mikedent Loc: Florida

Asking advice on experiences and merits comparing Nikon's 17-55 f2.8, 24-70 f2.8, and 24-120 f4. For D7100 body, I want this to be my sharpest "people" lens for parties, portraits, grandkids, and the like, not a traveling lens. I know the DX sensor will increase the ranges of all of them but not a real concern for me. Thanks for inputs!

jethro779 Loc: Tucson, AZ

For me it would be a toss up between the 17-55 and the 24-70, with the 24-70 being the one most apt to win.

Bugfan Loc: Toronto, Canada

To me there's no contest.

I vote for the 24-70. For wider stuff I use the 12-24 f2.8 and for more distant stuff I use the 70-200 f2.8. All three are incredibly sharp and work well in poor lighting which is common indoors.

At one time I did seriously consider the 24-120 but for me the extra stop of the 24-70 is worth more than the additional telephoto range in that lens. As to the 17-55, I've never looked at it and won't anyway. I use an FX sensor so that lens gets me no benefits at all.

Db7423 Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

Nikon 24-70 hands down. One of Nikon's pro lens. ;)

steve_stoneblossom Loc: Rhode Island, USA

I've owned a 17-55 since they came out, used it for several years on my D70 and D70s and loved it, then upgraded to D700 and it sat on the shelf. Having just purchased a D7100, I look forward to dusting it off and putting it back to work when I need a wide angle.

Having said that, I would concur with those choosing the 24-70, unless you anticipate frequently finding yourself in such tight quarters that you need the additional angle of view. Considering crop factor, how often would you need 28mm angle vs 36mm angle? I think you would more often find yourself wishing you had more reach on the other end.

RJNaylor Loc: Delmar, New York

While the 17-55 is my preferred normal range and covers 90% of the photos I take, I sent one back and bought the Sigma 17-50 2.8 OS and have been really happy with it -- the OS may be what does it for me as i can shoot in lower light without flash.

aaronwolf

Just a quick comment on a totally different perspective. I have owned many brands of high end lenses, Canon, Nikon, Sony (I shoot with Sony now), Schneider and Pentax etc. For subjects you want to shoot I can very highly recommend a combo of two primes, specifically the Sigma 35mm f1.4 and Sigma 50mm f1.4 lenses. The combined weight of the two lenses would be no more than 8 ounces heavier than the 24-70mm f2.8 and their combined cost of $1,250 at todays going price is less than the cost of the 24-70 Nikon zoom. Both are 2 full f-stops faster than the 24-70mm and I guarantee you will find that each of these Sigma lenses are sharper at the equivalent focal length in the zoom. In fact the 50mm lens since it was first marketed has been rated higher than the 50mm Nikon or Canon f1.4 primes and the 35mm f1.4 is rated as high or higher than Nikons, Canons and Carl Zeiss's equivalent lenses all of which sell for more than $500 more than the Sigma. As far as shooting portraits with either of these two Sigmas, shooting them at F1.4 will blow away the Nikon 24-70mm with regards to bokeh. I am a professional photographer and besides the Sigmas I shoot 3 different Carl Zeiss lenses as well as Sony lenses including their 300m f2.8 so my demands for the best lenses optically is very high. For more info on the Sigma lenses I would refer you to dpreview.com

mikedent Loc: Florida

I can see the 50mm Sigma as a viable choice. I think 35mm doesn't give me the wide angle capability of the others. Does Sigma make an equivalent prime around 17 or 20 or so or zoom that would be of same high quality? My sensor crop is 1.5x. Great discussion!

aaronwolf

The new 35mm lens is the introductory lens in Sigmas new line of Art lenses. They do not as yet have a very wide angle lens in the new line of Art lenses. They make many different very wide angle primes as well as wide angle zoom lenses. For a brief period about 10 years ago I owned a Sigma 17-35mm lens (a full frame lens) which I used on an early (6mp) Canon digital SLR (D60). It was good and reasonable priced (I think around $500) but I would suggest you check out dpreview or dxomark.com and see if you can find a review for a wide angle Sigma prime lens in the 18 to 20mm range. Sigma plans to release more lenses in the new Art series and currently is introducing a 24-105mm f4 lens which I am certain will be reviewed in the near future.

aaronwolf

I went to dpreview and found I was not up to date on new models in Sigmas Art line. There is now an 18-35mm f1.8 lens introduced around april of this year. It is the fastest zoom in that range and their excellent testing processes showed it to be in a class by itself with regards to resolution. It sells for around $950. If that's wide enough for you then a combo of the 50mm f1.4 and that zoom would run you around $1300.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

I have this lens and like it very much. DPReview gave it a gold award http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/sigma-18-35-1-8.

The $950 mentioned would also get you the hub used to update the lens firmware and make micro adjustments to the AF.

Bret Loc: Dayton Ohio

Have a look at the Nikon 18-140 F4...on that camera it seems to get great reviews. I'm thinking about swapping out my old 28-105 for that lens...just for events and things like that.

mikedent Loc: Florida

I have heard that in the newer Nikon firmware updates they have been working to limit the functionality of non-Nikon lenses with their bodies ie Sigma and others. Wondering if this should be a concern with purchasing off-label.

dragon64 Loc: Stewartstown PA

Guess I will be updating my Nikon Firmware soon so I can avoid future firmware updates that restrict my lens usage and my fun quotient. I use a combination of Nikon and Sigma lenses.

buffmaloney Loc: Indiana

The Nikon mount is listed at $799 everywhere I looked. Lens only.