Nikon AF 28-105 f/3.5-4.5D Zoom Nikkor 35mm Zoom
Nikon AF 28-105 f/3.5-4.5D Zoom Nikkor 35mm Zoom
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[Dec 16, 2001]
Ray Robinson
Professional
Strength:
compact, lightweight, pretty good optically for the money, handy "macro" switch for close focusing, IF design.
Weakness:
not as contrasty or sharp as im used to with my other lenses therefore I find I dont use it often Got this lens right after it first came out, and had to exchange my first one for another for two problems. First was what seemed to be a piece of debris in the focusing mechanism which caused the lens to get hung-up slightly when in "macro" range and secondly the lens CPU was relaying bad aperture readings to the N90s I had at the time. Once exchanged however my second has proven to be a decent performer. Great focal range proves convienient. A good all around "snap shot" lens with great "macro" perfomance although not 1:1 reproduction. The addition of a nikon 6t close up lense helps. Flowers shot at around F8-F11 proved to be pretty good blown up to 8x12 from Velvia slides. I will definately say though this lens has nowhere near the sharpness or contrast of my 35-70mm F2.8 or 80-200mm F2.8 but then again, you get what you pay for. Great lens for the cost concious shooter who wants a fine all around lens. I will say it will blow a 28-80mm F4-5.6 out of the water any day of the week. AF performance is good on my N80, great on my F100 and was great on my N90s when I had it. Manual focusing with this lens iIfind aggrivating due to its unusually short focus ring travel. Customer Service none needed from Nikon. exchanged at camera shop no problem Similar Products Used: 35-70mm F2.8 nikkor, 80-200mm F2.8 nikkor, 18-35mm F3.5-4.5 nikkor, 50mm F1.8 nikkor |
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[Nov 01, 2001]
Steve Saunders
Expert
Strength:
Good Nikon build quality, sharp images, cheap (for a Nikon) price.
Weakness:
Aspherical elements would have been appropriate for this lens, also a constant f3.5 aperture. That d*** fiddly macro switch! For a Nikon the purchase price was quite reasonable and I got value for money. Nice sharp images, good contrast and colour and little to worry about as regards distortion. I have used this lens almost all the time on my D1/D1x and optically it beats the 28-200 by a good margin. This lens is great in Macro mode (probably better than in normal mode). Customer Service Not for this lens so far, in 15 months of use. Similar Products Used: Currently 28-200f3.5-5.6 Nikon, 80-200f2.8 Nikon, 28mmf2.8 Nikon, Sigma 20/f1.8. |
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[Oct 18, 2001]
Cryowizard
Intermediate
Strength:
Lightweight, good focus range, good color rendition.
Weakness:
Unacceptable softness. Very disappointed. Softness is a big problem. Took it as an all-around lens to my StVincent Island trip, some shots came out wihtout a single sharp edge. Better in midrange and long lengths, short is the worst (28mm - forget it). I''''ll try to send it to Nikon for service, maybe something is wrong with this speciman. Customer Service Not yet used but will try shortly. Similar Products Used: Mostly old primes. |
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[Oct 16, 2001]
John
Intermediate
Strength:
Good range of focal lengths and excellent quality (for a zoom). It''s light and fairly compact. Great for a serious amateur.
Weakness:
The macro feature, at closest focus, 105mm and wide open is not sharp at the edges. Stop down to f8 and it''s almost gone and f16 is good. Or, zoom back to 80mm and it''s much better even wide open. Also, the f3.5/4.5 is pretty slow with 100 or slower film. I find myself needing flash more than I would like. The lens is not professional level quality. I doubt it would survive a drop or a month on the road. Great all around lens. If I could only have one, this is it, and I can only have one right now. I like photographing people and then do some nature and some general snapshots. This lens does it all - it''s wide enough for a group in a small room and long enough for a good portrait. The macro is close enough for some interesting shots, though not great. The autofocus (with my N80) is fast and accurate and the photos are sharp all the way to the edges. Customer Service Never had an encounter. Similar Products Used: Several older lenses. |
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[Sep 14, 2001]
spain62
Intermediate
Strength:
Great Macro, adequate zoom range
Weakness:
Softness wide open or at 105mm. Not a bad lens. Sharpest at F8 and F11. Drop off in sharpness at 105mm, although 28mm stuff looked great. An OK general lens until you use the macro function. Wow! The macro rocks in the 50mm-85mm range. Pictures of flowers and people from about 6 inches away with autofocus. This lens is worth the price for the Macro function alone. Customer Service Never needed with a Nikon lens Similar Products Used: Nikon 28-70mm, 70-210mm, 50mm f1.8, 85mm f1.8 |
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[Aug 25, 2000]
Charles Hess
Professional
Strength:
great 1-lens performer for that daytrip or hike. Macro capability has eliminated my need for a true macro lens. Lack of speed not a drawback as ISO400 films have gotten so good. Best of the 28-105s on the market.
Weakness:
Hard time getting lenshood, but am happy with lens'performance. The lens I keep on the camera at all times. Paired with the great 80-200/2.8, in 2 lenses I have 99.9% of my work(people) covered. Customer Service haven't needed Similar Products Used: Tamron 28-105/2.8, Canon 28-105 |
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[Aug 21, 2000]
Antoni Bach
Professional
Strength:
Excelente Optica para usarla como fija en la Camara. Buen Contraste y definicion.
Weakness:
Distorsion en cojin a 105. Lo utilizo el 90% de las veces y los resultados son satisfactorios, uso el negativo Fujicolor Superia 400. Customer Service No lo he utilizado Similar Products Used: 28/105 2.8-4 Sigma |
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[Aug 11, 2000]
Steve M
Intermediate
Strength:
Great lightweight all purpose lens. Good color and sharpness and macro mode is a plus. Common 62mm filter size.
Weakness:
Bulky lens hood, instructions almost useless for macro switch. First of all, there is no problem with the macro switch, they just don't tell you how it works. This is a great lens. Being plastic and relatively slow, it is also lightweight and inexpensive. It's a trade-off! This is a great all purpose lens when weight matters, many times I won't bring anything else! Customer Service Not necessary. Similar Products Used: None |
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[Aug 11, 2000]
Gerry Widen
Intermediate
Strength:
Multi-purpose lens,Very sharp image at all focal lengths and f stops,good color contrast. Macro is a plus. Sharp as a prime and compact.
Weakness:
Edges slightly fuzzy at macro. Bulky lens hood. Front element rotates when zooming. The perfect lens when only one lens can be taken, will cover most photographic purposes with excellent results. Some users have complaned about the macro switch jamming. This is a safeguard, just focus at infinity and the switch can easily be set back to normal Customer Service No experience yet. Similar Products Used: Leica 90mm f 2.8 all for M2 |
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[Aug 08, 2000]
Ethan Dulsky
Expert
Strength:
Super sharp images at all focal lengths. Very useful zoom range (this lens lives on my camera). Balances nicely on the F100 and N80 bodies.
Weakness:
Slow -- a tripod is a must for any landscape work with slower films. I'm waiting for a VR version (someday, please). Excellent lens -- fairly lightweight, sharp, contrasty images, and excellent color rendition. I'd love an extra f-stop, but for the money, this is a superb all-around lens. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat. Similar Products Used: None |