18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF compared to 35-70mm f/2.8 on a D7000

Seagull_4A

New member
Hi,
I have used a 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF for years on my D7000 and for some work would like a smaller depth of field so have been trying an example of the 35-70 F2.8D. At 70MM and F4.5 the 35-70 does not seem to be as quite as sharp as the 18-70.

What am I doing wrong?
Thanks
 

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
Hi,
I have used a 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED-IF for years on my D7000 and for some work would like a smaller depth of field so have been trying an example of the 35-70 F2.8D. At 70MM and F4.5 the 35-70 does not seem to be as quite as sharp as the 18-70.

What am I doing wrong?
Thanks
You might not be doing anything wrong as per say, but you have to remember that this particular lens is very prone to flare, specially when used with backlight. I have one and find it almost unusable with very light scenes or backlit subjects WHEN USED WIDE OPEN. As soon as I close to around 5.6, it becomes one of my sharpest lens. But I had to remove and clean the front element that seemed at the time a bit foggy and it helped a lot for sharpness. If you can use a spanner to unscrew the front element and clean it, you should improve it quite a bit. I love the macro function of this lens.
 
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