In article <54j9m6$kgt@nntp.ucs.ubc.ca>, mkeller@geog.ubc.ca says...

>I am planning to buy a Nikon zoom in the 28/35 - 70/85 range. I
>think I have narrowed my choices to:
>
>28-85AF f3.5-4.5
>28-70AF f3.5-4.5
>35-70AF f3.3-4.5 (now discontinued)
>35-70AF f2.8
>
>Currently I use an MF Nikon camera but am soon planning to buy an
>AF camera (F90?) which is why I want to buy an AF lens. My needs are
>rugged, good optical quality, lightweight, and reasonable speed in
>roughly that priority.

(Keep in mind while reading the following that I am feeling
"curmudgeony" this morning....;-) Why would you want to give
up easy, quick, accurate, quiet MF, with pleasant-to-feel
machined-metal barreled MF lenses and solid MF bodies with
sharp VF's in favor of the newer plastic "stuff" that offers
none of the above?! The ONLY reason I can think of is to gain
the advantages of TTL flash fill-ratio control and the ability
to use fast films with TTL flash (the reasons I use 8008's at
all [but in full manual mode {'cept for the TTL flash} and
with manually controled flash fill-ratio]). I do not find
having to continually "out think" the AE and AF systems
(and to then apply corrections) is a faster mode of operation
than full manual control - and it is less pleasant than using
MF gear manually for me. AF and AE are fine for the "point-
and-shoot" beginner crowd, but the reduced accuracy in exposure
and focus, and the reduced control over the look of the final
photos are not advantages to me.... (More or less the end of
this rant...;-) To your question: having tried them all, a good
sample of the 28-85mm may be best (though I am beginning to see
that the same optics offered in both MF and AF barrels often seem
to perform better in the MF version.... [that rant, again!;-]).
The 28-85mm is sharp throughout its range from f5.6; the
28-70 has good uniformity of performance throughout its range,
but is slightly less sharp than the 28-85 overall; the 35-70
3.3-4.5 MF is very good at the short end, but so-so at the long
(and the last few AF samples that I have seen have been poor
in parts of the range); the 35-70 f2.8 is overrated, IM(NS)HO
(it is good stopped down, but that's not the point....). BTW,
AF lenses with AF bodies with AF flash will drive you nuts if you
like to control the flash pattern (the SB-24/5/6 privide excellent
capability for evenly lighting deep rooms, shading off near
subjects, etc. by choosing the angle of view and tilt/swivel angle
manually) - when you zoom, the flash zooms with the AF lens, undoing
your carefully selected set-up (bleah!). Also, BTW, before taking
the plunge, I would take your MF body and some lenses with you to
the store, and compare feel, tightness-of-fit, and particularly
the ease of MF'ing lenses on both types of bodies (assuming that
you can see the finders sharply, you may see why I will not buy
an N90 - the screen isn't as sharp as those in older [even AF!]
bodies... Ah, "progress"!). Given your requirements, I would consider
an FM-2 and a 35mm f2 AI/AIS or 28mm f2.8 AIS and 85mm f2 AI/AIS -
light, sharp, fast lenses; easy, quiet, and pleasant to use; durable,
and unlikely to quit in damp weather (as 8008's often do, with low
batteries); and the spare battery weighs almost nothing.
Uh, Hope This Helps