Nikon 2470mm f/2.8G ED AFS Nikkor Wide Angle

Finally, I love my D300
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I had been with Canon — a 20D, a 50 D, with the 24-70 2.8 L. Autofocus was inconsistent, but the good results were great. I switched to Nikon because of the reputed better autofocus and user interface controls. I learned to like Nikon’s controls — especially the 51 focus / metering points, and the spot metering on the focus point. But IQ was questionable, until I got this lens. Better, more consistent, results than with the Canon 50D and 24-70 L. Great clarity and detail. The 300 D is not complete without this lens.

That said, I returned my order from Amazon, because of typically careless packaging. My copy from J and R, bought in person, is perfect.

The sharpest zoom lens I’ve ever used!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Less than two weeks ago I purchased the Nikon D700 camera, and included the 24-70 f2.8 lens shown at the top. Last weekend I went to the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco and took quite a few photos around the area. I am totally amazed at how sharp this lens is! I’ve been using nothing but professional Nikon film cameras for decades since I was a photographer in the Navy. In all that time I have never used a zoom as sharp as this one!! Expensive?… yes!…. big for this zoom range? YES!…. worth it? DEFINATELY!!! This is the lens you will shoot with 70-80% of the time, especially if you have the D700 or D3 DSLR! Perfect for available light photography!

Update 11/27/09

No problems at all with the Nikon D700 DSLR or the 24-70 f/2.8 Nikon lens I ordered with it. The lack of VR on this lens is a non-issue, since at these shorter focal lengths camera shake should not be a consideration if you have the D700 or above because of the low light capabilities of these higher end cameras. Indoors I consistantly shoot at ISO 1600 and end up with excellent results.

I do have some examples of shots taken with this lens on Flikr. Just go to the website, choose people and type in my name.

For those not in the know, the slowest hand held shutter speed you should use is equal to placing 1 over the focal length you are shooting at. Example, If you have your lens set at 70mm, then the slowest shutter speed should be 1/70th of a second, at 24mm it would be 1/25th of a second etc. I think that you can see now why, for the average person holding this camera/lens artillary combo that VR is probably not that important. And for those who have steady hands, it will be of no significance. For really low light I use a monopod… that alone effectively equals the effect of having VR. For the new Nikon 70-200 VRII lens, VR is important, especially shooting at an FL of 200mm. I ordered one of these mid-October from Amazon, and now Amazon is saying that they expect it to be delivered on December 2….! FINALLY!

Fantastic, but watch out for quality control
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I purchased this lens about 8 months ago. I shoot a D300 with grip. I have traveled to a variety of places and taken some amazing pictures with it. The lens is very versatile in a landscape and portrait setting. There are some times when I wish I was carrying a 14-24mm however, as a main lens for travel and portrait photography it’s fantastic. Additionally, the auto focus is quiet and precise when coupled with manual focus point use. The zoom is smooth and precise as well.

With all that said, there has been one inexcusable flaw and the subsequent fix for this was unacceptable.

After shooting a panorama at the top of a mountain at very small apertures, I found blemishes in all of the photos. It turns out that from the time that I purchased it to when I took those photos (about 1 week) some sort of internal material had collected on the inside of the rear element. As such I had about 60 photos that needed to be corrected.

Returning to the states, I was told that I would have to send the lens back to a processing center. This in my opinion is grudgingly acceptable, however the policy should have been to replace not repair. The final straw was being told to pay the return shipping and the packaging fee. After spending nearly $2,000 for a lens and finding a flaw the hard way, I would expect at the very least the burden would be on the manufacturer and/or supplier to correct their issue.

I purchased this product from Bromfield Camera Co. in Boston. I had hoped to support a local business, but it seems one simply pays more for the same level of service that you’d get from an online shop.

In closing, inspect the rear element before purchase and during early use – also, take a few blank shots of a white object at f/22 to see if there is an internal contamination for the first few weeks of use.

Very pleased with this lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was frustrated with low light shooting situations, don’t care for flash much, so this was my choice. This lens is the one that just stays on my D5000 body. Travel shots, catching the grandkids at play or whatever, it is the most universal lens I could ask for. It is super fast to focus, produces razor sharp images and the weight helps steady things a bit. I also wanted the new 70-200mm F2.8, but I know I will do more shooting in this range than any other. I love it.

Not you father’s zoom lens!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This my friends, is one nice lens. Yes it’s expensive, but it’s worth the money. I love fast lenses and this is the best quality I’ve ever used. I have Tamron, Sigma, and Nikon f2.8′s (and faster) and this one beats them all including my 105 VR Nikkor. It is big but that is one of the reasons it is such a nice lens. There are other lenses that are less expensive and lighter but in this case you get what you pay for!

This is why we love Nikon optics
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is clearly why I’m stick to Nikon regime.

Sometimes, I guess I’m not the only one, tempted to the wide range of Canon L lens product, however

this lens came to be clear reason why I should use Nikon photography gears.

I bought this lens for my trip to Hearst Castle, and results are simply the very best.

Very sharp and clear even at wide open 2.8 and color rendition is just magic.

Sometimes it is even better than the image I look through my eyes!

Yes, it’s heavy but it is also true that this lens is the best lens you can get with all the latest technology.

I use this lens for serious photo taking and light AF-S 24-85 for daily family shot.

Expensive but worth it
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
It’s pricey but it’s perfect — fast focusing, no vignetting on FX sensor (unlike Tamron and Sigma equivalents) and tack sharp even wide open. The best lens you can buy in this focal length for Nikon mount lenses, period.

I didn’t want to spend $1,800 so I sampled both the Tamron 28-75 and the Sigma 24-70 and neither were even remotely comparable to this lens in focus speed, sharpness, bokeh, etc. Spend the money — it’s worth it and you will not regret it.

Top of the standard
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Crazy sharp. Great auto focus. Bright & Fast. No sign of reflection at all.

Great color.

This is perfect standard lens w/ fx format.

However, little too expensive, and heavy.

Gouging by Cameta
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
It’s “nice” to see Cameta now gouging to the tune of $2100. I think I’ll wait for B & H to stock them for list price at 1700.

Not sure if worth the expense
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I’ve had this lens a few days now for use with a D300. This is an early review based on a few hundred pictures . Positives; Very sharp , very contrasty, and colorful. no doubt. In terms of producing high quality ,high resolution pictures it meets all my expectations.

On the downside; 1) the zoom mechanism from 24-70 mm is not smooth , especially between 28-50 mm, 2) no vibration reduction, 3) high cost (particularly given no V/R) and 4)a bit of a “plastic” feel relative to my other (mostly older) pro Nikon lens.

Earlier this year I purchased a Nikon 70-200 mm 2.8 which goes for almost the same cost and doesn’t have these issues . I guess I was so blown away with the 70-200 mm “bang for the buck” I don’t see the 24-70mm as equivalent (rating-wise) , hence the 3 star rating.

I also want to mention I purchased this lens from Cameta camera (I live on LI). They matched a B&H price and I was happy with the business end of the transaction.

No need for prime
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
For those of you who are satisfied with your 18-200 VR. You don’t need this lens. I stuck with my f3.5-5.6 zoom for a long time because, heh, I took “good pictures”. I adapted to low light, didn’t miss f2.8. I was not convinced that a “pro” lens could make any difference visually…only if examining test shots of test patterns with a microscope.

I’ve been wrong before but this was a doozy. There is SUCH a HUGE visually noticable difference between shots made with this lens (and the 70-200 f2.8 VR) and my old stanby lenses that I about fell out of my office chair. My “good pictures” have become “great photographs”. I now own both this and the 70-200. I sold my favorite lens of all time, a 24 mm prime, on a website. I’ll never go back. You will get these two lenses from me when you pry them out of my cold dead fingers.

