Stirring, For The Purposes Of

I used a Nikkor 70-210mm f/4 AF lens on a Nikon D50. Here it faced a stern test: 1600 ISO; 210mm; 1/100th (far too slow - you can see the camera shake) and wide open at f/4. I broke practically all the rules.

The Nikkor 70-210mm f/4 AF lens, introduced in 1986, was made for only 18 months, and was replaced by the smaller, slower and cheaper AF 70-210mm f/4-5.6. The AF 70-210mm f/4 is largely distortion-free, whereas the successor AF 70-210mm f/4-5.6 is handicapped by high levels of distortion.

This lens is useful on several counts. If your digital SLR has the AF screw drive, you can use all the features of this lens without hindrance. It is a good deal lighter to carry than an f/2.8 alternative, and only one stop different throughout the focal range, being a lens of constant aperture.