens into focusing closer (double quotes because the lens only will go to 1:4 which isn't even remotely 'macro').

Here is the lens, with the lens hood I deem suitable for it, in this case a Canon W-62 slide-on lockable hood. Nikon wants me to use their HN-22 instead but I decline because it is way too short and wide to offer any shading at all.



An example of the stuff the 35-70 mm f/3.5 (62 mm thread) AIS delivers with ease.






The ""macro"" feature needs to be tested as well ... I hadn't really any expectations of decent image quality, though.

To get the lens into ""macro"" overdrive, the zoom has to be set to 70 mm, and a locking button pushed down to its 'go' position. In normal mode the lens focuses to 0.7 m while it does 0.35 m in the ""macro"" setting. This enhanced near limit translates into approx. 1:4 reproduction ratio.

Here I'm around 1:7 to show the hips of the Japanese Rose (Rosa rugosa) at winter. This Rose is black-listed as an invasive obnoxious shrub, but on the flip side provides lots of nectar for the pollinators in summers, and the hips are eagerly eaten by birds in winter. So not every aspect of this unwanted species  is  sinister and black.



Moving in to the enhanced near limit (1:4), the centre of the frame is rendered pretty crisp although the corners start to pale. Still, much better than I had expected. Perhaps the ""macro"" setting wasn't entirely an idea originated in the Marketing Department of the Mothership after all?

 

[Bjørn Rørslett]

James T Posted 21 January 2014 - 04:47

Bjørn - Which 35-70 delivers your favorite rendering on the Df?  The shots with the older unit are sublime, but certainly of a different subject matter.

Just got my 72mm filter size lens this evening, easily rated at EX+ level so a very nice copy.  The zoom ring feels nicely damped, but the focus ring is big and sloppy in comparison.  Much better than some of the more pedestrian manual focus zooms I've tried like the 43-86, but definitely not damped.  Is this a condition of all of these?

James: the description of your 35-70 (72) fits my own lens, and that of a friend,  101% so I assume this is a characteristic of this lens. Nikon developed it as a PJ lens and I think the underlying idea was you should just flick the focusing ring to rapidly catch the action. The ring is nearly devoid of inertia. A fascinating idea, but you do have to exercise your focusing skills and in particular, how to efficiently brake the ring when the lens snaps into focus I'd say today this just adds to the charisma of this old-timer.

I observe these two 35-70 lenses each have their unique 'personality' (for a lack of a better phrase), so comparing them is really tantamount to say who you prefer of two old friends. If you own both, and are familiar with them, you also should know which one fits a given assignment. They only share the focal range and maximum aperture.

[John Geerts]

I observe these two 35-70 lenses each have their unique 'personality' (for a lack of a better phrase), so comparing them is really tantamount to say who you prefer of two old friends. If you own both, and are familiar with them, you also should know which one fits a given assignment. They only share the focal range and maximum aperture.

Yes, very true.  The Ai excels in sharp detailed scenes, architecture, sweet colours and landscape, where the Ai-S is pretty good at Macro-level in the dedicated 70mm zone with very good colour precision.

Bokeh can be circular



Or like here:



But also suitable for 'Portrait'- style shots.