Nikon 70-210mm f/4-5.6 AF

This lens here is a classic. In production from 1988-1999 (updated to the AF-D spec), I estimate this AF model to be around my age…..which is an amazing twenty years old. The best bit of all is that because Nikon has kept their mount for the past 40 years or so, you can still mount this lens on any of the newer dSLRs!

This is what i managed to find out about the specifications of the lens from www.mir.com

Technical Specification for Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-210mm f/4.0~5.6S Telephoto zoom lens:-
Type of lens: Autofocus Nikkor zoom lens with built-in CPU and a metal rear Nikon bayonet mount
Focal length: 70mm to 210mm; Maximum aperture: f/4.0/5.6; Minimum Aperture: f/32; 105-315mm for APS DX format DSLR.
Lens construction: 12 elements in 9 groups
Focal length scale: 70mm (marked in green), 85mm, 100mm, 135mm and 210mm (marked in yellow) imprinted on zoom ring barrel
Focus control: Autofocus with zoom control; Manual via manual focusing ring
Zoom control: Via one-touch push and pull zoom ring
Distance scale: Graduated in meters and feet/inches from 1.5m (5”) to infinity (OO); MACRO: Closest distance 1.2m (3.9′) for all zoom range in manual focus
Aperture scale: f/4.0/f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22 and f/32 on both standard and aperture-direct-readout scales
Mount: Nikon bayonet mount with 5x CPU contacts;
Attachment size: 62mm (P=0.75mm); Meter Coupling Prong: NONE
Reproduction ratio: approx. 1:5.6; Diaphragm: 7 blades
Lens Coating: NIC (Nikon Integrated Coating)
Exposure measurement: Via full-aperture method with Ai cameras or cameras with CPU interface system; via stop-down method for other cameras
Standard accessories: 62mm front lens cap; Rear lens cap LF-1; Hard lens case CL-15S, CL38, No. 63, CP9 usable
Dimensions: Approx. 73.5mm dia x 108, 116 from the lens flange
Weight: Approx. 590g

AF lenses will work on all Nikon dSLRs and autofocus still works on all the cameras with an inbuilt motor, with the exception of the D40(x), D60, D5000, where you are limited to manual focus. Unfortunately I won’t be able to judge AF until i get my hands on my brothers’ D80 because I personally use a D60. On these DX format lenses, the crop factor of 1.5x will cause an 35mm equivalent focal length of 105-315mm.

70-210 Fully Extended

The construction of the lens is in steel, with a textured metal zoom grip and focus ring. The focus ring requires around 230 degrees to go from the minimum focus distance to infinity, and zoom is handled by pushing the zoom grip outwards. This method is quite quick to get the desired zoom distance but however, you get something called zoom creep. This is what happens when you tilt the lens and the push grip will start sliding forwards or backwards, changing the zoom and this happens to most push pull zoom lenses.

Aperture Ring of the 70-210

Common on older Nikon lenses is an aperture ring which can be adjusted to select the desired aperture. Current lenses which have a G notation on the end of the model number do not have this ring, eliminating compatibility with older film SLRs. On dSLRs, the aperture ring must be locked at the smallest aperture, which in this case is f/32, so the camera can control the aperture.

Made in Japan!

Made in Japan! Nowadays this is reserved for the top tiers of Nikon, Canon and whichever electronics manufacturer, and the phrase Made in Japan simply inspires confidence in the build quality.

70-210 mounted on D60

Mounted on the D60, the lens makes the camera a little front heavy, but because you can use most of the functions with your right hand and support the camera with your left, its a non issue. And for those interested, the picture was taken using a Nokia 5800XM. Lousy picture quality in low light is all I can say.

zoom @ 70, f/4

Picture quality at 70mm is very good. The leaves in the tree on the upper right are still very sharp and there is no noticeable  chromatic aberration, no fallout and distortion.

zoom at 125mm @ f/4.5

Halfway through the zoom range here and the aperture is still at f/4.5! Rather generous for a f/4-5.6, seeing that the kit 18-55mm f/3.5-4 and 18-135mm f/3.5-4 both fall to f/4+ at the middle of their zoom range. Bokeh is a bit ‘meh’ at this point, but at this aperture it’s okay. Details are still resolved very nicely, with the Proton Saga lettering sharp at full screen. Again, no banding or distortion.

zoom @210mm, f/5.6

I had a bit of a focusing issue here due to the small viewfinder of the DX format camera. The focus is concentrated on the black car, not the blue car in the foreground.

crop @210mm f/5.6

Image quality has gone a bit soft at the long end, details are still discernible but there is slight chromatic aberration, and there is some falloff.

So, on to my impressions. For a twenty year old lens, it still performs very well optically and the internal mechanics are still excellent. I would suspect that the one I’ve tested has not been heavily used. Build quality is comparable to the high range Nikon and Canon lenses, with an all metal body and robust construction. However, with the slow apertures, it is a little harder to use the lens at night, with the use of a tripod practically guaranteed.

The only way you’ll get one of these is if you buy one second hand, so I’ll give some other alternatives for Nikon telezoom lenses which are quite inexpensive, but give quite good image quality.

If you’re on a really tight budget for a DX format camera, I would suggest the more recent Nikon AF-S 55-200mm f/4-5.6 DX G VR lens which is reviewed here. The main benefit of that lens is the addition of VR or vibration reduction which allows sharper pictures in low light.

For a cheap FX format zoom lens, the Nikon AF-S 70-300mm f/4-5.6 G VR reviewed here. The lens works on DX cameras too, and will have no problems with the D40, D60 and D5000 cameras. The VR will help immensely when at the longer end of the zoom range to reduce hand shake.  There is, however an extremely cheap option, which is the Nikon AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 G reviewed here . It only costs RM500 or so but does not have VR, nor does it auto focus with the D40, D60 and D5000.

All in all, I’m impressed at the quality of this lens. 2 decades on and it still gives great photos, and the build quality is nothing short of excellent. Thanks to Christopher for allowing me the opportunity to use this classic!

Edit: I’ve tested autofocus using the D80. The built in motor in the D80 body allows focus, but it is noisy, with the mechanical gearing whining throughout the focusing process. Also, focusing is not as fast as the newer AF-D version, which was geared faster.