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Anyone else ditched the 24-120VR ?
- Thread starter LeeD
- Start date
lowlight...
Active member
I got rid of mine. I took a beating on a trade....but now I have almost all primes...and am VERY satisfied. The range was nice...but I don't mind zooming with my feet...or changing lenses. The 50 1.8, 85 1.8, 180 2.8 and 300 afs f4 do me just fine...and the optical quality is difficult to beat.
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insert something mental here...
LeeD
Leading Member
I like primes for their sharpness as well as their compact dimensions and lighter weight. Going digital has somehow made me a bit more critical to optical quality. Before I was solely a zoom user with a film camera.
Regards.
Regards.
Hubert Tse
Forum Enthusiast
I behave the other way round. After going digital, I use zoom more often than before. The primes are sharper than a zoom. But with digital, I can do more on the images. The dust problem also discourages me from changing lenses too often.
I am now using mainly two zoom lenses: 12-24 DX and 24-120 VR. I use the 24-120VR much more often. It is very convenient to use when travelling around. I would have missed a lot of scenes if I have to change lenses in order to get the right shooting range. I guess what lenses to use it depends very much on what your shoot most. I like to take pictures of the daily life of local people when I visit a place. That makes a zoom more suitable for me.
Regards,
K. Tse
I am now using mainly two zoom lenses: 12-24 DX and 24-120 VR. I use the 24-120VR much more often. It is very convenient to use when travelling around. I would have missed a lot of scenes if I have to change lenses in order to get the right shooting range. I guess what lenses to use it depends very much on what your shoot most. I like to take pictures of the daily life of local people when I visit a place. That makes a zoom more suitable for me.
Regards,
K. Tse
Eric Freibrun
Well-known member
I got rid of mine after a "brick wall" test a couple of months ago revealed unacceptable softness at wide to mid focal lengths even with the lens stopped down. I returned it to Roberts/Indianapolis for a full refund.
I shoot film and the lens's deficiencies on slide film shot with an F5 with mirror locked up on a sturdy tripod were glaring (and no, I didn't expect it to be as sharp as a prime or the 17-35). The left side was particularly soft. I sent my test slides to Nikon Technical Relations in NY after discussing the issue with them through e-mail - when they succeed in improving their products, we all benefit, and this particular lens has been a disappointment to many, especially since it promised to be incredibly versatile, especially with VR! They acknowledged the problem, and suggested they could fix it. But I'd already returned the lens. I use the lighter, smaller, smaller 24-85 G, which I'm very happy with. Maybe I'll give this lens another try in a year or so. As a consumer, I felt punished once again for being an "early adopter" (early in the lens's production run). Good luck to all, Eric
I shoot film and the lens's deficiencies on slide film shot with an F5 with mirror locked up on a sturdy tripod were glaring (and no, I didn't expect it to be as sharp as a prime or the 17-35). The left side was particularly soft. I sent my test slides to Nikon Technical Relations in NY after discussing the issue with them through e-mail - when they succeed in improving their products, we all benefit, and this particular lens has been a disappointment to many, especially since it promised to be incredibly versatile, especially with VR! They acknowledged the problem, and suggested they could fix it. But I'd already returned the lens. I use the lighter, smaller, smaller 24-85 G, which I'm very happy with. Maybe I'll give this lens another try in a year or so. As a consumer, I felt punished once again for being an "early adopter" (early in the lens's production run). Good luck to all, Eric
Jan Willem Mars
Leading Member
this little lens has become my favourite nikon lens in no time!
my canon s45 portfolio can be seen at http://www.xs4all.nl/~jwmars at
my 'recent archives' there. Reactions appreciated.
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my canon s45 portfolio can be seen at http://www.xs4all.nl/~jwmars at
my 'recent archives' there. Reactions appreciated.
Wei-Hui,
Yours looks like mine: a bit soft in the corners at 24 mm wide open but no major flaw as some others have experienced. (My test is at http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1030&message=6004806 .)
On a recent trip to Italy I wasn't allowed to bring my tripod up the tower in Pisa (which we visited at twilight), into the dome at the duomo in Fiorenza, etc. I did OK leaning my camera against stone or a railing, but I wish I had had this lens then for hand-held shooting in low light!
Jim Kaye
Yours looks like mine: a bit soft in the corners at 24 mm wide open but no major flaw as some others have experienced. (My test is at http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1030&message=6004806 .)
On a recent trip to Italy I wasn't allowed to bring my tripod up the tower in Pisa (which we visited at twilight), into the dome at the duomo in Fiorenza, etc. I did OK leaning my camera against stone or a railing, but I wish I had had this lens then for hand-held shooting in low light!
