Nikon 24-85 f3.5 FX Lens
Mar 17, 2016 03:05:49 #
robtenn
Loc: Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Has anybody used the Nikon 24-85 f3.5 FX Lens? What are your opinions on this lens?
Mar 17, 2016 06:20:29 #
I rented the lens for five days once. It's a sharp lens but has a lot of barrel distortion at the wide angle settings and a lot of pincushion distortion at the long focal lengths. You'll need to correct that. Nikon has lens correction profiles that work with their Capture NX-2 and Capture NX-D software.
Mar 17, 2016 08:23:07 #
I have the 24-85 3.5-4.5 VR G. This is a very good walk around lens that is very sharp and while it does have distortion as mentioned in CO's post, if you use any of the better processing programs like Lightroom Photoshop DxO etc, their processor engine includes corrections and at least for me distortion is not a concern at all. I recommend it for every day use.
Mar 18, 2016 07:18:11 #
I use this lens as my walk-around lens on my D800e. For everything other than low light situations, it is actually quite good. I agree that the distortion correction in Lightroom works just fine. It is a good alternative to the 24-70mm for more or less covering the same focal length at a much lower cost. It won't perform as well as the 24-70, but the image quality of this lens is good.
Mar 18, 2016 08:35:14 #
I love the lens and I have a confession to make. I have done several weddings with it. I know I am supposed to use a 24-70 for the wide shots, but the 24-85 is so sharp I just can't justify the extra $2K.
Mar 18, 2016 10:42:01 #
robtenn wrote:
Has anybody used the Nikon 24-85 f3.5 FX Lens? What are your opinions on this lens?
Yes. I got a used one six months ago or so. Very sharp and light and the VR works well. It is on my D800 90% of the time.
Mar 18, 2016 12:53:50 #
Grandpa Pete
Loc: Western Finger Lakes (NY)
robtenn wrote:
Has anybody used the Nikon 24-85 f3.5 FX Lens? What are your opinions on this lens?
I've been using this lens as my walk around for six years or so, first with a D90 and now with a D7100. No complaints at all. I bought it on ebay for 150. Well reviewed by Ken Rockwell and others. I've never noticed the distortion, but I've only used it with DX cameras.
Mar 18, 2016 13:20:19 #
I have one that I have been using as my walk around lens for my D750. It is reasonably sharp but as others have pointed out there is a fair amount of distortion at the wide end. It is a really good lens though considering the low cost. I have however started using a 24-120 f4 as my walk around. It is not too much larger or heavier while giving me more range and less distortion. Though it's about double the cost of the24-85, for me it is worth it. But, if you want a good all day carry lens, the 24-85 is a bargain.
Mar 18, 2016 20:15:47 #
Grandpa Pete wrote:
I've been using this lens as my walk around for six years or so, first with a D90 and now with a D7100. No complaints at all. I bought it on ebay for 150. Well reviewed by Ken Rockwell and others. I've never noticed the distortion, but I've only used it with DX cameras.
Using on DX should eliminate much of the edge distortion. You might get similar results on FX keeping the zoom above 36mm.
Lightroom fixes it.
Oh, I see you need to turn on auto-distortion correction in the shooting menu. Maybe those who see a lot of distortion didn't do that!
Mar 18, 2016 21:26:21 #
robtenn wrote:
Has anybody used the Nikon 24-85 f3.5 FX Lens? What are your opinions on this lens?
That lens was on my camera almost constantly for a few years. It was replaced by a 28~300. I still have it and it works well on my F and F5. Depending on the situation, I'd go back to using it in a heartbeat.
--Bob
Mar 18, 2016 21:40:49 #
rmalarz wrote:
That lens was on my camera almost constantly for a few years. It was replaced by a 28~300. I still have it and it works well on my F and F5. Depending on the situation, I'd go back to using it in a heartbeat.
--Bob
--Bob
I went the other way. The 24-85 is much lighter and I believe has significantly better image quality than the 28-300.
I still use the 28-300 when I need more range and don't have my big gun (200-500) with me.
Mar 19, 2016 08:10:09 #
robtenn wrote:
Has anybody used the Nikon 24-85 f3.5 FX Lens? What are your opinions on this lens?
Please note that there have been several versions of this lens with the latest (utilizing VR) being the best of them
Mar 19, 2016 15:57:32 #
It's been my main lens for a few years now - love it. Sometimes I do wish I had a bit more. Nikon also makes a comparable 24-120. You may want to give that some consideration.
Mar 19, 2016 16:07:40 #
It is an excellent lens, comparatively small and light. I also have the 24-120, more reach, but bigger and heavier. I think both better than the 28-300 (not a bad lens), which is a little bigger and heavier than the 24-120. A lot of the early shots I posted here, Santa Fe 14 and Philadelphia were shot with it.
They are available refurb at fairly reasonable prices. I should use mine more!
They are available refurb at fairly reasonable prices. I should use mine more!
Mar 19, 2016 16:19:02 #
I have one and rate it very high. I use it on my D800. A great walk around lens. Sharp images.
robtenn wrote:
Has anybody used the Nikon 24-85 f3.5 FX Lens? What are your opinions on this lens?
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