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Lens : Aperture vs Focal Length
- Thread starter Louis203
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Richard Dutton
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https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1685858/0
PS I wouldn't be choosing an MILC System ( if that is what you are doing ?? ) purely on the basis of the kit lenses.
In fact I know the Nikon is very good optically since I have and use it and I read that so is that non-L Canon kit lens. You haven't mentioned the image quality/ optical performance of the lenses which, to me, is most important. I guess that you have researched that separately.
Even if I was starting from scratch, the Z lenses quality together with what looks like the start of third party Z lenses AND the fact that if you absolutely need to you can get smart adapters from Sony FE and Canon EF ( not RF ) to Z might sway me to NIkon away from the obvious system which is Sony's FE mount - huge range of bodies new and old at good prices and large range of lenses some of which I read are better than the Canon or Nikon equivalents.
PS I wouldn't be choosing an MILC System ( if that is what you are doing ?? ) purely on the basis of the kit lenses.
In fact I know the Nikon is very good optically since I have and use it and I read that so is that non-L Canon kit lens. You haven't mentioned the image quality/ optical performance of the lenses which, to me, is most important. I guess that you have researched that separately.
Even if I was starting from scratch, the Z lenses quality together with what looks like the start of third party Z lenses AND the fact that if you absolutely need to you can get smart adapters from Sony FE and Canon EF ( not RF ) to Z might sway me to NIkon away from the obvious system which is Sony's FE mount - huge range of bodies new and old at good prices and large range of lenses some of which I read are better than the Canon or Nikon equivalents.
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Rodrigo Pasiani
Senior Member
3. 24-120 f/4
Jacques Cornell
Forum Pro
For me, the portrait range between 70mm and 105mm made a 24-105/4 the better choice.
John Crowe
Veteran Member
It is far more complicated than that. You are also considering two different systems, so now the camera and the overall system comes into play.
Generally speaking the faster a lens is and the more expensive a lens is, the better it is. Also, the shorter the zoom range the better the lens is. Zooms with a wide range lead to a lot of glass elements. Each glass element adds it's own problems that then must be corrected, even with and yet another element! The wider the range the more difficult it is to make a good lens and the quality will depend on when a manufacturer cuts off the budget for that lens.
Generally speaking the faster a lens is and the more expensive a lens is, the better it is. Also, the shorter the zoom range the better the lens is. Zooms with a wide range lead to a lot of glass elements. Each glass element adds it's own problems that then must be corrected, even with and yet another element! The wider the range the more difficult it is to make a good lens and the quality will depend on when a manufacturer cuts off the budget for that lens.
The lens alone is out of context. Which cameras are they being used with and for what genre(s) of photography?
ericbowles
Senior Member
I have the Nikon 24-70 f/4 and it's not only one of the best kit lenses made, I think it's better than most of the F-mount lenses in this range.
Regardless of the optics, a lens that is wide open at f/7.1 is going to be severely limiting. It may be fine for landscapes, but for street, portraits, and low light it's 1 2/3 stops slower than the Nikon lens at 70mm. People pay a lot of money for one stop of difference in aperture.
The other issue you have with a variable aperture lens is shooting in Manual mode. If you set it at f/4, the aperture will be increased as you zoom and you may end up underexposed. If you set it at f/7.1, your backgrounds become quite busy and you lack subject isolation.
Both Canon and Nikon have plenty of good lenses covering this range. I'd only consider lenses with a wider aperture.
robgendreau
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I'd choose the one that fit on the end of my camera.
Richard Dutton
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ditto
That Canon kit lens is also only f5.6 at 50mm. I also think f7.1 at the long end is dimmer than I like to have. Not too appealing for me - I would get a body and the 24-105 f4 L or whatever in preference.
One supposes that people take account of the DoF changes entailed on zooming and reduced aperture - or maybe not ?
On film it always did train you, when using variable aperture zooms, to be careful to adjust SS/A accordingly. I much preferred constant apertures like the 80-200 f4 - where, at least even if you have DoF changes you will still get the right exposure in M. Nowadays I am lazy and just use manual mode + auto iso + exp comp but there are traps there if you don't know what you are doing. However, something like the f4.5-5.6 on the consumer AF-P E is fine for me - but that is less than a stop.
The few reviews I have seen e.g. Cameralabs seem to quite like the Canon kit lens but I remain unconvinced: its an S-line lens versus a non-L lens after all. The Canon kit lens is probably priced OK for what it is. The Nikon 24-70/4 is looking like a bit of a bargain.
CameraCarl
Veteran Member
Really? Comparing a $1000 lens to a $400 lens? If they were free, I would take the more expensive one, of course. Even if I didn't have a camera to fit it to. Then I would resell it.
Now: isn't this a silly question?
Now: isn't this a silly question?
Jacques Cornell
Forum Pro
Now isn't that a silly question?
You've missed the point. The OP's question is aperture vs. focal length (zoom range), which matters more? It's right there in the title.
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Canon also makes a 24-70 in both f/2.8 and f/4.0. They are professional “L” series lenses with much better image and construction quality than the less expensive 24-105.
The correct answer is that a choice such as this comes down to your budget and uses. If you just one one lens for walking around all day long and vacationing, the 24-105 is probably better. For photojournalism, shooting a wedding or event, a 24-70 f/4 or f/2.8 is better.
ericbowles
Senior Member
Most of the Nikon 24-70 f/4 lenses are actually selling around $400-450 either used or as a kit with a camera body. It's a true bargain for the quality delivered.
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