Nikon AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D / Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G
- The Portraiture Lenses

Nikon AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D	Nikon AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D with hood (reversed)
Nikon AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D close-up	Nikon AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D (front view)
Nikon AF 50mm f/1.8D, Nikon AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D compared (no hood)	Nikon AF 50mm f/1.8D, Nikon AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D compared (zoom lens with hood)
Nikon AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D, Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G compared (no hood)	Nikon AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D, Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G compared (with hood)

Lens data for the Nikon AF-S 28-70 mm f/2.8D: Lens construction: 15 elements in 11 groups Closest focusing: 0.7 m / 2.3 ft (0.5 m / 1.6 ft. at macro setting) For DX sensors: full frame equivalent: 42 - 105 mm Filter: 77 mm Hood: HB-19 (provided) Dimensions: 3.5 x 4.8 in Weight: 33.0 oz. Appearance: 1999 Lens data for the Nikon AF-S 24-70 mm f/2.8G: Lens construction: 15 elements in 11 groups Closest focusing: 0.38 m / 1.2 ft (at 35-50 mm) For DX sensors: full frame equivalent: 36 - 105 mm Filter: 77 mm Hood: HB-40 (provided) Dimensions: 3.3 x 5.2 in Weight: 31.7 oz. Appearance: 2007 Performance on cameras with DX-sized sensors: The decision to buy the Nikon AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D was not an easy one: Initial tests with it caused mixed feelings. The Nikon AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D is quite big and heavy considering the focal range it covers. With its hood in place it looks impressive - a bit too conspicuous for my taste. But mechanically it is built to last, a truly professional lens. Focusing with the Fuji S5 or the Nikon D200 is fast and accurate. For sports photography I prefer the Nikon AF-S 17-35mm f/2.8D (which has more depth of field due to its wider angle) or the Nikon AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G VR (which can capture scenes far away so tracking is hardly a challenge for the camera). However, for portraiture at social events (weddings, birthday parties, ...) this lens cannot be replaced. It enables the photographer to frame and focus in almost no time. Optically this lens offers excellent performance: At all focal lengths the center of the image is already sharp at f/2.8, while the edges show a slight softness. Closing down the lens to f/4 is recommended for excellent sharpness across the image. For shorter distances (e. g. for portraiture) this lens is fantastic - it's tack sharp and delivers excellent contrast even at f/2.8 and for all focal lengths. The slight edge softness at f/2.8 is no problem for these applications. The Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8D fills the gap between the 17-35mm and 70-200mm professional lenses. If you want to take all three lenses with you, back problems might occur sooner or later. For me, choosing another (lighter) lens in the focal range between 28mm and 70mm is not an option: Working with the Nikon AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D lens is pure joy. When comparing the Nikon AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D lens to the much cheaper "all-in-one" travelling lens Nikon AF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5D, the two show the same performance at the 28mm setting and f/4. You really can't tell which is which. Between 50mm and 70mm however, the AF-S 28-70mm lens is the clear winner - with better sharpness and contrast. More on the optical quality (including lens performance comparisons) of the Nikon AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D lens can be seen here . Performance on a full frame camera (Nikon D3): There is a little bit of vignetting when the lens is used wide open (at f/2.8) at the 28mm setting on a Nikon D3 full frame camera. The vignetting drops to a minimum at about f/5.6 and then gets stronger again (at larger f values). The light fall-off is very acceptable at f/2.8 and 28mm. It can be removed quite easily with post-processing (when shooting in RAW mode). At the 70mm setting, the light fall-off is a little bit stronger when compared to the 28mm setting and a bit more difficult to remove at f/2.8. Sharpness of the lens on a Nikon D3 depends on subject distance and, of course, on the aperture used. At 28mm-70mm, large distances and f/2.8, image sharpness is pretty good in the center and on the soft side at the outer edge. At f/5.6, sharpness is excellent from the image center to the corners. For very close distances, the image is rather soft when the lens is used wide open (f/2.8) but gets a lot better when closed down to 5.6.

In 2007, Nikon introduced the AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G lens - in combination with the Nikon D3 full frame camera. The new Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G lens is slimmer but slightly longer than the Nikon AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D lens. Both lenses have a similiar weight. The new AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G shows the same amount of vignetting as the older AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D at all focal lengths. At f/2.8 it is sharper than the older lens, especially at the edge (but also in the center at 70 mm focal length). At f/5.6, both lenses are equally sharp. Besides the fact that the new lens zooms out to 24mm instead of 28mm, it also delivers a bit better contrast and slightly warmer colors at all apertures and focal lengths. In addition, the closest focusing distance has been shortened considerably. The advantages of the new lens shouldn't be overestimated though - if you use the lens from f/5.6-11 and don't mind the slight loss in contrast (which can be brought back in post-processing), the Nikon AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D lens still delivers. For optimal sharpness in the extreme corners (e. g. for landscape work), even the new lens should be closed down to f/5.6 or f/8. For more information on the performance of both lenses on a Nikon D3 full frame camera, click here . Rating for the Nikon AF-S 28-70 mm f/2.8D lens (Maximum: 5, Minimum: 1): Image quality wide open: 3.5-4 (28mm, infinity setting), 4 (50-70mm, infinity setting) 4 (close-ups) Overall image quality: 4-4.5 "Bokeh": 4 ("old school" Bokeh) Build quality: 5 Rating for the Nikon AF-S 24-70 mm f/2.8G lens (Maximum: 5, Minimum: 1): Image quality wide open: 4-4.5 (28mm, infinity setting), 4.5 (50-70mm, infinity setting) 4 (close-ups) Overall image quality: 4.5 "Bokeh": 4.5 Build quality: 5 Lens construction for the Nikon AF-S 28-70 mm f/2.8D: Yellow: ED glass; blue: aspherical elements Bild © 2008 Nikon Corporation (source) Lens construction for the Nikon AF-S 24-70 mm f/2.8G: Yellow: ED glass; blue: aspherical elements Bild © 2008 Nikon Corporation (source) External reviews (Nikon AF-S 28-70 mm f/2.8D & Nikon AF-S 24-70 mm f/2.8G) naturfotograf.com (24-70mm & 28-70mm) imagepower.de (24-70mm) slrgear.com (24-70mm) photozone.de (24-70mm) momentcorp.com (24-70mm) popphoto.com (24-70mm) kenrockwell.com (24-70mm)

Some images taken with the Nikon AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8D lens
(Sensor: DX format):

Some images taken with the Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G lens
(Sensor: FX format):