Sharpest Zoom for Nikon? (Page 5): I have a D7100 (& a D610). I have a Nikon 24-70 f2.8, Nikon 17-55 f2.8, Nikon 18-200 VR II, Nikon 28-300 VR, Sigma 18-35 f1.8, Nikon 70-200 VR, along...

shutterbob Loc: Tucson

Ambrose wrote:

I would like to hear opinions on what you may consider the sharpest zoom available for Nikon. I've grown unsatisfied with my 18-150 and 18-200 due to generally soft results on my D7100.
I shoot mostly landscapes, so I would be looking at the wide end on the low side.
Thoughts?

I have a D7100 (& a D610). I have a Nikon 24-70 f2.8, Nikon 17-55 f2.8, Nikon 18-200 VR II, Nikon 28-300 VR, Sigma 18-35 f1.8, Nikon 70-200 VR, along with a few others. The 17-55 lives on my D7100 almost all of the time. They are all good lenses with their own purposes, but the 17-55 is a perfect match for the 7100 just as the 24-70 is for the 610. I have never regretted spending the money for it. It is super sharp edge to edge, has great low light capabilities, and is built to last a lifetime. It is wide enough for almost all my shots (which are mostly landscapes). Best DX lens ever made IMO.

Eye-aye

As mentioned above, the Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 is an outstanding zoom lens, with optical performance matching or surpassing its Nikon 24-70 equivalent, which is saying a lot; the Nikon 24-70 is a staple among pros (I've shot with it professionally myself and love it)and has been praised far and wide. But, as I said, test results have shown the Tamron to be (at least) as good optically, PLUS it offers four stops of vibration reduction(!).

If you're shooting landscapes, you're most likely using a tripod, but if you ever do handheld work, those four stops of VR are tremendous to have. I've actually shot down to 1/8 of a second HANDHELD without any blur. It's an extraordinary capability in low light. Add to this optical and image-stability performance the fact that the Tamron is hundreds of dollars less expensive and... well, the choice is up to you.

JimGuy

tradio wrote:

14-24, 24-70, 70-200

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

mrgeecee wrote:

The Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 is the sharpest amongst my lenses and it is a 2.8 throughout the zoom.

I would perfer the dog pic . with out the blur back ground , and dog body . and this is fixed f2.8 what is the advantage of fixed and setting your own .

Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

Gene51 wrote:

Here we go again - primes are good, and some are p... (show quote)

your right but . I believe your talking cheep primes . if what you say is any where near true . why would any one buy a $4000 , $6000 prime instead of
a 150-600mm zoom for $1300 . the zooms are not there yet , and probably never will be .

Reinaldokool Loc: San Rafael, CA

DavidPine wrote:

The sharpest zoom is the Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 in my opinion. You shouldn't be getting too soft with the 18-200 f/3.5 with the D7100. Your DOF may be off or your AF may be off for what you are trying to do. Try a single focus point with a wide DOF and a higher f stop and see it that helps. I like my 18-200 on the D7100. For really sharp landscapes, a 14-24 or a 24-70 would be good. Good luck.

Ditto. I get tack-sharp images from my 18-200 with my D7000. You might consider going over your focus settings, trying different settings.

JimGuy

Eye-aye wrote:

As mentioned above, the Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 is an... (show quote)

The Nikon seemed more consistant throughout the focal range, as well as faster auto focus etc. I tried them both at the shop...and brough the Nikon home despite the higher price. Looks like they are all good lens's from these reviews
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAAeoB1F7nI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqf6Q8Wkd_c

mrgeecee Loc: Wilmington,DE

Here's a quick way to check if your lens focus is true. Take 3 "D" batteries and place them one behind the other at a slight diagonal...so that you can see the labels. Focus on the lead battery, no flash,widest(or fastest f2.8 or closest) aperture. Check the photo, the lead battery should be sharp while the other two will be out of focus. If out make necessary adjustments on the body from the menu.

lone ranger Loc: Port Saint Lucie, Florida

excellent advice for the correct prospective, on focus and bokeh......

mrgeecee wrote:

Here's a quick way to check if your lens focus is true. Take 3 "D" batteries and place them one behind the other at a slight diagonal...so that you can see the labels. Focus on the lead battery, no flash,widest(or fastest f2.8 or closest) aperture. Check the photo the lead battery should be sharp while the other two will be out of focus. If out make necessary adjustments on the body from the menu.

Pentony Loc: Earth Traveller

Ambrose wrote:

I would like to hear opinions on what you may consider the sharpest zoom available for Nikon.

How about the Nikon Nikkor 18-140mm f3.5-5.6 ED VR?
See DP lens review with this lens mounted on a D7100.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

Bram boy wrote:

I would perfer the dog pic . with out the blur back ground , and dog body . and this is fixed f2.8 what is the advantage of fixed and setting your own .

Fixed aperture, no...The poster means constant maximum aperture.
In this case, the maximum aperture of the lens stays at f/2.8 through the whole focal length range.
It will stop down to whatever aperture you set but doesn't get dimmer as you zoom out.
Lesser lenses get dimmer as you zoom out to the longest focal length.
For example, Nikon's 70-300 has a maximum aperture of f/4.5 at 70mm and f/5.6 at 300mm.
On the other hand, the 70-200 2.8 has a constant f/2.8 maximum aperture throughout the whole range.
Makes it great for low-light situations, but it's not as easy on the pocketbook or shoulders.

Papabear Loc: Pennsylvania

In my camera bag, Nikon 24-70, 70-200, and 200-400 can't be beat. Expensive? yes, but the quality remains long after the price is forgotten.

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

Ambrose wrote:

I would like to hear opinions on what you may consider the sharpest zoom available for Nikon. I've grown unsatisfied with my 18-150 and 18-200 due to generally soft results on my D7100.
I shoot mostly landscapes, so I would be looking at the wide end on the low side.
Thoughts?

A lot of answers here with lots of opinions. For those posters proclaiming a line of Tamrons besting the equivalent Nikons: If they did prove sharper, I would still buy Nikon because there is more to a lens than sharpness. How well does it handle flair, distortion, how rugged is the lens, how well do the multi-coatings contribute to true color reproduction? Tamron is a good lens, but if the user does a lot of field work, the Nikons are legendary in their build and Tamrons are not.

kymarto Loc: Portland OR and Milan Italy

Bridges wrote:

A lot of answers here with lots of opinions. For those posters proclaiming a line of Tamrons besting the equivalent Nikons: If they did prove sharper, I would still buy Nikon because there is more to a lens than sharpness. How well does it handle flair, distortion, how rugged is the lens, how well do the multi-coatings contribute to true color reproduction? Tamron is a good lens, but if the user does a lot of field work, the Nikons are legendary in their build and Tamrons are not.

Nikon has many excellent lenses, but not all are. There are third party lenses in some categories that clearly beat their equivalent Nikon counterparts. More often they will be superior in some aspects and inferior in others. My advice is to check good lens review websites such as lenstip, photozone and slrgear to understand the performance of any lenses you might be interested in, so that you can make an educated choice. Build quality is one of the aspects covered--it varies greatly depending on the class of lens. Cheap Nikons are no better than cheap anything elses.

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

kymarto wrote:

Nikon has many excellent lenses, but not all are. ... (show quote)

True, but I was addressing the Nikon "Holy Trinity" of lenses along with a couple of others mentioned in the string, not the Nikon plastic kit lenses.