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Help me choose.... 24-70 2.8 or 24-120 4.0

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AAnnette

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To be used on the d7k, until....? I am not a professional, appreciate good pics though!

Have a toddler and horse activities. Not to be lens horny (don't know what else to call it, don't mean to be offensive), but at this time I have the $$ and want to get the best quality for what my uses are, with hopes to not say coulda, woulda, shoulda got...

Going to camera shop for hands on & purchase today. I will take my camera and questions I get from here. I have internet searched for weeks and still not leaning strongly one way or the other...

Pros LOVE the 24-70 2.8 I get that.... Please don't gasp when I ask... With the VR @ 4.0 will that even be close to the quality of 2.8 ?
Comments appreciated~
Thanks Annette
 
The 24-70 will have lightning-fast AF and be a more durable lens than the 24-120. The 24-70 will test better for resolution and will give you a little more subject separation if you shoot portraits at f/2.8. The 24-120 should be an excellent all-around lens for the normal-to-wide range of outdoor shooting. The additional f-stop of the 24-70 will give it a definite advantage of one shutter speed shooting candids in available light indoors. If your action shots are mostly outside, the 24-120 will give you a useful addition to the reach of the lens.

I think I would go with the 24-120, and expect Nikon to give me a new fast wide prime within the next year or two in the 18-24mm range that I would get to use for indoor candids.

--
Pat
 
Annette,

Neither. I have both. The 24-70 is indeed a very sharp lens. The 24-120mm f/4 is also a handy lens, but not spectacular in any way - just a good compromise with a decent zoom range.

I would go for a Sigma 17-50mm. It is a very sharp lens and the OS helps quite a bit. At f/2.8 it is very crisp. I find it to be a more useful range than my 24-70mm and much lighter/smaller. The 24-70mm is a bit of a beast, and I can see that some people, who do not meet the minimum height/weight standards for an NFL wide receiver, might get a bit sore in the neck after lugging it around for a few hours.

Thom Hogan ranks the Sigma as the best choice for wide aperture DX lenses in the market - over the Tamron 17-50mm (non-OS) and Nikon 17-55mm (also a bit of a beast). I have the Tamron 17-50mm as well and think it is an excellent value as well. I intend to sell mine after picking up the Sigma, but the Tamron (non-OS) is a great choice for the money. The OS-based version of the Tamron is not rated as sharp as the non-OS.

If you are looking for a very flexible zoom and wide apertures aren't a big concern, you can also look at the 18-200mm VRII from Nikon. Despite some of the reviews, I have found that my copy is very sharp and renders excellent quality pictures on my D7000. For that matter, the 28-300mm is also surprisingly good and has an incredibly flexible range. The above picture was taken recently with my Sigma 17-50mm.
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Best Regards,
Bob
http://www.flickr.com/photos/innerdemon/
http://www.epochphoto.com
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Best Regards,
Bob
http://www.flickr.com/photos/innerdemon/
http://www.epochphoto.com
 
Thanks for adding thought of the Sigma, not against it, just haven't considered it. I'll have to check it out when in Reno today.

I have the 70-200 2.8vr2. Primarily for barrel racing haven't used it for much else.

I understand most don't want the overlap 120-200 but lens I'm about to buy would be the one that remains on the camera unless at rodeos & horseshow, or at least that is the intention.

I used the kit lens last night and... not the same... SURPRISE !! So it confirmed, I'm on the right track to need another "main lens"
Thanks
 
I was thinking too short for me, but that range has been recommended a few times,.
I will check into it ~ Thanks!!
 
Your kit lens (assuming it is the 18 - 105) has comparable IQ to the 24 - 120 f4 for most shooting situations. I would not recommend purchasing the expensive 24 - 120 f4 unless you are thinking about moving to an fx camera and want a reasonably versatile zoom to use (primarily) outdoors. I have used both lenses and the sharpness, contrast, overall IQ, etc. is similar between these two lenses. If I had an extra $1,300 laying around, the approximate cost of the 24 - 120 f4 lens, and I was not thinking about moving to fx, I would stick with the kit (18 - 105) zoom lens and look for something different that would better supplement my shooting needs. The 24 - 120 f4 is a pretty good, but not an outstanding lens. It is a little better IQ wise than the more versatile 28 - 300, but not significantly so. The 24 - 120 f4 is not a very fast lens so indoor shooting in average to below average light can prove problematic. In my opinion, it is just not a particularly good value for the money overall. This is a lens that I very closely scrutinized for possible purchase, and then decided to purchase something else that I thought would better meet my needs. Again, I want to make it clear that I am not saying the 24 - 120 is a bad lens; it is a fairly good lens. But just not an especially good value for the money, IMHO.
 
