Nikkor standard zoom lenses
Introduction
Nowadays nearly all photographers are using a zoom lens; prime lenses with a fixed focal length are becoming rare. The optical performance of many zoom lenses are coming close or equaling that of a prime lens. Due to constructional limitations most zoom lenses are not as fast as prime lenses. On the lens market zoom lenses with an aperture faster than f/2.8 are very rare. It is very well possible to construct a fast zoom lens, e.g. 1.4/24-200 mm. but you may need a wheel barrow to move it. Nevertheless zoom lenses became very popular. For more than 100 years scientists were working on the construction of zoom lenses used in telescopes and professional movie cameras. The eccentric German lens maker Heinz Kilfitt was the first manufacturer offering in 1959 a zoom lens for 35mm.-film cameras: his very rare 2.8/36-82 mm zoom lens. In general photography a standard zoom lens is a lens with a zoom range including the focal length that equals the diagonal of the film or sensor format. In 35 mm.-photography this are lenses with a zoom range including a focal length of 45 - 58 mm. 50 years ago a zoom lens was a rarity, as their production and calculations of breaking index etc. was complex and could take months! But after the computer arrived around 1956 the march of the zoom lens started. Although Nikon wasn´t the first producer of zoom lenses, it introduced the world´s first single lens reflex camera with built-in zoom lens: the Nikkorex Zoom-35 with the Zoom-Nikkor 3.5/43-86 mm. in 1963. Later that zoom lens was made available for all other SLR cameras. Below all standard zoom lenses with manual focusing will be listed. Many Zoom-Nikkors are easy to find on the second hand market and still usable on many film and digital cameras. Most lenses are - even up to nowadays standards - good performers. Matrix overview here.
Zoom-Nikkor 4/25-50 mm.
This beautifully made (but rather expensive when new) reporter´s zoom was introduced in 1979 with an AI-mount, followed by an optically unchanged AIS-version in 1981. It has 11 elements in 10 groups, its aperture remains unchanged during zooming and minimum focusing distance is 60 cm. Filter thread is 72 mm. Of course many AF-Zooms are faster, but even on a digital DX-SLR this lens has a workable zoom range of 38-75 mm. In 1983 production stopped after an estimated 40,000 lenses.
Zoom-Nikkor 3.5/28-50 mm.
This little push-pull zoom, introduced in 1984 with an AIS-mount, has a nice zoom range and very simple handling. It has the well known 52mm. filter thread, although the turning front ring is a disadvantage, but it can be focused down to 32 cm. (in macro-mode). This lens, consisting of 9 individual elements, was taken from the market in 1988 after just 20,000 lenses sold.
Zoom-Nikkor 3.5-4.5/28-85 mm.
This lens, introduced in 1985 in an AIS-mount, was succeeded after just one year by its auto focus version. The manual version - total production is estimated at 30,000 lenses - is hard to find. It is a good performer built for many years. Not all auto focus lenses that came after do have the same strength. Optically (15 elements in 11 groups) it is a rather slow lens, but minimum focusing distance of 23 cm. is very nice. And it takes 62 mm. filters.
Zoom-Nikkor 3.5/35-70 mm.
Introduced at the 1976 Photokina in an AI-mount this lens was succeeded by an AIS-version and a Macro-version simultaneously. The latter focuses down to 35 cm. and takes 62 mm. filters, the others 72 mm. filters. The production of these lenses stopped in 1987.
Zoom-Nikkor 3.3-4.5/35-70 mm. In 1984 Nikon introduced this tiny but sharp zoom lens (in AIS-mount) for amateur photographers. Optically (8 elements in 7 groups) a very nice performer; it has a macro-mode at 70mm. and takes 52 mm. filters. In 1986 it was accompanied by an AF-version.
Zoom-Nikkor 3.5-4.8/35-70 mm. Almost identical to the lens described above, but not as solid, this little lens was introduced as a kit lens with the Nikon FE-10. Some publicists think that this lens (and the camera) was build by Cosina. The lens (and the camera) was sold in certain regions (not in Europe). Although performance isn´t bad, it needs tender handling.
Nikkor Wide-Zoom 2.8-4/3.5-8.5 cm.
This is probably the rarest Zoom-Nikkor in Nikon´s stables. Somewhere in 1961 this lens was shown to the media, but never made it to the shops. Very little information can be found on this mysterious lens: it has a 82mm. filter ring, has a minimum focusing distance of 110 cm..............and that´s it! The lens shown above was sold at Westlicht Auction late 2009 for a staggering 25,000 Euro!
Zoom-Nikkor 3.5-4.5/35-105 mm.
This lens, introduced in 1983 in AIS-mount, became a very popular lens. It has a complex optical formula of 16 elements in 12 groups. The zoom range is ideal and it can be focused down to 27 cm. After some 36,000 lenses it was succeeded by its AF-version in 1986.
Zoom-Nikkor 3.5-4.5/35-135 mm.
Just 2 years after the 35-105 Zoom-Nikkor this popular lens was introduced. Its features are almost identical (15 elements in 14 groups), although the filter thread is 62 mm. This very nice performer was succeeded by its AF-version in 1986 as well.
Zoom-Nikkor 3.5-4.5/35-200 mm.
In 1985 this rather wide range zoom lens (in AIS-mount) was introduced. A pity was the lack of a tripod connector as its 740 gram might be a burden for the smaller SLR´s (Nikon EM etc.). Production time was rather short. This lens is an outstanding performer, also in its macro-mode down to 30 cm. (1:4 ratio).
Zoom-Nikkor 3.5/43-86 mm.
This lens (too) made Nikon famous. It appeared as an one-ring-zoom permanently fitted on the Nikkorex SLR camera in 1962. One year later it was available as a push-pull zoom lens for all contemporary Nikon SLR cameras. The very first version wasn´t a great success but after coating and optical design improvements (11 elements in 8 groups in 1976) it became very popular, even by governmental institutions, like the US Navy and NASA. Up to 1982 more than 300,000 lenses were sold. For collectors there are various versions with enigmatic serial numbers. As a performer the last (AI) version is the best, as collectible the first version is the most interesting.
Zoom-Nikkor 3.5/50-135 mm. This push-pull zoom lens (16 elements in 13 groups) was build between 1982 and 1985 in an AIS-mount and with the famous Nikon Integrated Coating (NIC). Only 35,000 customers worldwide were interested in this lens, what makes it rather rare. It is a very sharp lens, has no turning front lens and a macro-mode at 50 cm. (1:3.8 ratio).
Zoom-Nikkor 4.5/50-300 mm.
Although this lens´ zoom range includes the focal length of a standard lens, this lens can not be regarded as a standard zoom lens. This bulky and heavy (2,3 kilo!!) two-ring zoom lens was (in 1965) the world´s first lens with a 6x zoom range. Focus and aperture remain the same at all focal lengths. It has a built-in tripod collar that allows 360° rotation. In 1968 the lens was redesigned internally as well as externally, followed by the adoption of the AI-system in 1977. The AI-version had a new optical design again: one ED-element and internal focusing. The AIS-version, introduced in 1982 remained in production until 1999.
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