Checking out an old Nikkor 35-135 f3.5/4.5 zoom lens that I had lying about the office. It’s not a bad old girl from these test shots. Heavy and built like a brick, it goes well with my D3s. I used to have 2 of these lenses, I wonder where the other one has got to.

Nikkor 35-135mm 3.5/4.5 AF: A Versatile and Affordable Zoom Lens for Nikon DSLRs

If you are looking for a zoom lens that can cover a wide range of focal lengths, from wide-angle to telephoto, without breaking the bank, you might consider the Nikkor 35-135mm 3.5/4.5 AF. This lens was introduced in 1987 and discontinued in 1995, but it is still widely available on the used market for a very reasonable price. In this blog post, I will review the features, performance, and image quality of this lens, and show you some sample photos I took with it.

Features

The Nikkor 35-135mm 3.5/4.5 AF is a full-frame lens that can be used on both FX and DX Nikon DSLRs. On a DX camera, it will have an equivalent focal length of 52.5-202.5mm, which is still very useful for portraits, landscapes, and general photography. The lens has a variable aperture of f/3.5 at 35mm and f/4.5 at 135mm, which is not very fast, but acceptable for most situations. The lens has a macro mode that can be activated by pulling the zoom ring past the 135mm mark. This allows you to focus as close as 0.28m (11 inches) at any focal length, with a maximum magnification of 0.25x.

The lens has an autofocus system that is driven by a micro-motor in the lens body. This means that the lens will not autofocus on entry-level Nikon DSLRs that do not have an AF motor in the camera body, such as the D3xxx and D5xxx series. You will have to manually focus the lens on these cameras, which is not very difficult thanks to the large and smooth focus ring. The autofocus speed and accuracy are decent, but not very impressive by today’s standards. The lens also has a manual aperture ring that can be locked at f/22 for compatibility with modern Nikon DSLRs.

Performance

The Nikkor 35-135mm 3.5/4.5 AF delivers good image quality for its age and price range. The lens is sharp across the frame at most focal lengths and apertures, with some softness at the corners wide open and at the long end of the zoom range. The lens has good contrast and colour rendition, with minimal chromatic aberration and distortion. The lens also handles flare and ghosting well, thanks to its multicoated elements.

The lens has a nice bokeh (the quality of the out-of-focus areas) that is smooth and pleasing, especially at longer focal lengths and wider apertures. The lens has seven rounded aperture blades that create circular highlights in the background. The lens also produces some nice sun stars when stopped down to smaller apertures.

Conclusion

The Nikkor 35-135mm 3.5/4.5 AF is a versatile and affordable zoom lens that can serve as a good all-around lens for Nikon DSLR users who do not need very fast apertures or cutting-edge autofocus performance. The lens offers good image quality, macro capability, and solid build quality for a fraction of the cost of newer lenses with similar focal lengths. If you are looking for a budget-friendly zoom lens that can cover most of your photographic needs, you might want to give this lens a try.

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