Nikon 24-120 G, ED, VR, Zoom - opinions?

I just ordered a Nikon F100 and I'm looking for wideangle/moderate telephoto
zoom! I've read some reviews on this particular lens, but I would rather
hear from people who actually own and use it before making my decision on
what to buy, the reviews I've read say that it's a little 'soft'. I'm kind
of anal when it comes to sharpness and I know that zooms can't compete with
'prime' lenses, so I want to make the best choice possible. Any other zooms
in this focal range that I should consider?

Thanks!

"Steve Bosell" wrote in message
...
I just ordered a Nikon F100 and I'm looking for wideangle/moderate
telephoto zoom! I've read some reviews on this particular lens, but I
would rather hear from people who actually own and use it before making my
decision on what to buy, the reviews I've read say that it's a little
'soft'. I'm kind of anal when it comes to sharpness and I know that zooms
can't compete with 'prime' lenses, so I want to make the best choice
possible. Any other zooms in this focal range that I should consider?

Thanks!

I have the non-VR version. - I found it to sharpen up pretty well if you
stop it down to around f 8, or if you limit it's zoom range to below 100 mm.
It does have some flare, though....

"Steve Bosell" wrote:
I just ordered a Nikon F100 and I'm looking for wideangle/moderate telephoto
zoom! I've read some reviews on this particular lens, but I would rather
hear from people who actually own and use it before making my decision on
what to buy, the reviews I've read say that it's a little 'soft'. I'm kind
of anal when it comes to sharpness and I know that zooms can't compete with
'prime' lenses, so I want to make the best choice possible.

It suffers from significant barrel distortion at 24-28mm and
pincushion distortion at the long end. The earlier, non-VR version is
even worse.

It will probably produce acceptable results in the focal length range
of, say, 35mm to 105mm if stopped down to f/8 or f/11.

Any other zooms
in this focal range that I should consider?

The Nikon 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 does not have VR but it is optically very
good indeed. Distortion is very well controlled and it is capable of
surprisingly sharp results for a 4X zoom lens.

"Tony Polson" wrote in message
...
"Steve Bosell" wrote:
I just ordered a Nikon F100 and I'm looking for wideangle/moderate
telephoto
zoom! I've read some reviews on this particular lens, but I would rather
hear from people who actually own and use it before making my decision on
what to buy, the reviews I've read say that it's a little 'soft'. I'm
kind
of anal when it comes to sharpness and I know that zooms can't compete
with
'prime' lenses, so I want to make the best choice possible.

It suffers from significant barrel distortion at 24-28mm and
pincushion distortion at the long end. The earlier, non-VR version is
even worse.

This is true, and I probably should have mentioned that, but I can
compensate for this distortion in Photoshop CS2, so I don't care about it
too much.....Of course, it will always be there on the slide........

"William Graham" wrote:


"Tony Polson" wrote in message
.. .
"Steve Bosell" wrote:
I just ordered a Nikon F100 and I'm looking for wideangle/moderate
telephoto
zoom! I've read some reviews on this particular lens, but I would rather
hear from people who actually own and use it before making my decision on
what to buy, the reviews I've read say that it's a little 'soft'. I'm
kind
of anal when it comes to sharpness and I know that zooms can't compete
with
'prime' lenses, so I want to make the best choice possible.

It suffers from significant barrel distortion at 24-28mm and
pincushion distortion at the long end. The earlier, non-VR version is
even worse.

This is true, and I probably should have mentioned that, but I can
compensate for this distortion in Photoshop CS2, so I don't care about it
too much.....Of course, it will always be there on the slide........


Hi William,

Film users who scan their results have the option of using Photoshop
to correct the distortion, but on a 35mm forum, had I assumed that, I
would have been guilty of presumption. ;-)

Noting that the OP has ordered a Nikon F100, I looked on eBay to see
what F100 bodies were selling for. The prices astonished me!

This sure is a good time for people to convert from digital to
(superior) 35mm film.