If you don't want that "shoulda, woulda, coulda" feeling, then you'd buy top of the range, no?

And Nikon's top-of-the-range midrange zoom is the Nikon 24-70 f2.8. It's really that simple; people will point to certain apertures and focal lengths where other lenses can match or perhaps even beat it, but as a total package no other midrange zoom can match its strengths.

I shoot it on a Nikon D7000. If I want/need to go wider I use a wide-angle, just as if I want to get closer I shoot a telephoto.

Buy it, use it, you'll forget about the rest.
AAnnette said:
I was thinking too short for me, but that range has been recommended a few times,.
I will check into it ~ Thanks!!
Click to expand...
 
You'v asked a very debated questions. Watch this thread for a while, better yet search on the subject and you will find the full spectrum of opinions, which means that overall there is no clear winner, only prferences based on needs, application, and personal opinion. I have the 24-120 F4, and although very happy with it, I often wonder what am I missing when I read some of the reviews at the 24-70 end of the spectrum. I might rent a 24-70 to see just to satisfy myself.

What does all this tell me: We are comaring two excellent lenses, so there is no clear cut
 
Thanks, great responses AND I'm glad I posed this dilemma
JakeB~~ Well said, that's what I like, no badgering, no non-sense !!
mbecke~~ Nice considerations, Thanks. What filled your needs ??

ofior~~ Thank-you precisely why I rented the 70-200vr2 before purchase and have ZERO regrets. Well excepy maybe when I have my kit lens out to 70 or higher...
Keep helping guys,
Annette
 
Sorry for the typos, boy do I wish the forum had a spell checker for "keyboard fat fingers" like mine! Enjoy whatever you decide, good luck! Hard to go wrong when choosing among the best

Ozzie
 
I bought the 24-70 and on use it on a D700, it just continues to amaze me to the point I am now lusting after the 70-200 as well. The only drawback to this lens is the weight, if you carry it around for any length of time you will not need to go to the gym. Still, that aside, I will never part with it. One of Nikon's absolute best and I have had many of them over the last 35 years. On DX it should be a fantastic lens but you might want to get a wide angle lens as well. I am not familiar with the new DX lenses, but am sure you will get good advice here. Good luck.
 
If you have the money to spend.......the 24-70 hands down. I use it professionally and I hammer it into the ground. It has never failed, produces sharp clear pictures and focuses almost immediately. It's perfect for kids because it has zoom capabilities and it is great indoors. I have put it through the ringer and back and it is still my 'go to lens' for family and professional work. You will never miss the shot with it.....like I said, I ALWAYS have it on my camera and I use my other camera for changing the lens depending on what else I need to achieve. Do you self a favor and get it!! It will be a great investment for years to come.

http://www.mattsonphotographers.com check out the facebook link for recent examples. Almost all of the recent work is shot with that lens (with the exception of the close ups which were either a 105 mm or my 70-300 VRII)
 
I have both. I rarely use the 24-70. The 24-120 is just as good both in quality of images and construction. They're both about as good as it gets. Of course the 70-200 VRII is better than either.
--
http://www.exoticfelineimages.org/
 
Why are you guys carrying the 24-70 on your neck??

Don't you guys have a Black Rapid or something else that is a lot better solution than carrying the huge 24-70 on your neck?

I even see way too many "pros" who use 2 bodies with factory straps, one with a 24-70 and the other with the 70-200, with one dangling on one shoulder and the other dangling on the other shoulder with both about to fall of the shoulder and the "pro's" posture and walking stance is constantly deformed cause you need to shift and wiggle your entire body constantly to prevent either camera from slipping off.

Get a cotton carrier or a BlackRapid, or something geez. Personally if a photographer shows up with like that I'd give him less credit just based on appearance. Trust me, I attend a LOT of weddings as a guest and the real good ones never use the factory strap and hang 2 camera on their shoulders and do a very uncomfortable juggling of 2 bodies for 4 hours.

sorry for straying off topic, but c'mon, if you are that serious about photography to buy the 24-70 then spending $50 on a blackrapid is a no brainer. I can walk all day with my d700/24-70 and not feel the weight.
 
24-70 Put it on my measly d7k and loved it. My moronic p settings took great pics in the camera store, like how it felt in my hands (don't think I'm suppose to say that...) and almost as importantly it made me smile.
My 1st pic is a snapshot of my kid in her car seat.
Soon as I get done saying "Thanks" for the help and many informative comments:

I'm going to search the web so I can check out the BLACK RAPID and maybe people will see me for my glass

Thanks, Advice was definately listenes to... Heci I wanna take a picture of my kids color crayons or something!!
Have a good night~ To All
 
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