One more note. If you are like me and constantly read pro blogs and photo how-to books you will see most of the pros say something along the lines of “I don’t use mid range zooms, I use wide angle for landscaps and long telephoto for close ups”. I bought that for a while until I started looking closely at the metadata for photos they exhibit on their websites and books. Check it out, 6 times of 10, the lens is shown to be a 24-70 zoom. I use this lens almost exclusively for landscapes and lifestyle photos. I rarely go to a wider angle unless trying to make a visual “statement”. So, here’s one pro who says “I USE MID RANGE ZOOMS”, and the Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 is usually the one on my D3 when I pick it up.

heavy as sharpness…
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
WORTH THE MONEY?…between the 17-35mm and the 70-200mm (f2.8) its a great fusion; replaces very easy any prim lens specially if you are into portraits and landscape; it worths the price that u pay for (come on!…If u already pay almost 2k for a D300 or more for D3, the less that u can do for it is get same quality in lens).

IS IT HEAVY? yes! But the way that fits holding with both hands is VERY VERY well balanced between right hand (shooting-adjusting main dial) and left hand (zooming-holding) its just a pleasure on my Nikon D300.

FRONT FOCUS? I was a little bit concern after read several bad histories.. I dont really have that problem: I download the FocusTestChart form Tim Jackson and GREAT tool to calibrate ur lens. MINE shows at 24 mm center focus slighly front (but still on center)so was easy to adjust on Nikon D300 in Setup menu: AF Fine Tune to +2 value and then is just AMAZING sharpness; so far from sigma AF 17-70 f2.8 or Tamrom 28-75 f2.8 that quality is good but not even close to this sharpness.

QUALITY CONSTRUCTION?.. as good as heavy and price; means Worth each cent. is clear that Nikon spend high tech in this peace of art.

if ur priority is sharpness and high quality pics u are in the right way… if u want just good pics, u have other less expensive choices…

I’ll use this lens for wedding, portrait and landscape photography.

W.O.W.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Well, as you can see there are plenty of 5-star reviews for this lens so I don’t think one more comprehensive review is needed. However , I’ll write a few things for those who are not ‘professionals’ but are considering pro lenses. In short, the premium you pay for in price relative to the less expensive ‘kit’ lenses really does show a remarkable difference in image quality. If you can afford the pro lenses (and especially this one), I’d definately go with them. They are noticeably sharper and seem to give ‘better’ color rendition. I’m using this lens on a Nikon D700 and the output is stunning! I have compared it to three other Nikon ‘kit’ lenses. While they too are good, they are not nearly on a level with the 24-70mm f/2.8. Anyways, my advice is……if you can afford it-buy it.

Truly a Pro Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens to go with my Nikon D3 which I use to shoot weddings and portraits professionally.

This lens is solid as a brick, fast, water resistant, tack sharp at all apertures and focal lengths, fast focusing, has great color and contrast, and it’s heavy! I consider it the price you have to pay to make consistently brilliant professional images. I think the image quality of this lens is equal to my prime lenses.

It really is waterproof. I shot for nearly an hour in a total downpour, and the lens and the D3 were tight as a drum with no water leakage.

After a day shooting a wedding with this lens, however, you will want to go to a massage therapist to work on your aching arm muscles. It is really heavy, and difficult for me to ‘one-hand’ over dancing couples.

I don’t think I would recommend this lens on a DX camera, although it would make fine images, because it doesn’t go wide enough for typical reception/party shots. I think the Nikon 17-55mm DX lens is better for my DX cameras. If I need additional reach, the 18-70mm f/3.5-4.0 is a better choice (in my opinion) for my DX cameras.

This is one lens the professional will never leave behind, no matter how much it weighs.

Nothing that hasn’t already been said
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens has been married to my D700 for 3 mos. What can I say that hasn’t already been said about this amazing lens. I’d just be reiterating everyone else.

I believe this is the pinnacle of Nikon’s lens manufacture. You truly get what you pay for in this case.

My only personal “gripe” is the placement of the zoom ring in relation to the long barrel. It’s close to the mount and sometimes a little awkward for my large hands. But if that is all I have to complain about, then there is no need for this review.

rock solid at a ridiculous premium
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Performance wise, it’s a 5 star. For the price, you get some nearly the performance for fraction of the price. As an example, the 35-70mm f/2.8 D.

Let’s face it, if you got the money and or need something like this as a pro, this is it. For amateurs, it’s hard to justify blowing $1700 for this puppy.

It’s big, almost as big as the 80-200mm f/2.8 D telephoto zoom. It’s built solid and focus fast, faster than the 80-200mm. It does wide angle at 24mm, which is terrific, and is the best Nikon got for wide to standard zoom. It doesn’t have VR, so the breathing and weight lifting exercises come in handy. It also is as heavy as it looks; 2 more pounds to the body for a grand total of nearly 4 lbs before any other attachments. Nano-crystal coating? Sounds good to me.

If I were shooting portraits, the 35-70mm is lighter and focus fast enough for me and balances better. This thing belongs on a D3 or a D300 with a battery grip for proportion and balance.

Would I recommend it? Not for everyone given the price to performance. Is it a rock solid high performance lens? You bet.

for the one’s love good picture
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
well, I just bougt this for a friend who’s a photografer, he is very happy and sd it takes great pictures.

one of nikon’s finest!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens is clearly one of Nikons finest zoom lenses. It is so sharp that it does not require any sharpening in postprocessing. This lens really shines when paired with either the d700 or d3.

Compared with the 17-55, this lens is in a league of it’s own. Don’t get me wrong, the 17-55 is a mighty fine lens for DX, but for FX, the 24-70 is sharper, has better broken, and plain just produces better photos. This lens is so sharp, it’s actually as sharp or sharper than my Nikon 50mm f1.4 and f1.8 lenses.

The only lens that rivals this IMO is the Nikon 70-200mm which is in a class of it’s own. Also, the Nikon 85mm f1.4 rivals this in sharpness and beautiful brokeh.

Note, since this lens, the 24-70 does not have VR, you will have to make sure that your technique is up to par, else, it can produce blur pictures because of user error.

This lens is as heavy as the 17-55, and as bulky. The front element extends outwards upon zooming.

If you are looking for an all purpose zoom, look no further. It is clearly in a league of it’s own. Perhaps made by magical dwarfs in the Nikon magic mountain.

Sharp lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I received this lens from Amazon. This is the 2nd pro lens I have ordered from them and I am baffled at how flimsy the packaging is for shipping such an expensive product. There were 2 plastic air bags both of which were deflated when I received the lens.

As for the lens, it is tack-sharp even wide open at f/2.8. It is a little heavy, but that is to be expected with a lens of this caliber. I took some incredible night shots at ISO 1250, handheld with the D700 and this lens at f/2.8. As soon as I saw the shots, I knew I made the right decision.

I got a defective one
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
This is obviously one of Nikons best lenses ever. However, the one I received had several metal flakes, shavings, flecks, specks, whatever you want to call them inside the lens behind the aperture diaphragm on one of the inner elements. I of course had to send the lens back because this may have gotten into the diaphragm and caused problems. In all my professional career I have never seen this happen with a Nikkor pro lens. I did have it happen once with one of my old 28-105 Nikkors from the film days, but never with one of the gold rimmed lenses (pro).

Keep an eye out for it in case it’s a common problem.

That’s the only reason for my low rating, to let people know about this one issue with my lens.

