Royce Moss Loc: Irvine, CA

Alan thanks for the advice, very helpful. I will be going with 85,35 combo and use the 35 for Parties and Events.

Royce Moss Loc: Irvine, CA

Thanks Alan for the great advice. I will go with 85,35,70-200 for parties, events, weddings.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Give it a bit more thought Royce! A 24-120mm f/4 will do you a lot more good than 85mm and 35mm fixed focal length lenses. Eventually if you really want to try them, go ahead with the 85mm and/or 35mm. You might want to only try one, because chances are very good that with a 24-120mm available you will virtually never use either of the fixed focal length lenses. They are useful in a studio, but not much so anywhere else.

If you decide to stick with an APS-C sensor the 16-80mm f/2.8-4 E G might be a better choice. But in either case a moderately wide to moderately telephoto will provide vastly more flexibility. The 24-120mm f/4 is classified as a pro lens by Nikon, and sports a gold ring. On an FX camera it is, along with the 70-200mm f/2.8, indispensable.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

I've seen a lot of nice photos taken with the 24-120. However, if you have the 24-70mm f2.8 as well as that indispensable 70-200mm f2.8, you don't need the overlap.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

More like the 24-70mm just isn't needed depending on what kind of work one does. If it's all studio portraits the 24-70mm is wonderful, but switch to a 24-120mm when going out the door! That extra range on the long end is very useful and helps to avoid having to change lenses (which invites dust on the sensor).

Hence if one does any work away from a studio, pick up a 24-120mm and think real hard about the need for a 24-70mm.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

We went to Santa Fe and Taos last year and I never took the 24-70mm off my D800. Graham Smith likes the 24-120 and uses it quite a bit, and I can see the usefulness in the extra length, but I have been very happy in one of Nikon's best lenses. As useful as the 24-120 may be, it isn't in that category.

When they talk about f2.8 lenses being fast, it's not because they have a large aperture for shooting, but because that large aperture allows for a very quick focus. Once you've felt that "zap" of an f2.8 focus, you're hooked.