Nikon 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6D AF Zoom-Nikkor

amattess

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
1 votes

Price Paid:  $400.00 from B&H

Summary:
When you can only take one lens this is the lens to take. Broad focal range allows for the wide, almost panoramic, as well as letting you get close enough for portraits. I do a lot of outdoor adventure sports and weight is a primary concern. With a light body this lens will serve most your needs without weighing you down.

Strengths:
Broad focal range. Quality elements. Fast focus. Value.

Weaknesses:
Internal focus a waste as zooming rotates the barrel. Heavy. What you gain in focal length you give up in speed.

Similar Products Used:
Nikon & Sigma primes.

Customer Service:
N/A

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
2.56 of 5,
16 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00 from N/A

Summary:
This is the only lens I would take when I need to travel. It is sharp, well constructed and allows the use of the most common focal lengths. It has produced excellent portraits in the studio for me and very beautiful landscape photography also. Since I do not do interiors often the f3.5 aperture does not bother me and the same goes with f5.6 outdoors. In the studio I often shoot at 85mm f8 and the images are tack sharp, comparable to those of my 105 f2.5 Nikkor. Flare is not a problem with this lens.

Strengths:
Sharp, contrasty and well constructed, practical focal lengths for everyday use.

Weaknesses:
The f3.5-5.6 lens opening range does not bother me nor should bother anyone using the lens for outdoors or studio work. The internal focus is useless when you zoom the lens since the barrel rotates. If you also have the 80-200 Nikkor lens save money by buying an adapeter ring from 72-77mm for your lens and use the 77mm filters of your big gun on it.

Similar Products Used:
Other Nikon lenses.

Customer Service:
My sample was a present. The person who gave it to me did something to the lens because the lens was not communicating with the camera. I sent the lens to Authorized Photo Service in Chicago. The focus needed adjustment and the lens openings had to be re-calibrated. A champ again ever since.

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
4.00 of 5,
12 votes

Price Paid:  $459.00

Summary:
Just wanted to make people aware that there are actually two versions of this lens which may explain some of the conflicting reviews. When I purchased this lens I couldn't believe the price until I was warned by the store that the version I was looking at was the version manufactured in Taiwan which has inferior optics and construction. I ended up spending an extra $100 for the Japan manufactured version and have not been disappointed. Both versions are Nikkor and have the identical part numbers. The easiest way to tell the difference is that the Japan version has a metal mount versus the plastic mount on the Taiwan version.

Strengths:
Compact, great for travel.

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
2.60 of 5,
5 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Wolf Camera

Summary:
I bought this lens, as well as my N80, to upgrade my equipment with hiking being a main consideration. Prior to buying both, I checked out the reviews on this site quite a bit. I noticed that many of the reviews of the 24-120 were from professionals and experts who were very happy with the lens. Though not overly scientific, the comments swayed me to the 24-120. The lens has been great. Along with a year of hiking photos, I just got done taking quite a few pictures in London. The results were super (I was shooting Ectachrome 100SW) . The lens produces pictures as good as my 50 1.8 (which I had as a backup on my London trip) and my 80-200 (both Nikkor). The lens is everything that many of the reviewers claim. It's a great lens to have, if you only want to take one along. It's very flexible and a great match to the N80. The only way I can see to improve the pictures that this lens takes would be to use a tripod (which I never do) and improve my skill as a photographer.

Strengths:
Extremely flexible Great picture quality

Weaknesses:
Small manual focus ring

Similar Products Used:
Nikkor 50 1.8 Nikkor 80-200 ED

Customer Service:
Haven't needed to use it.

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.91 of 5,
11 votes

Price Paid:  $600.00 from Mail

Summary:
I have a large collection of fixed focal and zoom Nikon lenses and cameras. There is nothing on the market that offers this focal length range (though 24-300 would really be something). As a physicist, its tough to rationalize the compromises needed to get such a lens (never mind the 24-300). There is ONLY one aspect of theis lens that is cautionary. I have exhaustively tested my (alas sample of one) glass and founs it to be free of pc and b distortions; noticable color aberations and the like. It is tack sharp with one exception: wide open , especially at non wide angle focal lengths.

Strengths:
Nearly idealic lens when you want to drag only one along.

Weaknesses:
Watch the f/3.5 apperture especially at longer focal lengths. The fix is: unless you INTEND a soft image (e.g., romantic candle lit portrate), sto down one from wide open.

Similar Products Used:
Older Nikon mid range zooms and mid tele zooms.

Customer Service:
Not relevant.