Jim Kaye
MacDigitalist
Leading Member
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Have you, by any chance, been able to do this test yet, Kathy? TIA
- McD.
some G2 pictures here: http://www.pbase.com/jokerman/zermatt_2002_2
MelissaM169251
Veteran Member
I am sorry to hear the 24-120VR was not functioning for you...From experience, I had to send the lens back to Nikon for fixing and they did a great job on it and I got it back I think, 2 weeks ago or so. It really is a nice lens along with its sister lens, 70-200VR. What you should have done was send it back to Nikon. I don't want to see anyone give up on a nice lens. I have been really satisfied with it since it has been fixed...Melissa
http://www.pbase.com/mnewco/inbox
http://members.fotki.com/mnewco/
See my profile for equipment
I have an email. Use it but be nice!
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http://www.pbase.com/mnewco/inbox
http://members.fotki.com/mnewco/
See my profile for equipment
I have an email. Use it but be nice!
MacDigitalist
Leading Member
...top and bottom, I'd say.
some G2 pictures here: http://www.pbase.com/jokerman/zermatt_2002_2
- McD.
some G2 pictures here: http://www.pbase.com/jokerman/zermatt_2002_2
LeeD
Leading Member
Hi,
The replacements that I got from Nikon solved the right-side blur issue but was still very soft around the edges at 24mm. I'll possibly give the lens another try maybe next year when Nikon gets around to fixing all the bugs. Hopefully by then I'll have a sharper one.
Regards.
The replacements that I got from Nikon solved the right-side blur issue but was still very soft around the edges at 24mm. I'll possibly give the lens another try maybe next year when Nikon gets around to fixing all the bugs. Hopefully by then I'll have a sharper one.
Regards.
win39
Veteran Member
Changing focal length on close focus is not a new idea. Olympus was using it in their more expensive lenses and their macro lenses twenty years ago. There is an extra floating element that allows close focus without introducing all the lens aberrations usually associated with it. Secondarily it changes the focal length by a small amount. Olympus used in on fixed focus lenses. Evidently Nikon is using on zooms as well. It preserves sharpness, especially in the edges at close distances.
Michael Klar
Leading Member
Kelvin, the last photo is amazing, can you give us some idea of the f stop, ISO setting and shutter speed? BTW I realy like all of the photos posted here.
Cheers,
Michael
Michael
Cheers,
Michael
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Michael
Hubert Tse
Forum Enthusiast
Shutter speed: 1/40 sec.
Aperture: 5.6
Metering mode: Spot
120mm
ISO: 800
I took over 1800 pictures in an eight-day trip in Russia (Moscow and St. Petersburg). About 90% were taken with the 24-120VR and the other 10% with the 12-24DX. The quality of the photo taken with the 12-24DX is generally better. This is not surprising, given the hugh price difference. But the 24-120VR is really very convenient to use and now stays on my D100 most of the time.
Best regards,
K. Tse
Michael Klar
Leading Member
Thank you Kelvin.
I've just acquired the 24-120mm and did a number of comparisons. Yes it's not up to the image quality of my Sigma 15-30mm, but using identical settings on some tests I did some months ago with the 24-85 AF-S f/3.5-4.5 G IF-ED, I've done some quick shots and there is no identifyable difference at a 100% crop. Also, I am relieved at not having the front of the lense wobble, the 24-120 zoom is very tight and turning the zoom ring is surprisingly stiff. However, I'm having difficulty getting clear shots with VR turned on at shutter speeds 1/60 sec. and above. Below that speed there is a significant difference when compared to not using VR and I've done some telephonto shots at 1/6 sec which are acceptable. As said I've just started using it and perhaps there is somthing I'm missing.
Again, I enjoyed looking at your photos.
Cheers,
Michael
I've just acquired the 24-120mm and did a number of comparisons. Yes it's not up to the image quality of my Sigma 15-30mm, but using identical settings on some tests I did some months ago with the 24-85 AF-S f/3.5-4.5 G IF-ED, I've done some quick shots and there is no identifyable difference at a 100% crop. Also, I am relieved at not having the front of the lense wobble, the 24-120 zoom is very tight and turning the zoom ring is surprisingly stiff. However, I'm having difficulty getting clear shots with VR turned on at shutter speeds 1/60 sec. and above. Below that speed there is a significant difference when compared to not using VR and I've done some telephonto shots at 1/6 sec which are acceptable. As said I've just started using it and perhaps there is somthing I'm missing.
Again, I enjoyed looking at your photos.
Cheers,
Michael
Mac Digitalist
Leading Member
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Interesting lens comparison between the two lenses (24-85 and the VR) here http://www.pictchallenge.com/0903ZOOMSTEST1.html And an interesting site altogether.
- McD.
some G2 images here: http://www.pbase.com/jokerman/zermatt_2002_2
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