Nikon 24-120 f/4 Lens

[mgphotos]

Hey anyone using the Nikon 24-120 f/4 lens? Likes or dislikes? I'm trying to decide on the 24-120 or the 24-70. Maybe a little on the pricey side but I would like to hear some opinions. I have shot with the 24-70 and its really a nice lens. I realize it depends on how steady you are but does the VR really makeup for the faster 24-70 lens? Thanks

Mark

[bgpro611]

I've owned one for a few months now and am very happy with it. Its very sharp,has great color and covers the range I use most. One of the main reasons that I bought it is the weight saving over the 24-70, the 24-120 has pretty much stayed on my D-700 most of the time since I bought it. But having said that my 24-70 will never go away its just too good of a lens. If you're looking for the best and don't mind hauling around a fairly heavy lens go for the 24-70. But if you are like me the 24-120 will serve you very well in most situations.

[RedRaider]

I just bought the 24-70 last week, all I can say is WOW !!!

Never even considered the 24-120 and I don't believe you need the added expense or weight of VR in the 24-70 range. I owned the 16-85mm VRII for the past two years and hardly ever used VR.

Spend your money one time and buy the 24-70 f/2.8, you won't regret it!

[Paulo]

BUMP of Mark's thread.
I'm curious of the 24-120mm F4's performance as well. I've thoroughly enjoyed my 17-55 F2.8. Definitely loved toying around with the 24-70 F2.8. But the 24-120mm lens on a D700/D3body seems very interesting as the coverage amount is similar to 17-55 on a D300/D2x [1.5x crop factor-25.5mm-82.5mm(est)].
Reviews I've seen mostly says it's sharp with mild vignetting. How fast is the AF-s on it? Low light focusing? Does the nano-coating make a difference on this lens?

Originally Posted by bgpro611

I've owned one for a few months now and am very happy with it. Its very sharp,has great color and covers the range I use most. One of the main reasons that I bought it is the weight saving over the 24-70, the 24-120 has pretty much stayed on my D-700 most of the time since I bought it. But having said that my 24-70 will never go away its just too good of a lens. If you're looking for the best and don't mind hauling around a fairly heavy lens go for the 24-70. But if you are like me the 24-120 will serve you very well in most situations.

[bgpro611]

You kind of lost me with your 1.5 crop equivalent; seems like it should be 25.5 - 82.5 to me. I've got a 17-55 on my D-300 - it's a great lens but the range is a little short for me. The 24-120 has a fast focus in normal light and I can't say that I've noticed any problems in low light. As far as the nano coating flare is not a problem, contrast and color are good. I'm quite happy with this lens even at the price charged plus the 77mm filter size saved me some money. Its bigger than the 17-55 and does not seem to be as solid but still I like it.

[Paulo]

Sorry Dan. Typo on my part. You're right 25.5-82.5 for 1.5 crop factor.

[mgphotos]

I went with the 24-120. I've had it now for a couple of weeks. I've not used it much but here are a few pic's using it. This first one was shot the morning of the Marathon and not sure if I would keep it I didn't want to expose it the the bad weather that morning. The others were shot today a Peckham Park in Katy. The ones at the park were shot in RAW converted to jpg with very little levels adjustments. No sharpening has been done.






Mark

[Paulo]

Hi Mark. Just curious if you've capture additional images using the 24-120 F4. You're overall opinion positive, negative or pending on it? I'm considering but still on the fence.

[shnitz]

This lens works very well. It's a huge upgrade to the old 24-120. Nikon finally made a lens that can keep up with their offerings, now that their frontrunners are full-frame. It's also smaller, and works well wide open. If this lens were a Canon, it would definitely be an L lens.

I agree with these guys' assessments completely:
Nikon 24-120mm VR Review
The Untamed Landscape: Nikon AF-S 24-120 f4 review for Landscape Photography

I've tried a 24-70, but have not used it extensively. All of my D700 experience has been with friends' cameras, one is a landscape photographer and the other a photojournalist.

[Paulo]

Thanks Ariel. The majority of the reviews and comments I've seen regarding the new f4 VRII version of the 24-120mm has been positive. My concern is built quality though. Does it have a fairly solid feel?
I've used the 17-55 f2.8 and 80-200 f2.8 extensively on my D2x for some time before moving to full frame and weight of pro-grade lenses was never an issue to me when covering full day weddings. I love the range of 24-120 as that's where I find I shoot most often. But the 24-70 f2.8 and even the 28-70 f2.8 are just built like tanks...

[mgphotos]

Paulo - So far I've been happy with the lens and the results thus far although I haven't used it as much as I'd like to have. I've been doing sporting events and have needed my other lens for that. I did try it at a basketball game but its just not fast enough for that. I'm hoping to get out and do more portrait work here shortly. I sometimes wish I'd went with the 24-70 2.8 which I think the build quality might be better. The 24-70 seems to be a more solid feel but is also heavier. I did use it at a Baptism as few week ago and fortunately I was allowed to use flash. It was pretty dark in the church.
Which one did you decide on?

Mark

[Paulo]

Thanks Mark. I've been very impressed with the images coming from the 24-120 f4 and the range would be just about perfect but I've decide to go AF-S 28-70 route instead. The weight of pro lenses never bothered me though my tune will probably change in the future as I age. :)

[jstevensphoto]

I had the "old" 24-120 f3.5-5.6 for two years, despite the internet haters. I was never totally happy with the sharpness and I broke down and traded it in on the new 24-120 f4. Have no regrets. It stays on my D700 80% of the time. Great all-around lens, especially for events and travel. It also focuses very close. Also look at the 28-300. I gave it consideration but the 24-120 really met my needs. Good luck.

[auddii]

Don't know if anyone in this thread has decided to buy anything, but I did notice this:

http://www.pixtus.com/forum/buy-sell...f-2-8g-ed.html

[soymilk]

i just picked up one of these lenses as well. I posted up a new thread in the nikon lens area. It would be awesome if some of you guys could share a few photos as well.