Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm 1: 3.5-4.5G ED DX SWM IF Aspherical review

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm 1: 3.5-4.5G ED DX SWM IF Aspherical - great small versatile lens for cropped cameras Nikon DX. It was the first zoom lens for Nikon DX cameras, introduced back in 2004 with a camera Nikon D70... I can assume Nikon did their best to make their first crop wagon good. Anyway, Nikon 18-70 / 3.5-4.5G is one of the oldest lenses in Nikon DX format. To replace it was later released Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G ED SWM Aspherical, which turned out to be worse in general than 18-70mm.

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-70mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED-IF

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-70mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED-IF

Main technical characteristics of Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm 1: 3.5-4.5G ED DX SWM IF Aspherical:

Review Instance Name Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm 1: 3.5-4.5G ED DX SWM IF Aspherical Ø67 Made in Thailand US3540898
Basic properties
Front Filter Diameter 67 mm, plastic thread for filters
Focal length 18-70 mm EGF for Nikon DX cameras is 27-105 mm
Zoom ratio 3.89 X (usually rounded to 4)
Designed by for digital cameras Nikon DX
Number of aperture blades 7 rounded petals
Tags focal lengths for 18, 24, 35, 50, 70, mm, bayonet mount mark and hood mounts. Window with focus distance scale in meters and feet.
Diaphragm 18 mm from F / 3.5 to F / 22. 70 mm from F / 4.5 to F / 29. The lens is deprived of the aperture control ring, control is via the camera menu (G - lens type)
MDF (Minimum Focus Distance) 0.38 m over the entire range of focal lengths, maximum magnification ratio 1: 6.3
The weight 390 g
Lens hood Nikon HB-32, bayonet type, plastic, the following lenses use the same lens hood:

Transportation With a soft cover CL-0915
Manufacturer country Thailand, inscription on the lens: “MADE IN THAILAND”
Period Since January 2004, the time to stop production is unknown.
Instructions View–>
Price
Nikon 18-105mm 1: 3.5-5.6G ED Nikkor VR AF-S SWM DX IF Aspherical and Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-70mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED-IF

Nikon 18-105mm 1: 3.5-5.6G ED Nikkor VR AF-S SWM DX IF Aspherical and Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-70mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED-IF

Nikon 18-70 / 3.5-4.5G is a good all-rounder, its EGF is 27-105 mm. This range of focal lengths is very often used on cropped cameras. Lens fit for any simple photo tasks.

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-70mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED-IF

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-70mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED-IF

The lens has internal focusing - When zooming and focusing, the front lens does not rotate. Lens autofocus is surprisingly fast... The lens even has a focusing distance scale, which is often a luxury for a budget lens. Also, the lens has a 'M / A - M' focus mode switch. In the 'M / A' mode, automatic focusing with manual focus priority is available - this means that manual focusing is always possible without having to move the lens to the 'M' position.

Unlike many lenses of the Nikon DX series, such as 18-55, 18-105, 18-135, 18-200, etc. Nikon 18-70mm f / 3.5-4.5G uses a large and powerful focus motor ring type.

Funny but even more advanced zoom lenses by type Nikon 18-105mm f / 3.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S DX Nikkor и Nikon 18-135mm f / 3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor do not have 'M / A' focus mode.

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-70mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED-IF

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-70mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED-IF

In manual focus mode, the focus ring rotates approximately 120 degrees, as for a whale lens, manual focus is surprisingly convenient. The zoom ring is rubberized, but the focus ring is not. The minimum focusing distance is 38 centimeters, which allows you to shoot macro with an increase of 1: 6,3.

Bokeh lens. The rounded aperture blades make almost even circles in the blur zone.

Bokeh lens. The rounded aperture blades make almost even circles in the blur zone.

My copy has come a long way in life, after which the zoom system got a little loose. The lens itself is made quite high quality, it even has a metal mount. By the way, Nikon 18-70 / 3.5-4.5G will automatically focus on all Nikon camerassince the lens has a built-in focusing motor SWM. I used NIkon 18-70 mm on cameras without any problems Nikon D40, D40x и Nikon D80.

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-70mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED-IF on a Nikon D40x camera

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-70mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED-IF on a Nikon D40x camera

Comes with a lens Hood HB-32. The lens hood can be installed back-to-front, while it will be difficult to use the lens, as access to the zoom ring will be lost.

