Nikon 24-120mm f4 lens

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johnmac

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I have just ordered a 24-120mm f4 lens for my D700 and is on back order. Anyone using this lens? I would really appreciate your coments if theis is a quality lens and produce good images. I was looking at the 24-70 but know I would need something longer than 70mm. I still have the chance to cancel or change my mind.

Look forward to any replies
 
Hi John and welcome to the forum!

Gary Coyle said:
Why would you buy an expensive lens without asking this question first
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Gary, that was a little unkind - he hasn't bought the lens yet, just got it on back order. Doesn't help our reputation as the friendliest forum on the net! Perhaps you could argue it should have been posted in talk basics.

Sorry I can't help directly, John as I'm a Canon person.

I can perhaps give a general viewpoint from my experience of similar lenses.

The Canon 24-105 (which is the rough equivalent) is a very sharp lens as zooms go and has a similarly useful focal length range. Some feel f4 max aperture is limiting, but most seem to ignore the fact that you can get a more blurred background at the long end of the f/4 lens than @ 70mm on a 24-70 @ f/2.8.

Obviously f/4 limits low-light appeal, but I tend to take a 24-105 zoom and a prime lens @ f1.4 or f2.0 for lower light when out doing general photography.

As for the precise qualities of the Nikon lens, I defer to those on the dark side....

Hope this helps!

Phil
 
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johnmac said:
I have just ordered a 24-120mm f4 lens for my D700 and is on back order. Anyone using this lens? I would really appreciate your coments if theis is a quality lens and produce good images. I was looking at the 24-70 but know I would need something longer than 70mm. I still have the chance to cancel or change my mind.

Look forward to any replies
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Hi John...and welcome aboard :thumbs:

There are lots of views on the web (i've been checking them out for a few days as fancying one myself) but i find the guy who writes the review below very informative.

http://mansurovs.com/nikon-24-120mm-vr-review

Steve
 
Thanks Phil for your advice. I have asked a few friends what they think of the 24-120 and received mixed comments and as its a lens that I would keep for a long time and use it as a general purpose lens. I thought it would be a good idea to come on this forum to get a wider opinion and find someone who actually uses the lens.

johnmac
 
I use one, it's a quality lens and produces great images. Only issue is quite heavy vignetting and distortion, but all sorted with one click in Lightroom so a non-issue in practice. As for comparing to the 24-70, it depends if you need 70-120 and the bonus of VR more than the 2.8 really.
 
Hi John.

I'd certainly opt for the 24-70 which is renowned as an outstanding lens. True you'd be scarificing (little) reach but for the sake of improved optical performance. You can always walk closer to your intended subject?
 
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I had the old version of this, well the old old version, the first one, the 'streetsweeper' lens.

It was awful!

Vignetting and distortion were horrendous and edge or corner softness would have been the understatement of the century, especially at the wide end there was very little of the frame acceptably sharp.

The first VR version was reportedly just as bad but the most recent one meant to be a lot better.
 
Digifrog said:
Hi John.

I'd certainly opt for the 24-70 which is renowned as an outstanding lens. True you'd be scarificing (little) reach but for the sake of improved optical performance. You can always walk closer to your intended subject?
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It's not a little reach, there is a world of difference between 70mm and 120mm. Walking closer at 70mm isn't going to give you anything like the same look as 120mm from further away...
 
jpw said:
Walking closer at 70mm isn't going to give you anything like the same look as 120mm from further away...
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:| For you maybe not, for me it's an option. For the OP? Well, that's a decision to be made.
 
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jpw said:
:thinking: :shrug: not sure I understand what you're saying there?
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Sorry, not long got up :thinking:

What I mean is; getting the "look" you mention (shooting at 120mm as opposed to getting closer and shooting at 70mm) isn't that important to me.

As a landscape photographer it might be worth considering shooting a subject at something more like 200mm as opposed to getting closer at 50mm for compressing perspective.

If you shoot candid images of people where 120 may offer you more a incognito effect then yes it might help to shoot at longer focal lengths.
 
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brianwar said:
I had the old version of this, well the old old version, the first one, the 'streetsweeper' lens.

It was awful!

Vignetting and distortion were horrendous and edge or corner softness would have been the understatement of the century, especially at the wide end there was very little of the frame acceptably sharp.

The first VR version was reportedly just as bad but the most recent one meant to be a lot better.
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The OP is referring to the Nikkor 24-120 f4, they have not made one previously, they did produce several 24-120 f3.5 - f5.6 models which are probably the ones you mean, and these did not receive glowing reviews.

The f4 version is streets ahead of these in terms of image quality.
 
Thank you all for your time and help following my request for advice. I know the 24-70 is the better lens but I know I will use the extra reach. As mentioned images can be corrected in Lightroom which I use. I'll be getting 24-120 and come back to let you know how I get on.

Many thanks
 
I have been thinking about getting one,i have read some good review on it.

If you do need a bit more reach 28-300mm,not so fast,but also some fair reviews :)
 
I have the 24-120/4 on the D90

With the DX sweetspot it is a really sharp lens. It focuses just a tad slower than the 24-70, but still quick enough for almost all situation. However, it should focus quicker on the D700 focusing system.

Now the reviews I've read about the 24-120 on FX are a bit mixed. Some say that the vignetting is a problem, some say the edges is not so sharp. But for me it isn't a problem as I sometimes add vignetting (and it can be corrected with lens profile in LR/ACR), and from the photos I've seen online the edges are still quite acceptable.

Comparing this to the 24-70, the 120-end comes in really hand for me (as 70mm on FX is never enough for me) Another thing is that the VR is really effective on this lens - had a sharp image at 2s handheld from a burst of 3 photos

I'm going for FF soon, so hope you enjoy this lens.
 
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