28–70mm · f/3.5–4.5
The Nikon AF Nikkor 28-70mm f/3.5-4.5 is a compact, lightweight midrange zoom praised for its sharpness and contrast, especially at the long end. It features a nine-bladed diaphragm and a hybrid aspherical element for good performance in a small package. Weaknesses include barrel distortion at 28mm, soft corners at wide apertures, and a rotating front element that complicates polarizer use. Build quality is decent with a metal mount, but AF is slow. It suits users prioritizing size and ease of use over ultimate sharpness, and works well on FX and film cameras.