Data sheet: Nikkor AF 70-210 mm f/4

Pekka Buttler, 01/2024

Specifications

The table below summarizes the lens’ key specifications (measurements based on pictured sample):

Brand:	AF Nikkor	Lens name	50mm 1:1.8
Focal length(s)1	70-210 mm	Angle-of-view2	34°20–11°50
Maximum Aperture	f/4	In Production	1986–1987
Lens mount	Nikon F	Subfamily (if applicable)	AF
Length3	148,2 mm	Diameter4	76,7 mm
Filter ring diameter	62 mm	Weight	764 grams
Lens element count	13	Lens group count	9
Aperture blades (S/R/C)5	7 S	Focus throw	180 °
Minimum focusing distance	110 cms	Maximum magnification	1:3,9
Has manual aperture ring	YES	Has Manual focus ring	YES

Further notes:
• This autofocus tele-zoom was in the Nikon lineup for only barely over half a year. During that time, roughly 110 000 copies were manufactured.
• Even so, this is quite a remarkable lens. When Nikon in 1986 introduced its autofocus camera (the F-501) and new lineup of AF lenses, Nikon did not introduce a professional-level tele zoom. In fact, the only tele zoom that Nikon introduced in tandem with its bid to take the AF market with storm was this lens.
• This is remarkable, as this lens was a direct descendant of the 1981 design of the Nikon Series E 70-210/4 [data sheet], a lens that was intended as a decidedly budget-friendly offering (the previous design was merely given a new housing and a slot-drive given autofocus mechanism.
• Nikon’s decision to base their first autofocus tele zoom on the budget-friendly series E design is all the more surprising as Nikon also had the option of using the (among pro’s) well-appreciated 80-200/4 design that was (and remained) the mainstay of pro photographers until 1987.
• In 1987 Nikon replaced this lens in its current lineup by two lenses:
– one was the more modern-looking and more compact but less bright AF 70-210/4-5.6 (see ‘versions‘)
– another was the AF 80-200/2.8 – Nikon’s first professional Autofocus tele zoom, and Nikon’s first economically sensible tele zoom with a f/2.8 maximum aperture.
• The Nikkor AF 70-210 mm f/4 features an internal zoom (it does not change shape when zooming), but it does change length while focusing. Likewise, the filter thread rotates when focusing.
• Nikon’s recommended lens hood for this lens is the HN-24, a metal, thread mounted lens hood originally introduced for the series E lens, but used for that, this and several subsequent Nikon tele zooms.

A brief genealogy of Nikon SLR lens types

Nikon is undoubtedly one of the great names in 35 mm SLR photography. The Nikon F mount has been in continuous production since 1959. During that time, the mount has developed/changed in some detail, however without ever fully sacrificing compatibility.

In short (a longer version is here), the development of Nikon’s SLR lenses can be traced as follows:
• 1959–1977: Pre-Ai. Manual focus lenses that use ‘rabbit ears’ to communicate selected aperture with the camera body.
• 1977–1986: Ai and Ai-s. Manual focus lenses that may have ‘rabbit ears’ for backward compatibility, but are designed to communicate selected aperture with the camera body through indentations in base of aperture control ring.
• 1986–today: AF and AF-D. Autofocus lenses that do not have a focusing motor within the lens, but rely on the focus motor within the camera. All AF and AF-D lenses are simultaneously Ai-s lenses (they are Ai-s lenses extended with AF) ⁶
• 1996–today AF-S and AF-P. Autofocus lenses that have an internal focusing motor and do not rely on the body having a focusing motor.

Adapting

Besides adapting, this lens can be used natively on all current high-end Nikon dSLRs and several earlier medium-to-high-end older Nikon dSLRs. Moreover, if the camera body contains a slot-drive focusing motor, this lens will even auto-focus⁷. Likewise, if the lens has been retrofitted with ‘rabbit ears’, it can be natively used on all Nikon F-mount film cameras ever produced (without the rabbit ears, it is limited to post-1977 bodies).

Thanks to being a fully manual lens (manual aperture, manual focus), the lens can be adapted to all mirrorless cameras using a suitable dumb adapter (and such adapters are easy to find). Moreover, a large range of special adapters (helicoid adapters, tilt/shift adapters, speed boosters) for using Nikon F lenses on most mirrorless systems are available. Currently no adapters for mirrorless exist that would allow autofocus through the slot-drive screw.

Using Nikon F lenses on non-Nikon SLRs and dSLRs is likewise a distinct possibility. Thanks to the relatively generous flange focal distance of the Nikon F mount (46,5 mm), adapter rings for all dSLR mounts are available as well as for a goodly portion of film-era SLR mounts. Such rings will not allow autofocus, and are unlikely to support auto aperture, but even then the lenses can be used in stop-down metering mode.

Footnotes

¹ Focal length is (unless stated otherwise) given in absolute terms, and not in Full-frame equivalent. For an understanding of whether the lens is wide/tele, see ‘Angle-of-view’.

² Picture angle is given in degrees and concerns the diagonal picture angle. Rule of thumb:
> 90 ° ==> Ultra-wide-angle
70–90 ° ==> Wide-angle
50–70 ° ==> Moderate wide-angle
40–50 ° ==> ‘Standard’ or ‘normal’ lens
20–40 ° ==> Short tele lens
10-20 ° ==> Tele lens
5-10 ° ==> Long tele lens
< 5 ° ==> Ultra-tele lens

³ Length is given from the mount flange to the front of lens at infinity.

⁴ Diameter excludes protrusions such as rabbit ears or stop-down levers.

⁵ S=straight; R=rounded; C=(almost)circular at all apertures.

⁶ There is a further sub-class of AF-D lenses called AF-I lenses that are otherwise AF-D lenses (meaning, fully Ai-s compatible), but have an internal focus motor. Only long tele lenses were made in AF-I variants.

7 As of this writing, the following Nikon dSLRs fully support autofocus, aperture priority and manual metered modes on Nikkor AF/AF-D lenses: D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, Df, D200, D300, D300s, D500, D600, D610, D700, D750, D780, D800, D800E, D810, D850, D7000, D7100, D7200