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General purpose zoom for DX?

Swissblad

Well-known member
Hi gents

with my D500 on the way... I was wondering about a general purpose zoom lens....something for city tours or walk around trips.

Any suggestions?

I saw this recommendation by Thom Hogan.....

Thanks

S :thumbup:
 
Last edited:

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Hi gents

with my D500 on the way... I was wondering about a general purpose zoom lens....something for city tours or walk around trips.

Any suggestions?

I saw this recommendation by Thom Hogan.....

Thanks

S :thumbup:
If it was me, it would be the 24-120mm f/4, but I tend to shoot long rather than wide. As a wide companion, I would bring the excellent Tokina 11-20mm f/2.8 or the older 11-16mm f/2.8 or even the interesting 14-20mm f/2.

The 24-120mm is a very good lens, and although mine tend to show a bit of CA, that's something that I've decided to live with due to the other qualities of that lens. An added advantage is that it's an FX lens, so it can be used on full frame bodies as well.

Of the Tokinas, I've only used the 11-16mm briefly, but they tend to get great reviews, with some caveats for the 14-20mm.
 

Swissblad

Well-known member
Thanks Jørgen

we have the 24-120mm - it was my favourite on the D700!

I was looking more for a dedicated DX ones.... am tending towards the Sigma 17-50mm f2.8, although I have a suspicion that with the D500 and 7DMkII, we'll see a new C version.....

Cheers

S ;)
 

Hulyss Bowman

Active member
Thanks Jørgen

we have the 24-120mm - it was my favourite on the D700!

I was looking more for a dedicated DX ones.... am tending towards the Sigma 17-50mm f2.8, although I have a suspicion that with the D500 and 7DMkII, we'll see a new C version.....

Cheers

S ;)
Forget about the sigma 17-50 2.8. This lens is often de-centred, as I experimented with few models back in the day. It is far to be an optimal lens. Nikon and sigma aren't friends. If you really want to go third party I'd rather go Tokina, not Sigma.

That said, I do not see the point going "dedicated" APS-C lens rather than normal 35mm lenses. Buy yourself a 16-35 f4 VR and you are good. Buy a good 50 to complete and your done.
 

Swissblad

Well-known member
Thanks for the input gents - I guess I'll be sticking with the lenses we have for the moment.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
If I were to buy a dedicated DX lens except for the 18-35/50-100 Sigma duo (as good as they may be, they are not universal tools), I would have a look at a used Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8, which can mostly be found for $6-700. I've had the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 for as long as I can remember, and although it's a sharp lens and performs well from an "objective" point of view (it used to get great reviews), the build quality is crap and it's a totally boring piece of glass. Good quality Nikkor lenses might not do much better from a reviewers point of view, but the real life rendering and the build quality is often in a totally different class. At the current prices, you can hardly go wrong with a choice like that, and you won't lose much if you decide to sell it later.

Apart from that, the 24-120mm is probably still a great performer on the small sensor, and if you already have it, it's basically free :)
 

Swissblad

Well-known member
Thanks Jørgen - I've been taking a look at 2nd hand copies of the Nikkor 17-55mm f2.8...... ;)

Will keep you posted.

:thumbup:
 
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