Just how poor is the 24-120 VR?

Here in photo.net, there is an old saying: Don't dress Miss America with a burlap bag: http://photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00QQYa

I wouldn't buy a D700 unless you can put some good optics in front of it. Good optics doesn't have to be expensive, but any super zoom that only goes to f5.6 within 200mm is more geared towards convenience rather than quality. f5.6 by itself is already a very serious limitation for any short lens.

Hi Shun,

Aside from the maximum aperture issue, does the lens leave a lot to be desired from a sharpness point of view? I could live with f5.6 for the sake of convenience. If I'm wandering about a city all day doing travel stuff then convenience is well worth the sacrifice - as long as I can still produce good, sharp images. VR and the D700's good high ISO performance would help balance things out anyway.

If the 24-120 is a bit of a dog, can you recommend a lens for around $800 - £400 - that might be a good alternative. If Nikon made the equivalent of Canon's 24-105 L zoom for the same money, I'd get the D700 in a second. As it is, I'm still considering the Canon 5D.

Having had one. . .then a second. . . Well, I do love Nikon, but this lens is a dud as you say. Poor optics, not sharp, not befitting of a D700. I was very surprised Nikon paired this with the D700 at all. I eventually sent the first copy back, got another to only find the same. Not a good word at all. Here is a review from one of the few I trust with another option for you: http://www.bythom.com/24120ens.htm. You have not mentioned in general your subject matter for your work. That might help in suggesting replacement(s) lenses. Good hunting.

I have been considering selling mine. I don't really notice any problems with softness with it but I rarely use it so I considered letting it go. If you'd like maybe I could shoot a couple photos with it of a test chart and post the results here. I'd have to do it after work so it would be later tonight.

it's a middle-of-the-road lens on a high-end camera, and that give some people heartburn. as you note, it's got a very useful zoom range, especially for FX -- which is why it's bundled with the D700. i personally find my copy is not super-sharp, so i tend not to use it a lot. on the other hand, i know of others on PN who think it's just fine. so there may be some sample variation. overall i wouldn't consider it "crappy" or "a dud," but you have to reconcile yourself to either ponying up for something like a 24-70 f/2.8 or settling for a consumer-grade product. you get what you pay for, as the saying goes.

The mid-range zoom I would get for the D700 is the 24-70mm/f2.8 AF-S, despite the fact that it has serious vignetting at 24mm, f2.8. Nikon currently doesn't have any constant f4 zoom similar to Canon's 24-105mm/f4. As an alternative, I would try the 24-85mm/f3.5-4.5 AF-S G, but that lens is already discontinued. Most of these 24-xx type zooms will have some moderate amount of barrel distortion on the 24mm end.

Personally, I would spend less money on the body and more on lenses. For example, the combo of the D300 and 17-55mm/f2.8 AF-S DX works very well.

David,

In general use, I'd like focal lengths covering approx. 24-135mm. That would be fine for 95% of my stuff. I do a bit of most things ranging from portraits to travel to studio to sports. The sports stuff is more wide angle to modest tele photography so I don't need long lenses with fast apertures. Thom's review of the 24-120 is another that kind of puts me off this lens. The 24-85 seems quite interesting, though.

Nick,

Thanks for offering to photograph the charts but I don't want to put you to any trouble. I think from the reviews I've read and what people seem to say about the 24-120 generally, it's not a great lens. I posted the question here in the hope that some people would step forward and say they find it perfectly good but that hasn't happened.

Would someone shoot me if I run around with a 50mm f1.4 D lens on a D700? :) :) :) Still contemplating on getting a 20mm f2.8 or a 17-35mm lens...

'Would someone shoot me if I run around with a 50mm f1.4 D lens on a D700?'

I would hope not - restricting yourself to one focal length can paradoxically be one of the most liberating things to do photographically and the 50mm f1.4 turns in excellent results.