Wide angle to zoom: I have a Death Valley trip planned. To get the sharpest shots with my d810 is there a noticeable difference between the nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 and the Nikkor 28-300mm...

rbmitch123

I have a Death Valley trip planned. To get the sharpest shots with my d810 is there a noticeable difference between the nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 and the Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5 at the wide angle range? Both are AF lenses.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

rbmitch123 wrote:

I have a Death Valley trip planned. To get the sharpest shots with my d810 is there a noticeable difference between the nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 and the Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5 at the wide angle range? Both are AF lenses.

The 24-70 is sharper from 24 to 27mm, the 28-300 is sharper from 71 to 300mm.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

rbmitch123 wrote:

I have a Death Valley trip planned. To get the sharpest shots with my d810 is there a noticeable difference between the nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 and the Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5 at the wide angle range? Both are AF lenses.

Yes. Especially on a full frame camera. Though, my own experience and that of various reviewers is that the 28-300 is garbage, unless all you need it for is to post images online and you are using a lower resolution camera. There is a reason Nikon has not included it on it's lens recommendations for the D800/800E, D810 and D850.

It never gets sharp at the edges or corners, and it has pretty awful chromatic aberration. Other than that, it is a $950 10X zoom.

I have tried 3 copies of this lens - one that was borrowed from NPS, and in each case I was completely underwhelmed.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

rbmitch123 wrote:

I have a Death Valley trip planned. To get the sharpest shots with my d810 is there a noticeable difference between the nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 and the Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5 at the wide angle range? Both are AF lenses.

Definitely!

rbmitch123

Thanks. What about from 28-70?

whwiden

RWR wrote:

The 24-70 is sharper from 24 to 27mm, the 28-300 is sharper from 71 to 300mm.

I take it you meant from "24 to 70mm" and not from "24 to 27mm"? Making the super zoom sharper only in a range for which the 24-70mm is incapable of shooting?

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

whwiden wrote:

I take it you meant from "24 to 70mm" and not from "24 to 27mm"? Making the super zoom sharper only in a range for which the 24-70mm is incapable of shooting?

I was being sarcastic. I would not consider any lens much wider than 50mm for landscapes. For a wider than normal angle of view, I use a 58 or 60mm lens on 6 x 7 or 6 x 9 format. With digital I would use panorama stitching, still with a 50mm or longer lens.

Flickwet Loc: NEOhio

RWR wrote:

The 24-70 is sharper from 24 to 27mm, the 28-300 is sharper from 71 to 300mm.

Brilliant response

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

You're comparing a $900 lens to a $2,200 lens. Something to keep in mind.

Some reviews -

28-300mm
https://kenrockwell.com/nikon/28-300mm.htm
https://photographylife.com/reviews/nikon-28-300mm-vr
https://www.dpreview.com/products/nikon/lenses/nikkor_28-300_3p5-5p6g_ed_vr

24-70mm
https://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/24-70mm.htm
https://photographylife.com/reviews/nikon-24-70mm-f2-8g
https://www.dpreview.com/products/nikon/lenses/nikon_24-70_2p8g

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

While the 24-70 f2.8 is a professional lens the 28-300 is not. I have used the 24-70 but not the other lens although logic tells me that the 24-70 set to 28mm has to have better correction than the 28-300 set to 28mm.
Sharpness is pretty subjective and sharpness depends more on us than on camera or lens.

Spirit Vision Photography Loc: Behind a Camera.

rbmitch123 wrote:

I have a Death Valley trip planned. To get the sharpest shots with my d810 is there a noticeable difference between the nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 and the Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5 at the wide angle range? Both are AF lenses.

If you want quality, leave the super zoom at home. Use the 24-70.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

RWR wrote:

The 24-70 is sharper from 24 to 27mm, the 28-300 is sharper from 71 to 300mm.

LMAO!!!

Flickwet Loc: NEOhio

Why not split the difference and pick up a 24-120 f4

KenwardV

Keep your aperture small with either...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

dsmeltz wrote:

LMAO!!!

"The 24-70 is sharper from 24 to 27mm, the 28-300 is sharper from 71 to 300mm."

I've been trying to find a comparison of them at 300mm. No luck so far.