Now I have to wait till someone has them in stock again. Maybe I should have just sent it in for warranty repair, I would have it back from Nikon by now because I’m an NPS member.

Great lens but I got a sour one!

Very nice lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Sharp, fast, and silent. This lens should be in the bag of every wedding and portrait photographer, as well as photojournalist. Highly recommended.

One of Nikon Great!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 is a great and very sharp lens. The wide angle range fits well on a full frame Nikon D700. It is very sharp. The contrast is excellent. Distortion is very minimal and it does not bother me. The weight and size is my only concern. It is big, heavy and bulky. A lighter version would have make this an ideal walk around/travel lens.

The Nikon 24-70 lens is a great one!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I recently purchased a lightly used Nikon 24-70 lens, and have found it to be crystal clear and sharp on my Nikon D700 body. I’ve personally gotten best results utilizing it mostly at an ISO of 200. The colors are accurate, and the photos are sharp all across the photograph. I started out using it at a 400 ISO, and it wasn’t as good in bright light as ISO 200. In low light situations, you can of course use a higher ISO to assist in getting great photos. I read a lot of reviews before purchasing it, and I’m glad that I was able to find one at a slightly lower price from an individual selling it on Amazon. It obviously costs more than a lot of other lenses, but if you’re serious about photography, whether as a professional or an advanced amateur like myself, I definately feel it is worth the investment. I have a feeling I’ll have this lens for a very, very long time.

consider an alternative
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
This is not actually a review of the lens, which I do not own, but its price. The old nikkor 35-70 f/2.8 is still widely available, and the optics (according to reviews I have read) are essentially indistinguishable. Certainly mine has superb optics. Neither lens has vr. The difference between 24mm and 35mm at the wide end is significant, but in my opinion is not $1500 significant. (I picked my 35-70 up recently for $300 used and I am very pleased with its performance.) So if you have the money, go for the 24-70. If you are strapped for cash, you can still find a terrific alternative, the 35-70, much more cheaply.

My 3 star rating is entirely about the price as compared with a very good alternative.

Wow!!!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve had the Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 for a while now, and it gave me such a problem! The pictures that lens took were so beautiful and sharp that I couldn’t bring myself to use any other lens. Caused such difficulty when I wanted to take portraits. I had to step so far back that, frequently, I would miss the shot! Went to my son’s pre-school graduation. The kids were all standing together, perfect opportunity for a picture. But I had to get so far away that all the other moms with their point and shoots were walking in front of me and blocking my shot! This happened time and time again–at school events, little league games, swim meets, and on and on… The Nikon 24-70 has solved my problem! Finally, a lens to compete with, and possible surpass, my beloved 70-200! It produces pictures that are every bit as beautiful as those produced by the 70-200. Indeed, they are indiscernable. So now, I can get right up there with the other moms and take wonderful portraits of my kids. Only problem now is that now I want a 2nd body so I can pull out this lens for portraits, and quickly switch to the 70-200 for action shots.

This is a great lens, and a perfect compliment to the Nikon 70-200. Unless you’re into landscape photography (which I’m not), those two lenses should be all you’ll need.

6/23/2009

It’s been a while since I wrote this review, and I’ve now gotten that second body–a D700 (to go along with my D200). Now that I’ve had a chance to use the lens on the D700, I have to say that the pictures the combination produces far outshine those produced by the lens on the D200. That’s saying a lot because I loved the pictures I took with this lens and the D200. But the D700 is such a superior camera that, coupled with the Nikon 24-70mm, it takes some of the most beautiful pictures I’ve ever seen.

Stellar lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I own many Nikon mount lenses, from several makers, including the predecessor to this lens, the 28-70 AF-S. The 28-70 AF-S is an excellent lens, but is prone to flare badly at times. When the 24-70 AF-S was announced, I was hesitant to buy one, because I wasn’t unhappy with the 28-70 AF-S and I didn’t see how they’d improve this mid-range zoom.

After the 24-70 AF-S had been out a while and glowing user reports were piling up, I decided to buy one to see for myself, how well it performed. I am impressed. The lens is sharp wide open, from 24mm to 70mm and stopping down to f/4 to f/5.6 brings incredible sharpness. I’ve yet to notice flare, which is a very welcome improvement to me. The AF-S motor is very fast and accurate on my d300 and d700 bodies. The extra 4mm on the wide end that it has over the 28-70 AF-S, seems like a small thing, but in practice, is another welcome feature of this lens.

In short, this lens is one of the best that I’ve used. Operation is smooth and fast, and the images it produces are excellent, with good contrast, color and sharpness.

5 stars for this one. I’m very pleased with my purchase. It makes a great companion to the 70-200vr or my 105 f/2 DC when shooting events or candid PJ style portraits.

24-70 is just right!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this lens to complement my new D700. It’s sharp, fast to focus, and easy to use during professional use. Recommend it highly.

No VR?
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This lens does what everyone else says about it. My only complaint, no VR. So, if you don’t need or care to have vibration reduction then by all means, get this lens.

Nice Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars

What can be added to the many accolades of excellence that have already been heaped upon this item?

How about this…

I was out and about on Nantucket shooting with the 24 – 70.

A woman spotted it as I was walking past and said, “Nice lens”.

What more can I say?

Simply the best there is — and way too expensive — and amazing
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
When I switched from the Nikon D300 to the Nikon D700, I putzed around with several lenses for the full-format camera, and everyone kept carping about how amazing this lens was, blah blah blah…

I really really liked the performance of my Tamron 28-75 lens…and really like the reach and sharpness of the Tamron 28-300 VC…and I couldn’t bring myself to spend the money on this NIkkor lens…

I got some unexpected income, and decided to break down and buy and try this lens. Within a day, the Tamron 28-75 was gone, all my other lenses delegated to the camera bag, and this has been on ever since and not come off the last two weeks. Amazon offered this through Crutchfield, who did a remarkable job, fast shipping, really personalized customer attention. In reality, it has replaced all my primes in the range, and only comes off when I need longer focal length.

Quite simply, the best medium-zoom lens available for full format Nikons. The sharpness is remarkable across the entire focal length, and the color saturation and the contrast are just superb. You take a few shots with this camera, and suddenly you see that “pop” that I always look for in photographs…

Yes, this lens is incredibly overpriced — and I can’t believe how much I paid for this — but it is quite simply the best lens I have ever used in my 30 plus years of shooting Nikon cameras. It’s also big, heavy, and all those other things people heap on it — but, really, WOW is all I can add to this review.

If you can afford it, forget all the other options, just get this lens. You’ll worry about the cost for a couple days — but after a shoot or two, you won’t regret spending a penny. Yes, it is more expensive than most dSLR’s on the market — but together with a full-frame Nikon camera, it is dSLR heaven.

Extraordinary glass, and beyond highly recommended.

Just about perfect! Contrasty, sharp, colorful, and versatile!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a magnificent piece of kit. The Nikon 24-70 F/2.8 is a professional -grade lens and shows this in every way. The build quality of this lens leaves nothing wanting–all metal construction, wonderful damping of the zoom ring–this is a beautiful instrument.

This is a full-frame lens, which means that it is suitable for FX Nikon cameras such as the new D3. However, this lens also performs wonderfully on the usual DX sensor for the other Nikon cameras such as the D200/300, D70s, D80, etc. When used on a DX camera, like all lenses, the focal length is increased by 50%. This is both good and bad. The “wide angle” end of the lens becomes 36mm rather than 24; on the other hand the 70mm zoom becomes 105mm–a very useful focal length. Overall, I love the range of this lens on a DX camera.

