Nikon 35-70mm f2.8 AF-D Nikkor Lens Review on a Nikon Z6 

That is the perfect description if this lens. I love the old girl and have taken MANY photos with one of these. Thank you for the feedback too, I really appreciate it. 👍📸

i also got the lens for like yesterday for 15 ueros the same in dollars nearly does have a scracht front glass any way on knowing how to fx it

If the scratch is on the front, don’t worry is is probably fine. Try it and see how the image looks.

I loved this lens on me D810, but once I got the Z6 and the 24-70mm f4, I stopped using it entirely so I sold it before it went bad sitting in the cabinet, it is a wonderful lens and I miss it from time to time...

Yes sir, it is an awesome piece of gear from yesteryear. Works wonderfully well on those machines if I had to guess. 👍📸

Still is.

This is so true. I understand why Nikon didn’t make the screw drive glass adapted to the Z camera…But I wished they had. There’s something special about these lenses that OSS hard to quantify. They are just special somehow… your right. That glass is magical.

Well done! Those are awesome lenses!!👍📸

Just remember it wont autofocus on the Z cameras as of now. They still have not made an adapter that will drive AF lenses yet… much to my displeasure.

That is awesome!!! What a smoking deal on an amazing lens!!! Well done! It its really a great lens on the Z6, as long as you don’t need autofocus. A lot of people seem to think that if your camera Dorset autofocus, then it isn’t any good for some reason...

Both of those are awesome lenses. Nikon has used a great many versions of focus systems over the years. I understand why they didnt make a Z mount adapter to fit the screw drive glass even though, I wanted it. It is 3 generations old now. The newest is the z system and the next is the E system then the G system and then the AF (screwdrive) system. They supported all the electric adjustment versions but the had to draw the line somewhere and I am guessing practicality dictated not to develop a screwdrive adapter. It would be expensive to make and people would cry foul if the tried to sell them saying it should be included with the camera. You know how people are? 😜 They said the same thing with the other one. So I keep my D810 for my screw drive glass and I am happy. You will be too with the D500, it is an amazing machine. 👍📸

Great minds think alike! Ill link it when it comes out. I have always liked this lens, on the D810 it worked very well. It would occasionally miss focus, but not often.

That is s good point, weight only matters if you let it... a lot of people are suited to the lightweight stuff that is current today, but it is not necessarily better. Your setup is a perfect example of a great all around system. 👍📸

Thank you for this information. This is a great point and people need to know it. I appreciate you letting us know. 👍📸

Thanks! That is great information, I really appreciate you sharing it with us!!! 👍📸 Ít is interesting that it seems to happen to a certain element in these lenses and not some random spot here and there.

I was just about to mention this before I saw the comment. I have this lens as well and haze developed in one of the center elements. It hurt my heart too because the lens was crazy sharp!

@@davidsaylors You're very Welcome! Keep the great reviews coming!!

Thank you!!!!👍📸

Glad it was useful. 👍📸

At this point, be picky as these lenses seem to go bad with age as there is a cemented element that develops haze over time. I have heard this more than once too. Be choosy…. 👍📸

I have slowly started to do that very same thing. I am learning what focal lengths i like the most and mine are 24mm, 85mm and 200mm. Those are pretty much what I use all the time for some reason. Strange how we do that, but it does build cohesion to our work. 👍📸

😆📸😂 Im a pro, look at all my cameras! 📸📸 😂🤷🏻‍♂️ I know what you mean. People see more than a point and shoot and they automatically think you are a pro... That is a funny story, thanks for sharing it.

David Saylors I used to often wear my camera vest while out photographing on my travels around the country. That along with two cameras tended to make it look like I knew what I was doing 😂 I still have the vest and it still looks almost new. I remember buying it from a specialty camera shop in the city. About $250, pretty pricey but it was made in France. Those were the days when things weren’t all made in Asia or Bangladesh. I didn’t wear it to show off it was just really useful with lots of pockets. In the film days you used to benefit from having the pockets for film and filters and little gadgets, but these days not so much needed. I did put together a really good belt system about 18 months ago. It uses I think it’s a Thinktank belt and Lowepro pouches. Cost about $350 in total and it’s really good but to be honest I haven’t worn it in public because it seems a bit pretentious. I put it together because I’ve seen pro journalist photographers using belt systems and they seemed very practical. The belt systems I’ve seen them wearing are the Thinktank systems, but I decided to use the Thinktank belt because it’s really padded and comfy and adapt the Lowepro belt pouches to fit on the belt the Lowepro pouches seemed easier to get into. One of the pouches is called a lens exchange pouch. Bloody good idea because although it only holds one lens it has two pockets so you can use it to exchange your lens while the pouch is opened. It’s worth checking it out. Search for Lowepro lens exchange.