Optical design of Nikon 18-70nn AF-S

Optical design of Nikon 18-70nn AF-S

The lens consists of already 15 elements in 13 groups, moreover, one element is aspherical, and three elements are made of special ED low-dispersion glass. I believe that for a whale lens, the presence of such a number of special elements that can improve image quality is a very serious indicator. You can read more about all the optical circuits of Nikon DX lenses. here.

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-70mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED-IF

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-70mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED-IF

If you choose a relatively cheap universal zoom, perhaps the following plate will be useful in this:

Tablet comparing budget zooms

Tablet comparing budget zooms

NIkon 18-70mm AF-S stands out for its aperture F / 4.5 at maximum zoom position. Aperture at F / 4.5, 1,55 times more than F5.6. 2/3 stops of aperture gain are not so much important for faster shutter speeds as for comfortable sighting and autofocus. You can read more about focusing at different maximum values ​​of the F number. here, but you can read how to take pictures without hand blur here.

Sample Photos

All photos in the first two galleries without treatment. Only reduced size to 3 megapixels and imprinted data from EXIF. The image from the lens suffers from severe distortion and vignetting at 18mm. Sharpness is not the best, but quite normal for such a lens; sharpness at the corners of the frame drops noticeably. But the lens perfectly holds back light. Due to the 7-petal diaphragm with rounded petals, it is difficult to achieve star effect with strong light sources.

Nikon D80:

Nikon D40:

Nikon 18-105mm 1: 3.5-5.6G ED Nikkor VR AF-S SWM DX IF Aspherical and Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm 1: 3.5-4.5G ED DX SWM IF Aspherical

Nikon 18-105mm 1: 3.5-5.6G ED Nikkor VR AF-S SWM DX IF Aspherical and Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm 1: 3.5-4.5G ED DX SWM IF Aspherical

My thoughts are:

Nikon 18-70 / 3.5-4.5G is much better than Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6G ED SWM Aspherical и Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6GII ED SWM Aspherical... Used cost Nikon 18-70 / 3.5-4.5G is mere pennies. For example, at one time I bought myself a Nikon 18-70 / 3.5-4.5G for only 130 USD, it became a universal lens for home use on my cropped cameras. I've changed Tamron AF 17-50mm f / 2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Nikon on NIkon 18-70, because Tamron in 2 years just crumbled into pieces, and I have no regrets about it. True, my copy of the NIkon 18-70 was not as sharp as expected. When choosing such a lens, be careful, as there are lenses with different image quality. Nikon DX Lens Considerations here, and a list of all Nikon DX lenses can be viewed here.

The masters who repair the lens claim that the Nikon 18-70 / 3.5-4.5G built-in focus motor is noticeably better than the Nikon 18-55 (all models), Nikon 18-105, Nikon 18-135.

Thank you the store www.fotika.com.ua behind provided by Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm 1: 3.5-4.5G ED DX SWM IF Aspherical lens, which I took to create photos with its appearance.

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-70mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED-IF

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-70mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED-IF

Lens prices in popular stores can look at this link.

Comments on this post do not require registration. Anyone can leave a comment. Many different photographic equipment can be found on AliExpress.

An accurate list of all Nikon DX Nikkor lenses

  1. 10.5 mm/ 2.8G AF Fisheye [gold ring]
  2. 35 mm/1.8G AF-S
  3. 40 mm/2.8G AF-S Microphone
  4. 85 mm/3.5G AF-S VR Microphone
  5. 10-20 mm/4.5-5.6G AF-P VR
  6. 10-24 mm/3.5-4.5G AF-S
  7. 12-24 mm/4G AF-S [gold ring]
  8. 16-80 mm/ 2.8-4IN AF S VR [gold ring]
  9. 16-85 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR
  10. 17-55 mm/2.8G AF-S [gold ring]
  11. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S [black / silver]
  12. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6GII AF-S [black / silver]
  13. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR
  14. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6GII AF-S VR
  15. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-P
  16. 18-55 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-P VR
  17. 18-70 mm/3.5-4.5G AF-S
  18. 18-105 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR [Thailand / China]
  19. 18-135 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S
  20. 18-140 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR [Thailand / China]
  21. 18-200 mm/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR [Japan / China]
  22. 18-200 mm/3.5-5.6GII AF-S VR
  23. 18-300 mm/3.5-5.6G VR
  24. 18-300 mm/3.5-6.3G VR
  25. 55-200 mm/4-5.6G AF-S [black / silver, Japan / China]
  26. 55-200 mm/4-5.6G AF-S VR
  27. 55-200 mm/4-5.6GII ED VR
  28. 55-300 mm/4.5-5.6G AF-S VR
  29. 70-300 mm/4.5-6.3G AF-P
  30. 70-300 mm/4.5-6.3G AF-P VR