The image quality of this lens leaves nothing discernible to ask for. This is a razor-sharp lens at all apertures including wide open at F/2.8. Images on my D80 are colorful, contrasty, and did I say razor-sharp at all apertures? This lens is as good within its entire focal range as any prime lens I have seen, used, or heard of. Of course, the price of this lens reflects this, alas.

This is an AF-S lens, meaning that it contains an integral focusing motor (supersonic wave motor, or “SWM”). This, combined with the fact that this is an F/2.8 lens, causes it to focus lightening-fast. So this lens is great for action shots or low-light shots. Since this is an AF-S lens, it will autofocus on the D40/D60 series of Nikon bodies.

Some Nikon afficianados have complained that this lens does not have VR (Vibration Reduction) but VR is probably less important for a 24-70 focal range than for a longer zoom, and since this is an F/2.8 lens, it is usually feasible to increase the shutter speed of the shot to “freeze” the action.

A few points. The outer element of this lens extrudes, but not past the petal-configured supplied lens hood, which does a perfect job of protecting the front of the lens. Neat. One thing I am not crazy about is the relative placement of the manual focus ring and zoom ring. I sometimes confuse the two, and I think that given the fact that most people will use this lens in auto-focus mode rather than manual mode, Nikon might have placed the manual focus ring in a more out-of-the-way place. Not a big quibble.

This one is destined to be another Nikon legend!

Great Lense. Avoid Cameta Camera.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great lense but DO NOT buy it from Cameta Camera who is trying sell $1,700 list price product for $1,800 and call it 13% off. No, it is an overcharge by 10%. As of today (Jan 30, 2008), RitzCamera.com is selling it for under $1700 and it is available. B&H, Adorama, all reputable retailer have it listed for under $1700. Shame on you Cameta Camera for misleading customers by quaoting false list price.

One Lens for Vacations, Portraits and Fun
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I know what you’re thinking: Seventeen hundred bucks or more for a mere midrange zoom?

There is nothing “mere” about this zoom!

Wide open, Nikon’s new workhorse is sharper than most prime lenses. That’s right — I shoot all day long at f/2.8 (I like resulting blurry backgrounds) and never, never lack for sharpness. Being able to shoot f/2.8 at night doesn’t stink, either.

Colors are vibrant, the bokeh (out of focus areas) is creamy, and you’ll see ghosts and flares *only* when shooting straight into the sun. And I’ve never seen an autofocus do its thing so quickly or with such accuracy. I’m catching a lot of shots I used to miss.

No lens is perfect. This one has exactly three drawbacks.

1. It’s pretty darn big for a midrange, so sometimes I miss Nikon’s compact 18-200mm zoom. And that’s without the massive lens hood in place. Snapped on, a big lens gets even bigger.

2. The zoom ring is too close to the camera body. I’ve only been shooting with it for a few days, but I keep grabbing the manual focus ring by mistake. There’s a learning curve here, and I’m not yet over it.

3. It’s in short supply. Good luck finding this beast at the suggested retail price.

On my D300 however, it’s as perfect as a giant, expensive hunk of glass can get. It takes all my standard 77mm filters, and its DX-effective 35-105mm (approximate) zoom range makes it a great “walk around” lens. It goes wide enough for most landscape shots, and zeroes right in on my two-year-old’s face.

But mostly I can’t get over the sharpness, the color, and the responsiveness of the autofocus. I probably paid too much for mine, but it was worth every penny.

Superb
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
From the minute I slapped this lens on my D700, I could tell a tremendous difference between it and other lenses I’ve used in the past.

Quick to AF even in low light, and sharp as a tack. If you can handle the weight (and the price for that matter), it’s definitely a good investment.

Nikon 24-70 mm F2.8…the best of the best…
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’m currently using the Nikon 24-70mm F2.8 on a Nikon D300 body…it never leaves that body…I bought them as a pair and they have been together from day one, and I have no plans on ever separating them…at least not until I replace the body with an FX sensor body. Across the board, the image quality is top shelf…sharpe from end to end…producing great color rendition.

(I switch lenses out on my other D300 body…just so that you know that I don’t just shoot only with the 24-70mm…lol…)

If you want move up in image quality…buy better lenses…better glass makes for better pictures. There is no substitute. If you can afford this lens, get it. I’ll skip the lengthy technical yada, yada…and add one comment from a client. “You must be an artist.” Yep…the lens is that good.

You can read the specs, but just look at the pictures…then you’ll know.

Nikon 24-70
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is an excellent lens and up to the usual high standard of Nikon professional glass. I gave up my workhorse 28-70 for this lens and I think it is incredible! The Nano Crystal coating really does make a difference in terms of color fidelity and crispness of an image. I use this lens for at least 70% of my professional photographic work. Some people may think the lens is a bit heavy but you get what you pay for and the robust construction is part of the reason it is so durable. This is a must have for any serious Nikon shooter.

Awesome lens – 24-70 Nikon 2.8
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Purchased the lens from JR (via Amazon.com). They were awesome. I never bought from them before, but the purchase was without any problems. Came on a timely manner. Fresh from the factory product. I love the lens. Sharper than my nikon 50 mm 1.8 at 2.8.

Pros: Sharp. Fast focus. Solid build.

Cons: Heavy. Big. Manual focus ring can sometimes be rotated by mistake due to its anterior position behind the zoom ring. Expensive. No VR (but forgiven due to the fast glass).

This is my favorite lens now.

in a word… outstanding
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is my ‘go to’ zoom lens for my Nikon D3. Perfect for most of my subjects. Also own Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 zooms and other prime f/2.8 lenses.

Heavy, but well balanced with D3. Nikkor glass is top-notch. An absolute most is to install a protective ND filter to protect your investment, as is the case for any quality lens. Rarely use the hood.

AFS is nearly instanteous, focus is dead on and internal servo is super quiet. Undetectable edge aberrations.

I am totally satisfied with this fast lens and highly recommend it.

Perfection, with a few footnotes
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
From a raw image quality standpoint, this is the lens all of the reviews claim it to be – truly amazing modern engineering, a work of art. I can’t imagine anyone finding anything substantially wrong with this product: amazing optics, wonderful build quality and so on – it’s absolutely worth every penny Nikon gets for these lenses, assuming you can even find one.

It’s even a good investment…my experience with pro-quality Nikon lenses tells me I can buy one today, use it for several years, then sell it online for at least 80% of what I originally paid. This is the formula that lets me feel comfortable to buy today instead of perpetually waiting for the “next big thing”.

Of course, the person this lens is designed for knows all that. Still, I thought I’d mention a few things to ponder for those of you maybe a little bit on the fence.

First of all, I’m politely going to suggest that for most purposes, this lens may be a bit of overkill for DX cameras. The smaller DX sensor doesn’t really do justice to the images created by this wonderful lens, especially if you’re accustomed to one of the better DX zooms. Sure, if you trade your $200 kit lens for the 24-70, it’ll be night-and-day, but if you stack it up against one of the better DX zooms (for instance, the 16-85 – about a third the price), you might not notice much of a difference in picture quality overall on a DX body – the better DX zooms are pretty good in their own right.

Yes, it will give you the best image you can possibly get on your DX, but if you’re going with this caliber lens, consider investing in an FX D700 (or D3, or D3x, etc) to give this lens the sensor area it deserves.

Related to this point is that some of us are fanatics when it comes to overall image quality. We use those expensive B&W filters, we shoot RAW, we tweak every possible setting, both in the camera and in PhotoShop, we even use the purest inks and best papers in our printers. These are the people who will most appreciate this lens.

