Are all 35mm zoom lens change f-stop?

L

Lor

Well-known member
Are all Nikon zoom lenses not maintaining same f-stop through its zoom range? Lately I've found that (at least the one I have) the lens's f-stop changes as I zoom in and zoom out. Is true for all 35mm lens? If not, what are some of the Nikon zoom lens that does not change f-stop as I zoomed in?
 
it doesnt happen on the highest end lenses, which will run in the thousands. Zooms aren't always the best anyway, because you're really only going to be able to open up to f2.8 even on the best ones.
 
Thanks for the response. I was hoping that if I can get a Nikon zoom lens of 24-85mm f2.8 then I can eliminate carrying a 24mm, 50mm, and 85mm lens. However, as it turns out, my 24-120mm f3.5 I purchased for my sister goes up to 4.5 when zoomed in all the way. That's when I realized why so many people uses prime lenses instead of zoom lens. I was just wondering if what I've expereinced is true with lower end of Nikon zoom lenses.

What are some higher end 35mm lens that will not have this problem? I am just curious about what they are.

Thanks!
 
Constant aperture lenses are simply more expensive to produce, particularly if good edge fall-off properties must be maintained. That said, they're wonderful to use.

We've sourced and tested the Nikon 17-35 f2.8, 35-70 f2.8d and 80-200 f2.8d on the Brevis. These three all feature constant aperture and the 17-35 and 80-200 feature complete internal focussing. This means these lenses never change their length and are perfect for mattebox use. The 35-70 does change it's length and is therefore a PITA to use.

The one stinker is that focus throws on these zooms are fairly short when compared to the much longer travel of our SLR format Zeiss lenses. This behaviour is more or less ameliorated by using the correct follow focus equipment..but that's another post.
 
The lenses Denis sites are noticeably sharper than the Nikon AI or AIS Primes, even wide open. I'd put them in the same league as ZF primes in terms of sharpness. They're that good.
 
Many thanks for those who contributed to this thread. I wanted to find out so although I may not be able to buy it now, perhaps sometime in the future. I need to find out more information about it as much as I can.

I noticed the letter "d" after the 2.8. What does this mean? One other thing, there are at least two different models of the 80-200mm f2.8 lens, correct? I saw one that have three rings and one that has two. I assumed the one that have three ring is the one that Dennis is referring to, correct?
 
I just thought of another question while I'm reviewing this thread. If I decided to purchase the 80-200mm f2.8, is there any reason to keep my 135mm f2.8 and 180mm f2.8 prime Nikon lenses? The same question goes with a 17-35mm f2.8. Do I need to keep my 24mm and 28mm f2.8 prime lenses? A couple of problems I've discovered with prime lenses (at least the ones I have) are that I have to carry more than three or four lenses to cover a range of 17mm to 200mm. In addition, since it is not internally focus, the lens barrel does change lengths and that is just so hard to use on a matte box let alone using follow focus.

Any opinions/suggestions/recomendations is much appreciated.
 
Speaking only in terms of our adapter (which has been thoroughly tested with these lenses) the 17-35 f2.8D has the best edge to edge illumination that we've seen from any wide angle lens, prime or otherwise. The Nikon 17-35mm 2.8d is my number one recommended lens and would replace the primes in it's range. It's not quite as good as our Zeiss f28mm f2.0, but the 17-35 versatility is great. At NAB I conversed with a fellow who was using this lense with another adapter and was not happy...so check first if you're not using our adapter system.

The downside of the entire line of 2.8D lenses, is the short focus throw. This will be addressed completely with our FF unit transmission option 2 (to come) which is designed for this challenge. Folks who have worked in the industry and are used to Zeiss-like focussing accuracy will not like the Nikon zoom lense's short throw.

Our new FF and gears are designed to handle lenses where the focus ring travels during racks. The system can handle over 1 inch of travel...so your primes would work fine with this system. The mattebox challenge though is what makes internal focussing lenses a dream to work with...they don't change length regardless of focus or zoom settings.
 
Many thanks for the response, Dennis. Even though I already have my own FF, I may have to think about your FF and gears. I have been having so much problem with lens changing lengths when focusing.

So another word, don't sell my prime lenses yet until I'm happy with the Nikon zoom lenses. The only concern is I don't know much about lenses and that's why your opinion and many others are important to me.

Again, thanks!
 
Hey tim, after your review of the 80 to 200mm 2.8 I decided to pic one up and all I can say is this is this lens is a freak of nature. sharp, clean and crisp. it's just so heavy. what do you guys think about the 35 to 70mm compared to zeiss slr in terms of sharpness and pleasent bokeh rendition?
 
Dennis, when you're referring to the Nikon 80-200mm f2.8d, are you talking about the AF-s or AF-D? I just found out that the AF-s is much more expensive. For attaching to the 35mm adapter, is the AF-s better over the AF-D?
 
In adapter use I would think that there is no advantage to the AF-S. The autofocus is faster with it but that has no meaning to you. It also weighs less than the AF-S.
 
Many thanks for the input. So basically the big difference is the auto focus speed gain in the AF-S version. The AF-D does have a silent wave motor as well, correct?
 
Yes, our 17-35 and 80-200 are the AF-D. We love them, aside from the short focus throw. The intermediate constant aperture f2.8 D 35-70mm (discontinued) is a lens I don't like as it doesn't have internal focusing and also changes length when zoomed. The stillmotion.ca crew has been here for a few days helping us out with a commercial shoot and the lens set being used is comprised of our 28/35/50/85/100 Zeiss primes...and the 17-35 + 80-200mm Nikon zooms. If I could suggest a "dream" lens collection, that would be it.
 
Dennis, did you mention something about your Follow Focus being able to help improve the throw on these lenses? that's some fancy gearing if so!
 
Does anyone have an opinion on the Nikon 28-70mm f2.8 lens? From what I've read, it has internal focusing and constant aperture at 2.8. Is it as sharp as the primes of 28mm, 50mm, and 55mm? I'm looking to replace all those primes if this one lens are as sharp as those three prime lenses.
 
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