Thanks! That is awesome! The main problem I have with packs is that I rarely need in them on a walk, unless it is for landscape, which is a different story altogether. I have one belt pouch and it works well, but I really like the idea of the double pouch like you mention. Great idea!!!

David Saylors The lens exchange pouch I have is the smaller one 100 AW. It holds the 24-70 f2.8 with the hood attached. It even holds the 70-200 f2.8 but only with the hood removed. I’ve come to realise though that DSLR photography is a big heavy effort. If I’m just out and about with the D810 and 24-70 then it’s ok, but try to deal with two bodies or even one body and multiple bigger lenses and you need a wheelbarrow 😂

Yeah, that is the truth. I also figured out that most of the time, I would just use one lens rather than switch lenses, so I finally started leaving the second lens in the bag and it got a little lighter really fast. 👍📸

😂 Nice, now get out there and get some photos!!!

This is a banger of a lens on those bodies, i used it for years on my D810 and loved it. Never needed the wider stuff so I was good. 👍📸

@ericparker8905 I've used both and prefer d800 as it has a filter in front of the sensor and the images are just that soft to render an organic look

Thank you!!! 👍📸

Thanks!!! Yes, that is my 1950 Cub. It was “restored” a few years ago... it basically got a fresh coat of paint and new tires and a seat. It runs ok, but I can’t tell it it’s not a frame off restoration like was claimed. So I plot the garden with it and fix on the driveway from time to time as well. I even have a video where I crank it with the hand crank! 👍

David Saylors It’s a pretty specimen. And that hand crank. Don’t remind me... been knocked on my butt a few times by them. Thank goodness for the technology of the 60’s and 70’s! 😆

Yeah, I haven’t been knocked down by this one but it also cracks really easily too, so there is that. 😆👍

Good points, thank you for the information. 👍📸

Then you have a quandary from the sounds of it. Maybe new lenses is best in your use case? Some of the AF-D lenses were in production till VERY recently. You might be able to still get new in the box versions of these lenses. 👍

Entirely possible with the age of the lens. I used one on my d810 for years with wonderful results, but alas, I think that lens is reaching the end of the lifespan. There is a cemented element in it that is notorious for going bad with time as well. Thank you

Mine has auto aperture and auto (screwdrive) focus on my D7000 and D810... Manual focus would have been bad back in the day, but on the Z6 with all the focus assist features, it is actually pretty easy on stationary or slow moving subjects, it is all but impossible on anything moving fast though. Thank you for weighing in I appreciate it. 👍📸

That is awesome, a lot of people seem to forget that Nikon made a lot of auto focus cameras that shoot film as well, good point!👍📸

That is a question I have had since the introduction of the Z camera. They did support two prior generations of lenses ( G series and E series) with the FTZ but I guess it was just too much to ask for them to make an adapter for AF lenses too... I have kicked around the idea of seeing if there is a way to adapt a motor out of and old dead dslr and see what it would take to make one focus...

Nikon wants to sell new lenses. They may have needed a power source to run the screw drive (a battery). They may not have created a circuit to communicate from the camera to the screw drive in the adapter.

Not YET... there are rumors of an adapter coming for the Z cameras that will autofocus screwdrive glass though! So there is hope!

@@davidsaylors I hope so. I want to buy the Z6 II soon and I will get some S lens, but I have lens like the 105MM DC that I don't ever want to give up.

@@nathanielcashjr.732 Thst is one of my favorites too. I will manually focus it before giving it up. 👍📸

They are probably similar, this one is most likely just a heavier version since it is f2.8, but that is probably the only difference.

