jsmangis Loc: Peoria, IL

I bought a gently used 24-70 AFS Nikkor from a member here when I bought my new D610 just before Labor Day. I seldom take it off and use it for nearly everything. It is an amazing lens and shoot nearly everything with it. The extra stop definitely makes a difference indoors, and don't know how I shot without it.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Get one and see if you like it Don.
You could always sell it if you don't like it. ;)

NikonDad Loc: Bothell, WA

I have the old "Beast", an AF-S Nikkor 28-70 f/2.8D IF-ED, that I keep on my D7000 or D200 most of the time. I extend the zoom by walking forward or backward, whatever the need. It's a great general-purpose lens. It's not the only lens I have but it is definitly the most used.

Gobuster Loc: South Florida

I have the 24-85G VR and really love it, to me, the extra reach and VR make it a more useful lens than the 24-70 F2.8. I'm amazed with how crisp the 24-85 is on my D610. I've tried my friends 24-70 and could not see any IQ advantage, so, if you don't need the extra stop, my advice is to keep the 24-85 and use the cash to buy a lens with a different range. BTW the VR really helps, I've made very good shots hand held at 1/10".

Nikon_DonB Loc: Chicago

Thanks Gobuster and camerapapi for the great advice. I DO really like the results of the 24-85mmVRg on my D610 and I preach about it all the time. You know how it is though. You are always asking yourself," Can it be better?"

Could this be the cause of G.A.S.? Oh No!

jmcgloth Loc: Ocean Park, WA

I want to echo what the others are saying. The 24-70 is tack sharp and just an excellent lens. You won't be disappointed.

Los-Angeles-Shooter Loc: Los Angeles

I use an ancient 24-70 2.8 on my Nikon D300 for most of my headshots and portraiture. It's a comfortable length. The problem with the 3.5-4.5 IMO isn't so much the ~ stop slower, it's the fact that the effective aperture changes as you zoom. This makes the lens exasperating to use with studio strobes, or any other sort of "manual" use, since the exposure changes as you zoom.

Zero_Equals_Infinity Loc: Canada

I am going to be the exception to the rule. I owned this lens before it went swimming on a canoe trip ... thankfully it was insured as was the D3x it was mounted on.

While it a good general purpose f2.8 24-70 zoom, it is not as robust a lens for weather as my primes. I also prefer primes, so that was a mark against it for me - not for others. For me, a 24 tilt-shift, my 50 and my 105 cover the territory, and for street, the 50 is less obtrusive, and the tilt-shift enables me to appear to be shooting at something other than the subject. For landscape the above primes really do it, (and I carried those three on my 80km hike at Killarney last summer.)

If I were an event photographer I would love this lens. It's strengths are versatility, very good IQ, and at f2.8 a quite reasonable speed.

You really have to look at what and how you shoot to determine if it is what you need.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Don, I don't see how you can consider a lens and not consider the camera it will go onto. I have no idea what you shoot, nor have mentioned it.
When I started with a crop Canon camera, everybody said I had to get the 24-105, so I did. And at close to $1000 I tried real hard to pretent I was in love with it. When the honeymoon was over, it went into my drawer and I had to get a 15-85 instead. 24 wasn't near wide enough for my crop.
Now on my FF the 24-105 is my MOST used lens.
On speed: 2.8 is pretty slow, so for speed I use a fast primes.
Since all lenses are sharp, I add a lens when I need the focus length, not because I think it's better. If you shoot weddings, on a FF that's the wedding workhorse, or if you shoot lots of available light indoors. Otherwise a flash is way faster. :lol: In reality it probably won't do much that your current lens is not already doing.
But that's just how I go about it.
If you just want it, just get it. That it's a nice lens is a given. ;-)
SS

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Nikon DonB....
I'll go out on a limb and bet it isn't a Canon.... :lol:
He has a nice D610.
Oh, and that's a Nikon. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Snark, snark... :lol:

JimGrog Loc: Wash DC Area

Had mine almost two yrs. My walk-around lens. Using on D90 until I go FF. I love it. The kit lens 18-105, 3.5 that came with the camera was pretty good, but the difference between it and 24-70 is night and day. One of best choices I've ever made.