;-)

"Tony Polson" wrote in message
...
"William Graham" wrote:


"Tony Polson" wrote in message
. ..
"Steve Bosell" wrote:
I just ordered a Nikon F100 and I'm looking for wideangle/moderate
telephoto
zoom! I've read some reviews on this particular lens, but I would
rather
hear from people who actually own and use it before making my decision
on
what to buy, the reviews I've read say that it's a little 'soft'. I'm
kind
of anal when it comes to sharpness and I know that zooms can't compete
with
'prime' lenses, so I want to make the best choice possible.

It suffers from significant barrel distortion at 24-28mm and
pincushion distortion at the long end. The earlier, non-VR version is
even worse.

This is true, and I probably should have mentioned that, but I can
compensate for this distortion in Photoshop CS2, so I don't care about it
too much.....Of course, it will always be there on the slide........


Hi William,

Film users who scan their results have the option of using Photoshop
to correct the distortion, but on a 35mm forum, had I assumed that, I
would have been guilty of presumption. ;-)

Noting that the OP has ordered a Nikon F100, I looked on eBay to see
what F100 bodies were selling for. The prices astonished me!

This sure is a good time for people to convert from digital to
(superior) 35mm film.

;-)

You bet! I almost wish I had waited a few years before I bought all my
equipment and got back into photography.....But, you know, you can wait, and
wait, and pretty soon, one day, you wake up dead....Besides, the real
quality in photographic equipment lies in the lenses anyway, and they are
necessary regardless of what kind of recording medium you are
using.....Someday, these digital types will realize that......It is nice,
however, to compensate for a little barrel and pincushion with the CS2
program....And, the other day, I used the vignetting compensation on an old
slide to brighten the corners a little bit.....Now, if Adobe could just
figure out a way to fix one that's out of focus.......

"William Graham" wrote:

You bet! I almost wish I had waited a few years before I bought all my
equipment and got back into photography.....But, you know, you can wait, and
wait, and pretty soon, one day, you wake up dead....

Yes, it's like deciding when to buy a computer, knowing that prices
will inevitably fall while specifications get better. But if you
wait, you don't gain the benefit of the computer in the meantime.

Besides, the real
quality in photographic equipment lies in the lenses anyway, and they are
necessary regardless of what kind of recording medium you are
using.....

100% true.

Someday, these digital types will realize that......

Somehow, I doubt that. So many of them put all their effort into
learning more and more manipulations in Photoshop while being
astonishingly ignorant about optics, exposure, focusing, depth of
field etc....

It is nice,
however, to compensate for a little barrel and pincushion with the CS2
program....And, the other day, I used the vignetting compensation on an old
slide to brighten the corners a little bit.....

Yes, it is extremely useful. But it is not the be-all and end-all of
imaging.

Now, if Adobe could just
figure out a way to fix one that's out of focus.......

I think you'll find that Adobe and independent developers are working
furiously to achieve that. A few months ago, I saw a demo of a
product under development that went further than I could have
believed. I was asked to become a beta tester but I was, and still
am, too busy. Unfortunately the digital age has made photography
harder work than it was. ;-)

I used one for a while, and found it to be a little soft wide open at the
wide end, but very good to excellent when stopped down, especially at the
tele end. The zooming motion was stiff, though. The VR worked nicely, and AF
was quick and positive, as well. Overall, a very good lens that was a
wonderful travel lens. Quality was not up to the standard of Nikon's pro
lenses, like the 28-70 2.8 AFS lens, which is a gem.

"Steve Bosell" wrote in message
...
I just ordered a Nikon F100 and I'm looking for wideangle/moderate
telephoto zoom! I've read some reviews on this particular lens, but I
would rather hear from people who actually own and use it before making my
decision on what to buy, the reviews I've read say that it's a little
'soft'. I'm kind of anal when it comes to sharpness and I know that zooms
can't compete with 'prime' lenses, so I want to make the best choice
possible. Any other zooms in this focal range that I should consider?

Thanks!

Thanks! Yeah I'll bet it is a "gem" but I can't afford $1200 for a lens!
:-(
---------------------------------------------------
Quality was not up to the standard of Nikon's pro
lenses, like the 28-70 2.8 AFS lens, which is a gem.