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Nikkor 28-70mm Aspheric zoom (3)
With a Macro mode too...
There is some vignetting of around 1/3rd of a stop in the corners (against light toned areas) until the lens is stopped down to f/5.6 but throughout the length range the best aperture to use is f/8... which gives excellent quality results in the “Macro” mode too. Depending on testers' preferences for graphs or numbers the resolution indicators at this aperture are around 120 lpm (center) and 90 lpm (edge) or 8.5 (center) and 7.5 (edge) out of 10... very high figures indeed for such a reasonably priced lens.
Manually stopping down modern lenses is becoming something of an old-fashioned practice nowadays with more cameras able to set apertures via control wheels once the lens is locked at its minimum aperture setting. I'm not suggesting that this increasing use of "Program" mode has resulted in the old aperture ring being neglected but they are becoming stiffer to operate, with jerkier clicks at the full-stop detents. At the front end, too, there is cause for complaint because of the old problem of a rotating front element cell... every time the lens is re-focused a polarizing filter would have to be realigned correctly with the sun to gain the maximum desired effect. In AF mode this is not a problem, but in manual focus mode two hands are needed - one to hold the lens in focus, the other to rotate the filter!
Other than that the 28-70mm Nikkor is both excellent to use and easy on the pocket. For a dedicated "fixed" lens user such as myself it would not be such a difficult choice to buy one - which from me is a high recommendation indeed - but it is genuine because of the range of views it provides at the twist of the wrist. Focal lengths are marked at 28mm, 35mm, 50mm and 70mm on the zooming ring with markings for feet and meters (minimum focus 0,5 meter / 19.75 inches... or 0.39 meter / 15.25 inches in Macro mode) indicated on the lens barrel... clearly an indication that Nikon is catering for the thinking as well as the casual photographer. I'm in both camps and would be happy with this 28-70mm if I were to be restricted to owning only one lens for some reason... but it would be a difficult choice if I had more money to spend because the Leica 28-35-50mm Tri-Elmar would win any such contest!
Although this budget-priced Nikkor has been out of production since 1998 they are often found on the second-hand market. I picked up a mint example for £100 whilst they were still listed in the Nikon catalog... they may be cheaper nowadays. If so, try one and be surprised... I think this piece of plastic is quite fantastic.
The few images I've chosen to illustrate what this lens does were taken on the shore of Aberdovey harbor in west Wales. This is just the type of subject and situation for a cheap zoom lens... when you have to watch your footing at the turn of the tide in such a location why risk an expensive lens with sand, silt and sea-water so close?
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