Replace my nikon 24-70mm 2.8? FX Prim and zoom suggestions.

The Nikon 24-70mm 2.8.  Lovely lens, sharp as a knife, but like a knife cuts you all up with it bricklike bulk!

Well.. ok, its not that bad!

Pros: Sharp all over, very reliable fast AF, 2.8, sweet bokeh! and strong vs weather and getting bashed.

Cons: Nose heavy, bulky, tight fitting design is its downfall in terms of breakdowns! but mostly you can poke it into imposable locations at arms length!

Its a sweet little .. big lens, I love it so! I tell myself I could never part ways, but I keep revisiting what I should replace it with in my head! When that sort of thing happens once to often then one should probably pursue that thought.

Use: Walk about 'everything lens' and fast, fast action where a prim just wont do! (I use the 24 - 70 zoom range evenly.)

I want a zoom to replace it that's perhaps 'physically shorter' and hopefully lighter, at the cost of a little image quality id imagine. I need it to be fast in AF, reliable and easy to zoom. Or in short a 24-70m 2.8 only more practical.

The 28-80mm F3.3-5.6 ticks the boxes (amazingly mines just as sharp as the 24-70 on D700 in a lot of shooting conditions and AF is faster!), I have one for IR.. But the issue seams to be an all over lack of contrast if in the 'wrong conditions' like shooting into the hugely bright overcast sky. Lens hoods no worth the plastic its made from and this is not an issue I can live with. Its construction it not well sealed ether so I think using it in the rain will quickly upset the thing, unlike the impenetrable 24-70! (note 24-70's barrel extension is within the lens hood thus untouchable by rain. (Im in England I shoot in the rain, its England! lol))

So yeah full frame zooms, target range 24-70mm no shorter than 70mm unless I get desperate. I do not 'need' it to be a 2.8, but it dose make a difference on a dim day in the forest.

I'm also looking at prim lenses to compliment the zoom im seeking. I have my reasons not to go all out prim!

A while back I picked out the 35mm F2 for its reasonable nice IQ and the fact its diaphragm is not rounded, its nice sometimes to make a few sun stars with out having to stop down to F16. Admittedly I was planning to use it alongside the 24-70 though. I didn't manage to get it yet. I also have the 105mm macro. So id consider perhaps plopping the 50mm 1.8 in the bag leaving me to ponder around 24mm if I need it. But that may well depend on the zoom I get so I haven't looked at 24mm prim yet. I don't mind older lenses, but I would like AF. Small and light and my budget likely tight! Again full frame suggestions please.

I shoot raw in and correct in lightroom4 but less corrections tends to be better I find. Budget is what I get for the 24-70, it needs new rubbers but its in like new condition. Let me know if your interested lol! So, keeping that in mind.

Short zoom suggestions.

Prim selection thoughts and suggestions.

35mm F2 (£250)    50mm F1.8 (£110)    105mm F2.8 (£0 have it)