Second, keep in mind that 24-70 is a fairly narrow zoom range, and at least for me, this means I tend to end up carrying more equipment around. Might not be an issue for most of you, but it does no good to have the world’s sharpest optics if you’re missing shots because you’re spending all your time changing lenses or because the zoom range isn’t wide or long enough.

Visit your camera store and see firsthand what it’s like to carry (say) the 14-24, 24-70 and 70-200…this is a lot of equipment. A DX body with an 18-200 will feel like a point-and-shoot by comparison (not that I’m recommending the 18-200).

Third is the VR issue others have brought up. Yes, it’s nice to have that f/2.8 for low-light, but it would be that much better if you also had a workable VR system. Thing is, unless you’re willing to make religious use of a tripod, again, you might not be getting as sharp images as the guy with that 16-85 DX on his camera, since his is smaller/lighter and has an effective VR system to boot.

None of this takes away from what Nikon has built here, which is absolutely the benchmark in performance for zoom lenses in this range, no matter what the price. Very highly recommended, so long as you’re happy to live with the issues pointed out above.

Amazing lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Anyone who’s considering this lens already knows the specification and performance of this great lens. What can I say. Precision optics with Nikon’s renown build quality. Very usable focal length with ultra fast focusing.

Order placed with J & R Music and Computer world. Shipped very quickly after ordering (standard shipping) and arrived in perfect condition. Would definitely order from them again in the future.

Spectacular
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
First a complaint about Amazon. My lens arrived “packed” in a larger box. The box was large enough that the Nikon box was bouncing around in it. The Nikon box showed the results of the bouncing. I’m sure (I hope anyway) that the lens didn’t suffer as a result of all the bouncing around.

The lens is all I thought it would be. Fast fast focus on my D3. Sharp all over. Colors are spectacular. Sharpness is as high as any lens I own and maybe sharper.

Easy handling even tho, to me, the zoom ring is a little close to the body (same complaint I had about the 17-55).

I love the thicker hood. It feels like you could drop it on it and it would provide some real protection.

Upon receiving the lens I ran out back and started snapping pictures. Right off I could see the deep rich colors and sharp details.

I know it’s not a macro but this gecko liked posing for the camera so I got as close as the lens would let and snapped away while he posed for me. Zooming into the pictures you could see wonderful colors and rich details in the little fella. Oooh and aaahs from the family showing off the pictures.

Very happy with the lens.

Not so happy with Amazon shipping.

Come on guys get it together and put a few peanuts or something in there to keep things from rattling around.

Rippoff
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Over seventeen hundred for a lens which does not even have VR? Checkout f2.0 lens from Zuiko for the same price. Or get a Canon 17-55 F2.8 IS + XSi body for the price of this lens alone and get better pictures in low light too.

pronounced front focus on wide end
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
The copy of the Nikon 24-70 f2.8 lens that I received exhibited gross front focus. The front focus was so severe that no special testing was needed to see the effect. The problem started to decrease after approximately 36mm, but continued throughout the remainder of the focal length. Because the front focus was more pronounced toward the wide end and less severe at 70mm, the use of the fine tune feature in my D300 would only correct one end or the other. I took the lens to a local store and found the problem reproducible with a D300s body. Auto focus or manual focus gave the same results. The problem was the same irrespective of focus point used. I only tried the single shot method, as I rarely use the continuous shooting mode. I had back focus issues with two Canon 5D bodies and the Canon 24-70L f2.8 lens. After sending both bodies and the 24-70L lens to Canon repair facility several times and not getting the back focus issue resolved, I gave up on Canon and switched to Nikon. It has been an unhappy experience so far with Nikon. BTW, I have the LensAlign to test a lens for front/back focus. However, the problem with the Nikon lens was so severe that it was first easily observed in real world picture taking situation. I did use the LensAlign, which showed a front focus issue as well.

Update (December 14, 2009): The lens was exchanged. Unfortunately, the replacement lens was worse for front focus. Besides the D300 body that I own, I tried the replacement lens on two D700 bodies, one D200 body, and one D3 body. The front focus was present with all of the tested bodies. I own five other Nikon lenses and none exhibit front focus problem. One lens out of the five (50mm f1.4) does show ever-so-slight back focus. I also have an inexpensive 12-year old 24-135mm variable aperture third party lens. This lens is not as sharp as the Nikon lenses that I own, however, there are no focusing issues with this lens at all. A brief look at some of the forums online will show that this is not an isolated case. In the end, I would say that this lens is finely crafted and the zoom ring is silky smooth. It takes very sharp pictures, only the focus is about five feet in front of the target that is used to focus (16 feet away)! I have been a Nikon fan since the F3 body days. However, my one-star rating stands mainly due to the fact that this type of quality control is unacceptable in light of the relative cost of the optic.

nikon 12-70 f2.8 sharp and well made
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I recently purchased his lens after much consideration due to the high price. After a week of shooting photos, I find the lens to be extremely sharp and the color rendition is hard to beat. Definitely, this is a “pro” lens in both build and performance. The f2.8 came in handy both taking pictures at a circus and indoors at a bed and breakfast house. One problem … after using this lens, I don’t like my other lenses as much (LOL)

Zoom ring grinds!!!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I bought this from Amazon. Shipped to me fast like 2 days from San Francisco. I live in East Bay Area. Performance top notch like all the reviews. 3rd time I use it the zoom started grinding. I’ve heard about this from other reviews so send it back ASAP. Got my refund at a resonable time. I better try local store for pro lenses. Seem more & more people are having this same problem. Nikon need to address this!

Inconsistent Focus
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I have had this lens for 7 months. In the 7 months, Nikon has had it for almost 3. The autofocus is inconsistent from shot to shot. I have sent samples to Nikon via web and printed. I have sent the lens to them twice already, once with the D300. They adjusted the autofocus the first time and the lens came back worse. the second time they had to replace the entire zoom mechanism. unfortunately it will have to go back again. mounting the lens on a tripod does not give better results. I will however say that when it does focus correctly (40% of the time) it is a great lens. Maybe i have a bad sample but after reading many posts and reviews, it seems that this is not an uncommon problem with this lens. Hopefully Nikon will (can) fix it. The lens is really unusable in it’s present state. I have 8 Nikon Lenses from the 70-200/2.8 to the 85/1.4 and none of them have this issue!!

Best Lens EVER!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this for me d300 and it is an AMAZING lens. The build quality is outstanding!! The only downfalls it that it is heavy and takes a 77mm filter, but the pros defiantly outweigh the cons on this lens. I shoot concerts for my job and this lens is awesome for the job and does crystal clear low light pictures.

Definitely a lens to buy.

needs vr,otherwise perfect…life is short..get it now
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
OK…..You can whine all you want about the cost,weight and size of this lens. Fine. Get the $130 50mm 1.8… Shoot with it……now imagine a lens just as sharp….in the same lighting conditions, with a wider range. I contemplated for over 2 years whether or not to buy it. I should’ve gotten it sooner. Sure i have a sigma 28-70 2.8 (Full frame, not the 24-70 2.8 hsm or the 28- 70mm 2.8-4! see sigma’s website). It was actually quite good but loud…and it slightly broke (Dropped it….hard…. several times…and now it works like a 28-50mm)…..but the nikon lens is a keeper. If you have a d300 or above get it. It’s wide for dx….even wider for your full frame future. Oh did i mention that this lens will be marketable for he next 30 years? Dont believe me? Just try to find its predecessor…the 35-70mm 2.8…good luck….

Recession be damn this lens is never in stock. I got lucky and bought the last one from b&H nyc …Its never in stock cuz every d700 and d3 owner has one or will get one.

