Do all 28-70 AF zooms have metal mounts?

[bill_schmidt]

I'm looking to buy a knocking-around zoom lens for my F3, to have on

it when I'm just out and around, not a dedicated photo session. I

have a 35-70 MF now but I'd like to go to the wider end with a 28mm

zoom. Looking at the variable aperture AF 28-70's, do they all have

metal mounts? Any other variations I need to be aware of to select

the best of the lot? I don't need perfection in the image - I have

primes for that. Just something convenient, inexpensive that I can

put on/take off without worrying about durability. Oh, with a 52mm

filter thread. I think they all have that.

[chuck]

Nikon has only ever made 2 AF 28-70 models. Both have metal mounts and standard aperture rings. The cheaper variable aperture version, the 28-70 f/3.5-4.5, have 52mm filter thread.

[ShunCheung]

The other one is of course the 28-70mm/f2.8 AF-S zoom. It is a huge and heavy lens for something in this focal-length range and comes with a large lens hood. It uses 77mm filters. Both are fine lenses, but the less expensive 28-70mm/f3.5-4.5 AF-D has been discontinued. Its focus ring is on the looser side but IMO is comfortable enough.

[jemini_joseph]

I have 28-70/3.5-4.5D. This lens is amazingly 'clean'. I didn't say sharp.

It's acceptable for 4X6 prints. But no falloff and vignetting. The color

is same as 50mm 1.8D. Very clean. I'm not sure that I was lucky to get a

good piece. This is small and easy enough to carry around. There's little

pin cussion distortion at 28mm. If I spend 1000 bucks more I'll get

reduced pin cussion and higher maximum aperture and ofcourse AF-S.

Oh yeah this one has a metal mount...

[Ed_Ingold]

I used a 28-105/3.5-4.5 AFD with an F3 for a couple of years. It's a nice lens with a lot of good reviews. The sharpness is excellent and the distortion barely noticeable. With a 24/2.8 prime, you have a good travel setup.

 

As for the cons: The focus travel is very short, about 90 deg. I didn't have a problem with that, but it doesn't feel as good as an AI(S) lens. It's a little slow for ISO100 film, except at 50mm or shorter. Finally, the filter ring rotates, making it hard to use a polarizer.

 

Other lenses to consider are the 24-85/2.8-4 AF (!!) or a 35-105/3.5-4.5 AF. The first is a two-touch and the second a push-pull (I like both.) The filter ring does not rotate on either, a feature that's really hard to find in that price range.

 

These lenses are all relatively small and light, and have better-than-average optical quality.