The 35-70mm ais 3.5 is not a push pull, so the lens is different, I think it is better to have the extra close focus at 70mm like the aid has than at 35, because you get more of a macro effect when close focusing.

Yeah, that makes sense. I wonder why they stopped putting the course focus feature in lenses? That seems like a great tool for the quick macro photo here and there...

I would not get it unless you want the large aperture for portraits or something like that, you have the focal lengths covered with your current lens so other than that, I don't see any need to get it... that only leaves your WANTS.... that is up to you though.

@@davidsaylors Thanks mate for your thoughts.

I highly recommend people get one of these over the new one if possible, no reason to just burn money... 👍📸

Thank you! Hope my answer is what you was looking for.

I know nothingggggggg.... in my best Schultze voice. 😂🤷🏻‍♂️ That is an awesome deal if it takes clear photos at all!!!! Nice find!!!

How do you like it so far?

@@chellmcwags6229 The copy I got was full of haze.

If you want to use this lens properly, it will need to be on a Nikon brand DSLR that has an internal focus motor. This lens works great on those cameras. D7000, D200, D300, D500, D610, D800 and such will all work just fine. There are more but these are the ones I can think of right away. They are all great cameras too. If you adapt it to a different brand of camera, it will not autofocus nor will it allow auto aperture control, so you will have a manual operating lens if you adapt it. I dont know a lot about the Bluetooth stuff, but many newer cameras have apps for your smartphone to interact with the camera.

It will fit on the camera, but it will only be manual focus because the camera doesn’t support the lens focus system. Only the D7000 and the full frame cameras have the right focus system for this lens.

Not really. But the claims are that it will since you are pumping air in and out of the camera system.

He is not correct, the D750 is designed by Nikon to use this lens and to autofocus with it properly. This lens will not harm your D750 at all. I have used one of these lenses for years on my D810 and it works fine. You can use it. 👍📸

By the way, your English is fine, you should hear my spanish... 🙄

@@davidsaylors That was he told me that the D750 is a fine delicate piece of engineering and the 35-70 was designed for older strong bodies (more metal and less plastic). He recommended to use the lens in this kind of bodies. And by the way, Happy New Year and thanks for your answers.

I think I see what he is talking about. It is strong enough to work fine though if you want to use it. 👍📸 HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU TOO!!!!!!

Yes, it will focus properly on a D7000 just fine. It would be a great lens on that camera actually. 👍📸

@@davidsaylors thank you so much

It is great if you have a screw drive focus camera, and just OK if not. The manual focus is ok but the lens is pretty heavy. If you are into these lenses, just make sure the cemented element is good before committing to the buy. 👍📸

@@davidsaylors Thanks for the tips. I'm hearing that the Macro zone is another thing that can fall apart soon so you can't push the button to engage it from wide to macro.

@@samsen3965 I have never had problems with the macro function, but it is something that I would be wary of if you have already heard that from other people.

Thank you for this information!!!

Awesome setup! That should serve you well for a long time to come!👍📸

@@davidsaylors Please do about the Nikon D70

I dont have one of those cameras, sadly I can not do the video because of that... 😞

@@davidsaylors facebook.com/max122002 This is my Facebook, please make friends with me. I'm Vietnamese

我仔细看了一下您的视频，不能自动聚焦。谢谢。

Thank you for your question, but you have already figured out the answer before I could get to it!

@@davidsaylors 🤝

👍📸

That is a dream of mine too, but I don’t think it will ever happen. They have the tech and choose not to do it. I think they want people to just buy Z glass and call it good.

It was my goto lens for almost 10 years. I loved it on my D810. Your welcome😬📸

It will fit but it wont autofocus. The D5300 doesnt have a focus motor in the body and this lens is designed for the bodies that do have an internal focus motor. Other than that, it should work fine.

@@davidsaylors ok thanks. Would you know any lenses that would be good for sports under $700 that could be wide and long but work for the 5300. Sorry if I'm asking to much I just need some help.

@@Joey_E I honestly dont know what is out there anymore in this arena. I got my gear years ago and it just doesnt die so I have not looked in ages. I would say that the DX long zoom that was made for these cameras would get you into the game for reasonable money, but I dont know what the images quality is like on them... They should work well though.

@@davidsaylors ok well thanks for your help man. Wish you the best.