Performance in good to low lighting in P mode on a d300 is exceptional. Scratch that..phenomenally delicious. Better than the sigma. And the sigma was damn good. Just as good as or maybe slightly better than my 70-200mm vr. But in poor lighting conditions, manual mode must be used.The d300 is no d700 by any means and my limited skills are always tested…I guess ill have to get a d700s when i get the loot. Even some stellar results can be achieved at 1/30 or below but vr is sorely missed and quite necessary .

Im glad I chose Nikon over Canon.(I refuse to bash Canon, the eos 5d mark ii almost deserves a Nikon sticker albeit shoddy quality) I’m sure you’ve noticed some of their lenses have nicknames. This one is called the BEAST.And we are Nikonians. Of the DARK SIDE.

Nikon knows and hears our complaints about missing vr…..its usually needed at the long end. In bad lighting conditions. Sometimes. So is it really necessary? Yep.

Because nikon has spoiled us with almost absolute pefection we desire vr….I’m saddened cuz two years of my life was wasted without this lens.

Ive wasted my time and money on other brands and lesser quality products, do your self a favor and purchase it.

Seriously the sigma 28-70mm F2.8 dg (it’s not discontinued)is a better value.But the nikon is a better investment. That sigma lens no one talks about….and it costs more than one grand less!!! ButI know i can trade up the nikon for a future version and sell it for over a grand. Easily.

But i probably wont.This lens will outlast me…. and all of you reading this. So save your money. I happily sold my d80 to get it. No matter how long it takes – one, two,five, ten years, it matters not. There will be some version of the BEAST around.

Best zoom lens in this range ever!?
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is perhaps the best standard zoom ever made!

After a short wait and immediate purchase of this lens, I reluctantly retired my Canon DC 17-55 2.8 IS and set aside my Canon 24-70 2.8(along with the 5D). The latter is an excellent lens but not quite this one. This Nikon houses even more resolution and lower CR for starters and is one of the main reasons which urged me to purchase a D3 and the (D700 en route). It generally tops all my Nikon F2.8 prime lenses within this range. The Nikon 14-24 is even more amazing but that’s another review.

I must say that I’m also a VR (IS) junkie – given that I can probably handhold this lens or my Canon 24-70 down to approx. 1/20th to 1/15th of a sec. and get a sharp result most of the time given the weight of these lenses perhaps offers an extra stop for hand-held all in itself. With VR (or IS) I can handhold down to as low as 1/4 second and get a sharp result (see the first shot from my Hawaii gallery (Dusk to Moonlight and Palmtrees in Seanmarshalllin.net – under images/photos) which was handheld at 1/2th second!! using the Canon 17-55 2.8 IS. VR is a no-brainer for anyone who travels and does scenery and architectural work. However, there are at lease 3-4 reasons that Nikon chose to not involve VR in this lens. As one of the reviewers stated as comment to the “Rippoff” review by Drifter earlier, professionals (i.e. photojournalist and wedding photographers etc.) usually don’t need VR in this focal range. VR does little to nothing for moving subjects and for those who occasionally need to go down to 1/8 sec. or lower in this line of work, they’ll use a tripod). Second, VR adds more weight to this already 2 LB lens. Third, VR will drain more battery power. Fourth, VR will add at least a couple if not several hundred more $$ to the existing $1699 price tag. So with that said, this is perhaps the “perfect zoom lens” up until now. I truly regret for those who received an imperfect copy. For more info. see one of my trusted review sources – http://www.photozone.de.

Razor Sharp….Superb!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve been the proud owner of this superb engineered piece of Nikon glass for just about a year now. I have quite a few Nikkor lenses in my arsenal, but this one is hands down my best, and my sharpest. The only other lens that comes close to comparison is the Nikon 85mm f/1.4 I would highly recommend this lens to anyone interested in professional performance!

OPPORTUNISTIC PRICE RISE?!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Sorry, this is not a review and don’t bash me, but this product has been in my cart for the past month and the price has risen from 1650 to 1999 today?!!! Shame on you folks, there seems to be a recession going on, if you haven’t heard already!

Quality control issue — Check you lens carefully.
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I would like to back the reviews (made by B. Guvenir “gshot.com” on February 21, 2008 and by W.Davidson on March 18, 2008) about small metal flakes inside of lens.

I ordered and received one of this lens from Amazon.com last week. After carefully inspecting the lens, I found there were excessive dusts and some metal flakes inside of back element of the lens. Couple of metal flakes was on aperture diaphragm blades. However, inside of the front element of lens was looked total clean and clear as it should be.

Since I am the third person on this site complaining this same problem with this particular lens, it may be a common QC problem with this lens. Please check you lens very carefully after receiving it.

I returned the lens, and got my money back in just two days. Returning order to Amazon.com is so easy, and their Customer Service is great. That is why I always order from them. Amazon Customer Service gets A+.

Most excellent lens. LOVE IT.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve recently switched to Nikon from Canon. This is the first nikon lens in my bag.

Long story short, with all the technical specs aside, this lens capture the most beautiful images. Tack sharp from edge to edge, beautiful colors, and realistic bokeh. This is one of the most advanced and sophisticated lens Nikon has to offer. The AF is smart and very fast.

Now I am so spoiled by this lens, I can’t bring myself to use anything lower in quality than this.

Best lens, buy it if you have the money, this is worth every penny.

Excellent, fast glass, with a problem
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I got my copy from Amazon, and I was thoroughly happy with it until I found it’s a fairly flare-prone lens. However, all things considered, the flare can be avoided by simply not shooting backlit subjects or not aiming the lens at a fairly intense light source. Other than that, I really like the heft of the lens (it is big and heavy, more than my previous one, a Sigma AF 24-70 f2.8). It’s also very sharp, and at the same time I can produce beautifully OOF areas. In short, it is worth every penny. Just turning the zoom ring makes you feel powerful and affluent: it is very well dampened and smooth.

Wow this lens is a treat to use!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Well, after owning this lens for two weeks the $1600 question is : Is it worth it?

The answer is 100% YES!!

This lens is sharp at all f-stops and has fantastic contrast and color characteristics.

My nikon 35-70 f2.8, that I use for portraits, is not even in the same class. I find skin tones are more natural and colors more vivid with this lens. I have found my new walk around lens.

It’s expensive but well worth it.

Worth the expense
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Have owned it for a week and have now shot about 5,000 images with this lens, on a Nikon D700, over the course of two weddings and a three-day workshop.

It’s the best zoom lens I’ve ever used. Fast, sharp, detailed, great build, heavy-duty hood.

Colors are gorgeous, a tiny bit oversaturated (hmm, maybe ‘rich’ is the more apt word here) but I like that — and if you don’t, you can just choose another tone curve in your camera. My Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 (which despite many positive characteristics can turn grass and foliage quite nuclear/psychedelic) sadly doesn’t hold up.

I’m entirely satisfied except for the fact that this lens, as pricey as it is, has no VR (vibration reduction). I’ll be a bit miffed if Nikon introduces a VR version next year at close to the same price. But by then I will have put this lens to fantastic use for tens of thousands of shots, so I’ll live…

Satisfied user of many nikon lenses
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This has been one of many lenses purchased. the rubber part around the lens fell apart, but otherwise, was solid.

Amazingly fast and super sharp!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love this lens. I used it a couple of times and it worked very well. The only thing that I found weird in it is a faint sound it makes when I turn the focus ring manually. It’s a little heavy but built like a tank. I bought it before Nikon price increase. I paid 1,399 dollars for this lens and I will never regret it.

Could it be any better?
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Just bought this before a 3 week trip to central Asia. I could not be more pleased with the photos I shot with this lens (and D90).

