Nikon Nikon 35-70mm f3.5 Heritage

Overview

The Nikon Zoom-NIKKOR 35-70mm f/3.5 was Nikon's early attempt at a professional-grade constant-aperture 'standard zoom,' covering the focal range that could replace two or three prime lenses at a time when carrying multiple primes was the norm. According to Richard Haw, the original AI version was sold from 1977 to 1981 and was revolutionary in covering the important focal lengths used for photojournalism, events, and travel photography. The AI-s version reviewed by Ken Rockwell was introduced in 1981 as Nikon's second professional midrange zoom, replacing the earlier AI version with an entirely different optical and mechanical system, and was built until it was replaced by the 35-70mm f/2.8 AF (pre-D) in 1987; Nikon made about 160,000 of the AI-s versions. Rockwell strongly distinguishes these professional constant f/3.5 zooms from Nikon's cheaper f/3.3-4.5 and f/3.5-4.8 consumer zooms, which he calls among Nikon's crappiest lenses sharing only the focal range. There are no established nicknames or community jargon evidenced in these reviews. It has a modest cult following among Nikon manual-focus enthusiasts due to its superb build quality, constant aperture, and low distortion, though Haw notes it is 'dated today' and best appreciated by the lens aficionado.

Verdict: The Nikon 35-70mm f/3.5 is a robustly built professional constant-aperture standard zoom best suited to Nikon manual-focus enthusiasts and film shooters who value low distortion, solid build, and versatile framing. It performs well stopped down to f/8 but is inconsistent wide open and shows its age on modern high-resolution digital bodies. Prized by aficionados rather than a mainstream legend, and not to be confused with Nikon's cheaper 35-70mm variable-aperture consumer zooms.

Optical Character

Sharpness wide open

Rockwell rates it very sharp at every setting; Haw finds it decent stopped down to f/8 but hit-or-miss wide open and less impressive on modern cameras.

Community Insights

What people love

Superb, dense build quality that feels good in hand and was made to endure field use (Haw)
Constant f/3.5 aperture across the zoom range, a premium feature (Rockwell, Haw)
Very low distortion, better than Nikon's much more expensive f/2.8 zooms (Rockwell, Haw)
Separate zoom and focusing rings that eliminate zoom-creep, making it good for tripod work with precise adjustments (Haw)
Sharpness that Rockwell rates as very good at every setting; the AI-s focuses closer than the older AI and adds a macro mode at 70mm (Rockwell)

What people dislike

Wide-aperture performance can be hit-or-miss and it is less impressive on modern high-resolution cameras (Haw)
Front-heavy balance, the price paid for its convenience (Haw)
On the AI version, a poor closest focusing distance of about 1m that limits usefulness, especially at the wide end (Haw)
Rockwell prefers the undamped focus feel of the older AI, noting the AI-s requires a strong finger to focus while the AI can be flicked (Rockwell)
Large 72mm filter size, considered huge back in the day (Haw)

Pro Tips

Stop down to around f/8 for its best optical performance (Haw)
On compatible bodies (D2, D3, D200, D300, F6) use the Non-CPU Lens Data menu to input focal length and f/3.5 for matrix metering and EXIF data (Rockwell)
Choose the AI-s version if you want closer focusing and a 70mm macro mode; choose the AI if you prefer a lighter, undamped focus feel (Rockwell)
Best used on a tripod given its separate zoom/focus rings and front-heavy balance (Haw)

Sources (1)

Web-grounded synthesissecondary

The Nikon Zoom-NIKKOR 35-70mm f/3.5 was Nikon's early attempt at a professional-grade constant-aperture 'standard zoom,' covering the focal range that could replace two or three prime lenses at a time when carrying multiple primes was the norm. According to Richard Haw, the original AI version was sold from 1977 to 1981 and was revolutionary in covering the important focal lengths used for photojournalism, events, and travel photography. The AI-s version reviewed by Ken Rockwell was introduced in 1981 as Nikon's second professional midrange zoom, replacing the earlier AI version with an entirely different optical and mechanical system, and was built until it was replaced by the 35-70mm f/2.8 AF (pre-D) in 1987; Nikon made about 160,000 of the AI-s versions. Rockwell strongly distinguishes these professional constant f/3.5 zooms from Nikon's cheaper f/3.3-4.5 and f/3.5-4.8 consumer zooms, which he calls among Nikon's crappiest lenses sharing only the focal range. There are no established nicknames or community jargon evidenced in these reviews. It has a modest cult following among Nikon manual-focus enthusiasts due to its superb build quality, constant aperture, and low distortion, though Haw notes it is 'dated today' and best appreciated by the lens aficionado.

https://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/35-70mm-35-ais.htmhttps://richardhaw.com/2021/01/02/repair-zoom-nikkor-35-70mm-f-3-5-ai/https://richardhaw.com/2020/07/04/repair-zoom-nikkor-35-70mm-f-3-3-4-5-ai-s/