Fred wrote:
There are 2 A35-70s. A 3.5-4.5 that I've seen go for as little as $25.00, it's a very decent lens. The other is the A35-70/4, it's a fantastic little zoom and I've seen them offered for as much as $125.00, I paid a little over $40.00 for mine a few years ago.
I paid a little more than that (3 times more!) but am quite happy with it. Now that I know how it performs, I'd do it again in a heartbeat!
In truth, I only paid $50 for mine, but it needed repair of the focus cam and pins, which cost more than the lens did! No problem, it's all worth it.
Heavy little sucker, but it's all worth is for it's capability.
The A 35-70/4 is a neat little lens, with a great macro function (it's one
of the very few so-called "macro zooms" worthy of the name). It's my
"dedicated Saturday/Sunday garden tour lens" (<g>) on a Super A. A little
too much barrel distortion at the 35mm end is its only shortcoming. Well,
its plasticky build may not be ideal, either,
I literally _never_ call Fred up to the bar, but... "plasticky?" This is an all metal lens with a lot of glass in it... By my postal scale, it weighs a good 12 ½ ounces.
Now, my lightweight (and plasticky) SMCP-A 35-80mm F/4.0-5.6 only weighs a shade over 7 oz. That's what I call a light-weight lens...
I use 'em both... :-)
keith whaley
...if you're used to heavier manual focus lenses, but it does make for a light weight compact lens for carrying, and it does seem to be at least adequately sturdy - mine doesn't seem to be getting sloppy after being lugged around a lot (and banged around a few times, too).
I've never tried the other version, as I usually avoid non-constant aperture zooms, unless there is a compensating compelling reason to use one. (For example, the VS1 70-210/2.8-4 is at least as good a lens optically as the 2nd VS1 70-210/3.5 version, and just might be the best of the five VS1 70-210's.) (Another possible example - some claim that the F 70-210/4-5.6 is better than the A 70-210/4, although I have not found that to be the case with the F that I have tried.) Note that this is not to say anything negative about the other A 35-70, but only to say I have never tried it.
Fred