Photos were sharp and the colors brilliant.

I am not accustomed to using a hood, but I did and found it useful for protection as well as glare.

The only thing I did not figure out is how to adjust the circ polarized filter with the hood in place – quite clumsy, and hard to avoid touching the filter glass.

I found the people I saw very friendly, and almost anxious to be photographed on the street. My traveling companions suggested that the size of the lens and hood (plus the safari hat) made me look professional to justify their posing spontaneously.

Much to my surprise, I did not mind the weight.

It’s not as versatile as the 18-200 VR for travel, but the results will last a lifetime. Buy it.

Sharpness at low light
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens is unbelievably sharp. Even in a low, dimmed, room light, this lens gives sharp images, at all lengths. I compared it with Nikons’s 50mm/F1.4 and 20mm/F2.8 primes – but the 24-70 FULLY replaces them when it comes to sharpness. Of course, the F1.4 is so useful and is a must-have for a low light, however, it is not as sharp until you close F down a bit…

An other thing are details and “small reflections” from surfaces. This lens renders these incredibly good, adding to the overall liveliness and accuracy of the whole image.

Auto focus is crazy – the fastest I have ever seen.

There are some practical problems though – it is terribly big and heavy, very unlikely to carry around all the time. Also, if you take your SLR with this lens attached, you scare people! However, I guess that is one thing we have to live with and that must be a compromise if we want to have a tank build quality and top optical design…

I recommend this lens as the 1st lens to start your collection with!!! Either if you are DX or FX user, this is the range where you will be taking THE MOST of all your photos. I have tried several lenses, primes and zooms, and spent more money in total than I would have spent had I bought this lens 1st. It is only now, that I got this lens, that I can say – I am finally happy and have something that fully satisfies my needs.

BTW, forget VR! It would probably be good to have it also on this lens, but, really, the lens is still so sharp and fast, that you even forget VR…

Fantastic Mid-range Zoom!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was a bit skeptical about all the positive reviews of this lens, after owning it for a month and using it frequently, I would have to agree with all the positive reviews of this lens. Yes, it’s heavy in comparison to prime and consumer lenses, but this is light compared to 70-200 or 80-200/2.8. Construction is very good, AF-S focusing is quick and quiet, zoom is pretty smooth (definitely don’t have issues here), and lens hood is heavy duty and included with the lens. Takes sharp and contrasty photos with my D700, though I have other lenses covered by the focal lenth of this lens, I use the 24-70mm unless I need a faster lens.

Few things I didn’t know about before purchasing this lens. 1) Lens will cause shadows with onboard D700 flash with hood (24-33mm with hood off) which will require me to buy an external flash (which I planned to do), very minor vignetting at 24mm wide open aperture (I notice it but not to the point where I would edit out), will focus very close (est 12-14″) for almost macro territory, bokeh is surprisingly good, I don’t feel the need for uv filter with the hood in place, lens is water resistant (similar to D700) and liking that I can shoot outdoors w/o having to worry about water getting into optics or electronics.

Some may say it’s a bit expensive for mid-range zoom, but it is money very well spent (at least for me). I’m glad that I could enjoy this lens now, than having to wish that I had this lens some five years from now. VR would be nice but unnecessary as D700 takes great photos at ISO 6400, the only way to make this lens better is to wish for a f1.4 version.

Great lens overall
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is not a 5 star for me. Here are the reasons: very heavy, no VR, and very expensive. For this price there should be VR, that is the biggest negative I can say about the lens. But if you want a top notch walking around lens with very good optics and zoom flexibility, then this fits the bill. To be honest a 50mm f1.4 lens is of the same quality or better sharpness-wise than this lens, but the 50mm gives you NO flexibility when shooting different things. Thats why I got this lens. In most other areas the 50mm f1.4 is better because it is much lighter, cheaper, and the much larger F stop kicks butt in low light which this lens just can’t match with f2.8. don’t get me wrong, f2.8 is great, but f1.4 is MUCH better for low light and backgound blur….but like I said there is zero flexibility with the 50mm lens. So it really depends on you if this 24-70 lens is right. I am going to keep and use my 24-70 all the time. It will probably be my main lens, but mostly for its 24-70 flexibility. If I just wanted pure clarity/sharpness and low light performance then a 50mm f1.4 is the lens to get. but we all know 1 lens is never the ultimate solution for everything. So check the 24-70 out and see if the weight is an issue or not. I can tell you on a D700 body with a SB800 flash this lens get VERY heavy VERY quick. That is not a “all day” walking around setup. So far sharpness has been on par with my prime 50mm, which is high praise. F2.8 is still pretty good for separation of subject from background. Overall a great lens. So good luck. Hope this helps.

One of the sharpest lenses out there. Worth every penny.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I don’t need to talk about how amazing this lens is as everyone else has already spoken. I’ll just say that I’ve used both the Canon 24-70mm and Nikkor 24-70mm versions. The moment I saw the results with the Nikkor 24-70mm, I knew that this is *the* lens to get. In fact, get 2, or more when it’s on special. Pro Nikkors retain their values in time, and sometimes even make great investments.

Chromatic aberration is very well controlled on this Nikkor at all ranges. This is very noticeable when you blow up prints or zoom/crop to 1:1. When I shoot, I have supreme confidence that whatever I focus on, is in focus, and extremely sharp. In fact, I shoot at f/2.8 consistently. This is such an amazing lens, even wide open.

In terms of bokeh, it’s quite decent, producing solid looking round balls, typical of Nikkors (50mm f/1.4G looks similar). It can yield donut shapes in some cases, but you have to try really hard to get it. Personally, I don’t think Nikons make great bokeh lenses. Many Sigma prime lenses yield bokehs that look much creamier, softer, with just a slight hint of chroma edges. But since this is a subject of opinions, your opinion will most likely differ.

worth the upgrade from the 28-70mm f/2.8!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I just sold off my 28-70mm lens by nikon that I’ve had for a few years. It was this lens’ predecessor. I was concerned it may not be worth the $600 or so it would cost to upgrade. I can honestly say I am happy with my purchase. This lens is very sharp throughout its focal length range and aperture range out to the corners. I shoot with a D700 (FX/full-frame) . The only thing it is missing is the VR. With the technology being so prolific in both Nikon and Canon’s lens families, I am surprised they left it out their most useful pro-model lens. Back to the pros: The nano coating seems to be doing its job and preventing any ghosting and lensflares. I re-shot a few pictures that I had taken with my old lens and the flares weren’t present. I tried hard to make it happen but failed. The color rendition is lifelike. The focus is quicker, just as accurate, and more silent than the 28-70mm. The aperture blades are rounded like the new 50mm f/1.4 G lens. I’m not sure if I notice any difference in the out of focus areas when compared to lenses with angled blades. Maybe when I enlarge a print to poster-size, I’ll see a difference. Unlike the 28-70mm, the lens shade can be attached backwards for carrying and storage in the portable nylon case, which I find more user-friendly than the old large vinyl coated cases with buckles. This prevents the shade from rubbing on the lens and causing abrasions when stored together. This lens is narrower but a little longer than the 28-70mm. The narrower barrel makes it a nicer fit in your hand. the added 4mm of wide-angle is noticeable and nice to have. If you are considering an upgrade to this new model, I highly recommend it!

Cameta camera crooks.5 star lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a pro Nikon lens. Just lovely. CAMETA CAMERA are crooks to sell this lens for $2000. It’s in stock on and off at many better dealers for $400 less.