Results

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm 1: 3.5-4.5G ED DX SWM IF Aspherical is a good all-round lens for Nikon DX cameras. The lens has a good price / performance ratio and fast internal autofocus. Many amateur photographers bypass this old man, but as practice has shown, the Nikon 18-70mm is a really good lens.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

Add a comment: Dima

 

 

Comments: 310, on the topic: Review of the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 18-70mm 1: 3.5-4.5G ED DX SWM IF Aspherical

  • Dima

    Does it make sense to change 18-105 to this one? I don't like 18-105 on d5100 (

    • Arkady Shapoval

      it makes no sense, it’s better to look for Sigma / Tamron 17-50 / 2,8 with a stub

      • Dima

        Changed 18-105 to this one, found an almost new one. Heaven and Earth. Very satisfied. 18-105 is just a big piece of useless garbage. All the same, the glass, although old, but its class makes itself felt.

        • Victor

          I agree, I also like 18-70 more than 18-105.

          • Dima

            After using the lens for a while, I realized something else) Overall, it’s not bad at all. What bothered me much more was its very strong hare-likeness and rather bad geometry.
            He catches hares even in the most seemingly harmless situations where the 18-55 (Canon) was calmly filmed. Well, the geometry, the lower right corner seems to fall to the right at certain angles. This usually happens with extra-wide ones, but here it’s only 18 mm) It will be very interesting to find 16-85 and compare it with it...

  • Nelson Parra

    Excelente lente, a pesar de los años funciona perfecto, junio 2022, cómodo silencioso, se puede enfocar en enfoque automático genial

  • Dima

    One thing I don’t understand is why the misunderstanding 18-105 is still being produced without any updates, but this one was discontinued? Weight, size picture everything in it is excellent. Add a stub and improve dust protection (like sigma) and a bmba lens like a shuttle for crop.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      You mean no updates? But what about 18-140?

      • Dima

        This is a different glass) That would be 18-70 of the second version, for example ... It is ideal in size for small cropped cameras.

    • B. R. P.

      Manufacturers do not set themselves the task of releasing a “bimba”, only to get more profit.

    • Oleg

      Marketing. 18-140 at 70mm 5.6 will be. Nikon 16-80 F2.8-4 is his heir, better late than never. Canon doesn't have that.

      • Arkady Shapoval

        About 16-80, absolutely erroneous opinion
        A 18-140 direct development 18-105
        Staff member 18-135 was replaced / supplemented by 18-105, and that, in turn, 18-140.
        Model 16-80 belongs to the professional line and is an addition to 17-55 / 2.8, repeating the popular full-frame counterparts 24-120 / 4

        • Oleg

          I agree, not amateur

      • Victor

        16-80 is more likely the heir to 16-85, somewhat improved, as evidenced by the gold ring (but not a direct replacement for 17-55, for which Nikon has not yet released an update and most likely will not release it anymore)

  • Dima

    d5100 and 18-70

  • Dima

    d5100 and 18-70

    • Vitaliy Odessa

      Very beautiful photos!

  • Volodimir

    Good afternoon, better than beatings, life 18-70 chi mayzhe noviy 18-105 / 18-140 ? Not for commercial gain.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      18-140

  • Vadim

    I have two such lenses (nikon d300s, d80) One is adjusted perfectly, very sharp, the other blurs in the upper right corner even at f6,3.

  • Boris

    I came across a copy that was generally worse in sharpness than the 18-55/3,5-5,6GII ED, after which I fell in love with the latter, which also surpassed the 18-55/3,5-5,6G in picture quality VR

    • Alex

      It depends on the camera, for Nikon D40 18-55 / 3,5-5,6GII ED is very sharp, I compared it with Sigma 28-70 on F10, no difference. But 55 is not enough for me to take a portrait.

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