Nikon brought out this lens at the same time as the Full frame D3 and the Cropped sensor (DX) D300.
This lens has replaces the 28-70 AF-S F2.8 which was regarded as one of Nikons Finest lenses. It was a massive lens for such a short focal range but produced some stunning shots on both Film and Digital. I never owned a 28-70 however I had hired this on a few occasions for specific jobs.
On a cropped body (such as the D2x, D300, D90’s), the new 24-70 AF-S sits at a strange focal length. 24mm on a cropped body would be 36mm, so we’ve lost that wide angle focal length. Nikon do have a lens alternative for the DX format. This is the 17-55DX AF-S which comes close to the FX 24-70. Ive hardly used a 24-70 on a cropped body so I cannot really come to a conclusion on how good this lens is on a cropped sensor. In anycase, the sensor is only using the sweet spot of the lens, I would assume that it would have excellent image quality.
As I had previously used a 28-70 AF-S, I can compare the difference in size & weight. The two lenses are pretty much identical in length, however the the 28-70 is bulkier and felt very heavy. The 24-70 actually is quite a bit skinnier than the older lens and weights a tad more, but it feels lighter. This could be that the 28-70 was slightly top heavy. The 24-70 definitely isn’t a small lens, but it does feel right on D3 series and D700. It definitely feels out of place on a D5000 (which is a entry level Nikon).
Ive only owned one “Mid Range” zoom lens. You’d probably ask why? Well with automotive photography, I’ve tended to use either the extreme wide end or the 70-200 along with a few excellent primes, such as a 24, 28, 35, 50 & 85mm as most of my auto work is static. It’s only recently I have sold some of my primes to make way for lenses such as the 24-70. The primary reason for fast zooms is for my wedding photography. However for a lot of indoor reportage style wedding work, I still use my excellent primes such as the 85mm AF F1.8 and 50mm AF. These lenses work are great for low light work, and feels less “in your face” to the people in front of the camera than say a huge mid range zoom like the 24-70. It’s important to know that the people you have never met before feel comfortable with you photographing them. Who wants to have a huge lens in your face for a candid shot? Anyways we’re going off track a bit here..
I have owned the 24-70 AF-S for 4 months now and I seldom use this lens often for my wedding work, corporate and editorial automotive work. It a fantastic lens, I think it’s an awesome when it comes to flare control (the 28-70 was not so good with flare control), as you can see in the Lamborghini pic. For wedding work I did find the long end slightly short,. If there was a Nikon version of the canon 24-105L, then it would be a no brainer and the slightly slower F4 is not an issue, as we can shoot the D3 at 3200 all day, everyday. The Nano Crystal Coat employed on these new lenses such as the 24-70 and 16-35 lenses are suppose to eliminate internal lens element reflection which mean less ghosting and flare. This could be true but it’s all a bit too technical for my liking….
Still, this lens is not for everyone. At $2250 (minimum) for this lens, its not cheap, and just because I use it, that doesn’t mean you need it. For the amateur or advanced amateur using a cropped sensor, a 24-70 doesn’t really make sense, however a 17-55 AF-S DX or for canon users with a 500/550D or 7D style sensor, a 17-55 F2.8 I.S would be excellent,. This is where choice of equipment is very important, you don’t always need the latest & greatest. For D3/D700 owners, this lens is a very versatile lens if you need a pro grade mid-range zoom.
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