Outstanding quality, as expected
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The image quality from this lens is, as other reviews indicate, nothing short of spectacular. Having used its ancestor, the Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8, I am not surprised in the least. Despite specifications to the contrary, the 24-70mm feels lighter in my hands than the 28-70mm did, and if it is possible, somewhat more responsive. Perhaps the weight distribution is more even in the 24-70mm than it was in the previous iteration.

After using this lens for a few weeks, two things did surprise me:

1. I don’t miss VR in the slightest. I was, to put it mildly, dismayed to find out that Nikon did not include VR in their latest evolution of their fixed-aperture standard zoom. I was, to put it mildly, pleased to see that I get proper exposures with 1/100s shutter speed or higher in all the situations where it matters to me. The configurable auto-ISO on the D300 is a life-saver in this respect; I expect this observation will only become more true as camera technology improves. I suspect Nikon planned this all along.

2. The difference between f/2.8 and f/4.5 is substantial. For the longest time, I kept using my trusty 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 lens, because I felt sure that I wouldn’t benefit very much from the extra 1/3 to 4/3 stops that the fixed f/2.8 lens has to offer. I was wrong.

I primarily use this lens indoors, and for basic portrait work. For these settings, it is exemplary; my only regret is that this lens may put my 50mm f/1.4 out of business. That would be a sad development.

Another area where this lens shines is quasi-macro work. With a reproduction ratio slightly better than 1:4, you get respectably close to small subjects, and have beautifully out-of-focus backgrounds at f/2.8 and 70mm. Shots of single flowers at close range against an interesting background, for example, turn out quite nicely.

I’m very much looking forward to using this lens for the next decade or two (or more). DX digital, FX digital, film– whatever your game is, if you need a lens that covers this range, I don’t think you will find any better than this for quite some time.

Wow – was I impressed
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens (from Amazon) because I felt I needed this focal length range for my business – my 17-55 often was coming up a bit short. After receiving it and using it for a while now I should have been WANTING this lens.

It is sharp, focuses close, has great build quality and feels right at home in your hand.

I was a bit concerned about the size but it actually feels better than my 17-55 which will probably go up for sale shortly.

I am so glad that I waited for this lens and didn’t get the old 28-70.

If you are considering a lens in ths focal length range hit the ‘add to cart’ button now.

28-70 2.8 Nikon AFS
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I have already had to send it back to Nikon for calibration. I’m using it on a D3 and never expected to have to send it back with three weeks.

Amazing — Sharp — Solid
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve owned this lens for about a month. I’ve owned lots of lenses. I’ve owned lots of SLR’s. Slid this baby onto my D700 when I got it and blew off several dozen frames. I immediately liked the feel in my hands. Solid. Smooth. A tank of a lens. Even the lens hood snaps into place with a definitive button snap. This shade won’t fall off accidentally. Everything was just right. Even comes with a belt/shoulder strap case should you ever make the mistake of taking this lens off the camera.

Turned on the camera and the lens springs to life. Shot several dozen frames around the building. Scenes that were pretty challenging. Hoped to find some meaningful improvements over the images I’ve been shooting. It feels good. Focus was snappy and amazingly quiet. Focus was precise. Focus was decisive. View finder was bright. Balance was very, very good. Burned off a few dozen frames and everything just felt right. Like it never had before.

Of course, the tale is not in the feel of the lens, but in the images. Popped the CF card into the computer tonight, fired up Capture NX2, and started loading images. Wow. I’m really taken aback. I really am.

The focus was sharp, sharp, sharp. After color-correcting for the poor/challenging lighting I had been in, the colors jumped to life. The details were razor. The textures velvety. The depth of field precise. The inflatable bags that had surrounded the box in the shipping carton were soft and cushy on the screen. The cardboard box was cold and cardboardy. The bar code label from the box stood out in gentle relief from the surface of the box. Droplets in a water bottle on the table were wet on the screen. Wow. Just “WOW.” What a joy this lens is already. Really. Really.

I’ve had the lens about a month now. Just got back from Phipps Conservatory where I shot most of the morning. This lens is fabulous. Razor sharp. Sharp, sharp, sharp. And the colors were deep and pure and vivid. No distortion at the corners. Depth of field was spot on.

I can’t recommend this lens enough. I’ve used higher end off brand lenses. And I’ve used lower end to mid Nikon. Always preferred the Nikon. They just worked well and created an image that looked real and consistent. But now… This is the lens. Just wow. If you’re on the fence, get off the fence. This is it. If your pictures aren’t what you’re looking for with this lens, it is not the lens.

Bad Quality Control – Nikon 24mm-70mm f2.8
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
According to other reviewers this is one of Nikon’s best lenses ever. My first impression does not echo that sentiment. I just opened the box I received from Amazon and the first thing I noticed was that the zoom did not feel smooth and there was a sound of metal rubbing against metal when zooming from 24mm to 35mm. If the lens is rotated so that the focus switch is facing downward toward the ground, the metal grinding sound goes away, but the zoom operation still feels rough.

When zoomed wide the part of the lens that extends has excessive play, focus seems to work but there is something inside the lens that is not tightened down properly. This is a Pro series lens and for the price I expect better quality control than this. I have read other reviews reporting metal shavings and debris causing distortions. I am new to Nikon equipment, but so far I am not impressed with Nikon’s quality control.

Since this is a quality control issue I am not rating the quality of the glass at this time, I have not had the time to fully test it and I don’t want to waste my time with a defective product as my results may not be accurate. However, if a product can’t be assembled reliably, with consistent results it cannot be rated as the best ever. I give this lens a 3 star rating because of bad quality control. An obvious defect as this should not have passed QC.

About Amazon Customer Service:

I understand that sometimes things go wrong, which is why we have “Customer Service”. Amazon does not publish a customer service number to call and talk to a live person nor an email address to write to them. One is forced to go through their online return process with fixed and limited options. I requested a replacement and got an automated email response telling me to read the manual and contact the manufacturer, with a note saying: “Please note: this e-mail was sent from an address that cannot accept incoming e-mail.” Aaaahhh! How frustrating!

I paid for expedited shipping and ended up with a defective product that I cannot use and Amazon tells me that any returns are at my cost. I usually purchase my camera equipment from a local camera store, B&H or Adorama who have real people in customer service that can rectify errors and replace parts.

Amazon gets a “1 Star” rating for customer service.

Great lens!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have been collecting expensive lenses and this is my latest purchase from Nikon. I have no 3rd party lenses and this is one heck of a lens in build and quality. It is sharp as a razor and very very well built. This is quite an expensive glass from nikon……I believe quality doesn’t come cheap! I wish Nikon would have VR on it though…..I wonder why they don’t put VR on these focal lengths….

Amazon will suck your blood!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Have you noticed that Amazon lowers the price to the same $1699.00 like B&H or Samy’s when the supply is available. But as soon as the supply goes down for a week or so they jack up the price $375.00 more then anyone else! Only Amazon and Cametta Camera will suck your blood and take advantage of you. Don’t buy from these blood sucking retailers! I just bought this lens from Bergen County Camera in Westwood New Jersey. They are always fair, and have an expert staff that will answer all your questions. The Nikon 24-70 zoom lens is magnificient! It’s razor sharp and the color renditions are breathtaking. You really do get what you pay for. I also have the Nikon 70-200mm zoom. Sure these lenses are heavy and expensive. But I do this for a living and the cost is more then justified. Camera bodies come and go. But I will use these lenses for the rest of my working experience. If you love photography and can swing the cost you won’t be sorry. Every well composed and well exposed image looks like it is ready for publication in a magazine! Enjoy!

great lins
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
the lens is great, but when using it with a nikon polarizer on 24mm it introduces vignetting. I wonder if it is the lens or the filter but anyway the combination is not ok