This classical lens is in very good condition with some small marks in paint (see original pictures), no scratches on lenses, no fungus, no oil on aperture. Focus runs smooth. Very sharp lens. Comes with caps.
The 35-70mm f/3.5 AIS was Nikon's second professional midrange zoom. It was introduced in 1981 to replace the previous 35-70mm f/3.5 AI. This newer AI-s version is very similar to the previous AI version, but has an entirely different optical and mechanical system.
Both of the 35-70mm f/3.5 lenses are very sharp at every setting and have a constant f/3.5 aperture. Both f/3.5 zooms have less distortion than any of Nikon's f/2.8 zooms, and that means much better than the 24-70mm AF-S and 28-70mm AF-S, each of which costs over ten times as much.
These excellent, professional f/3.5 constant-aperture zooms have nothing to do with the numerous f/3.3-4.5 and f/3.5-4.8 zooms, which are among Nikon's crappiest lenses. The only thing they share is the focal range.
Lens works with every manual focus Nikon ever made, from the F of 1959 through the FM3a and today's FM10. On the D3(s,x), D3000, D700, D300, D200, and D2 use the "Non-CPU Lens Data" menu option to get full color matrix metering, EXIF data and finder read-out of set aperture. It works great in aperture-preferred as well as manual modes on these cameras. The meters of cheaper digital (D90, D5000 and below) will not couple (or work at all) with this lens, so you have to meter manually
