Customer Reviews

Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF-S Zoom Nikkor Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm sorry, I just can't understand ratings that aren't 5/5 for this lens. It flat out rocks. Let me just get a few things straight regarding this lens vs. the newer 24-70mm lens that replaced it:

1. This lens is more stout than the 24-70mm, yes, but it is also noticeably shorter which to me is preferable. This means it has a nearer/lower center of gravity and is easier to manage for long periods of time. The 24-70mm is basically like handling a telephoto zoom (i.e. 70-200mm or 80-200mm) with its center of gravity further out, harder to handle for long periods and easier to knock into people with.
2. The 24-70mm is a very sharp lens. I understand that. This lens is at least as sharp, however, and in my opinion slightly sharper. This becomes important in point number 3 below.
3. This lens can be picked up for roughly 2/3 the price of the 24-70mm. To me that settles the issue. Now, if the 24-70mm had VR then maybe it would be a different story but it doesn't. Again the 24-70mm is harder to handle, longer, no sharper and costs at least 50% more ($1,000-ish vs $1,5000-ish)

I hope I have made a good case for getting one of these over the newer 24-70. This is a top notch solid professional battle ready piece of equipment here. Don't listen to the talk of it being "too big" or "too heavy." First of all, as I said it's much easier to maneuver than the longer 24-70, and second of all the heaviness of this lens is overrated. If you are coming from a kit lens yes you will find it heavy. If you are used to shooting with pro glass this will not seem extraordinary heavy. It is in line with professional Canon and Nikon glass I have used over the years in terms of weight. Unless they decide to put VR on the 24-70mm I am not going to take another look at it while I can still find these for 2/3 the price.

I have owned this lens for 2 years and it is by far my most used lens. This is saying quite a bit because I also own the Nikon 28 1.4 and the 85 1.4. Both of those two are outstanding, however the zoom is much more convenient to use.

It is heavy but on the D2H it balances very well.

I have owned this lens for about four years now, and it is my favorite lens. It is built like a tank, very solid construction and very heavy. For maximum sharpness, I recommend using the lens at F/8 for most situations however; at constant f/2.8 the pictures are very sharp also. It does excellent at weddings and studio portrait photography. Distortion is not a great concern however, you may have to use a little distortion correction in Photoshop, or what ever software application you use to edit your pictures, when shooting at 28mm. Distortion at very close range, especially when shooting tall buildings is noticeable. The lens has a tendency to flare very easily including at night. Nothing that can't be fixed in Photoshop but, flare can be avoided by paying a little more attention. I rate this lens 9 out of 10. I will love to see this lens in a VR version in the future.

I have own this lens now for over 4 weeks and I am amazed at the built quality if the lens. Far superior than all my other lenses that are mostly built out of plastic. Some people say that this lens is soft but in reality if you have a tuned lens with your camera the results are outstanding. I find that wide open at 2.8 and 28mm produces among the sharpest pictures I have ever taken. On a cheaper 3rd party lens I would had stopped down to f/4 to get the same results in terms of sharpness. What all this means? You get great blurred out background(bokeh) and low light shooting capabilities. Also the aperture blades are well rounded so you get those beautiful rounded circles in the bokeh and not the octogons found in cheaper lenses. On the sour note, this lens has been nicknamed the beast for a reason and that is the size and weight of the lens. Not to mention that when you add the hood then heads start turning. Thats one reason I bought a rubber hood for the lens. At least it kind of blends in with the lens so not that many stairs come my way. If you can find one in great condition, get it! It works for DX and FX bodies(unlike the nikon 17-55mm 2.8)and you will also be future proof. I have worked in this 28-70mm range for awhile and I like the range even on a DX. I used own the tamron 28-75mm2.8 which is not as sharp. Great for portraits!

Ancient by the standards set with the 24-70 and 14-24, this lens was once the standard mid-range zoom in the Nikon line. I got mine in 2003 when it was the only constant aperture lens available in the Nikon line in this range.
Compared to the 14-24, it's not as sharp, colors are more muted and flare is worse. Neverthless, it remains the lens I use for my engagement and portrait sessions on my D300.

The lens has a look that I can only describe as more "organic" than the new lenses. The subtle softness is actually a benefit for portraits. It has wonderful bokeh, as well. The lens is well built -- mine fell onto concrete and survived to complete a wedding -- nevertheless, $400 in repairs were necessary due to damaged internal drive parts.

If you shoot portraits on DX you should look at this lens. The range is perfect -- 42mm for full length to 105mm for close facial shots. If you shoot nature and landscapes, the 24-70 is a better choice.

a professional looking lens.outstanding quality metal construction.saved,and waited for this lens a long time.it was going to be my all around most used keeper.then heart break!,soft at all settings,poor image quality with a d3.very dissapointed,im so sorry i sold the old 35-70 2.8d.

Having gotten frustrated with the limiting 35mm focal length of the Nikkor AFD35-70/2.8, I sold it and purchased the AFS28-70/2.8D almost 5 years ago.

It was an improvement over the AFD35-70/2.8 with respect to sharpness, contrast, and whisper-quiet autofocusing speed.

With the scalloped lens hood, this is a bulky lens. Infants tend to cry with this "in-their-face" monster.

Contrast is excellent, and distortion is negligible. Composition-wise, a very good portrait lens.

Of the three sharpest lenses owned, overall, it falls a distant third behind the leading Nikkor AFS17-35/2.8D, and second place AFD80-200/2.8 (2-ring version).

This lens used to be the standard lens on my Nikon F5, until I purchased the AFS17-35/2.8.

If the AFS28-70/2.8 were image-sharper for it's price, it would be used more frequently. I have since sold this lens in the Winter of 2004.

Love this lens, however after a short time, it started malfunctioning. Since my 30 days warranty was barely up and the seller would not take the lens back, I had to spend lots of $$$ and send it back to Nikon for service.

I returned this lens but without a hitch. It made a strange sound when focusing, quality was solid just could get past the noise factor.